<p>Hello! I am currently a junior and am eager to begin my college search. I have a
3.93 unweighted GPA
4.15 weighted GPA
2010 SAT score
720 SATII CHEM
800 SATII JAPANESE</p>
<p>Based on these stats, what good schools should I consider as my safeties?
I am interested in majoring in biology or chemistry.</p>
<p>Your local state schools are always a good place to start (except for the super competitive schools w/ acceptance rates below 30%)
Are you looking at big or small colleges? Rural or city? etc…</p>
<p>I highly recommend the University of Miami. They have a superb pre-med program … and offer significant merit aid scholarships.</p>
<p>How much can your family afford? That is the other part of being a safety (if you can’t afford it then it’s not a safety).</p>
<p>@spanky12
I am looking for schools that are NOT on the west coast, where I am from. I think I would prefer smaller schools and since I am from the city I would be fine going to a school in the city but I would surely also enjoy a rural one too.</p>
<p>@phantombrain
Thanks for the suggestion! I will definitely look into this school! :D</p>
<p>@Erin’s Dad
as of now, my family has a decent capability of affording 4 years of private colleges but I probably will end up applying for student loans…So I would consider great expensive schools but cheaper but just as great schools are definitely preferable. Do you have any suggestions on cities that I should avoid??</p>
<p>my family has a decent capability of affording 4 years of private colleges but</p>
<p>============</p>
<p>Ask your parents how much they WILL spend. Sometimes what a high school kid thinks their parents will pay and what the parents will actually pay are two different things. And, some parents will pay for a pricey top school, but won’t pay for a pricey school that isn’t “prestigious”.</p>
<p>So, ask your parents what the budget is.</p>
<p>@ mom2collegekids
Thank you! I will definitely ask them ASAP when an appropriate timing comes up! lol</p>
<p>Penn State?</p>
<p>@arkhaik
WOW thank you for this recommendation! One of my science teachers at school went there and she is such a knowledgeable person. Now I remember all the stories she told my class about her college life haha! I will surely consider Penn state. :)</p>
<p>If you’re a junior, the appropriate time for asking mom2collegekids question is now. With your stats, you could count on getting into just about any school except for the super competitive ones. So that would make virtually everything a potential safety school between the Rockies and east coast. If you know how much your parents can afford, it could go a long ways to focus on safety schools (and reach and matches for that matter) that you like and can afford. You need to know this information before you apply to schools that you can’t afford.
[What</a> is EFC? The Start of Your College Search](<a href=“http://diycollegerankings.com/2011/05/05/what-is-efc-the-start-of-your-college-search/]What”>http://diycollegerankings.com/2011/05/05/what-is-efc-the-start-of-your-college-search/)</p>
<p>Your stats should produce a merit scholarship at University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, Huntsville), which rather implies admission as well. Depending on the scholarship level (which is SAT CR+M or ACT dependent), the net cost may be rather inexpensive.</p>
<p>Other good safety candidates are likely found in your home state public universities and community colleges.</p>
<p>
Took the words right out of my mouth… Definitely an amazing school all-around, but to your advantage has a great pre-med program and offers quite a bit in merit scholarships, which you would most likely get based on your stats.</p>
<p>
Took the words right out of my mouth… Definitely an amazing school all-around, but to your advantage has a great pre-med program and offers quite a bit in merit scholarships, which you would most likely get based on your stats.</p>
<p>Alabama is pretty much a safety for you and depending on your SAT breakdown of just CR and M, you’d probably qualify for the Presidential Scholarship (full tuition) and perhaps others as well.</p>
<p>OKAY. I just talked to my parents about college costs today. They are willing to put up to $30,000 per year into my college spending and that is really the most they could afford. Nevertheless, they would permit me to take a manageable student loan if I end up going to a college costs slightly more than what we could pay for (I really think they are just talking about the more prestigious colleges here which is rather irrelevant to this post about safety school). So now with this in mind, do you guys have some more well-reputed, great schools that I should consider applying as my safeties? Thank you all very much :)</p>
<p>and of course, if a school costs substantially more than what my family can afford but offers scholarships that my stats would stand a chance, please mention them also!</p>
<p>Silkytouch-
If you tell us what schools you’re aiming for we can recommend some likely (I hate the term safety) schools that make sense in the context of your other choices. In other words, are your dream schools big or small? Pre-professional or liberal arts? Known for med school admittance or just general excellence in the sciences? We all have our favorite schools, but the more info. you can give us the better we can do at tailoring our advice to you.</p>
<p>Another question. Would you qualify for any need-based scholarships or would you need merit money to supplement the loans and 30 thou. your parents can kick in?</p>
<p>@sue22
I don’t know what is considered a “small” population for a college, but my dream schools are all under 10000 people and are mostly around the 5000-6000 people range. I won’t not mind “small schools” but any schools with more that 10000 students would definitely overwhelm me. I also don’t have a particular preference for city vs urban. I am not interested in liberal arts because I want to focus on what I want to do which is science. A school known for its high med school admittance would be extra-great but a school with an excellent science program would already be great.</p>
<p>My family is slightly too fortunate to be able to qualify for most need-based scholarships. 
Just slightly though.</p>
<p>it doesn’t sound like you’d qualify for need-based aid.</p>
<p>* I just talked to my parents about college costs today. They are willing to put up to $30,000 per year into my college spending and that is really the most they could afford. Nevertheless, they would permit me to take a manageable student loan if I end up going to a college costs slightly more than what we could pay for (I really think they are just talking about the more prestigious colleges here which is rather irrelevant to this post about safety school*</p>
<p>Are you testing again? A higher SAT would get you more merit at some schools. what is your M+CR score?</p>
<p>Also take the ACT.</p>