Top Colleges Where “B” Students Are Accepted

High school students facing the college application process typically stress about the record low admission statistics at many of the most prestigious universities.  While institutions including Harvard, Columbia, MIT, Stanford, Brown, University of Chicago, and Yale all have acceptance rates at or below 5%, there are a multitude of universities offering academically vigorous programs in particular majors.  At these schools, “B” students are more than welcome. 

High school students passionate about pursuing a major in Engineering may find MIT, and even Georgia Tech, beyond their reach. But there are other “Top 5” schools in the U.S. for specific engineering specialties, according to statistics by U.S. News & World Report’s Best College guide. 

 

The University of Delaware, with an overall acceptance rate of 74%, is ranked 5^th in the country for Chemical Engineering. Virginia Tech, with an acceptance rate of 57%, is ranked 3^rd in the country for Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Daytona Beach, with an acceptance rate of 65%, is ranked 4^th in the country for Aerospace/Aeronautical/Astronautical Engineering. 

 

Purdue University (West Lafayette, Indiana), with an acceptance rate of 53%, is ranked first in the country for Biological/Agricultural Engineering, second for Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering, third for Aerospace/Aeronautical/ Astronautical Engineering, and fourth for Civil Engineering.  This provides the ideal environment for college bound students who have not yet identified the specific field of engineering for their major and future career.

 

Another school with several “Top 5” recognitions in various fields of engineering is University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, with an acceptance rate of 45%.  Its highly ranked specialties include Civil, Computer, Electrical, Biological/Agricultural, Mechanical, and Materials Engineering.

 

This same strategy holds true for specialties in Business, as well as in many other fields.  The Kelley School of Business at Indiana University – Bloomington ranked in the Top 5 for several majors: Accounting, Entrepreneurship, Management, and Marketing. The University’s overall acceptance rate is 82%.

 

The “Top 2” universities for Supply Chain Management/Logistics are Michigan State and Arizona State, with acceptance rates, respectively, of 88% and 90%.

Acceptance rate statistics are based on data from Niche.com and reflect the overall admission rate for the university. Statistics may vary for specific colleges and majors within each school.

 

The best strategy for students to identify their ideal college is to determine the field they would like to pursue and then research the schools that offer the strongest program in that major. On their applications, students should let each college know why it’s the “best-fit” institution for their career goals.  Colleges favor students who are excited to attend and demonstrate that they will likely enroll, if accepted.   

Susan Alaimo is the founder & director of Collegebound Review, offering PSAT/SAT^® preparation & private college advising by Ivy League educated instructors. Visit CollegeboundReview.com or call 908-369-5362

Hometown Effect on College Acceptance Rates

Colleges can no longer consider a student’s race as part of their admissions criteria, due to last year’s Supreme Court ruling.  But one bit of information that they can, and do, carefully take note of is a student’s zip code. Colleges seek to build a diverse student body, and the zip code of applicants provides an overview of their socioeconomic and, often, cultural background.     

Both public and private institutions seek a well-rounded incoming class. Public colleges, in most states, are required to favor in-state applicants as their tuition is supported by tax revenue.  Therefore, it’s often much more difficult for out-of-state students to gain acceptance, and when they do, they pay a much higher tuition.  At the esteemed University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, for example, state law rules that 82% of the student body must be comprised of in-state students; only 18% can be non-residents. Those out-of-state residents who attended the University this past academic year were billed $39,338 (not including room and board), greatly exceeding the $8,998 bill sent to in-state students.

Colleges That Attract Central New Jersey Students

New Jersey has long been known for its “brain drain,” as more than half of its college bound students typically head out-of-state for their higher education.  But just where do they go? 

There are certain colleges that are long-standing favorites, according to data of recent graduates from Montgomery, Princeton, Hillsborough, and Bridgewater-Raritan high schools.  All of these schools had graduates headed to Massachusetts to attend Northeastern University and University of Massachusetts – Amherst and moving to New York to settle in at Syracuse University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and New York University (NYU).

 

Students from each of these central NJ high schools headed south to attend the University of Maryland – College Park and Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, American, George Washington, and Georgetown universities in Washington D.C., Virginia Tech in Virginia, and Georgia Tech and Emory universities in Georgia.

The Easier to Win College Scholarships

Students seeking college athletic scholarships often focus on NCAA sports, such as football, baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, lacrosse, cross country, track and field, golf, and even fencing.   But there are scholarships out there, garnering less competition, for many sports offered as a club or intramural activity on campuses.  

College bound students passionate about archery can compete for scholarships at the Junior Olympic Archery Development National Target Championships. Scholarship money is likewise offered each year by the International Surfing Association and The Surfer’s Environmental Alliance.  Students dedicated to boxing can seek scholarships from The Eastern Collegiate Boxing Association and the American Association for the Improvement of Boxing.  Students passionate about bowling can seek scholarships from schools competitive in this sport, including Vanderbilt University and New Jersey City University.

How to Populate Your College Dashboard

The “Dashboard” is at the start of the Common Application, which is accepted by more than 1,000 colleges throughout the U.S.  High school students list the colleges they wish to apply to, and then answer the questions and write the essays required by each of these schools.

But how should students go about choosing the colleges to list on their dashboard?  One way is to utilize College Board’s “Big Future” search tool.  It’s a database with information on more than 4,000 two and four year colleges in the U.S.  As students identify the specific criteria that are important to them, such as preferred major, geographic location, school size, availability of on-campus housing, etc., the list of appropriate colleges starts to shrink.

 

For example, if a student clicks on “Type” and chooses “4 year college,” the options narrow down to 2,425 schools.  By clicking “Location” and filling in the desire to be withing 200 miles of the zip code 08502, for example, the list further narrows down to 401 options.  Identifying a desired major in Business and Management reduces the list to 290 options. Choosing a “most selective” or very selective” option leaves only 13 colleges. Without leaving their computer, students can vastly narrow down the list of colleges worthy of further investigation.

How Students Can Graduate College Debt Free

Just as gaining acceptance to a great college requires advance planning, so too does paying for it.  Students are awarded a college degree upon earning a set number of credits – typically reached by taking four or five courses a semester for four years.  

One strategy to minimize the cost of college is to enter with credits.  This is frequently attained by taking Advance Placement (AP) courses while in high school.  These courses offer an end of year exam, graded on a scale of “1” to “5.” Most colleges will award college credit for each exam in which a student scored a “5” or “4” – and sometimes even a “3.” Students who successfully complete eight AP courses during their high school years can often start their college years as sophomores – reducing costs by 25%.

 

To lower the cost of attendance, students can apply to colleges one tier below the level to which they would likely be accepted.  When applicants present GPA and SAT scores higher than the average, colleges often offer impressive scholarship awards.

Enhance Future College Apps with Productive Summer

Summer is around the corner, freeing students from the academic constraints that dictate their schedule throughout the rest of the year.  While some rest and rejuvenation time is important, students should maximize the opportunities the season offers to engage in activities that will ultimately enhance their college applications.

Students may have already scheduled some of their upcoming summer activities: part time job, pre-college program, volunteer service trip.  Likely, however, there is more time at their disposal that can be utilized to pursue an area of passion that may help identify their future college major.

 

Students with an interest in writing can self-publish a book, at no cost, through Amazon’s KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing). They can pen a book on any topic, design their own cover, write their bio, and have it printed and offered for sale (at a price they choose) on Amazon’s site around the world. Author copies are typically offered at less than $5.00 per copy.  Becoming a published author is an impressive use of one’s summer vacation!