Input appreciated from this wise community!

Chance Me / Match Me
1

DS stats: 3.4 W, 3.29 UW GPA
1220 SAT
major ME

did ECs and all that and is URM but decided against applying to the UCs, because even though DS’s stats are way better than math than ELA, I think it would be a struggle on that quarter system. Anyhow… here is our list…
applied…

NAU (accepted already)
UNR
Boise State
Fort Lewis
University of Wyoming
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs

CSUs Plan to apply

Chico
San Diego
CI
Long Beach
San Jose
CPP
CP SLO ( this may be a waste of app fee for us due to stats?)
Northridge

So, what do ya’ll think???

2

If you want to avoid a quarter system, then note that:

  • most CSUs are on the semester system, but Cal Poly SLO uses quarters
  • most UCs are on the quarter system, but UC Merced uses semesters

As far as I know, neither CP-SLO or UCM has any plans to change. Cal Poly Pomona is currently on quarters, but will change to semesters in Fall 2018.

So CP-SLO may not make sense for you, because it uses quarters and requires high stats.

But UCM seems like a potential fit: it has semesters, and a 1220 SAT should be competitive.

3

Think that’s a good ap list. As you know Ft Lewis doesn’t really have ME so, if that’s his thing, Col School of Mines is a better idea. Apply away and see where the chips fall.

4

NCalRent

Thanks for your input. Let me know if you think I should throw another one in there. This morning, I was even thinking about CSU Humbolt EE (just in case because you know kids can change minds by Spring).

I think Ft Lewis may be worth the trade off. It seems like a place S would be happy. We already applied. We just need to find the time to get over there and really check it out. And, we need to figure out the employment data for its engineer grads.

The thing I don’t really like about Col School of Mines, is the male/female ratio. I have read male students on the forum here complain about that and want to transfer out.

Corbett

Thanks.
Unfortunately, Merced is not a place we are into or worth the commuter school aspect for us.

And, SLO is a “pie in the sky” dream because S’s stats are way low for its engineering dept.

5

Another potential issue with Mines: unlike the other non-CA schools on your list, it is not eligible for the WUE discount. If you are from California, out-of-state tuition at Mines would probably be a lot more expensive than WUE tuition at the others.

UC Merced is not for everyone, but it’s not a “commuter school”. Most UCM students (71%) are non-local, including 28% from LA and 22% from the Bay Area. They aren’t commuting from home, because it’s too far – they’re living on campus or in town nearby. The only potential commuters to UCM are the students from the San Joaquin Valley, but that’s only 29% of the enrollment, and probably many of them are residential.
http://www.ucmerced.edu/fast-facts

If you mean that there isn’t really a “college town” atmosphere associated with UCM, that would be true. But the same is also true of most CSUs, except for Chico, SDSU, and SLO. Also Humboldt, but they don’t have ME.

6

You should probs be good for Boise State

7

Corbett
Thanks for the response.

The other CSUs we plan to apply to all have something that is worth it for us. I wish they also happen to have a college town. But, UC Merced I assume charges UC higher than CSU tuition and doesn’t seem to offer anything more than a CSU?

8

The UC system does charges higher tuition than the CSU system – but the UC system is also wealthier and provides more financial aid. So the net cost is often not very different at low to middle income levels (at high income levels, UCs usually do cost more, because the financial aid gets phased out). Note also that Merced probably has low housing costs by California standards, which is significant in a state where a year of student housing can easily cost more than a year of tuition.

The US Dept of Education’s “College Scorecard” puts the “average annual cost” of UCM at $13,011. That compares favorably to CSUs like Cal Poly Pomona ($13,390) or Chico State ($13,365). Your mileage may vary, but it could be worth submitting an application to see what kind of aid you get.

In terms of cost, admissions difficulty, and use of semesters, UCM is arguably similar to the CSUs on your list (which is why I suggested it). On the other hand, this doesn’t necessarily mean that UCM has any compelling advantages over the CSUs. The primary advantages might be:

(1) UCM is still small by UC/CSU standards. Some people claim that the administration is more helpful and that the profs are more accessible than at other California state schools. I have no first-hand experience, but it wouldn’t surprise me if this is true.

(2) UCM is still growing, and appears to be keeping up with the intense demand for higher education in California. Many CSUs and UCs are plagued by impacted majors, oversubscribed classes, and housing shortages. UCM doesn’t seem to have these problems to the same degree, at least not yet.

(3) UCM carries the “University of California” brand name, which is one of the most recognized “brands” in higher education, both nationally and internationally. OK, “Merced” is not the most valuable part of the UC brand, but it seems likely that it will appreciate over the long run.

