Struggling to find colleges i even want to consider attending, not having much luck with quizzes. Any help would be appreciated!
domestic/US citizen
charter school
rising 12th grade
25-50k for college
biomechanical engineering
want to take classes in music, art, and science, so would preferably have those programs
~3.3 GPA
average SAT
i have multiple people i can reliably go to for support, including parents & college counselor.
parents & all 3 siblings went to college, but not grandparents
Almost all are taken all 4 years. All classes are honors unless otherwise stated:
English: american lit, world lit, lang &comp, lit & comp
Math: highest is precalc, taking H calc
Science: bio, chem, physics, AP bio this year
SS: HUSH, world history, psych
Language: Spanish 5 this year
Visual or performing arts: orchestra 9th & 10th, piano 11th & 12th, AP music theory 12th
Other academic courses: engineering 3 years
Awards - not sure
Extracurriculars
volunteering for summer camps, prez of 2 clubs, won some art awards/comps, in a youth orchestra, performed in carnegie hall, won 3 medals in TSA, experience in theater (sets, tech, props, crew), karate, sailing, year-long fully developed engineering project, drivers license, CPR certified
Essays/LORs/Other
essays and writing are not my strong suit but my writing style is concise and i have people to help me. i can write essays much better than i am writing this cry for help. not sure what this section means tbh
Schools
the only colleges currently on my list are UD and temple bc i have connections there. looking for:
states: NY, PA, NJ, DE, CT, RI, MA
medium size, suburban/town
on tuition exchange preferably
HS was very intense, not looking to repeat that
looking for something more supportive/community, less competition
Can you be more specific here? It could make a difference to what is a target, reach etc for you. It could also make a difference for merit funding at some schools and therefore assist in reaching your budget.
I worry if the student will be ready. Bio engineering doesn’t have many accredited schools.
What state is your residency in that’s important - because your in state public will be less expensive. So assuming OOS for all and where they can reasonably get in, who might hit cost at $50K.
University of Hartford
Endicott College
Wentworth Institute of Technology
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
University of Massachusetts Lowell
Western New England University
The College of New Jersey
Rowan University
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
Hofstra University
Widener University
Gannon University
Messiah University
Temple University
Duquesne University
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Given your desire of mid size and not urban, I’[d remove Temple first (sorry). I think Endicott, TCNJ, Hofstra, Widener, Gannon, and West Chester might fit you.
But here’s all who have the major in your states of interest - and I wish you luck. But you have a GPA and test problem - so when you say the Ivies are off, I think you have to be realistic that so are many state schools, etc. Maybe you get into Delaware - maybe - but affordably, I don’t think so because you’re unlikely to be someone who receives merit.
Not on your list but not far from your states are Marshall in WV and U Maine. These both fit your desires.
Fairfield University
Fairfield
Connecticut
University of Connecticut
Storrs
Connecticut
University of Hartford
West Hartford
Connecticut
University of Delaware
Newark
Delaware
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Amherst
Massachusetts
Endicott College
Beverly
Massachusetts
Boston University
Boston
Massachusetts
Northeastern University
Boston
Massachusetts
Wentworth Institute of Technology
Boston
Massachusetts
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
Dartmouth
Massachusetts
University of Massachusetts Lowell
Lowell
Massachusetts
Tufts University
Medford
Massachusetts
Western New England University
Springfield
Massachusetts
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester
Massachusetts
The College of New Jersey
Ewing
New Jersey
Rowan University
Glassboro
New Jersey
Stevens Institute of Technology
Hoboken
New Jersey
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
New Brunswick
New Jersey
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Newark
New Jersey
New York University Tandon School of Engineering
Brooklyn
New York
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
I was going to ask why biomedical, because sometimes I’ve heard it is hard for them to get jobs without a grad degree. Not sure if biomechanical has same hallenges
Biomechanical engineering is an uncommon major and neither UD nor Temple offer this major. If you are willing to consider a mechanical engineering major, Shippensburg University, York College of Pennsylvania, and Widener University may be possibilities. York and Widener are Tuition Exchange schools. Run the net price calculators on these schools’ websites to get an idea of costs without Tuition Exchange. I agree with others that any engineering program is intense and may be very difficult for someone with a 3.3 high school GPA and average SAT. Have you considered engineering technology programs?
Check out Manhattan Universty. It’s not in Manhattan (although it once was). 1100 acre Van Cortlandt Park is across the street for your interest in nature and the Hudson River is
nearby. Although it is a private university, after financial aid + scholarships, the average cost of attendance is under $30,000. The Mechanical engineering major offers a Biomechanics concentration. Finally, it is a very supportive community.
Been mentioned, but U Hartford might be a good fit for you. They tend to give financial and merit aid, they’ve got engineering and a conservatory (theater, music, dance, etc), it’s on the edge of a suburb, with the reservoirs nearby for hiking and walking. It’s not a hypercompetitive school, might be very supportive for a B student in a tough field.
I misread the major the first time I say OP’s post. I saw biomechanical and inserted biomedical, which is a much more common degree program. I don’t believe that ABET even accredits biomechanical degrees.
Adding to this, the top correlation to success in engineering is facility in math. A 3.3 HS student can certainly rally and graduate from an engineering program, but I’d be more guarded about the odds if Bs and Cs were in math. How have your math grades been?
If you’re interested in colleges that offer both engineering as well as engineering technology degrees, these may be some schools to investigate:
Fairleigh Dickinson (NJ): About 5700 undergrads at this school that is ABET-accredited for civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering as well as engineering technology. It’s also ABET-accredited for CS, construction engineering technology, and information technology. Fairleigh Dickinson is a TE school.
Penn State – Behrend: About 3200 undergrads at this school that’s ABET-accredited electrical and mechanical engineering and engineering technology. Also accredited for computer engineering, CS, electrical and computer engineering technology, industrial engineering, plastics engineering technology, polymer engineering and science, and software engineering.
SUNY Polytechnic: About 2k undergrads at this school that’s ABET-accredited for civil and mechanical engineering and engineering technology. Also accredited for computer engineering technology, electrical & computer engineering, electrical engineering technology, and nanoscale engineering. If you live in CT, PA, NJ, MA, VT, NJ, IL, or CA, then the tuition would cost the same as the tuition and fees of your home-state’s flagship (source).
U. of Massachusetts – Lowell: About 12k undergrads at this school that is ABET-accredited for mechanical engineering & engineering technology. It’s also accredited for biomedical, chemical (including nuclear), civil, computer, electrical, environmental, industrical, and plastics engineering as well as electronic(s) engineering technology and radiological health physics.
I am glad that you are aware that you don’t want an intense, competitive environment and that you’re able to recognize that you need support in writing and other areas.
Accessing help, immediately, at whatever college you attend, means that you will be attending tutoring, writing centers, and office hours with your professors and their grad students, almost daily. This takes a lot of time out of your day.
I say this with good intentions: colleges and universities are much more rapid than the high school environment. There is much more material that has to be covered in a short amount of time. So even though you may want a less intense environment than high school, that may not be an option.
Bio mechanical engineering sounds very specific. Are you aware of what it entails?
Any engineering courses require strong math skills and strong writing skills because of the what the course material will require. The colleges are on the line because of industry standards. Universities want to produce students who will become good employees.
The intensity increases at a university because you have to, not only go to school there, but you also have to take care of yourself. You will have to multitask: eating, sleeping, studying, meeting with your study groups,taking care of your personal needs, laundry, living with others, and dealing with living on your own.
From what it sounds like to me, you are relying a lot on your support system at home. I would suggest that you start looking at local community colleges or universities in your town.