Match me for target affordable mechanical engineering schools [IL resident, 4.0 GPA, 1530 SAT, <$25k (17k SAI)]

Chance Me / Match Me
1

Demographics

US Citizen
Illinois
Public High School
First Gen

Cost Constraints / Budget

Under 25k would be best

Intended Major(s)

Mechanical Engineering

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

4.0 UW, 4.52 W (AP & Dual Credit is 5.0, Honors is 4.5)
No Class Rank
1530 SAT

List your HS coursework

Taking Physics C Mechanics + E&M and Stats this year
5 on AP test for Calc BC, Human Geo, US History, World History; 4 on AP Lang

Extracurriculars
Summer Engineering Internship - was basically drafting in CAD all day but was working on real projects

Two Robotics Clubs/Competitions - Mechanical Lead on both, designed & built competitive robots, reached finalist position in one of them

Essays/LORs/Other

Essays are okayish I think

Have LOR from my physics teacher and PLTW teacher which should both be strong (I stood out in both of their classes)

Schools

Right now I am really looking for some match/target schools that will be affordable
I would also strongly prefer them to be in the midwest but it wouldn’t completely rule out schools
From estimators, my SAI should be around ~16k

I was accepted into my safeties Iowa State and Missouri S&T with a good scholarship but I’m not really sure if I want to enroll there

I applied to Purdue, UW-Madison, and Ohio State but those would all require significant scholarships for me to afford OOS

I already applied to UIUC but I’d like more options just in case

I know that super selective privates offer a lot of aid but I want to find a few more schools that in which I can be more confident I can be admitted and can afford them

2

The OOS names you applied for won’t come close to making cost and you don’t need loans given the major.

The answer is simple for assuring cost.

Alabama (where 1.5k Illinois residents attend), UAH, and Ms State are three fine Engineerimg schools and all will be sub $20k with auto merit.

Before you get alarmed at the names, all three do well. My son turned down Purdue for Bama and he had 5 offers after interviewing with 19 companies by Christmas. UAH is surrounded by defense companies and Ms State’s rep grows every day.

With privates, cost will be determined based on your need (to get costs that low) so if you have need, it’s fine. You can fill out their net price calculator to find out - Cornell for example.

But the three I mentioned are assured based on your stats. And run the mileage from Midwest to south - not as far as you think.

Best of luck.

3

Check out the net price calculators at Northwestern and WashU. Both will meet need and are strong MechE schools in the Midwest. Notre Dame would also be a good choice. Butler and Rose Hulman are two other schools that are a little less selective and offer decent financial aid.

4

Have you looked into Rose-Hulman?

5

So here is the thing. Iowa State, say, has like a top 30ish Mech E department, and as you have discovered offers enough merit it can actually be very competitive on price even OOS. This is all good news for you, but it also means Iowa State is going to be very hard to beat at your price point. Because it is really a great option.

For sure Illinois in-state could be one worthy competitor. As you know.

As for others really high on the MechE lists, though–you basically know the deal for most of them. Either they are privates that might give you enough need-based aid but are hyper-selective, or they are OOS publics that almost surely will not give you enough aid.

That being said, I do have a few names to run by you. I’m not promising they can actually beat Iowa State for value, because again that is setting such a high bar. But they might be worth checking out at least.

In terms of publics, I would suggest you check out Minnesota and Michigan State. Both are really good for MechE. Both have OOS merit programs. So I think it is at least possible you could get an offer that would make them competitive. I note Minnesota will tell you what merit you qualify for if you run their Net Price Calculator. So that is handy.

In terms of privates, first, I would also recommend checking out Rose-Hulman (in Indiana). Totally different approach to getting an undergraduate engineering degree, but they are very well-regarded, and MechE is their biggest single major. Like, per the last NCES data, they had 120 graduating majors in MechE, which slotted them right between Carnegie Mellon and Cornell, both much bigger schools overall.

In terms of more traditional privates, have you looked at Case Western (in Cleveland)? Great engineering college, popular MechE program, and they have a robust merit program in addition to need aid. Fair warning, Case has a reputation for taking demonstrated interest seriously, but it could be worth doing that if you end up seeing Case as strongly preferable to options like Iowa State.

Sort of in-between in terms of size and focus, you might look at Illinois Institute of Technology (in Chicago). Again they have pretty robust merit aid, and a popular MechE program.

These are just a few ideas, and again I would emphasize that Iowa State is already such a great deal it is hard to really beat on value-to-cost ratio. But these could be at least different options, and you might get offers worth considering.

3 Likes
6

I think you could get that number from UDel, their highest regular merit scholarship is $17,000, but the offer more to the top 100 applicants. https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/university-of-delaware-02038

1 Like
7

UDel is over $50k tuition room and board. So no way to get to $25k or am I missing something ?

For MechE, the rank etc is far overrated. ABET accrefidation, not rank, is what matters.

There are schools that easily meet and exceed OPs limitations budget wise without worrying about could it meet. Southern Illinois is another. And potentially but not sure - W Michigan, which places well.

But the assured - the Bama, UAH, Ms State and there may be others , in my opinion, should be the backups since they have no budget risk.

Unless I’m missing something, a Delaware, fine school that it is, will not work.

8

This student would likely receive an invitation to the distinguished scholar weekend, offered to 100 potential students. They will be offered more than the $17,000 a year, and there are full rides. My daughter’s friend got 100% tuition but not housing.

