Southern chud looking for college list help

[tough token]

Location: Tennessee town of 400-something people
Schooling: Homeschooled + dual enrollment at community college
Family Income: Just under $160k/year
Class Year: Rising senior
Weighted GPA: 4.59
Unweighted GPA: 4.0

Standardized Tests:
ACT: 35 composite; 36 English, 36 Reading, 32 Science, 34 Math and 5 writing 💀. I'm retaking ACT and taking the SAT this summer, I'll probably do a lot better on writing then.
Classes completed through dual enrollment:
Physics 1, English, Precalculus (Trig + Algebra), History, Spanish I–IV, Computer Science I, and Calculus 1 and 2. I clepped algebra and I'll be taking the biology, chemistry, history, and government cleps this summer (all online).

Extracurriculars

FTC Robotics:
Captain, Design Lead, Lead Programmer, and FIRST leadership award semifinalist,

FRC Robotics:
Design lead, and I program as well. I "joined" a team like 6 hours away cause my friend knew a kid on that team and they needed CAD help.

Aerospace & Rocketry:
Founder/president of Aerospace & Rocketry Club at local community college and grew club to 15 members. I'm currently designing/programming our rocket with thrust vectoring system; the planned launch is next month.

Aviation:
Working toward private pilot’s license, with expected completion this summer.
Piano / Music:
I have been working on high school diploma in piano since starting in 8th grade. I progressed from Elementary III to the Musically Advanced II NFMC level (the final one :D). I made all Superior+ / Superior++ ratings over the last 4 years, got 2nd place in my music school's scholarship audition ($500), and accompany the school's symphony and chamber orchestras.
Athletics:
I've been swimming all my life, and I'm okay but I'm not the most competitive. Mostly just doing it for my health and cause it's fun.
Leadership & Service:
I am my Beta Club's President, and i have 110+ service hours this year with many additional hours from prior years. I volunteered at 4 competitive STEM-focused summer camps last summer, and will be volunteering at 3 this summer.
4-H:
State engineering portfolio comp winner + state leadership board member

The only colleges i know anything about are UT Knoxville, MIT, and Georgia Tech; I don't know if i really have a shot at the last two though. Any help/advice would be much appreciated!

Thank you for reading if you made it to the end of that 😭

[fast edge]

Sorry I might have missed it but did you mention what you want to study? I'm guessing from your activities mechanical engineering?

[tough token]

Probably mechanical or aerospace cause I like planes

[fast edge]

Also yeah if you bump up your math, you're allowed to report the ACT with no science section so that should earn you a 36 composite score.

Which for the University of alabama, students with a 4.0 gpa and 36 act are eligible for a full ride

[tough token]

wait whattttttt

like ua huntsville?????????

[fast edge]

Ok! In most places aerospace engineering and mechanical are combined or like, there will be a lot of aerospace classes housed in the mechE dept. Other places will have them separated out though

[tough token]

ah ok that makes sense

[fast edge]

whichever is the main campus.

oh wait they don't allow superscoring though - https://afford.ua.edu/scholarships/out-of-state-freshman/

[tough token]

oh my goshhhhhhhhh thank you so much!!

I had no idea about any of this!!

[void dune]

Don't both with th SAT, just do the "Master Key to ACT science" book and past ACT tests ( I have an archive link with past ACTs if you search this server).

You have a shot at MIT and Georgia Tech, but also consider Purdue. If you get a 36 composite, you can get a full ride to the University of Alabama.

Since many schools are no longer considering the science section, you may wish to focus on the math section. If you get it to 35, and also get 36s on English and grammar, your composite will be 36.

Look at this list of fly in programs and see which would be available to you as a rural student: https://www.appily.com/guidance/counselors/college-greenlight/college-fly-in-programs-and-free-visit-opportunities

[void dune]

No, Tuscaloosa gets a full ride, Huntsville gets 22k per year which is out of a oos coa of like 46k

Ask Tuscaloosa if they use the science section in calculating the composite ACT or not for the presidential elite scholarship

[maiden sonnet]

Will always recommend cornell but we only do meche for undergrad

Def recommend UIUC and Umich for aerospace if OOS tutition doesn’t kill you

My friend at UIUC absolutely loves the program and has done very cool stuff

[fast edge]

Make sure you apply to UTK.

