Hi, I’m in a bit of a pickle because of my stats.
GPA (weighted): 3.4/5
GPA (unweighted): Probably around 3
ACT Composite: 31
ACT super scored: 32
SAT: 1880
EC: Eagle Scout, 4 seasons of varsity sports (will have 7 by end of senior year), 3 year president of school club
Work Experience: Around 65 hours working as an Ice Cream Man (yeah I know)
Region: Anywhere in US, preferably West
Major: Mechanical Engineering
I’ve done those “College Match” things and so far I’ve only found a few reach schools. My reaches are
- Colorado School of Mines
- Cal Poly SLO (this is a really far reach)
- UC Berkeley (even further)
I looked at Oregon State University as a match but the 32% 4 year graduation rate scares me. Does anyone have any suggestions for a match/safety?
What is your home state? How much can your family afford? Safeties need to be affordable and a school you are willing to attend no matter what.
I’m in CT and I couldn’t tell exactly how much my family can afford, but as long as tuition is under 40k it should be fine.
Texas Tech
New Mexico Tech
LSU
Missouri S&T
Arkansas
Oklahoma State
Just to name a few random ones
Where did you get the 32% graduation rate for Oregon State? According to:
http://collegemeasures.org/4-year_colleges/state/or/compare-colleges/graduation-rates/
the graduation rate for Oregon State is about 61% and that for University of Oregon about 67%. What tables such as this fail to capture is whether the non-graduates (after 4-6 years) did in fact receive a degree.
My sense is that at best with your stats you’ll find a second tier out-of-state university. It’s doubtful that you’ll be accepted at the reach schools you’ve named. Have you considered the option of going to one of Connecticut’s Community Colleges and transferring (after 2 years) to the University of Connecticut Storrs? Mechanical Engineering is an intense major. At a Community College you’ll have the opportunity to build a technical foundation that would lead to success at your state’s major public university.
That was pretty harsh but I guess the truth can be harsh. Thanks for the help. Anyone else?
Tuition OOS will not be under 40K at Berkeley. You’re looking at 55K+ there
UAB
Arizona
Arizona State
Iowa State
University of Houston
UT Arlington
Alabama if you get the GPA to a 3.5
Look for a B.S.M.E. program that is ABET accredited (www.abet.org). The beauty of an engineering degree is that the ABET accreditation helps ensure consistency among college programs, so that there is less emphasis on the prestige of the school. CT-based schools with ABET accredited B.S.M.E. programs that match your statistics include University of Hartford, Fairfield University and University of New Haven, and a safety would be Central Connecticut State University.
Berkeley is way out of reach for you, especially for Engineering. You barely make the GPA minimum for out-of-state admissions to any UC campus; you need a UC-weighted GPA over 4.0 to have any chance at all at Berkeley for Arts & Sciences. Their Engineering School probably requires close to a 4.0 unweighted GPA with sky-high test scores. It is one of the most selective colleges in the country. Try some of the other western public universities like Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho. West VA is another possibility.
Ok so I understand that Berkeley and Cal Poly are out of reach, but can anyone recommend any schools with a strong engineering program that I would fit in to? So far only Oregon State University seems like it is a good match for me because I would prefer to be out West. I’m having trouble finding a school that isn’t too out of reach but still has a quality engineering program. Thanks to those who have helped so far, especially Machovich.
Look at University of Wyoming. It’s in Laramie, near the border of CO and just a couple of hours from Denver. Your stats should get you accepted:
http://www.uwyo.edu/admissions/freshman/admissions-requirements.html
If you want to stay out West, look at WY, MT, ID.