B student - wants to stick to the coasts

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Can anyone recommend some safety schools for my dd? </p>

<p>She has fallen in love with
Boston University (student enthusiasm, location, ambiance, majors, etc)
and Santa Clara University (beauty, programs, location, ambiance, majors, etc)</p>

<p>She also likes Pepperdine, LMU, and Clark University (Mass).</p>

<p>Did NOT like Marymount Manhattan, Manhattanville, University of San Francisco, or St Mary's CA). </p>

<p>My fear is that all these schools are high maybes for her, and she has no target/safeties. She is projecting high SATs (did great on PSAT) lower than typical ECs (except for women's water polo and swimming - 3 years) and low but rising GPA (3.0 for frosh soph - more motivated now so getting a 3.5). </p>

<p>She wants a strong residential presence, about 5 - 9K kids (BU is bigger but she fell in love) a good business program with good marketing possibilities, and perhaps some psychology or creative writing opportunities. She wants to stick to the Northeast or the West Coast, but would consider Colorado or Arizona. She is a conservative protestant who would like some exposure to religious studies while in school, but not required chapel.</p>

<p>Opinions? We can find great high matches, but no safeties that are not big and non-residential!</p>

<p>Thanks for any help!</p>

2

<p>Just curious, how do you think your daughter would describe the ambiance at Boston University?</p>

<p>If she wants to study business, perhaps she should look at Bentley on the outskirts of Boston.</p>

3

<p>I also thought of Bentley. Look at Stonehill, too. And Loyola in Maryland. Possibly Villanova? (The sizes might not be in the range she prefers.)</p>

4

<p>Safeties–St. Josephs in Philly; Fairfield and Loyola MD
Safety/Match–Marist; Fordham (check on residential): Holy Cross</p>

<p>Clark is a fine school, but very different from the others she’s liked. If she is open to small schools with strong business/writing programs–Muhlenberg; Ursinus and Susquehanna are Mathces or safeties</p>

5

<p>If you’re full pay, she has high SATs and brings the GPA up this year, I’d be surprise if Santa Clara doesn’t accept her. Friend’s DD fit that profile last year and got in with a small merit offer.</p>

6

<p>Holy Cross(near Boston) offers great academics and school spirit. HC also has very good alumni network.</p>

7

<p>^^^^^^^^</p>

<p>Perhaps you didn’t catch on the O.P. is looking for safety schools for a B student. Holy Cross would be a true Reach.</p>

8

<p>thank you so much for your responses - I just realized that I posted and then forgot to check the answers!!! Now we have some new ideas - never really evaluated Stonehill for example… </p>

<p>In answer to your question about BU’s ambiance, she loved it and loved Boston. I was shocked, and so was she, that such a big school appealed to her - always need one school that is different from the others I guess!</p>

9

<p>If she liked BU, she might like American, which is much less big, but also in a very interesting city nearby.</p>

10

<p>Is she going to a Catholic High? SCU gives consideration to those kids.</p>

<p>You say that she now is getting a 3.5 GPA. What is her overall GPA? SCU is getting very competitive. </p>

<p>When is she taking the SAT (and/or ACT)? After she gets those scores, it will be easier to give suggestions.</p>

<p>What about LMU or USanDiego? Maybe Seattle U or U Portland?</p>

<p>UOP (I think) is a Christian U.</p>

11

<p>No she is not going to a Catholic high school, and we are not Catholic. Her overall GPA is closer to 3.2, and her EC’s are limited to 3 years of swimming and waterpolo, so it will definitely be a reach for her. We are working with her on bumping up her community service this spring and summer, but waterpolo is about a 20 hour/week commitment so it is tough to fit in more. Her school has an excellent reputation for academic rigor.</p>