And then a lot of the big public state schools have phenomenal engineering programs with like industry-level hoops and bops.

I think you should apply early to Ohio State for the Eminence Schokarahip and NC State Park Scholarship.

When you apply to Georgia Tech, you can apply for their Stamps scholarship.

University of Colorado, Boulder has one of the best aerospace programs in the country so it's worth considering. Hopefully they can also give you substantial scholarship.

Also definitely apply for the large merit scholarships at Purdue, UMich, and Virginia Tech https://www.stampsscholars.org/our-program/partner-schools/

[fast edge]

yes, at the very least you qualify for alabama in-state tuition

[fast edge]

cornell is still phenomenal for aerospace and I imagine a lot of those courses are available to undergrads through the meche dept.

[maiden sonnet]

Yeah you can do a lot with the grad school still

I just know a lot of people who want to have the degree specifically be in AE

[void dune]

CU Boulder doesn't give meaningful oos scholarships, not worth applying to for OP

[void dune]

Tbh I've never seen a job require only an AE degree and not be open to MechE majors

[void dune]

OOS tuition would provide kill them considering their parental income

[tough token]

I'm already signed up unfortunately, but I won't plan on retaking it.

Okay, sounds great! I'll definitely check those both out.

Yeah, I've been grinding the math mostly cause science is pretty similar to reading.

Thank you so much! I'll definitely check this out!

[tough token]

ah okay thx

[tough token]

ah ok

[tough token]

thank you so much! I'll definitely check these out!

[tough token]

I would? Even though I'm in Tennessee?

[tough token]

ah ok sounds good

[fast edge]

yeah if you look at the scholarship chart, even though you don't qualify for the full ride, you still qualify for the next scholarship bracket down.

[tough token]

Interesting! I will definitely keep that in mind

[fast edge]

to muu's point, could you do the net price calculators for MIT and CWRU? that'll help us know what to target

[tough token]

https://tenor.com/view/the-simpsons-mr-burns-excellent-sly-gif-2308104070832865665

[tough token]

$41,844 for mit and $82,032 for case western 😬

[fast edge]

what theeeeeeeeeeee.

Ok, can you do it for Harvard?

And do you know what your family's budget for school is each year?

[void dune]

Do it for Princeton because they're the most generous

[void dune]

Can you get your money back if you cancel the SAT

[remote rampart]

ooh a fellow homeschooler!

[void dune]

Which curriculum did you enjoy the most as a homeschooler?

[tough token]

😭 Im probably doing it wrong, it says the net cost is $95,884 per year.

I'm not sure our budget exactly, but it's probably no more than 3-5k. I do most of my classes at cc so that offsets the cost quite a bit.

[tough token]

yikessss princeton says $95,460 I am definitely putting something in wrong

[fast edge]

You should ask your parents. But also are you sure that's like the bottom number, like the "net price #" or the "expected family contribut9ion #" ?

[tough token]

yeah I think we'd get a partial refund, but my parents want me to take it so i guess i will lol

[tough token]

ohhhhhh wait thank you

it says my net price is 0???

[fast edge]

lol

that sounds more correct

[tough token]

wowwwwwwww thats insane....

ok im gonna go check and see if i was doing the same thing on the others 😂

lol mit is apparently also $0 but case western is still 87k

[tough token]

Hello!

[remote rampart]

sorry could you be more specific lol

[void dune]

I mean did you use any homeschool curricula for high school, or just like DE and online classes

And if you did use homeschool curricula, which do you think we're the most impactful/taught you the most

[fast edge]

ok great so your budget should be near 0, so either the net price calculator should be about $0 or like under $5k as you said OR the merit scholarship that you apply for should bring the cost cmdown to that amount.

