Match me to a computer/electrical engineering program: Junior in high school with ZERO extracurriculars [TX resident, 3.9 GPA, no rank, 1350 SAT]

Any college with ABET accreditation in your desired engineering majors is at least decent, although some may be better or worse academic fits. So the answer to your question is technically no, since your previous stats were automatic admission to some colleges with ABET accreditation in your desired engineering majors (i.e. your chances were 100% if you applied to them). But if you are somewhat more picky, an increased SAT score would increase your chances at some specific colleges.

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Looks like the OP has non-zero extracurriculars as listed at Are my extracurriculars bad for a top college?

Most, maybe every school is decent. You need to get past schools aren’t good. If you’re in engineering, you’re going to be with smart and accomplished kids no matter where you go.

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Yes, definitely.

1460 is very good. This will help your chances at quite a few universities.

As others have said, with a 3.9 unweighted GPA and 1350 SAT you were already going to get accepted to many very good ABET accredited universities. However, 1460 is of course better and will help you get into a few more very good ABET accredited universities.

I think that you are doing well. Its Friday, relax and optionally have some ice cream.

Hi, I’m a rising senior (graduating from junior year in a week) who has autism and severe ADHD. In 9th and 10th grade, I maintained a 4.0 UW GPA without having to study or manage my time at all. My severe ADHD made it extremely hard for me to manage my time and discipline myself to achieve long term goals, but because my grades were good, I didn’t think anything of it.

But this year, I could not at all get away with my procrastination and executive functioning. And my grades took a huge hit. My GPA dropped from a 4.0 UW to around 3.6-3.7. Out of my 5 subjects, for the entire year, I had 2 As, a B, and 2Cs(compared to all As in 9th and 10th grade.), with multiple zeroes and failing grades on assignments, tests and quizzes. I know that colleges only look at 9th, 10th and 11th grade grades, and that it’s a huge red flag that my grades are falling in junior year. My senior year grades won’t matter at all.

With my junior year nosedive in grades, and my severe ADHD impairment, will I get rejected from every college I apply to? Is it even worth it to apply to college?

Am I doomed?

If you are alive and healthy, you are never doomed. There are hundreds, heck more than hundreds of colleges out there and there is more demand than supply - meaning, colleges need kids in many cases more than the kids need college.

So I don’t even need to read your post to know - no, you are not doomed.

Now, you know you have time management skills and perhaps you took on too much. Hopefully you have a coach of some sort that can help you set up some self management processes. Or perhaps your family can help.

So no - you won’t get rejected to every college you apply to - provided you pick your list properly.

And of course it’s worth it to apply to colleges, if you want to go to college.

Get help for your current areas of opportunities so that you can make them strengths.

And then you’ll have a bright future ahead.

Good luck.

A few comments:

–You have chance me threads, threads about ECs already.

–Of course you will get into a college. Focus on fit (both academic and social) and affordability.

–Are you being treated for your ADHD? Perhaps discuss and revisit your treatment plan with your doctor.

–In another post you stated you have no ECs so you need to focus on colleges where that will not be an issue. Consider doing something (even getting a job) this summer.

–You noted engineering as a desired major in another thread – any ABET accredited program (and there are many) will be able to get you where you want to go in life.

–In another post you said you are at the “#1 private school in the city” that is “known to be very competitive.” The guidance counselors there will be your best source of information.

–Focus on improving your time management skills, finishing assignments, etc. Seek out help if needed, look for online tools to help keep yourself on track, etc. These skills are critically important not just for your HS GPA but for college and your working years.

–First semester senior year grades DO matter for admissions. And finishing with good grades will also matter as the college you attend will get your final HS transcript.

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I commented on another post of yours. You will be fine if you choose schools wisely. But the priority is getting help for your ADHD, meds, therapy, coaching, physical activity, whatever works. College will be difficult without that help. You will need accommodations. Do you not have a 504 plan in high school to help you avoid 0’s on assignments that are late?

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What colleges are you planning to apply to?

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Smaller/private colleges with RD deadlines WILL look at your senior year grades, especially first quarter.
State universities typically won’t but if you apply to a variety of places that shouldn’t be a problem.
DO get proper treatment for your ADHD and if need be a 504 or IEP plan. This will need to be in place in HS to carry through to college, where it’ll be a lifesaver till you get your bearings. NOT having it in place will make thing much harder for the college accomodations team (&yourself).
In what subjects did you get the C’s in?

