Can someone please help me

Parents Forum
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<p>Hi, could someone please give an idea of what schools to apply to. I am hoping to apply to liberal arts colleges in the Northeast and I am in serious need of a lot of financial aid.</p>

<p>Here are my stats.
GPA 3.4 unweighted 3.8 weighted
In freshman and sophomore my GPA was a 3.2 uw due to poor math grades.
In summer between my sophomore and junior year I moved to a different state and entered a new high school. This year as a junior I have 3.74 GPA so far and am hoping to raise it to 3.8 at the end of year.</p>

<p>My class rank at my old school was 54/606.
I am estimating that my class rank at my new school is somewhere around 4/50 and 7/50. Both schools are innercity public schools.</p>

<p>SAT1 1870 combined
math 560 reading 630 writing 680
taking SAT II's in World History & U.S. History on June 3
I am aiming for scores in the 700s.(scored a 5 on AP European History exam last year).</p>

<p>I am African American and my families income is less than $14,000 a year.
I've been involved in a few clubs throughout high school but nothing major and have held a few part time jobs.</p>

<p>I would very much appreciate it if someone could recommend a list of liberal arts colleges that I have a chance at getting in to and where I will recieve enough financial aid to attend.</p>

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<p>connecticut college doesnt require the SAT1, and is extremely interested in increasing diversity</p>

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<p>Your 5 on AP-Euro is very impressive! And as a sophomore; our hs offers it only to seniors.</p>

<p>Your SAT scores are actually respectable. The lowest, math, is still above the national average. You might consider retaking the SAT in October in plenty of time for applying to colleges. Check out the Xiggi method. You might bring up your SAT a little bit higher and make yourself really competitive. The 680 writing is within striking distance of the 700 threshhold, for example. But if you have other priorities, especially if you do well on the SATIIs, then don't worry about retaking.</p>

<p>Apply to colleges that do not require the SAT, though some will require SATIIs. I believe Bowdoin and Bates do not require SATs (Check the list on <a href="http://www.fairtest.org%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.fairtest.org&lt;/a&gt;.) They both are very eager to increase their diversity; others where you may get good financial aid would be in the Midwest where you, too, would add to the diversity of the student body. You need not worry about merit aid. With a family income of less than 14k you will be sure to receive a full ride from colleges that are need-blind.</p>

<p>Consider applying to state universities with rolling admissions, such as U Michigan. Apps are due earlier, but decisions come out within weeks and the earlier applicants have an edge over later ones. Having an admission in your pocket makes life that much easier!</p>

<p>Good luck on June 3!</p>

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<p>Holy Cross has also recently become SAT-optional. Middlebury is as well. I agree with marite that you don't need to worry about merit aid at colleges that pledge to meet 100% of need. Not all do, though, and the schools which make that pledge tend to be the most selective and so will be good reach or match/reach schools for you. You may have to look a little harder to find safety schools which meet 100% of need. However, for those schools you may qualify for merit aid. </p>

<p>Would you consider one of the state Universities with an Honors College as a safety? There, your SATs along with your other accomplishments and URM status might get you a good combination of need-based/merit aid. I'm thinking of UNH, UVM, UMaine (Orono) - just because they are the ones I happen to know, are not huge, and have campuses with closer to a LAC feel than some of the humongous state u's in other areas.</p>

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<p>Reading through some of your posts, I would remove BU from your list as you will not get the aid that you need to attend.</p>

<p>Also consider these SAt optional schools that are looking to increase diversity.</p>

<p>Hamilton
Union
Hampshire</p>

<p>What state do you reside in?</p>

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<p>If I retake the SAT in October, will a score in 1900-2000 range make make much of a difference? Will it make me competitive enough to consider applying to schools like wellesley, amherst, williams, smith, despite my low SAT scores? This was my first time taking the SAT, maybe if I retake it my scores will improve.</p>

<p>Also,</p>

<p>jmmom I've never heard of UNH, UVM, or UMaine. Could you explain to me how good their hummanities programs are?</p>