Do these points outweigh the location, in a pasture outside Merced? Maybe or maybe not, but if CSUCI is on your list, then UCM seems like it could work too.

9 
  Do all these schools have good options for if he changes his mind about engineering?
10

Most of the schools mentioned above are “general purpose” state universities, so plenty of options.

The two Cal Polys (Pomona and SLO) emphasize engineering, applied sciences, and agriculture, but they also have respectable schools of business and liberal arts.

The only school discussed in this thread with limited non-engineering options would be the Colorado School of Mines.

11

Corbett-Thanks for this info.

CSUCI is indeed in the middle of agricultural fields. But, just for me, it is in a special location due to the fact that we have close family in that area and we are there quite often. So, that is why that one is there. They don’t have an ABET engineering YET. And S wasn’t impressed by the girls there. So, most likely will not attend.

Now, if UC Merced were in the Santa Barbara location…that would be a different story. The Pacific Ocean makes everything tolerable!

Anyhow, what do you think/ know about NAU engineering?

12

Your child could get in-state tuition under WUE plus at the University of New Mexico. Total COA is less than 20K per year. It might be worth investigating. Rolling admissions so your child would have a response quickly.

https://scholarship.unm.edu/scholarships/non-resident.html

13

mamaedefamilia
Thank you so much for this! I didn’t know there was such a thing as WUE “plus”. This is worth applying to.

14

They don’t have any engineering yet. CSUCI is starting a small BS program in Mechatronics Engineering in Fall 2018. Note that this is different from the traditional mechanical engineering programs typically found at UCs/CSUs; it’s more like a blend of mechanical and computer engineering. There aren’t a lot of other programs like this, although there is a Mechatronics Engineering program at Chico State, and a Robotics Engineering program at UC Santa Cruz.

New engineering programs aren’t eligible for ABET accreditation until they’ve graduated their first class. The accreditation is commonly retroactive, so that it covers that initial class. So it’s quite possible that a student starting at CSUCI in Fall 2018 could graduate with an ABET degree, but this cannot be guaranteed. Professional licensure is probably uncommon in this field, and so ABET accreditation may have little practical significance. I don’t think UCSC has ABET for their robotics engineering program, for example.

Don’t know much. Their programs seem credible. As you probably know, NAU is popular with Californians, with around 21% of undergrads from CA. I would personally prefer Flagstaff over Tempe or Tucson.

15

Geez! “room and board” for 3K an entire year?! I am used to Cali prices. UNM is even a better deal than University of Wyoming.

16

Flagstaff, for sure. The other ones in Arizona way too hot. Anyway, they aren’t WUE for engineering. But, they do have good reputations, academically.

17

Not sure where you are getting that number. UNM estimates annual room and board at $9,662.
https://admissions.unm.edu/costs_financial_aid/index.html

I think the deal is that “WUE” drops the non-resident tuition rate to 1.5x the resident rate. If you qualify for “WUE plus”, then you basically pay the resident tuition rate. It’s a good deal.

For engineering, New Mexico Tech may be stronger than UNM. If you can bump the SAT up to 1280, then NMT offers the resident tuition rate (similar to UNM’s), AND a $700 annual stipend, AND estimated annual room/board is cheaper at $8,202.
http://www.nmt.edu/scholarships/183-scholarships-a-tuition-reduction-programs-for-non-residents
http://www.nmt.edu/tuition-and-fees

However, if you are concerned about the gender ratio at Colorado Mines, then New Mexico Tech (which is also a “Mines” school) has the same issue. Also, NMT is very small and relatively isolated.

18

Yeah, I jumped the gun and typed too soon I was so excited to see that S could qualify for WUE plus at UNM. I looked at the small numbers in the wrong section of “room and board”. So, it is still a very reasonable option!

Just found out accepted into Fort Lewis. Have you heard anything about the engineering dept.? I know they have a general one, etc. all that it states on the website.

19

Did not know that Fort Lewis had an engineering program. It apparently isn’t very old or very large. They may have graduated fewer than 100 students so far. May not have a strong reputation or alumni network.

Their degrees and accreditation are in general engineering. This is normal for small liberal arts colleges that offer engineering (there aren’t very many).

FLC probably offers small classes and personal attention from profs, including opportunities to work with profs on their research. The downsides are that there may not be a lot of technical depth, and the research may not be cutting-edge. I would review the course catalog to make sure that there are sufficient courses to cover any areas of specific interest, and that they are offered regularly.

20

FLC offers a general Engineering degree but, offers no specialization. .