Hello! I am a rising senior, and any help is appreciated!
Stats
SAT: 1580 superscored
Unweighted gpa: 3.97
Class rank: 5 out of 620
APs: 12
ECs
Have nonprofit that sells re-usable dry erase markers to schools
Program to teach students to build e-bikes
Sell aquaponic systems and biogas digesters
Volunteer for program that helps people buy EVs
Won award in Environmental Film Festival
Started a project for sustainable halloween
Won contest for app design
Geospatial internship with ASSIP
Human and Environmental relationship internship at CU Boulder
Awards for vocal and violin
Racquetball awards
Intended major: Environmental Engineering
No particular non-academic preferences.
No cost constraints
Currently considering:
Stanford, UC Berkeley, Georgia Tech, UT Austin, Virginia Tech, CU Mines, West Point
You also understand that typically one gets to West Point (or any of the service academies), absent certain exceptions, by recommendation of your local congressman and/or senator?
Since you apparently intend to seek a career as an Army officer (based on the USMA being in your college list), you may want to find the intersection of the set of schools with Army ROTC from ROTC Schools Search | goarmy.com with the set of schools with your major from https://amspub.abet.org/aps/Accreditedprogramsearch.aspx (but note that environmental engineering may be a subarea of civil engineering instead of its own major at some schools).
Your list is fine as you have safeties - but you give no other info.
Schools you could get into - not safety for anyone - Rice, Chicago.
Middlebury is excellent for environmental sciences - itās a LAC so unlike the rest of your list. WUSTL, Carletonā¦none are easy but you have great stats.
Target - well safety - would be U Miami - but you already have safeties - Va Tech, CU Mines. Macalester, would be another good one for you. Tulane would be another - just make sure you apply early.
by the way - cost ALWAYS matters - and you should take that into account - thereās lots of great merit schools out there.
If you are not āvery seriousā about attending West Point, you will not get past the congressional nomination panels whose job, in part, is to ferret out motives for applying. You will need to demonstrate a deep commitment to serving your country as an officer in one of our armed services and your understanding of the consequences of that decision. Obtaining a congressional nomination is the most critical part of the long and tedious service academy application process; without one, West Point cannot offer you an appointment.
You also need to understand that your choice of major (especially one like environmental engineering) will have no bearing on the branch you are selected to serve in for five or more years once you commission (our sonās commitment is nine years). You also need to understand that, by law, West Point is mandated to branch at least 69% of each class into combat arms. The academy slotted 81% of our sonās class of ā19 into various combat arms branches, and that number is not expected to go down anytime soon.
So, you need to be āvery seriousā about serving as an officer in the Army to pass each of the required gates and, if appointed, make it through to commission. Service academies are a very tough way to get through college.
Also, looking over your resume, unless youāve left some things off, your lack of varsity team sports will be a red flag for West Point. 98% (or more!) of each incoming class comprises varsity lettered athletes, and a high percentage of those are team captains.
I am happy to answer any questions you have about applying/attending West Point if you do decide to run the gauntlet. Feel free to PM me.
A target similar to VTech would be Penn State if aimong for one of the COE majors, for the environmental majors look at College of Ag which is extremely well funded and would make it a safety.
Purdue target to high match.
Iowa State or any of the Big10 save for Northwestern would be good.
Iowas State or UVermont (check the majors offered) would be safeties.