<h2>Evaluation Criteria</h2><br /><div>1. Applicants must meet the eligibility criteria to have their applications considered <ul> <li>United States citizenship</li> <li>Admitted to SIUE</li> <li>New freshman or new community college transfer student in the coming fall semester</li> <li>Planned full-time enrollment in one of the bachelor's degree programs offered in the SIUE School of Engineering</li> <li>Eligible to declare a major in the SIUE School of Engineering*</li> </ul></div><br /><div>2. Applicants must have complete applications on file by the deadline. <ul> <li>Completed PIECES application form</li> <li>Two completed PIECES teacher recommendation forms in sealed envelopes</li> <li>Essay</li> <li>Transcript</li> <li>ACT scores if not on the transcript</li> <li>Completed Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) with SIUE accessibility</li> </ul></div><br /><div>3. Applicants must at a minimum meet the following criteria. <ul> <li>Demonstrated unmet financial need, calculated as follows:</li> </ul> <p></p> <p> Unmet need = (Fall SIUE costs for students not living with their parents) -</p> <p> (Estimated family contribution from the financial aid application) -</p> <p> (Grants and scholarship aid)</p> <ul> <li>Academic merit evaluated via <ul> <li>two teacher recommendations</li> <li>high school class percentile ranking (taking into account ranking and class size) or community college GPA (based on a 4.0 scale)</li> <li>ACT math and English scores (compared to a minimum of 22, for English and 26 for math)</li> </ul> </li> <li>Communication skills and professional motivation evaluated via <ul> <li>two teacher recommendations</li> <li>academic and career goal essay (based on the clarity of stating career goals, demonstrated knowledge of and interest in the major, freedom from error, and creativity)</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <p>* Ability to enroll in at least pre-calculus and no academic development course requirement.</p></div>