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<p>sybbie719: I live in Boston and my guidance counselor is encouraging me to apply to BU for the Boston public high school scholarship.</p>

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<p>Have you looked at Muhlenberg and Ursinus? If I were you I'd focus on small--you might get lost in the crowd at BU. For reaches why not apply to Wesleyan in CT? If you go to a public school don't rely on your counselor for good advice--they have a ton of kids and might not really think outside the box.</p>

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<p>Also if you are a girl check out the old seven sisters colleges-Smith, Vassar (co ed so you don't even have to be a girl), Bryn Mawr, Wellesley (not sure about your test scores there), Mount Holyoke. Sarah Lawrence might be a terrific choice if you are female and don't mind a city--they are near NYC, but it sounds like they have a nice campus.</p>

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<p>The reason I am recommending that you take BU off of your list is because they are very straight up about how they give out FA. BU may fall short of giving you all of the $$ that you need.</p>

<p>BU states:</p>

<p>***Your academic record is an important factor in deterniming your eligibility for Boston University scholarships and need-based grants. Key indicators such as high school GPA, rank in class, and standardized test scores are considered with the strength of your academic program and extracurricular activities. </p>

<p>High school GPA of 3.6
High school rank in the top 8%
SAT I composite score of 1327
ACT score of 29</p>

<p>If your credentials place you at or above this profile, your chances of receiving Boston University scholarships or grants are likely to be excellent or very good, particularly if you have calculated need. If your credentials place you below this level, your chances of receiving University grants and scholarships, or of having your financial need fully met with these awards, are reduced. ***</p>

<p><a href="http://www.bu.edu/finaid/apply/prospective/possibility2.shtml%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.bu.edu/finaid/apply/prospective/possibility2.shtml&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>I like Muhlenburg and Ursinus also. I would also add Juniata to the list.</p>

<p>If you raise your scores you could get some scholarship aid at Howard</p>

<p><a href="http://www.howard.edu/financialaid/scholarships/freshmen.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.howard.edu/financialaid/scholarships/freshmen.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Marite, can you recommend some good schools for her that are in-state?
(I don't think she will get the money she needs as an out of state student).</p>

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<p>UMass-Amherst is our state university. It is very large and not as good as it should be. It has the advantage of being part of the Five College Consortium that includes Amherst, Smith, Mt Holyoke College and Hampshire College.</p>

<p>LN: Do retake the SAT. Yours is a very respectable score for a first try (combined SAT of 1190 on the old SAT); and you have the chance of breaking the 700 threshhold that is a psychological one, even though statistically, a 680 is the same as a 700. If you do not raise your SAT scores, nothing will have been lost, as colleges will look at your highest scores. </p>

<p>If you like to stay in MA, look into Wheaton. Most colleges and universities, by the way, have very decent humanities departments as these are inexpensive compared to science departments. At one point UVM was considered a "hot" college; UNH in Durham, NH, has some great profs (I've met a few and I was very impressed). I don't know enough about U Maine-Orono to comment on it, but I would assume it is very decent as well. In the other direction would be University of Connecticut. Let us think of a few more after you take the SATIIs on Saturday.</p>

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<p>
[quote]
If I retake the SAT in October, will a score in 1900-2000 range make make much of a difference? Will it make me competitive enough to consider applying to schools like wellesley, amherst, williams, smith, despite my low SAT scores?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>LN, All of these schools (plus plenty of others) are eager to recruit and enroll high achieving African Americans especially from low income families. For the schools that you mention plus just about every other LAC in the country, I would say that you would be a person of interest. If they admit you, most likely they will see that you receive adequate aid so that you can attend.</p>

<p>Smith is a little less selective than the others, but they are all extremely selective with rigorous academics. You would not only have to convince them to admit you, but you would have to convince them that you could do the work. </p>

<p>How to do that? </p>

<p>You have to remember that grades and test scores are only one part of the mosaic that makes up who you are. Your character (as evidenced in your academic references), your interests (extra-curriculars), your intellectual spark and life experience (your essays) are equally important in admissions.</p>

