UMd has a nuclear reactor. Kids go see it in one of their first engineering design classes.

Anonymous wrote:

dcum5577 wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After going through a long admission process with my DC here are some advices I can give:
1. Use schools financial aid calculators to get estimates of the total costs. Top private colleges tend to be way more expensive and you don't want to be in the position to get accepted and not commit because of affordability. Mentally, this is the worst for both parents and child.
2. Admission process is very random. Nobody knows how each school decides and you might get accepted at top schools but rejected at safeties (I am very, very serious about that).
3. Because some schools allows to pick 2 options (e.g. Mechanical Engineering as option 1 and General Engineering as Option 2), you can use that as a safety, knowing that Option 2 has a lower acceptance rate.
4. Do your homework by researching every single school. Use chatGpt for that. Do not apply if you have no intention to go there. E.g. some schools are in rural America (middle of nowhere) and traveling there is not easy. Weather, level of stress, etc. are other things to consider.
5. Try (if possible) to decide on major. Some schools are good on something and not so good on other majors. Transfers between majors are not easy at some schools.

Now, as a absolutely personal opinion about your kid stats and chances to get in those schools. Being a female in a male dominated engineering field is a huge plus. Her stats are great and I am quite sure she will have no problem getting in most of the schools listed there. Of course, the essays matter a lot, but purely on stats she is great. I would recommend retaking the SAT to target 1540 or above if that doesn't affect too much the current EC activities. That will give her a higher chance at reaches.
And last note, Penn State has a rolling admission that is great for a mental perspective. She will hear left and right colleagues get accepted to early decision schools and waiting until Jan to March of next year is stressful.

Made a small corrections to my comment. Feel free to dm me if you have specific questions. Based on stats I guess she is in a stem/advanced program like Poolsville, Blair, IB.

Thank you! So General engineering would have a lower acceptance rate?

She's just in a regular "W" school.

Regular "W" student increases her chances to top schools.
Not sure about majoring in Math. Math plus something (like CS) might be better for future opportunities (maybe quant).

Yes, at UMD, you may not get accepted to your first option (CS for example) but accepted to engineering (second option).That is common from what I know.

I've actually talked with her about majoring in math because she loves it and calls Calc BC her easiest class. AP Physics C she is struggling a bit and may get a B this semester. But she seems sure about engineering.

dcum5577 wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After going through a long admission process with my DC here are some advices I can give:
1. Use schools financial aid calculators to get estimates of the total costs. Top private colleges tend to be way more expensive and you don't want to be in the position to get accepted and not commit because of affordability. Mentally, this is the worst for both parents and child.
2. Admission process is very random. Nobody knows how each school decides and you might get accepted at top schools but rejected at safeties (I am very, very serious about that).
3. Because some schools allows to pick 2 options (e.g. Mechanical Engineering as option 1 and General Engineering as Option 2), you can use that as a safety, knowing that Option 2 has a lower acceptance rate.
4. Do your homework by researching every single school. Use chatGpt for that. Do not apply if you have no intention to go there. E.g. some schools are in rural America (middle of nowhere) and traveling there is not easy. Weather, level of stress, etc. are other things to consider.
5. Try (if possible) to decide on major. Some schools are good on something and not so good on other majors. Transfers between majors are not easy at some schools.

Now, as a absolutely personal opinion about your kid stats and chances to get in those schools. Being a female in a male dominated engineering field is a huge plus. Her stats are great and I am quite sure she will have no problem getting in most of the schools listed there. Of course, the essays matter a lot, but purely on stats she is great. I would recommend retaking the SAT to target 1540 or above if that doesn't affect too much the current EC activities. That will give her a higher chance at reaches.
And last note, Penn State has a rolling admission that is great for a mental perspective. She will hear left and right colleagues get accepted to early decision schools and waiting until Jan to March of next year is stressful.

Made a small corrections to my comment. Feel free to dm me if you have specific questions. Based on stats I guess she is in a stem/advanced program like Poolsville, Blair, IB.

Thank you! So General engineering would have a lower acceptance rate?

She's just in a regular "W" school.

University of Tulsa is actually really good for engineering and I think gives out a fair amount of money though its specialty is petroleum and you have to live in Tulsa.

I actually meant RPI, not RIT, though RIT is also fine. Not to make your list any longer...

Anonymous wrote:After going through a long admission process with my DC here are some advices I can give:
1. Use schools financial aid calculators to get estimates of the total costs. Top private colleges tend to be way more expensive and you don't want to be in the position to get accepted and not commit because of affordability. Mentally, this is the worst for both parents and child.
2. Admission process is very random. Nobody knows how each school decides and you might get accepted at top schools but rejected at safeties (I am very, very serious about that).
3. Because some schools allows to pick 2 options (e.g. Mechanical Engineering as option 1 and General Engineering as Option 2), you can use that as a safety, knowing that Option 2 has a lower acceptance rate.
4. Do your homework by researching every single school. Use chatGpt for that. Do not apply if you have no intention to go there. E.g. some schools are in rural America (middle of nowhere) and traveling there is not easy. Weather, level of stress, etc. are other things to consider.
5. Try (if possible) to decide on major. Some schools are good on something and not so good on other majors. Transfers between majors are not easy at some schools.

