The bigger thing is don’t explain it away and my god, you got a B. Who cares ?
The stress these kids put themselves under - OP thinks they are cooked for a B. They wouldn’t be cooked for half Bs and Cs.
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OP - I actually think that the Eagle Scout and Girls State (Mayor, etc.) are big deals. They will more than make up for your B 
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You’ll be fine. Have a solid list and you’ll have no trouble moving on to engineering in college. Reaches were reaches and are still reaches. The only additional comment, I’d make is for others reading as what’s done is done for your record. Don’t hesitate to AUDIT a course over the summer if you think it might be helpful in your classes next year. One shouldn’t take a graded course (particularly ONLINE) as preparation in my opinion.
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Is the 30k budget due to financial need or a wish from well-to-do parents?
OOS public universities on your list won’t give you any financial aid except for Umich. Run the NPC on each one if them.
Seconding SUNY Buffalo.
If you have financial need run the NPC on Lafayette, Bucknell, WPI.
Definitely apply to UMBC in addition to UMD CP.
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No civil at UMBC
Oh, right, you should hear from Iowa State quickly too - have you already applied?
I didn’t check your other threads before responding; Pitt isn’t likely to get down to 30K/yr, but PSU even more unlikely (not sure that much OOS merit even exists at PSU). Sounds like your budget has gotten more flexible, but is that true flexibility or “see where you get in and we’ll find a way” type flexibility? Iowa State won’t be as pricey as a lot of OOS publics, but I think it’ll still be above 30K. As tsbna suggested, WVU could be a more affordable option - good music opportunities there too, if that’s important to you. Good one to add in, especially since UMBC doesn’t have your desired major.
Since Clarkson suggests that you don’t mind small and rural, have you considered Rose-Hulman? They have some big scholarships that you could be competitive for, especially given that they’re always trying to get more women to attend.
Presuming you’re applying EA to College Park. (You really must, for any impacted major.) If that works out, it may be hard to beat for the in-state price, unless you qualify for a lot of need-based aid and get into a generous private U that meets need.
At any rate, that one online class is water under the bridge. Calling any additional attention to it in the application process would fall under the old French proverb that translates, “To excuse a fault is to double it.” You’re still in good shape as an applicant; just make sure your list is going to lead to acceptances that are real options because you can actually afford them.
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At Penn State, are you applying as a Millenium Scholars for First Generation applicants? That’s the ONLY way this university would be affordable (since they don’t offer FA or merit except for 5k if you’re one of few admitted to Schreyer.(
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Would UMBCs Chemical Engineering, Environmental engineering and sustainability track, work?
Morgan State has Civil Engineering
If OP’s choice of major is this flexible, then Environmental Resources Engineering at SUNY ESF would also be an option - it’s accredited as an Enviro Engineering degree, and there would also be access to CivE electives via cross-registration w/ Syracuse U. Maryland isn’t a formal flagship-match state for SUNY but I would still expect a pretty good price.
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Hello I am inexperienced but you should try MIT as a reach because you never really know tbh
I’m still a bit confused on the AP score reporting - will colleges still know that I didn’t report a score, if I self studied? Because the class isn’t on my transcript. I will keep that in mind about Purdue and UIUC, might have to find schools that are more like targets. Thank you!
Got it - I was going to explain the B, I’m glad I asked about this here. My IB Math teacher doesn’t do our predicted scores until March, so I don’t have anything there to submit to college. Thank you!
Before we speculate about adding to the super-reach list, I am curious as to how the Net Price Calculators look for the full-need-met reaches already on the list: Princeton, Rice, URochester, and JHU. Are some or all these schools projected to be more affordable than UMD?
I agree with the advice of others that there is no obvious path to affordability at many of the OOS publics, and where that is the case, applying is really not a good use of energy. Whether the super-expensive-but-meet-need privates are worth the energy depends on the NPC projections. If the family’s financial profile is such that some private U’s that meet need are clearly affordable, then it may make sense to add more in this category, instead of schools like UT-Austin which are going to be way over budget.
