<p>I won't overload you with stats but I'll give you some to help.</p>
<p>3.4 GPA (All As and Bs except for two MAJOR blemishes: a D in math and a C in biology, bothin 10th grade. I screwed up big time)</p>
<p>2070 SAT, 710 CR 750 W 610 M (You can see Math is my weakest subject, will retake)</p>
<p>As of this year (Jr year), I will have taken 4 APs. I expect to have gotten As in 2 and Bs in 2, all 4s or 5s. I already have one 5 under my belt.</p>
<p>I'm first-gen in Virginia.</p>
<p>Ecs:
School paper (won several awards, including placing in a national competition for my writing)
Debate (2x district champion, 1x regional champion)
Volunteered extensively (30 hours a week or so) with a campaign in 08 and continue to volunteer with that party</p>
<p>I can not go to a lot of ECs because I have to babysit my younger sibling for several hours a day when my mother goes to work. My EFC will be 0 for sure so schools that meet need would be nice. Political Science major Right now I have:</p>
<p>University of Rochester (#1 by far I love this school)
University of Virginia
Virginia Tech
American (don't meet 100%, but hoping for a good package)
William&Mary
N.C. State (agree to meet 100% of need without loans, even for OOS)
Franklin & Marshall
Butler</p>
<p>I feel like I'm reach heavy. Thanks for reading this long post. Feel free to criticize my list, help make it better, etc.</p>
<p>What is your financial safety school (the school that you’re sure to get into and is affordable for your family).</p>
<p>Since your EFC is 0, you’ll not ONLY need to look for schools that meet need, but you NEED to find schools that meet need without BIG loans. Some schools claim to meet need, but they do so by putting in big loans for students AND parents. That’s no help for a 0 EFC family.</p>
<p>You need to include at least one or two schools that will give you assured good merit for your stats. This is important because your stats are a bit low for schools that meet need without big loans.</p>
<p>Is that your weighted GPA?</p>
<p>Are you going to take the SAT again?</p>
<p>Since Math is your weakness, you should take the ACT…the math is easier and only worth 1/4 of the test.</p>
<p>I will take the ACT in June. No, the 3.4 is my unweighted GPA. I’m unsure of what my weighted GPA is.</p>
<p>Virginia Tech is a school I can afford with aid and the Stafford. Whether it is an admissions safety or not, I don’t know. </p>
<p>UVa and N.C. State both meet full need without loans. But again, I’m not a competitive admit for them. Is there ANYWHERE that I’m sure I can get into without going terribly into debt?</p>
<p>The first thing you need to do is look into Questbridge.</p>
<p>I also think that you should find at least one VA school that is lower in the pecking order than VT.</p>
<p>Rochester does have some very nice merit scholarships, the best of which (Renaissance?) are about $30K, I think, but otherwise their FA is not stellar. (I like the school a lot, too.) I’m not sure whether you would be competitive for one of those. None of the kids I know who have gotten into Rochester–all of whom had significantly higher stats than you do–were in the running for one, but then none of them were diversity candidates, either. On the other hand, I know Rochester really cares about whether you interview, so if you can’t travel there make absolutely certain to sign up for an interview with one of their travelling admissions officers. In our area, that happened in early October, so check their web site frequently.</p>
<p>“Incomimg freshmen who have a family income at or below 150% of the federal poverty level with limited assets may be eligible. For example if you are part of a family of four with an annual income of less than $31,000 or you’re a child of a single parent who earns no more than $21,000 annually, you may qualify for Pack Promise. If so 100% of your demonstrated financial need will be met.”</p>
<p>“Financial aid requirements are met through a combination of scholarships, grants, federal work-study and need based loans not to exceed $2,500 per year.”</p>
<p>The Pack Promise is available to both instate and oos students.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice guys. JMU isn’t on my list for a reason I’d rather not disclose. Nothing wrong with the school, it’s just something personal with me.</p>
<p>I expect my GPA to go up to 3.5 this year and then maybe 3.75 by end of first semester Senior year. Colleges that I apply RD to will see the 3.75 correct?</p>
<p>Also, the D is still there from Sophomore year. Does that pretty much eliminate any good school from my grasp?</p>
<p>It’s not guaranteed that UVA will meet full need without loans. AccessUVa states: </p>
<p>Meets 100 percent of demonstrated need for all admitted undergraduate students. </p>
<p>Replaces need-based loans with grants in the financial aid packages of low-income students — those whose family income is equivalent to 200 percent of the federal poverty line or less. </p>
<p>Caps the amount of need-based loans offered to any student at approximately 25 percent of U.Va.’s in-state cost of attendance over four years, and will meet all need above that amount with grants. All students, regardless of state residency, will receive the in-state cap level. </p>
<p>Student Financial Services offers additional one-on-one counseling to admitted students and their families, assisting them in the financial aid application process and presenting them with financing options outside of need-based financial aid.</p>
<p>I should be commended. I got a 205. The last few years commended has been 202-204. I did very well in Critical Reading and Writing but poor in Math.</p>
<p>how about George Mason–close to DC, excellent poli sci, affordable, and likely to admit you? Its strengths seem closer to your interests than Virginia Tech’s do. If you are interested in politics I would think a location close to DC would be ideal.</p>
<p>Jingle, I did consider George Mason but it’s a BIG commuter school. I mean there are still students who live on campus, but many classes are filled with students who live at home. I know a few people who attend and this is what they have told me.</p>
<p>As a virginia resident you can get a VTAG grant at most private colleges in virginia. $2600 in free money. It was $3200 a couple years ago but statue cutbacks have dropped it some. You might want to add Richmond to your list. Good fin. aid + VTAG.</p>
<p>In general your sr year semester grades are going to be very important to your applications.</p>