There’s several chance me threads - Arizona State, Iowa State, UTD, Drexel, Penn State, Rose-Hulman….these are all acceptances.

A&M and Purdue State are the reaches.

The student has zero to worry about admission wise. Zero.

But yes, the student does need to work on and help resolve the other issues being described.

But the topic about am I doomed - zero % chance of that - from an academic point of view.

Iowa State is a great one to do right away, directly on their website when the app opens on July 1st. Since they admit by formula, as others have said, you get the answer right away, and it seems like you are well over the minimum. You get fun confetti on the screen and you have an acceptance in your pocket! I’m a bit biased in thinking it’s actually a great option if you don’t mind the midwest, smallish city vibe (My husband and I went there, and our D22 graduates from there tomorrow!). It’s a great choice for engineering! But even if you go another direction, you can do it with the confidence that you have some place to go, no matter what happens with other schools you apply to.

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I completely agree. Not that it is necessarily the only example of this, but the fact that an engineering powerhouse like Iowa State has automatic admissions, and in fact automatic merit, and that their formula trades off GPAs and test scores in a way which can benefit kids who are relatively higher in one or the other, seems like an EXTREMELY nice thing for any engineering kid who has such a combination of numbers and could comfortably afford the resulting cost.

Not that you have to go to Iowa State, you can still shop around to see if you can get an offer you like even better. But even if you just have that as your “floor” outcome, that is really very enviable.

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In the end, the student will have no issue getting into a fine college. Like any engineering student, the issue is getting out - half don’t. The student will have pre-calc in math - which is fine - but will need to ensure they understand it, etc.

But the entire - match me/am i cooked on the other thread is a panic not built in reality because this student would get into most schools. But for anyone at any school in engineering - getting in is only the beginning.

I got Cs in APUSH and AP English Lang. My B was in AP Physics C and my 2 As were in AP comp sci and honors precalc.

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Are you asking for practical advice, or are your just seeking reassurance?

Because, quite a few members, myself included, have tried to make suggestions and to ask clarifying questions. But you haven’t engaged with us and let us know which suggestions appeal to you and which don’t; you’ve just waited a while and then started another thread asking the same questions.

I understand that your autism may be making the back-and-forth of interacting here more difficult. But if you want to get the most out of this platform, give some feedback to the people who are trying to help you. You don’t have to like every suggestion, but if you explain what you do like and what you don’t, the advice will get better instead of just going around in circles.

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Ok, not ideal but you got a B in Physics C and an A in precalculus honors which will matter most to your admission. The Cs won’t help, for sure, but either you take the test and get a 4-5 or you don’t and keep your fingers crossed it won’t hurt you too much. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY you get an IEP that includes your ADHD + seek treatment.

What classes are you taking senior year?
Have you reached Level 3 in a foreign language?

Seconding U Iowa/Iowa State for their automatic admission system.

Don’t neglect the honors colleges.

If you look at the application list, those grades will likely not be material to most - like ASU, UTD and more that make the bulk of the list.

Normally, students take AP Calc as at least a co-requisite with Physics C. Students with no calculus exposure take AP Physics 1 instead. Is it common at your school to take Physics C without having taken calculus or at least being in it concurrently? I would think it would be pretty tough to pull out an A in Physics C without any calc background.

Consider not taking AP Lang and/or AP Gov/Econ next year. If you’re a “pointy” STEM kid, and you’re going to apply to schools that like that profile, focus on AP Calc and AP Chem or Bio and maybe AP French; you don’t have to jump through every possible hoop. There are plenty of great STEM schools that don’t expect their STEMMy students to be outstanding in humanities and social sciences too; just lean into your strengths, keep your grades solid, and leave yourself bandwidth for college apps.

What do you do in the summers? Would it be a possibility for you to attend a pre-college program like Rose-Hulman’s Operation Catapult? This would give you an idea what your college experience could be like at a smaller, stem-focused school. You might find that you really like that environment. Or you might realize you’d like a bigger school, like Iowa State or Texas Tech or UTD or U of Houston… and the list goes on. So many choices.

There are so many great engineering schools that would be more than happy to admit you.

Do you like foreign languages and/or want to study abroad? If so, you could also look at schools that have International Engineering programs, where you get a dual degree in engineering/cs and a target language, and spend a year doing study and internship abroad. In particular, URI and U of Tulsa have these programs. (Also UConn, but that that’s a tougher admit.)

There is no need to catastrophize. Your transcript and your budget will give you many options; you just need to figure out what you actually want.

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