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Hi, I just recently decided I wanted to goto one of the good engineering schools listed, but was wondering if they were out of my reach. Carnegie Mellon is my first choice, and am applying early decision so keep that in mind. My SAT scores are decent, 800M and 600V while my GPA is pretty low, 3.2 UW, 4.2 W. I will have taken 8 AP classes before graduation including Comp Prog, Chem, Phys, and Calc among others. I started out freshman and sophmore bad, but have shown really great improvement Junior year. I am hispanic and plan to score fairly well on the SAT II. Please tell me how my chances are for these schools. Thankyou.

By Ryan on Friday, July 05, 2002 - 12:31 am: Edit

*BUMP* Please someone respond, I also retook my SATs giving me a combined high score of 610V 800M, please help, Thankyou.

By BBB on Friday, July 05, 2002 - 08:19 am: Edit

I think you have a decent chance with your 1410 SAT and being a URM. Also, the fact that your grades have shown improvement should help. Some schools ignore freshman year entirely, others keep it in your GPA but will look for evidence of improvement. Good luck!

By Dave Berry on Friday, July 05, 2002 - 08:21 am: Edit

Sorry no one replied yet, Ryan. Let me take a shot at offering some wisdom for you.

Your minority status will no doubt be a plus for you at CMU and any other schools, should you be deferred from ED at CMU. In order to mount your best-possible applications, you will need to create a package that has every aspect presented for maximum effect. That means optimizing your "profile marketing" and writing superb, revealing essays that tell about who you are, allowing you to stand out from the crowd.

You’ll also need to be very careful about selecting your reference writers. One element that influences admissions decisions quite heavily is the quality of references. If your reference writers cannot speak about you with articulation and authority, you’ll lose another opportunity to impress. Even the physical packaging of your application may have an effect on how you’re viewed.

Speaking from my experience, and based on the very limited information you have provided, I'll say that you have a likely chance of getting into CMU early, provided that you can deliver an impressive application package on all fronts. This includes a good interview and proper contact with your admissions representative, who might be a specialist in minority recruiting. That would be ideal.

As I mentioned, I believe that one of the major keys to your application success will come through your ability to write convincing essays. Check the book America’s Elite Colleges: The Smart Applicant’s Guide to the Ivy League and Other Top Schools for some excellent examples of real-life winning Ivy League application essays.

Good luck, Ryan. Keep us posted.

By Ryan Fuentes on Friday, July 05, 2002 - 03:16 pm: Edit

Thanks BBB and Dave, I will keep you all posted with more in depth details about my admission process and how it turns out. Thanks for the help again.

Ryan