3 Likes
9

Ahhhh. I saw the $17k and read it as only 100 get that. Gotcha. I clicked on the link thinking it was a program but it’s the grad school US News ME Rank/Profile.

It’s a good Hail Mary then but they still should find assured budget schools in case UIUC doesn’t come through although I imagine it will.

Sorry for the mis read. Thx for clarifying. Is there a date by which OP would need to apply for that specific program ?

1 Like
10

I believe it’s automatic, my daughter started in 2019 and I can’t even remember if the honors college needed a separate application.

2 Likes
11

I note the OP said they had a “strong preference” for a Midwest college, and apparently they were already admitted to Iowa State and Missouri S&T with scholarship offers making them affordable.

So I would hesitate to recommend non-Midwestern publics unless there was something particularly compelling about them versus those two colleges.

5 Likes
12

Agree. Two wonderful options which are apparently in the right geography and the right pricetag! hard to beat that…

2 Likes
13

If they both get to $25k, I agree. Not sure that they do. KU can get high 20s. Iowa State high 20s and that’s just tuition room and board. I’m seeing $12k off max unless I’m missing something. Tuition, room, and board with $13k puts it above $25k. Didn’t look at Rolla Will later.

So it’s not meeting the $25k target that I can see.

The three I mentioned are assured not just to beat but to best with money left over.

But map the distance to schools like that vs in the south (from Chicago) - not necessarily much further. And Rolla has no airport.

Thanks

14

You’re assuming Chicago. Rolla from southern Illinois or Iowa State from western Illinois isn’t far at all.

1 Like
15

Yes I don’t know where from. I assume Chicago in that case.

Iowa State doesn’t make budget unless I’m missing something.

Rolla is $45k plus tuition room and board. Fine school.

If he qualifies for top merit (unsure as they have only an ACT table but guessing he does), tuition, room and board will be right at budget but that doesn’t account for annual inflation, books, eating out, transportation, etc.

As I said - neither works based what OP stated.

I provided three assured sub $20k.

That’s what Op asked for ($25k or less).

Others to look (not sure of cost) are UIC, NIU, SIU, and WiU - they are the ABET accredited in-state publics so presumably would work.

16

Iowa State also provides need aid to OOS students.

I just quickly ran their Net Price Calculator, which had an option to put in an SAI rather than detailed financial information. I don’t know all the OP’s family and location details, of course, but for the hypothetical I ran, it told me total OOS COA was $41,390, and it was offering a combination of grants for $14000, which got it down to $27,390. Then you could do $5500 in Federal loans, plus $3200 in work study, which got it down to $18,690 out of pocket (so cash or private loans).

Again I don’t know what the OP was in fact offered, but maybe the OP could come back and say whether they actually need more non-midwestern options like this.

Edit: The additional $2000 in grants was from this program:

2 Likes
17

I’m going with the $25k. Loans are bad. You pay fees. You pay interest.

You think you are borrowing x $ but you are not. They take a few off the top.

There are options - even in-state or perhaps other regionals (haven’t researched) where OP can get to $25k. Maybe Central Michigan. No OOS tuition.

But yes we should hear from OP.

There’s a reason so many Illinoisans are leaving the state and heading south.

$$$. They have the same issue or simply like the math. There’s articles written about it.

But no reason OP should be saddled with loans or having to find employment in a major with a 50% drop rate - it’s rigorous beyond rigorous. . It’s not necessary and it’s limiting…especially for a first gen student.

Again hopefully he gets into UIUC and this is moot but he put a $$ target as he knows his other apps won’t work.

18

Even without loans, it was under $25K. You’d have to add back in the work study to get it over $25K (and then just barely).

19

??

I’m looking tuition, room and board minus merit.

OP shouldn’t have to do anything else when sub $25k (really $20k) is attainable. Their choice but they are going to be a MECHE major. My son had little time for ECs ahd the gym. It’s a crushing major. Why take away flexibility by requiring a work study or part time job ?

Sure one could have a job but why pick an option where you need to when other options are avail without ?

Anyway OP can weigh in.

As an fyi I would not use an NPC as a guarantee. The others are because of auto merit which at one I mentioned includes $2500 more for the high SAT - eng majors only.

20

I would encourage any kid who qualifies for work study to at least consider it. In my experience, it’s almost always a positive and not a negative.

If a kid is counting on it to make an unaffordable school affordable-- then no. But to tell someone to avoid work study if they qualify- I think that’s poor advice.

Work study jobs range from handing out keys at the housing office (usually time to study, sit in a heated or air conditioned office while you read with the occasional student showing up needing help) to helping digitize records in the alumni office, or helping the bursars office convert to a new billing system. These add skills to a students portfolio; give them solid work experience while knowing that if you tell your boss “I can’t work on Thursday since I have a midterm on Friday” the answer is always “good luck studying, see you next week”. And an engineering student can usually snag a help desk job-- the best of all worlds. Get paid, have time to study, and respond to the occasional request from an employee who has locked themselves out of their system because they forgot their password.

Even the most diligent engineering student has downtime. Whether they spend it playing beer pong, watching Tik-toks, or at a campus work study job is up to the student. But having an adult job, earning money, and building skills is never a bad thing.

4 Likes