<p>Yes, I did mean he is taking the PSATs next week. He had told me they were in 3 weeks, but he made a mistake… they are next Wednesday. He’s doing a lot of practice tests… He thinks the math is very easy. He thinks the reading comprehension is the most difficult because he often feels more than one answer could be correct. I did a few of those myself and some of them are quite difficult. </p>
<p>I think he’ll apply to some SUNY schools …Geneseo would not be a safety but some of the others… I went to SUNY Stony Brook and I loved it, but he and I have somewhat different tastes in schools. </p>
<p>Maybe some of the state schools outside New York, too. </p>
<p>He is in the top 10% of his class (they just got the rankings this month), at a school where nearly everyone gets decent grades. They would be on academic probation if they didn’t. It’s a Catholic school and required an admission test (maybe all Catholic high schools do this, I am not sure). </p>
<p>We will see how this year’s grades and the PSAT/SAT scores go. I’m sure he will find someplace he likes. He is being realistic - he’d like to go to Princeton etc. (his idea, not mine) but he knows they get tons of applications from people with his grades and better. He also knows the money has to come from somewhere and that’s a consideration, especially since if he goes to med school, it would be great not to have a bunch of loans out already. :)</p>
<p>If your S is truly a strong candidate for the Ivies, then in your financial situation my strategy would be to bulk up on “match” schools in the USNWR #25-75 range or so, with 25%-75% admit rates or so. Ideally they’ll be need-blind and meet 100% of need or close to it. They most likely will be private LACs. Ideally, at least 1 will be an EA school, so you know by January if you’ve over-shot the mark and need to add a much less selective, cheaper school (such as an in-state commuter college).</p>
<p>Possibile “Back-ups”
2 from: Boston College (EA), Colgate, Bucknell, Richmond (more selective match schools)
2 from: Beloit, Case Western, Centre, Earlham, Goucher, Kalamazoo (less selective matches, all with EA)
1 in-state commuter school, added late, if no EA school accepts with adequate aid</p>
<p>Among “more selective match schools” (by Ivy-caliber standards that is), not many have EA. Boston College does; it might be a good fit for someone who likes Colgate and Princeton. One tricky issue is that an EA school might not give you its full need-based aid offer until Spring. If the school does offer merit aid, an offer could come early with the admit letter, in which case you’ll know early if it’s at least do-able. BC only offers 15 merit scholarships per year but they are for full tuition. You need only apply EA (with no separate app) to be considered. If he could bag one of those by January, that would be all the “safety” you need. Call/email to find out when they are announced.</p>
<p>Pending how his PSAT/SAT/ACT go you could keep Pittsburgh and Case Western in mind. Both are good with pre-med and are known for (competitive) merit aid for top stat kids. Alabama is also attractive financially and is getting more known/respected outside the south. Pending stats and packages, all three could be safeties.</p>