Now, as a absolutely personal opinion about your kid stats and chances to get in those schools. Being a female in a male dominated engineering field is a huge plus. Her stats are great and I am quite sure she will have no problem getting in most of the schools listed there. Of course, the essays matter a lot, but purely on stats she is great. I would recommend retaking the SAT to target 1540 or above if that doesn't affect too much the current EC activities. That will give her a higher chance at reaches.
And last note, Penn State has a rolling admission that is great for a mental perspective. She will hear left and right colleagues get accepted to early decision schools and waiting until Jan to March of next year is stressful.

Made a small corrections to my comment. Feel free to dm me if you have specific questions. Based on stats I guess she is in a stem/advanced program like Poolsville, Blair, IB.

After going through a long admission process with my DC here are some advices I can give:
1. Use schools financial aid calculators to get estimates of the total costs. Top private colleges tend to be way more expensive and you don't want to be in the position to get accepted and not commit because of affordability. Mentally, this is the worst for both parents and child.
2. Admission process is very random. Nobody knows how each school decides and you might get accepted at top schools but rejected at safeties (I am very, very serious about that).
3. Because some schools allows to pick 2 options (e.g. Mechanical Engineering as option 1 and General Engineering as Option 2), you can use that as a safety, knowing that Option 2 has a higher acceptance rate.
4. Do your homework by researching every single school. Use chatGpt for that. Do not apply if you have no intention to go there. E.g. some schools are in rural America (middle of nowhere) and traveling there is not easy. Weather, level of stress, etc. are other things to consider.
5. Try (if possible) to decide on major. Some schools are good on something and not so good on other majors. Transfers between majors are not easy at some schools.

Now, as a absolutely personal opinion about your kid stats and chances to get in those schools. Being a female in a male dominated engineering field is a huge plus. Her stats are great and I am quite sure she will have no problem getting in most of the schools listed there. Of course, the essays matter a lot, but purely on stats she is great. I would recommend retaking the SAT to target 1540 or above if that doesn't affect too much the current EC activities. That will give her a higher chance at reaches.
And last note, Penn State has a rolling admission that is great for a mental perspective. She will here left and right colleagues get accepted to early decision schools and waiting until Jan to March of next year is stressful.

Anonymous wrote:Read this recent ME grad (plus MS in AE) describe the job market - took 8 months and 190 applications to finally land an offer. They limited to SoCal at first, then expanded to TX, FL, WA, but finally did get a CA offer.

One of the replies said they are a recent ME grad from TX Tech and no offer yet after 120 applications (and 5 years as intern).

A lot of interesting replies. Sounds brutal out there but good reading to start preparing as a freshman to strategically plan internships and networking. Her college choice perhaps should consider a location near industry that can offer internships - during the academic year - as well as summer.

https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalEngineering/comments/1quefoe/my_experience_as_a_recent_meche_grad_in_the/?sort=new

Thank you for that, interesting read! One of the attractions to Mines is that she found the job placement rate very high (not sure if that is inflated or how they calculate it though).

Tech is no longer an engineering safety for anyone!

Read this recent ME grad (plus MS in AE) describe the job market - took 8 months and 190 applications to finally land an offer. They limited to SoCal at first, then expanded to TX, FL, WA, but finally did get a CA offer.

One of the replies said they are a recent ME grad from TX Tech and no offer yet after 120 applications (and 5 years as intern).

A lot of interesting replies. Sounds brutal out there but good reading to start preparing as a freshman to strategically plan internships and networking. Her college choice perhaps should consider a location near industry that can offer internships - during the academic year - as well as summer.

https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalEngineering/comments/1quefoe/my_experience_as_a_recent_meche_grad_in_the/?sort=new

VT engineering is not a safety for most students.

Thank you all for the helpful input (OP here)! I tried to get everyone's responses, below:

She did have Boston University (and yes, it is on the exchange list) but for some reason I forgot it here! I think reach? Are 4 reaches too many?

Unfortunately Cooper Union and Rose Hulman (which IS on the exchange list) she has ruled out as too small. And no to Annapolis, she isn’t interested in a service academy.

We won’t qualify for any FA – I thought Wisconsin, Boulder, and Northwestern were very stingy with merit? She doesn’t want to live in TX otherwise I think Rice would be great for the list.

RIT IS on the list (not WPI) so maybe add that?

Ideally I’d like to get some OFF the list. 14 seems like a lot to apply to and now you all have come up with more great suggestions!

How many safeties should she have with that list? Are there too many? If we add U New Mexico should we take another off?

Someone asked how she came up with the list- great question! I gave her the list of tuition exchange schools and she picked some from there and then added others based on (my guess) conversations with friends and a little research on her own.

Her extracurriculars are OK- a lot of clubs + honor societies + varsity sports but nothing wowza. She’s had the same job since she was 14 (with promotions) along with lifeguard summer job since 15 (with promotion last year). Basically your average teenager

I think she will likely pick ME, not nuclear. Someone one told her she can make a lot of money with nuclear and I think that stuck with her lol.

Anonymous wrote:NC State is very tough to get into for engineering

Safety for OP's kid.

Virginia Tech is not a safety. Many of my DD’s high stat friends were waitlisted. Make sure to apply to Pitt in August, as it’s rolling. She should be fine at Pitt, Delaware and Penn State. My kid has 3.8uw/4.3w and 1460 SAT. Accepted to all 3 (plus Pitt and Delaware Honors) as well as NC State, Virginia Tech, UMD and Case on your list. Denied Georgia Tech. Will attend VT. Good luck to her. Seems like a balanced list.