Chance Me for REA Stanford + other schools [WY resident, 3.9/1580, NM likely, need full-ride, Physics]

Chance Me / Match Me!
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Wyoming Resident
Public High School
White Female
First generation College

I want to major in Physics(Eventually do phd)

3.9 UW GPA
Rank
3/350(Would be 1 if school calculated weighted GPA as both people ahead have 4.0 without many AP classes)

1580 on SAT

Classes:
9th:
Honors Bio
Honors Geometry
Honors English 9
Honors History 9
Honors French 2
10th:
Honors English 10
AP Art History
Honors French 3
Honors Algebra 2
Honors Chemistry
11th:
Honors Precalc
AP Lang
AP Physics 1
AP US
Honors French 4
AP Psychology
12th:
AP Calc AB
AP French
AP Euro
AP Bio
AP Lit
AP Gov
For context my school doesn’t offer BC, AP Physics C/Mechanics, or AP Chemistry. I have taken all AP classes offered

Awards:
Should be NM based on PSAT

Extracurriculars
Worked at local restaurant this summer and summer before junior year
President of Math club
Editor of Newspaper
Student body treasurer
Varsity Soccer past 2 years(not good enough for recruitment)
Volunteer tutor kids in local middle school

Cost Constraints / Budget
Would need full ride/close to full ride

Schools
Stanford(I think I want to apply EA, buy not 100% sure)
Williams
Brown
Duke
Yale
Princeton
University of Wyoming
University of Alabama(I should be NM based on PSAT score)
Auburn
Ole Miss
UNC
UVA
UChicago
Bowdoin
Middlebury
Harvard

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forgot to add MIT and Caltech to the list. Although I’m quite concerned about not having BC + Physics C/Mechanics even though my school doesn’t offer

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Congratulations on your achievements.

You do have many reaches on your list…any way you can cut those back? There will be a lot of supplemental essays which are important admission factors, and I encourage you to start on those this summer.

Your safeties are good, as long as you would be happy to attend them. Alabama and Ole Miss will likely be more affordable than Wyoming (even in state) and Auburn. Another schools that would be a full ride for NMF’s include is U Tulsa.

I am assuming you are low income because you stated you need a full ride or close to it. Please run each school’s Net Price Calculator to get cost estimates. Here’s Stanford’s: Estimate Cost : Stanford University

I would also encourage you to look at Questbridge and their National College Match program, again, assuming you are low income. QuestBridge | National College Match

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I could probably cut out the liberal arts schools(except for Williams). I made my list based on looking at virtual tours + merit aid options for my safeties. I liked most of the liberal arts but only really loved Williams, and they’re all reaches anyway

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I like all my safeties(although I’m really hoping to get in one on my reaches) so I feel better about applying to a lot of reaches. I’m really looking to go out of state although looking at the Trustee Scholarship at Wyoming(slightly nervous since it says average UW GPA is 3.95 while mine is 3.9).

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That is good thinking, but does only remove two schools from the list.

Regarding merit aid at Auburn and Wyoming…do you think that will get you to a full ride?

Please do take a look at Questbridge, it’s a powerful way to get your app to more schools. I’m not going to say it’s necessarily easier, because you still need to do many essays…but take a look. If you are low income, it can make a great deal of sense. The downside is the app is due at the end of September.

ETA: What are you AP test scores so far?

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Julie - what you have going for you is Wyoming and first generation and in some places female potentially.

What you don’t have going for you short of Wyoming, Alabama, Auburn, and Ole Miss is - these schools have loads of everyone. You are great - but there’s lots of great.

There’s no way to tell if you’d get into your reaches but it’s not “impossible”.

You can’t be concerned with what you don’t have if you don’t have an opportunity to take them. Is there DE through a four year school?

See the academic requirements of each school. Cal Tech, for example, doesn’t seem to list any. I put their link below.

And no pain, no gain - but I don’t know of any college and I could be wrong - that requires BC or above to get in. It might hurt not to have but at a 4% acceptance school and it’s not normal kids applying - how would you know what they want? You’ll likely not get in and never know why. But you don’t know if you don’t try. So it’s worth applying!!

That being said you have a lot of essays to write with this group - so you might want to cull it.