<p>Admissions officers understand that kids from low income families who attend inner city schools may not have the time or money for after school activities other than a part-time job, so don’t worry about competing with other applicants. What you should concentrate on is how to communicate your personality, drive, interests, and accomplishments in your application. This isn’t easy, but you’re off to a good start by asking for help.</p>

<p>No matter how your scores end up, your list should have a good balance of schools from different levels of selectivity. You’ve received a lot of good suggestions so far. The next step would be to narrow in a little on what you might like in size, environment and atmosphere. </p>

<p>Good luck to you and let us know how it goes.</p>

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<p>I think I did well on the SAT II's.I think I definitely got at least a 700 on both tests. I am now hoping for at least a 750. I have never taken a U.S. history class in high school so I hope it would look very good if could score in the 700s. Also I got an invitation to apply to diversity weekend at Amherst.
Thank all of you for your help!!</p>

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<p>LN--I second the recommendation of Smith, Connecticut College and Hamilton. I would definitely look at Mount Holyoke as well. Mount Holyoke is SAT-optional, so your scores would not be any kind of negative there. Also, it is part of the 5 school consortium that includes Amherst, so you could take classes at Amherst and Smith. You might also look at Hobart and William Smith, Clark (very small university) and Trinity (the one in Hartford, Ct.).</p>

<p>One of the things that you should consider is how comfortable you will feel at schools at which there is little diversity (most of the schools already mentioned do not have huge numbers of African Americans). For example, at Univerity of Vermont, which is definitely looking to increase diversity, only 1% of the student body is African-American. Would you prefer a school with greater diversity? Also, do you want to stay in the Boston or Massachusetts area or are you willing to look farther away?</p>

<p>Good luck in your search--I think that you will do very well!</p>

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<p>LN:</p>

<p>Come back for more concrete advice after you've received your scores. Good job.</p>

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<p>
[quote]
If I retake the SAT in October, will a score in 1900-2000 range make make much of a difference? Will it make me competitive enough to consider applying to schools like wellesley, amherst, williams, smith, despite my low SAT scores?

[/quote]
First, if you score higher on a re-take, your older lower scores will no longer be considered. Second, we and you should focus only on your Math and Verbal because, for now, most schools are using those in admissions decisions; they're not sure how to treat the Writing score. </p>

<p>So: the middle 50% of students at the schools you mentioned had these combined M/V scores: Wellesley-1280-1460, Amherst-1360-1550,Williams-1330-1520, Smith -1160-1370. That may seem like bad news, but it means that 25% of the accepted students scored LOWER than these ranges, which is where your 1190 scores currently are. Except for Smith, where you are in range. Now, here is the good news: you offer the diversity which they may be seeking, making it more likely that you could be in that 25%; and with some good prep, you are likely to improve your scores.</p>

<p>Re-taking and improving your scores will be a worthwhile effort and you should take a look at the Xiggi method, which is a "sticky" thread. Remember, too, that several of the schools we've mentioned above that don't require SAT scores are of equal or near-equal calibre to those you've mentioned (I'm thinking of schools such as Bates, Bowdoin...).</p>

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<p>Hi. I saw my SAT II scores today online. I got a 710 on the U.S. History and a 760 on the World History.</p>

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<p>Check out Union College in NYS.</p>

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<p>I'm sorry to change the direction of this thread, but here it goes. After college I plan to go on to either law or medical (hopefully at an Ivy), so I'm looking for colleges that have good professional placement. I know Amherst and Williams are very good at this but I have a slim chance at both. I haven't done as well as I've could have done in high school ( although I have every excuse in the book), but I will do better in college. I hope my SAT II scores will help overide my SAT I scores. </p>

<p>How good are LAC's like Union, Bates, Hamilton, and others that I have a chance of gettig into at getting their graduates into good law and medical schools.</p>

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<p>Check with the career office at the colleges that interest you. Often colleges have on-line info about what happens to their graduates after graduation.</p>