Engineering with 1450 SAT?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter got into and graduated from Cornell engineering with a 1450 SAT (710 math, 740 verbal). Your son should apply where he likes. 700 on math means he will at least be considered. However, it is harder for men than for women to be admitted into engineering, I think, once the student is above a certain level, meaning good grades in tough math and science courses. Test scores are less important in the US than outside the US, once the student is above a certain level.

If your daughter already graduated then they likely took the SAT before the percentiles and ranges changed. 710 math for a student who took the SAT in 2016 (HS grad 2018, college 2022) correlates to a 740-750 now

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, what was the math score?

I would also look beyond admission to getting through the major, to completion of the degree. Engineering is hard everywhere and may be harder to get through at top schools. Attending a top school is not necessary for success in engineering as a field of work.

Have some reaches on the list, but I would suggest focusing on not super-selective schools. Many of the suggestions above are good - if your kid wants a large public, there are many at various levels of selectivity that offer engineering. Same for mid-size privates - several lower-ranked ones offer engineering are a bit easier for admission than top schools - I'd look to these if the particular kid wants small class sizes.

Thanks for all the thoughts so far.

700 math. We were surprised as we thought he would do better.

I am not worried about him completing the degree. He has always had straight As in school and is completely self-motivated, we have never pushed him at all.

He is doing HL physics too and is predicted 7s in math and physics.

We can afford full pay if necessary (though merit aid would be nice).

He would prefer to be in a town or city rather than the middle of nowhere.

He has talked about doing aeronautical engineering- no idea why though. I haven’t noticed any particular interest in airplanes otherwise.

That 700 math is low. VT and UMD will be reachy. Aim lower. The lower the engineering program the slower paced the classes. If he has had no problem getting As in math with a 700 then his high school has significant grade inflation. Many engineering schools give Cs to almost half of the kids in first year engineering (calc physics chem ); go to a college where the 700 math puts him in the top 1/4 or at least top half.

According to the VT website:

Fall 2023 first-year student profile:

Average high school GPA is 4.26
Average SAT Math score is 689
Average SAT Reading score is 669
Total SAT average is 1358

So I am not sure why you would consider a score above the average as reachy, nor how you have any basis to claim his school suffers from grade inflation- he is doing the IB which is an international standardized test.

But thanks for your input.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, what was the math score?

I would also look beyond admission to getting through the major, to completion of the degree. Engineering is hard everywhere and may be harder to get through at top schools. Attending a top school is not necessary for success in engineering as a field of work.

Have some reaches on the list, but I would suggest focusing on not super-selective schools. Many of the suggestions above are good - if your kid wants a large public, there are many at various levels of selectivity that offer engineering. Same for mid-size privates - several lower-ranked ones offer engineering are a bit easier for admission than top schools - I'd look to these if the particular kid wants small class sizes.

Thanks for all the thoughts so far.

700 math. We were surprised as we thought he would do better.

I am not worried about him completing the degree. He has always had straight As in school and is completely self-motivated, we have never pushed him at all.

He is doing HL physics too and is predicted 7s in math and physics.

We can afford full pay if necessary (though merit aid would be nice).

He would prefer to be in a town or city rather than the middle of nowhere.

He has talked about doing aeronautical engineering- no idea why though. I haven’t noticed any particular interest in airplanes otherwise.

That 700 math is low. VT and UMD will be reachy. Aim lower. The lower the engineering program the slower paced the classes. If he has had no problem getting As in math with a 700 then his high school has significant grade inflation. Many engineering schools give Cs to almost half of the kids in first year engineering (calc physics chem ); go to a college where the 700 math puts him in the top 1/4 or at least top half.

According to the VT website:

Fall 2023 first-year student profile:

Average high school GPA is 4.26
Average SAT Math score is 689
Average SAT Reading score is 669
Total SAT average is 1358

So I am not sure why you would consider a score above the average as reachy, nor how you have any basis to claim his school suffers from grade inflation- he is doing the IB which is an international standardized test.

But thanks for your input.

Engineering students at VA Tech have higher scores than the rest of the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, what was the math score?

I would also look beyond admission to getting through the major, to completion of the degree. Engineering is hard everywhere and may be harder to get through at top schools. Attending a top school is not necessary for success in engineering as a field of work.

Have some reaches on the list, but I would suggest focusing on not super-selective schools. Many of the suggestions above are good - if your kid wants a large public, there are many at various levels of selectivity that offer engineering. Same for mid-size privates - several lower-ranked ones offer engineering are a bit easier for admission than top schools - I'd look to these if the particular kid wants small class sizes.

Thanks for all the thoughts so far.

700 math. We were surprised as we thought he would do better.

I am not worried about him completing the degree. He has always had straight As in school and is completely self-motivated, we have never pushed him at all.



He is doing HL physics too and is predicted 7s in math and physics.

We can afford full pay if necessary (though merit aid would be nice).

He would prefer to be in a town or city rather than the middle of nowhere.

He has talked about doing aeronautical engineering- no idea why though. I haven’t noticed any particular interest in airplanes otherwise.