If you like Pitt and JHU, then CMU is an obvious one to run the NPC for. If you like URochester and the financial projection there is favorable, try CWRU too. But it all depends on the $$.
MIT is a moonshot and not for everyone even if able to get in.
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I’ll probably have to take Calc 1 again anyways in college, because I’ve heard it’s pretty hard to get credit through IB (especially for more selective schools). My parents can contribute a total of $200k, the rest would have to be loans. I do want to do a 5 year masters program. I had GW on there because some of my friends received a lot of aid from there, but I’m still debating it.
5 years for a Masters at $40k a year isn’t an issue. But you need to alter your list - especially because even if you get the price on years 1-4 you won’t in year 5. But run the NPCs on the high reaches. If Princeton is zero, then you can afford a Masters but also know that at some schools, if you don’t go straight through, you may not have access to a one year program
Look at UMD but you need to add schools like Alabama, Ms State, WVU which will easily make budget. They are solid programs and meet your budget need….which is most important.
I tried to post a match me with more relevant information, but it got removed because I had already posted one a couple of months ago (if I can figure out how to post one without getting it removed I definitely will). Iowa State and Princeton are affordable according to their NPC, but other than that, I’d have to take out a loan. I’m concerned about affordability, but the problem is I can’t find any schools that are low cost that I would actually want to go to (I’ve received Alabama and WVU a lot, but I would rather not go there).
I was also considering Texas A&M because they apparently sometimes give an OOS tuition waiver and have scholarships through Corps of Cadets, which, if both came through, would be the cheapest option (and still a good school). I don’t actually want to go to Clarkson, I added it because it was previously recommended because of its merit aid. I think I will take it off of my list. I do hope I get in to UMD, it’s probably the best option, I’m just nervous because a student that graduated last year from my school was rejected (1520, 4.8+ GPA). Princeton is the cheapest option on my list (by a lot). My parents want me to go to a prestigious school, which is the reason for a lot of these schools. I am also tentative about going south or to a predominantly white school, because I’m a minority (but I do live in a predominantly white area so I would survive). You make a really good point, I’m just kind of stuck because schools with good aid are not places I could see myself at in the future. Thank you for the advice!
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What you are missing is - you need a school affordable for 5 years - that’s assured.
You can go Iowa State for four years. Can you get a Masters too in that budget ?
There are schools that can get you a Masters in 5 years. You need to find an assured one. If that’s Iowa State then great. But I’m not sure - you have to see the Masters cost and do they have a 5th year one.
Btw it’s a rural ish flagship like most others - solid - but will be less geographically diverse than southern schools. So why do you like it vs others ? Have you been to any of them ??
There will be more - that’s just names top of mind. You have to find those that work.
U of Kansas is one to investigate if Iowa State doesn’t work.
Going alphabetically through the ABET list you might calculate - not four years but 5-6 with Masters and that year will likely be a higher cost in the Masters years and see.
When you have budget concerns, it has to drive the decision. If Iowa State works including a Masters, then you’re good. Have you been ? Why it over other cheaper ? It looks like the Masters at Iowa State will be one year and $45-50k. So can you do the undergrad for $150k - about $38k a year (don’t forget annual increases at most schools) ? If so, it should be fine. What you don’t want are loans.
Anyway you just need one assured and affordable I’m guessing some of these below will work including a Masters but you need to check each to see if they have and whether it’s one or two years some may be one year if you did your undergrad but two if you didn’t
Good luck
Akron
UAH
UAB
Angelo State
Arkansas Little Rock
Ark State
Buffalo
Dayton
FAU
FGCU
Ga Southern
U Hartford
U Kansas
Louisiana Lafayette
Louisville
Maine
Marshall
Memphis
Mississippi State
UNCC
Rowan
Shippensburg
Slippery Rock
UTenn Chattanooga
Wyoming
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Most every school is good - you are putting way too much onus on a school name, especially given the major. Those I listed above are ABET.
You can see about A&M but I think Texas Tech would give you better odds at cost. I also listed Angelo State.
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Even without credit, colleges are more likely to allow advanced placement in math than most other subjects. A sufficiently high score on IB math AA HL is likely to get advanced placement.
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