<p>Do you think it's too much? Every school is a reach for me IMO(see my other post about all F's for details) and I have an EFC of 0 so I'm applying to schools that meet full need. Also, 6 of these schools are UC's so it's kind of like I'm applying to 13. Is it too much?</p>
<p>Assuming many have writing supplements, that will take a lot of time and, unless you get waivers, a lot of money. Do you have the time to devote to writing strong supplements?</p>
<p>And do remember to include a safety!</p>
<p>I will be getting waivers, and unfortunately I can’t think of any safeties where I’d be happy to spend 4 years.</p>
<p>You need a safety, even with applying to 18 schools.</p>
<p>How about a school like Temple, which gives guaranteed aid based on SAT and GPA?</p>
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<p>Starting at community college is a safety for everyone. With “all F’s”, it may be your only realistic option as far as admissions goes. Do two years at community college and apply to transfer to a UC or CSU (assuming you are a California resident, since you intend to apply to a bunch of UCs), leaving your high school record with “all F’s” behind.</p>
<p>If you haven’t identified a single safety school that you’d be willing to attend, you haven’t researched enough.</p>
<p>@ucbalumnus I realize the CC route may be the easiest way to go, but I’ll be missing out on a lot of opportunities. I want a vibrant, challenging environment and unfortunately CC doesn’t offer that. I’ve put in so much effort I’d rather not throw it all away. After retaking an entire semester I now have a 3.9GPA so I’m hoping colleges will still give me a chance. Doesn’t hurt to try, right?</p>
<p>College application is not a lottery. You may pick a few reach schools, but you should have at least 1-2 safety schools and mostly matching schools.</p>
<p>@JoBenny A safety school is a college where:
- You are almost guaranteed admission,
2)You can afford to attend, and - You will be content spending at least 4 years.</p>
<p>1 and 2 are both huge obstacles for me. Therefore, I am applying to schools that meet full need, and those happen to be institutions I don’t have the best chances of getting into.</p>
<p>CCs can be vibrant and challenging, particularly if you take the courses that students intending to transfer to UCs and CSUs are taking. The 2011 University Medalist at Berkeley and UCLA’s youngest student were transfers from CCs.</p>
<p>If you are in the top 9% statewide or eligible in local context, UC Merced should be a safety. If you meet minimum CSU eligibility, a non-impacted major at a non-impacted CSU should be a safety (and a local CSU may be a safety as well). This is just for admissions; you need to check the net price calculators for the cost and financial aid estimates.</p>
<p>While UCs and CSUs count the higher grade for a repeated course, you may want to check other schools to see what their policies are.</p>
<p>Perhaps the problem is that you do not believe that you can find a “vibrant and challenging” environment at a school where the admission threshold is low enough to make it a safety for you. If that is the case, then you cannot find a safety. But then you risk getting shut out.</p>
<p>The reason I don’t consider any school a safety is because of all the F’s on my transcript. I can’t be sure colleges will accept me. Typically, colleges with generous financial aid are the most selective. Unfortunately, CSU’s are not an option for me, but I will look into Merced if that is the default for top 9%.</p>
<p>What’s wrong with the CSUs?</p>
<p>There’s nothing wrong with them at all but I can’t apply to them, personal reasons. But you are right about CC, college is what you make of it I’m just afraid of opportunities I’ll be missing and how it will affect me if I want to apply to grad school later in life.</p>
<p>It’s only one person’s story, but my friend took half her classes at a CC, graduated from CSU Fullerton and got a Master’s from Caltech, If you have to go to CC and transfer to UC, you will be able to go to grad school.</p>
<p>I think you are applying to too many schools. </p>
<p>You had a disastrous semester that is totally explainable, and all the colleges will accept that. You replaced the classes so it doesn’t affect your UC gpa, right? So because you have pretty much all A’s you are in a some UC. I don’t think there is anything wrong with checking all the boxes on the UC’s if you have doubt of entry. I presume your SAT is okay.</p>
<p>So maybe you should trim down the rest of the list by a few colleges. I’m surprised your GC is letting you apply to so many, and with waivers.</p>
<p>Apply to all UC’s, you’re sure to get in at least at Merced.</p>
<p>For the 100% need colleges, look for some in addition to those you already listed, that wouldn’t be as selective or may be interested in your life story:
Albright, Clark, College of Wooster, Dickinson, Franklin&Marshall, Gettysburg, Hamilton, Macalester, Pitzer, St Olaf, Union, U Richmond, Wheaton(MA).
Check them out, fill out the “request information” form on their websites.
Then switch some of your reaches for some of these, which are closer to matches for you.
If lower-tier UC’s are your safeties, you need 3-4 matches at least.</p>
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<p>Actually, if the student’s first choice school is a safety, then the student may not need any more schools on the application list. One can prune the application list by eliminating any school which is less desirable than the safety.</p>
<p>Also, “meet full need” schools vary in financial aid, due to varying definitions of “need” and varying amounts of expected student contribution (student loans and work earnings). So run net price calculators on each school.</p>
<p>“Meet full need” is about you, what you need. Getting into a college is about what THEY need. You have got to find affordable schools that will believe you can succeed there.</p>
<p>Ok, found the thread about the F’s. If you did retake and turn around, that’s better. You show you came back from the mess. You need the GC to cover that and explain what a great kid you are now. As someone else pointed out, don’t just tell the tale of the challenges, find a way to make the point that you pulled through- and as we say, show, not just tell. </p>
<p>Thing is, cc may be a great option for you. The reps they have don’t begin to cover what a motivated person can accomplish. I’ve got an older friend in cc now and her classes, the depth and breadth, knock my socks off. If you are good, it’s a chance to shine- and then transfer to a UC.</p>
<p>Adding: Imo, that’s better than pot-shot trying to find a UC, any UC, that will accept you now. Gives you more control. A plan. Apply to a few UCs, sure, but have this back up plan.</p>
<p>@BrownParent Wow that’s great to know, thank you for that story and your input. I am trying to trim down my list but it’s definitely a challenge. And I would say my SAT is fine, it’s in the 2000 range.</p>
<p>@MYOS Thank you so much for the suggestions. Actually my list is already comprised of many of the schools you listed. I consider them all to be at least low reaches. Even though I am above the 75th percentile at most of those schools (based on GPA and SAT) with my record I can’t really be sure.</p>