So that means: MIT, UT Knoxville (try to get as any scholarships as possible https://onestop.utk.edu/scholarships-financial-aid/scholarships/), Georgia Tech Stamps, Purdue Stamps, UMich Stamps, University of Alabama (need a 36 in one sitting), Ohio State (Stamps and/or Morrill Scholarships), UNC Charlotte Albert Engineering Scholarahip https://honorscollege.charlotte.edu/albertscholarscharlotte.edu, NC State Park Scholarship, Virginia Tech Stamps

And then do the net price calculator for these schools: Vanderbilt, Cornell, Washington University in St. Louis, Rice, Lehigh University

[void dune]

Can you double check which of the OSU merit optionsnare open to oos students

[fast edge]

oh shoot the act one is for ohio residents

[remote rampart]

alright so i was homeschooled through a charter school for a long time, so basic textbooks and online classes during that time, but a lot of homeschoolers try out the same curricula at some point(noah have you ever tried cc lol). then i left and was under a psa, and did way too many de classes. i've also been a part of various classical education groups for 10 years - so growing up i did a lot of sunlight learning, cc, logic + latin classes, etc

[void dune]

Did anything stand out positively? CC gets mixed reviews from what I know

[tough token]

This is seriously incredible I cannot thank you enough for your help!!

[tough token]

community college? I loveeee it. The professors are amazing and always willing to help outside of class, and the class sizes themselves are pretty small. There’s a ton of free resources, like clubs and tutoring which is great.

What is sunlight learning?

[tough token]

*At least at mine lol

[tough token]

For me I think khan academy was probably the best in general, and IEW, Story of the World, and Math-U-See were also excellent. I wouldn’t do science at home though 💀

Iew is better than any de language arts class 🔥

[void dune]

What did you use for elementary and middle school science?

[tough token]

No clue but it was badddd 💀

[void dune]

Wow really? I heard it taught formulaic writing structure

Like "use these adverbs to liven up your sentences"

[tough token]

Luckily there’s a zoo like an hour away from us that had science so I just took it there

[tough token]

There’s also a grammar component that I think goes along with it

[tough token]

I think it helps in a lot of areas honestly; it’s like running with weights on. You end up learning about a ton of other stuff in the process

[void dune]

How did your parents grade your essays? Did they just go by how they felt, or did IEW give them grading standards/rubrics

[tough token]

There is a rubric, like it has to include strong adjectives, certain clauses, etc. so if I completed the objectives correctly and on time she would give me an A

You’re also allowed to have an editor which is really helpful (I had my mom be my editor 🤪)

[remote rampart]

iew and story of the world !! my childhood

[remote rampart]

i also did community college! i'm also talking about classical conversations loll, forgot they can get mixed up

[remote rampart]

@void dune

[remote rampart]

its basically just books to help teach reading ! i'm a big reader and writer so it had an impact on me

[remote rampart]

i don't remember which was more helpful in the long run, but i would switch between iew and lost tools of writing(can you tell i did classical education)

[tough token]

yes dude 🔥

[tough token]

oh lol sorry 😂

[tough token]

oh nice

[void dune]

Yes I was also referring to Classical Conversations when I mentioned the mixed reviews

[remote rampart]

imo, eventually the cc community > learning. it's run by parents, so one's experience will really differ on who is running the group and who are a part of the community - i had good experiences with cc. for younger learners, it's a lot of memorization without sometimes knowing what it's about(so you learn of it but not about it kinda??). me and my friends will awake like sleeper agents when it comes to the memory work. i didn't do it when i got older but i have friends who did, i've been to their dances and to a grad ceremony lol

[tough token]

Do you think finding an internship/research opportunity/etc before apps are due would be a good idea, or should I just lean into what I already have? I don’t really have any of the same stuff as the MIT applicants I see online (ISEF/Regeneron) and I kinda regret not looking at the actual industry I want to go into.

But I’m also worried that it might look rushed and like I was just doing it for the application