That 700 math is low. VT and UMD will be reachy. Aim lower. The lower the engineering program the slower paced the classes. If he has had no problem getting As in math with a 700 then his high school has significant grade inflation. Many engineering schools give Cs to almost half of the kids in first year engineering (calc physics chem ); go to a college where the 700 math puts him in the top 1/4 or at least top half.

According to the VT website:

Fall 2023 first-year student profile:

Average high school GPA is 4.26
Average SAT Math score is 689
Average SAT Reading score is 669
Total SAT average is 1358

So I am not sure why you would consider a score above the average as reachy, nor how you have any basis to claim his school suffers from grade inflation- he is doing the IB which is an international standardized test.

But thanks for your input.

1450 is even (slightly) above the average for Purdue, according to the Purdue website. From the information given this student should feel comfortable applying anywhere accept for the most elite colleges. Sure, Syracuse, Texas Tech and Kansas are within reach, but are safeties.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Try for VT & UMD as well as the ones listed above, especially if he increases his SAT score. If also doing HL Physics, it shows high academic rigor.

VT gives lots of credit for IB in comparison to other universities.

May be borderline for those. I think 1450 is below the overall mean for those schools and well below the mean for engineering.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, what was the math score?

I would also look beyond admission to getting through the major, to completion of the degree. Engineering is hard everywhere and may be harder to get through at top schools. Attending a top school is not necessary for success in engineering as a field of work.

Have some reaches on the list, but I would suggest focusing on not super-selective schools. Many of the suggestions above are good - if your kid wants a large public, there are many at various levels of selectivity that offer engineering. Same for mid-size privates - several lower-ranked ones offer engineering are a bit easier for admission than top schools - I'd look to these if the particular kid wants small class sizes.

Thanks for all the thoughts so far.

700 math. We were surprised as we thought he would do better.

I am not worried about him completing the degree. He has always had straight As in school and is completely self-motivated, we have never pushed him at all.



He is doing HL physics too and is predicted 7s in math and physics.

We can afford full pay if necessary (though merit aid would be nice).

He would prefer to be in a town or city rather than the middle of nowhere.

He has talked about doing aeronautical engineering- no idea why though. I haven’t noticed any particular interest in airplanes otherwise.

That 700 math is low. VT and UMD will be reachy. Aim lower. The lower the engineering program the slower paced the classes. If he has had no problem getting As in math with a 700 then his high school has significant grade inflation. Many engineering schools give Cs to almost half of the kids in first year engineering (calc physics chem ); go to a college where the 700 math puts him in the top 1/4 or at least top half.

According to the VT website:

Fall 2023 first-year student profile:

Average high school GPA is 4.26
Average SAT Math score is 689
Average SAT Reading score is 669
Total SAT average is 1358

So I am not sure why you would consider a score above the average as reachy, nor how you have any basis to claim his school suffers from grade inflation- he is doing the IB which is an international standardized test.

But thanks for your input.

Engineering students at VA Tech have higher scores than the rest of the school.

True, but the google machine is your friend. This looks pretty accurate according to VT. https://eng.vt.edu/about.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Try for VT & UMD as well as the ones listed above, especially if he increases his SAT score. If also doing HL Physics, it shows high academic rigor.

VT gives lots of credit for IB in comparison to other universities.

May be borderline for those. I think 1450 is below the overall mean for those schools and well below the mean for engineering.

No. The scores are posted above.it is above the mean for those schools and above the mean for engineering.

[Anonymous]

OP, there is more-detailed data available.

https://udc.vt.edu/irdata/data/students/admission/index#university

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In Virginia, there are several public universities with solid engineering programs (at least CNU, GMU, ODU, UVA, VCU, & VPI). These vary in “prestige”.

In Maryland, at least UMCP and UMBC both have solid engineering programs. Cybersecurity is a particular strength at both of those E schools.

Both sets above have E Schools with different “rank” and different “prestige”. As a hiring manager, I do not care at all about prestige, but DCUM is obsessed with prestige.

Where?
Are you saying "Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University?" I have never seen it referred to as VPI before. "Virginia Tech" "Tech" (if you are clear you are referring to Virginia schools) or "VT" are common names for it.

It has also been called VPI for 70+ years. In fact, its formal name begins "Virginia Polytechnic Institute...".

I gather you did not grow up in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In Virginia, there are several public universities with solid engineering programs (at least CNU, GMU, ODU, UVA, VCU, & VPI). These vary in “prestige”.

In Maryland, at least UMCP and UMBC both have solid engineering programs. Cybersecurity is a particular strength at both of those E schools.

Both sets above have E Schools with different “rank” and different “prestige”. As a hiring manager, I do not care at all about prestige, but DCUM is obsessed with prestige.

Where?
Are you saying "Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University?" I have never seen it referred to as VPI before. "Virginia Tech" "Tech" (if you are clear you are referring to Virginia schools) or "VT" are common names for it.

It has also been called VPI for 70+ years. In fact, its formal name begins "Virginia Polytechnic Institute...".