These are nearly all very expensive schools - have you run the net price calculators (or had your parents do) to see what they’ll cost and if they’re willing to afford (upwards of $400K a year).

As you’re in Wyoming, you’d have access to the WUE where you can pay 150% of the OOS cost at other region schools. Also, you have three southern schools - Ole Miss, Auburn, Bama. Great if you can see them all. I’d like sub in Miss State for Ole Miss for STEM. Or go see all if you’re down there.

Do you need all three? They are easy apps. Are you interested in the South as you also have Wyoming or is it a cost play? You might also add then Arizona which you’d get $30K off and maybe more if NMF. Tuition is about $40K. Arizona is arguable in the top 10 in the country in Physics - depending on the ranking. CU Boulder is highly thought of too - not sure if there’s a reciprocity with Colorado on Tuition - they’re not in WUE I don’t believe.

Good luck to you.

Edit - I missed the low income - thanks @Mwfan1921 and yes that’s excellent advice on Questbridge, Tulsa, etc.

WUE Savings Finder - WICHE

What We Look For | Undergraduate Admissions (caltech.edu)

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It’s a cost play. I’m not a huge fan of sorority culture + football but they looked nice enough online and offer great merit aid. I’ll definitely look into Arizona and CU Boulder, but my parents have been quite unwilling to take me to visit any schools. I thought Caltech required BC(I could be mistaken), but I don’t know if my high school not offering it would exempt me

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They do not require Calc BC. You will not be penalized at any college because your school doesn’t offer BC, AP Phys C, and AP Chem.

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You can always talk to an admissions counselor.

Greek is big in the South but also at so many schools. But it can also be avoided - even at a Bama it’s well less than half the class…far less. My kid just graduated and has nothing to do with it and other than attending a few football games, a bit little to do with that.

I edited - I saw @Mwfan1921 note and missed your income. If you the family is at $65K-ish or below, Questbridge may be for you. And Tulsa too if NMSF or above as was noted. And Bama has more NM Scholars than anyone - they buy them in. So you wouldn’t be alone. But check Arizona too - not sure what they’re doing NMF but it’s great for Physics/Astronomy, etc.

If I’m reading right though it’d be at a 3.9 (and not 3.89) $30K off + 1. Non-Arizona Semi-Finalists: the value of the original Arizona Tuition Award + $1,500 National Merit Semi-Finalist Award. See “Arizona Tuition Award” for merit review and offer details. So $31.5K off of $40K - so puts you low 20s with room and board. So not as good as others.

But you can always call admissions and ask - what doesn’t NMF get you?

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I have a 5 in US, Art History, Lang, a 2 in psychology, and a 4 in physics

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You have 11 reaches and four safeties here. But, nothing in between. You have a great record, and it’s certainly possible that you’ll get into at least one of your reaches. It’s possible you’ll get into multiple reaches. And, unfortunately, because they’re reaches and some of these are high reaches, it’s possible you will get into none of your reaches. If that last scenario became a reality, would you be happy to attend one of you’re safeties, or would you be having regrets next May at not applying to some targets? If you can project forward, and honestly feel you’d be happy with your safeties then great. But, if you think think you will have wished you would have applied to some schools in the middle - then maybe eliminate one or more safety, and several reaches (which I think you may want to do anyway based on the level of work those supplemental essays will require) and include some targets.

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The issue is at that OP needs a full ride, and most target/match schools are unlikely to meet full need, or offer large merit scholarships that will match what she can get at a couple of the safeties.

We do need OP to confirm they are low income and/or share what some of the NPC results are at the reach schools.

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I think you are fine with 5-7 reaches as long as you would be happy with and can afford your safeties. Interestingly, most of those reaches if you get in would be the most affordable if you are lower income.

Understand that Caltech and MIT would be very STEM focused – is that what you want as an undergrad experience?

Definitely REA Stanford. That should give you an idea of how strong your entire app is if you are accepted or deferred. Also strongly agree that you should look into Questbridge.

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Would these hurt me?

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You self report AP scores.

Some of these schools won’t give AP credit anyway. And some simply use for placement/credit.

Control what you can. You can cure cancer and still not get into Stanford, Cal Tech and more.

I wouldn’t report them. I don’t think they’d hurt or help.

I think you find your list of schools you want and apply. Put forth the best app. You can’t over analyze every portion because with 4-10% acceptance rates, you’re unlikely (as is everyone) and you’ll never know why.

