The pb is that your GPA is really low for these schools.
Drexel and UCincinnati are known for their co-ops. (At UCincinnati go for broke and apply to Lindner Honors, they will looi at grades and rigor jr/sr year… U Cincinnati non Honors is a match to high match.)
2 Likes
You may want to carefully consider whether law school is for you.
Law school requires you to sit and read voluminous boring text. You should ask yourself if you can or want to do that.
It requires very focussed reading and high level attention span on a lot of mundane topics.
5 Likes
And a great deal of attention to minutiae.
3 Likes
I understand. To clarify, I am doing much better now with my ADHD, and Law is my ideal option, with IB as my secondary option.
Will my high level of ECs and my SAT help bridge that gap?
Not really…
They just show that you are capable theoretically. GPA shows what you actually delivered up to date. Schools prefer when stats match each other and many put less weight on testing.
3 Likes
No - many schools don’t even look at ECs.
They’re nice to haves of course and help differentiate but at the end of the day it’s your four years of academics that are most critical.
1 Like
I think that you may have some misconceptions. Just because you may not be as familiar with certain names, doesn’t mean that professionals aren’t aware of those names and the quality that comes with them. Rankings change by whoever’s doing them and their methodologies, but perhaps these might present you with some comfort:
This one has Bentley at #2 and Bryant at 6.
USNWR (per Poets & Quants) has Bentley in its top 100:
From that list, Rochester Institute of Technology also made that list, and it might fall into a toss-up or lower probability category for you. Their CDS doesn’t have GPA info, but they do consider test scores as “Important” so that would help you. GPA, though, is “Very Important.” It has about 14k undergrads.
This list probably has an order that looks more “correct” to you and has Bentley at #32.
That list also has:
- Stonehill (MA) at #36. It has about 2500 undergrads and I’d probably put it in the likely category for you.
It also has The College of New Jersey on it, but if I recall correctly, that was too close to home for you.
Here are Poets & Quants’ own rankings:
- Fordham (NY): #20, low probability
- Providence (RI): #37, and I’d classify as a Lower Probability
- St. John’s (Tobin): #51, but only about 40% of first year students live on-campus. This is much more of a commuter school, but if you’re thinking about Baruch, then this one could be a possibility. I’d classify it as likely or extremely likely for admission.
- Hofstra (NY): #57, probably a toss-up, but again, has more of a commuter feel.
- U. of New Hampshire: #60, probably an extremely likely admit
- Rutgers Newark: #69
- Sacred Heart (CT): #75, probably a lower probability, because they’re test blind.
- Duquesne (PA ): #77, probably an extremely likely admit
- Ithaca (NY): #78, probably a likely admit
From the Wall Street Journal (via P&Q):
Thomas Jefferson (PA ): #48 and I’d probably put it in the extremely likely category
Here’s a blog that talks about Babson, Bentley, and Bryant:
But you will notice that lots of colleges get mentioned that you may not have been aware of. There are also colleges that will rank well on one list but not another. Other schools may not make any list, but is very well-respected by hiring managers. You need to go into more depth in terms of looking at the programs, opportunities, and outcomes available at each college to see where might be the best fit for you.
The colleges I listed above are options where your odds of admission are higher than a very low percentage (sub-5%). But this does not account for your budget, which was originally below $40k as the target, though now it appears as though your family is willing to be full-pay. Many of these schools might be $80k/year or above. What value does that monetary difference have for your family?
Additionally, there is no need to have a long, extensive list of schools you want to apply to. So long as you have one (preferably two) schools that are extremely likely admits, you don’t need any additional colleges. So only put colleges on the list that you would be happy to enroll in and attend for four years.
Wishing you the best as you go through this process.
3 Likes
Thank you so so so much for the thought out answer. I’ll research all of these ASAP.
Your profile is extremely unbalanced, so acceptances at schools that admit 60% and fewer will be unpredictable. If they just see GPA and count Cs&Ds you may not make it past first cut.
So, first you have to make the basic cut and some large universities don’t go deep into the tŕanscript. However once you make that cut, your profile could appeal to specific programs, which is why you should apply widely but I also recommended applying to Lindner Honors at UCincinnati for instance (it’s a long shot but there your curriculum rigor, test scores&ECs would matter more and your never know).
I second adding RIT, Bentley and Bryant. I don’t think Babson is in the cards but once you’re done with safeties, likelies, and matches, ey, why not? Just make sure to START with the safeties. Then complete the likelies and matches. And only then should you focus on your reaches, even if working on the reaches may “feel” better.
What about Susquehanna? Solid business school and with your test score it’s either a safety or a likely. Much better than Caldwell though small.
Drexel, perhaps, in addition to St Joe’s (both in Philly).
Apply to Honors at the above if you’re able to, in one of those poker moves “you never know”. The unbalanced profile may raise questions and curiosity.
How do you envision Baruch? Because it’s really strong for business, finance in particular, but is 99% commuter. How would you create a college community? Would your parents pay for the one dorm, where there’s a bit of a college community?
3 Likes
Thanks - you’re right in that I’m stuck in a really rough to grade space because of how spaced out my stats are. I have been looking at honors colleges for a lot of the publics I’m considering, such as George Mason.
After everyone’s feedback, I think I will add Bentley to my list. Bryant was already on there, and I may as well put Babson on(who knows 
).
On Baruch - I will be staying in the dorm should I go there, and after consulting with alumni and students, I think that if I chose Baruch, my community would probably have to come from clubs and student societies, which is fine for me. I’ll be close enough to home that I won’t lose my home circle either.
1 Like
Just updating: after UW recalculation, I have a 2.5 UW…
my weighted is a 3.1. Can anyone recalc based off this? CC may not be a feasible option for me b/c home situation.
Weighted 3.1 with precalculus honors or calculus means a chance a Baruch but not their Honors college, you’d have to apply after a stellar 1st semester (the Honors courses and perks are really worth it). Will your parents pay for Baruch OOS+costly dorm???
2.5 UW means you got straight Cs or failed a bunch of claszes you didn’t make up?
Forget George Mason.
Drew becomes a reach.
1 Like
Freshman year i was a B-C range student, soph went to A-C-D range(Cs mostly), Junior year I was A±B range(One C). I failed spanish, but my school allows you to make it up for no change on transcript.
Actually, 2.5 could come from half B and half C grades, though there are other possible combinations of grades that could result in that GPA. Straight C grades would result in a 2.0 GPA.
1 Like
so when it comes to schools to look at? I intend to transfer to a better school as soon as feasible, but a good business program and in the northeastern area would be much appreciated. I can work to get any EA/ED in if necessary.
Did you turn the D and F into As or Bs?
Will your transcript list your w and uw GPA?
What did your parents say FOR SURE that they’d be willing to pay?
1 Like
In many states, the community colleges are the ones where preparation for transfer is focused on the most. Indeed, https://www.njtransfer.org/ focuses on transferring from community colleges.
1 Like
I changed the F into a C(got 100% in the makeup, they average both out
It will list both GPAs
They’re willing to go full-pay if the school is good enough, but ideally they want to stay around SUNY/Rutgers tuition(dorm and books not included)
so you started with a 3.0 and now say a 2.5.
you should look at schools like - Millersville, W Carolina, Ramapo, William Paterson, Suny Oneonta (reach).
It’s a question of admission - and some of these are lower cost schools but so what.
You need to go where you can get in. There’s others.
Frankly, you might find the best place at a community college.
Good luck
1 Like