I gather you did not grow up in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

DP. Born and raised in Virginia. Have never heard it referred to as VPI in my life. Literally not once.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Case Western or University of Rochester

+1

My kid had those two as the final/top 2 April of Senior year. Both excellent schools. Case is likely to give good merit with those scores. Rochester not so much. But Kid is at Rochester and loving it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, what was the math score?

I would also look beyond admission to getting through the major, to completion of the degree. Engineering is hard everywhere and may be harder to get through at top schools. Attending a top school is not necessary for success in engineering as a field of work.

Have some reaches on the list, but I would suggest focusing on not super-selective schools. Many of the suggestions above are good - if your kid wants a large public, there are many at various levels of selectivity that offer engineering. Same for mid-size privates - several lower-ranked ones offer engineering are a bit easier for admission than top schools - I'd look to these if the particular kid wants small class sizes.

Thanks for all the thoughts so far.

700 math. We were surprised as we thought he would do better.

I am not worried about him completing the degree. He has always had straight As in school and is completely self-motivated, we have never pushed him at all.

He is doing HL physics too and is predicted 7s in math and physics.

We can afford full pay if necessary (though merit aid would be nice).

He would prefer to be in a town or city rather than the middle of nowhere.

He has talked about doing aeronautical engineering- no idea why though. I haven’t noticed any particular interest in airplanes otherwise.

That 700 math is low. VT and UMD will be reachy. Aim lower. The lower the engineering program the slower paced the classes. If he has had no problem getting As in math with a 700 then his high school has significant grade inflation. Many engineering schools give Cs to almost half of the kids in first year engineering (calc physics chem ); go to a college where the 700 math puts him in the top 1/4 or at least top half.

This right here! Goal is to finish the engineering degree and get a 3.0+ (so you can get internships and interviews--that is the typical cutoff for job searches on campus and at many companies). You want your kid at the top of the curve, so they can get A/Bs and learn the material, not struggle and hope they barely pass the classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter got into and graduated from Cornell engineering with a 1450 SAT (710 math, 740 verbal). Your son should apply where he likes. 700 on math means he will at least be considered. However, it is harder for men than for women to be admitted into engineering, I think, once the student is above a certain level, meaning good grades in tough math and science courses. Test scores are less important in the US than outside the US, once the student is above a certain level.

Yeah, lots of higher scoring boys at our school did not get into Cornell. It's a roll of the dice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In Virginia, there are several public universities with solid engineering programs (at least CNU, GMU, ODU, UVA, VCU, & VPI). These vary in “prestige”.

In Maryland, at least UMCP and UMBC both have solid engineering programs. Cybersecurity is a particular strength at both of those E schools.

Both sets above have E Schools with different “rank” and different “prestige”. As a hiring manager, I do not care at all about prestige, but DCUM is obsessed with prestige.

Where?
Are you saying "Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University?" I have never seen it referred to as VPI before. "Virginia Tech" "Tech" (if you are clear you are referring to Virginia schools) or "VT" are common names for it.

It has also been called VPI for 70+ years. In fact, its formal name begins "Virginia Polytechnic Institute...".

I gather you did not grow up in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Yes, I know the formal name is "Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University," just like I wrote in the post you quoted.
Nope, I sure did not grow up in Virginia.
All four of my kids did, though. The youngest is a current college freshman so I've seen all of them go through the college application process, and all of their friends, my friends' kids, and literally hundreds of their classmates and neighbors.
Your post is the first time I have ever seen it referred to as VPI.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, what was the math score?

I would also look beyond admission to getting through the major, to completion of the degree. Engineering is hard everywhere and may be harder to get through at top schools. Attending a top school is not necessary for success in engineering as a field of work.

Have some reaches on the list, but I would suggest focusing on not super-selective schools. Many of the suggestions above are good - if your kid wants a large public, there are many at various levels of selectivity that offer engineering. Same for mid-size privates - several lower-ranked ones offer engineering are a bit easier for admission than top schools - I'd look to these if the particular kid wants small class sizes.

Thanks for all the thoughts so far.

700 math. We were surprised as we thought he would do better.

I am not worried about him completing the degree. He has always had straight As in school and is completely self-motivated, we have never pushed him at all.

He is doing HL physics too and is predicted 7s in math and physics.

We can afford full pay if necessary (though merit aid would be nice).

He would prefer to be in a town or city rather than the middle of nowhere.

He has talked about doing aeronautical engineering- no idea why though. I haven’t noticed any particular interest in airplanes otherwise.

That 700 math is low. VT and UMD will be reachy. Aim lower. The lower the engineering program the slower paced the classes. If he has had no problem getting As in math with a 700 then his high school has significant grade inflation. Many engineering schools give Cs to almost half of the kids in first year engineering (calc physics chem ); go to a college where the 700 math puts him in the top 1/4 or at least top half.

According to the VT website:

Fall 2023 first-year student profile:

Average high school GPA is 4.26
Average SAT Math score is 689
Average SAT Reading score is 669
Total SAT average is 1358

So I am not sure why you would consider a score above the average as reachy, nor how you have any basis to claim his school suffers from grade inflation- he is doing the IB which is an international standardized test.

But thanks for your input.

That is VA Tech Overall. Go find the Engineering scores and it's much more competitive (and much higher scores).