Found this on the Cal Tech site - good luck. PS - note these three words before you panic - as they point out - If. They. Can. Meaning take what you have access to and then don’t worry.

Specifics

So which STEM classes will meet Caltech’s requirements?

Calculus: Any calculus class offered at your school. These may include, but are not limited to general calculus, AP Calculus, IB Mathematics HL, A-Level Math/Further Math, national curriculum calculus. If you take calculus prior to 12th grade (or the equivalent of your final year of high school) and it is easily accessible, seek out opportunities for other math classes either online or at a local college. We never expect you to enroll in other institutions to take more STEM courses, but we do want you to stay connected to math throughout high school in preparation for the core curriculum. That could be through the free Khan Academy or a textbook you pick up on your own to explore.

Physics: Schools vary on the classes that they offer. These may include, but are not limited to general physics, AP Physics 1, AP Physics C, IB Physics SL or HL, A or AS-level Physics, national curriculum physics.

Chemistry: Again, this will depend upon what is available at your school. These may include, but are not limited to general chemistry, AP Chemistry, IB Chemistry SL or HL, AS or A-Level Chemistry, national curriculum chemistry.

If you decide to take any of the required classes at college level, be sure to send us the transcript. College classes will meet our requirements.

What if I couldn’t take the advanced STEM courses in my high school?

At Caltech, we like to see students push themselves to take the most advanced STEM courses that they can. The most important phrase in that sentence? If. They. Can. There are a multitude of reasons why students cannot enroll in certain courses in their high school and we want to know about it.

To be very clear: if you are not able to take the most advanced courses in your high school, whether that be AP Physics C, AP Chemistry, or AP Calculus BC and these courses are offered every year, we want to know why. It is very, very common that students cannot take all of these courses; in fact, we can easily think of 3 reasons (though there are many more: a) the student fell in love with STEM later in high school and was tracked out of the class; b) the AP Physics C and AP Calc BC courses were offered at the same time; c) a student has been waiting 4 years to take Latin IV, African American Literature, or American Musicals in the 21st Century (our Director’s favorite course in college), and it conflicts with the other class. We respect the choices you have to make and we want to know why you made them.

On all of our applications, there will be space to tell us if there is anything about your academic journey you would like to share. Don’t be shy. Remember, our first piece of advice was simple and always holds true: be yourself.

What if I run out of classes?

If you have already run the course of your high school curriculum and would like to take more math, for example, consider taking online or local college classes. We certainly don’t want you to get bored in high school. And don’t worry—we will never run out of classes for you at Caltech.

Stretch. Learn. Challenge.

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Congrats, this is a great profile! Agree with others that WY and first-gen will definitely help with the reaches. Also, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, and UT-Dallas (especially strong in STEM) would be additional safeties that are free or close-to-free for NMF. Both UNC and UVA are plausible reaches for admission, but both tend to include student loans in their aid packages, so they probably won’t be as affordable as the high reaches with generous need-based aid or the safeties with full-ride merit.

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There are at least some colleges that might be target/matches that offer some full merit scholarships, and more that offer merit + need scholarships that could potentially get her where she needs to be. I don’t think applying to those is obligatory, but I would think some could be worth checking out.

I believe that list includes Wake Forest, Rochester, Case Western, Tulane, Syracuse, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Miami.

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Needing a full ride or close to it from any of these schools make them all reaches.

At this point, we don’t even know if OP qualifies for any need based aid. I hope OP clarifies.

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Since you will be National Merit, it really makes sense to add University of Tulsa and UT-Dallas to your list of safeties. Both would give you full rides essentially.

University of Tulsa is a small private University where upwards of 20% of incoming students are National Merit, so you would have a lot of smart peers. There are lots of opportunities for research and mentoring.

UT-Dallas also has a lot of National Merit Scholars and is well known in STEM. It is in Texas but does NOT have a traditional “Southern School” vibe with Big Sports or Big Greek. Instead the vibe is smart, nerdy and collaborative.

So yes, REA to Stanford if it is your #1 choice (and the NPC says your family can afford it) but definitely apply to schools where you are guaranteed a free ride too!

I’ve included a link that talks about the schools that give big merit for NMFs:

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