Chance Me: Johns Hopkins [RI resident, 3.7 GPA, 1110 SAT, <$30k]

Chance Me / Match Me!
, ,
1
  • US citizen*
    Rhode Island
  • High School (Public) *
  • Female/African-American/Guinean and Senegalese (optional):
  • Athlete (first generation to college, legacy, athlete, etc.):

**Computer science, information systems, data structures, architecture, pharmacy

  • Unweighted HS GPA: 3.7/4.0
  • Weighted HS GPA (incl. weighting system): 4.2/5.0
  • College GPA (for transfers):
  • Class Rank: 47/360 (estimate)
  • ACT/SAT Scores: 1110 / N/A

Coursework
AP Human Geography: 3
AP French: 3 (Will be a French assistant senior year)
AP Psychology: 5
Future AP’s for senior year: AP Pre-calculus, AP Computer Science A, AP Lit (potentially)
Took Algebra 2 honors my junior year

Awards
French Honor Society
National Honor Society
Bi-literacy qualifier (due to AP French score)
AP Scholar
High Honor roll
Honor roll

Extracurriculars
Homework Help Center (Tutor)
Student/Principal Advisory Committee (Member)
National Honor Society (Secretary)
French Honor Society (Vice-president)
Varsity Tennis (Co-captain)
Public Library teen volunteer (Volunteer)
Girls Who Code Summer Immersion Program (Alumni)

Essays/LORs/Other
(Optionally, guess how strong these are and include any other relevant information or circumstances.)

Cost Constraints / Budget
30k/year

Schools
Applying regular decision for all until I really narrow down the list

  • Safety (certain admission and affordability)
    -University of Rhode Island
    -Rhode Island College
    -New England College
    -Community College of Rhode Island
  • Likely (would be possible, but very unlikely or surprising, for it not to admit or be affordable)
    -Temple University
    -Drexel University
    -UMass Boston
    -Quinnipiac University
    -Bryant University
    -Hofstra University
  • Match
    -Stony Brook University
    -Syracuse University
    -Pennsylvania State University
    -Clark University
  • Reach
    -Northeastern University
    -Johns Hopkins University
    -Columbia University
    -Brown University
    -University of Rochester
    -Swarthmore University
2

I think you are good on safety and likely.

But you need to check COA and merit at the OOS publics and the privates.

I don’t see a path to match and reach - affordability on match and admission on reach.

It looks like you’re only interested in the NE.

Good luck.

3

Thank you, I will look more into that as it hasn’t been something I’ve been focused on.

1 Like
4

Run each school’s Net Price Calculator to get a cost estimate. Are all of your safeties affordable?

I don’t think Temple, Drexel, Hofstra, PSU, Stony Brook will be affordable (within your $30K annual budget), but double check the NPCs.

Academically speaking I don’t know that any of your reaches are attainable. Not having Calc in HS will put you at a disadvantage, especially for a STEM major. Will you have 4 years of each of the 5 core subjects in HS (Eng, Sci, Math, SS, Foreign lang)? What proportion of your core courses have been honors or APs?

What is your math SAT score? You will have to double check test score ranges for each school, but you would apply test optional to all your matches and reaches, and probably the likelies too. I’m not sure about the safeties, you will have to do the research. Good luck.

5 Likes
5

-I agree, the budget was simply an estimate but I remember seeing how expensive those schools were.

-Yup! Math has been such a huge issue I’ve been trying to solve. I’ve been really good at math growing up (above average) and loved it. However in 7th grade (I was in the accelerated level), I got a C on one test at the end of the year, which influenced my math teacher at the time to put me in pre-algebra for 8th grade instead of algebra. Thus, it had a domino effect with my high school math courses. I didn’t realize how impactful that decision was until my junior year(too late).
-So I talked with the head of the math department and she essentially told me that I could take a summer pre-calc course and take CP calculus my senior year, or I could take AP Pre-Calc. There were multiple cons with the first choice so I felt that it would just be best to move forward with the second.
-I was thinking that maybe colleges would view it as me trying to challenge myself? Now I am unsure if I made the right decision. What do you think? Is there anything more I can do for myself in the math arena?

-I will have 4 years of each core subject except for social studies (3 years).

-I think I’ve chosen the CP level once my whole high school career (Freshman year English). Aside from courses that only had a CP level (Phys-ed, Civics, Game Design, etc.), I would always choose honors, and if I was interested, AP. But as you can see, I’ve only done 3 AP courses so far.

-My math score was 540, which is pretty low, especially for STEM. I plan on retaking the SAT on October 7th and have already started preparing. If my score is still below a 1400, I definitely think it would be best to go test optional at that point.

-What’s your opinion of 2 years in community college and transferring?
-Also do you think that if I go test optional and write a great essay/supplements I may have a chance somewhere? (Will the essay be enough to counter the flaws in my application?)

Thank you so much for your response, I really appreciate your advice!

6

Yes, some of the schools are your list cost $80K+. That’s why you and your parents have to run the net price calculators, to see if you will qualify for need based aid, and how much.

The decision is made, and you will be taking AP Pre-calc. I would focus on getting a good grade in that class.

Are your practice tests showing significantly higher scores?

CC could be an option depending on cost. I do think you will be accepted to your safety schools, and some of the likelies. But, they have to also be affordable.

When you and your parents run the NPCs see if the cost estimates are within the budget your parents have (ask them to tell you the budget). You don’t have to tell us all these financial details, but you do have to know this so you can build a good college list, and have the best possible options come spring.

Does your HS use Naviance or Scoir? If so, use those scattergrams to help guide you with the school list, and categorizing schools.

Based on what I know so far, your reaches are not attainable (said gently). It’s important that you attend a school where you can be successful right off the bat. Have you spoken with your HS GC about your list? I will give some more thought to additional colleges to possibly add with a budget of $30K.

Lastly, have you asked two junior year teachers for letters of rec? Ideally a stem teacher and a non-stem teacher from core subject areas.

1 Like
7

-(SAT) I’ve mostly been studying/reviewing right now. Before the SAT I took in April, I took 3 practice tests and my highest score was 1160 (580M). This worries me in terms of what my capabilities are but I’ll see where I’m at soon.
-My HS uses Naviance so I’ll look into the scattergrams.
-Unfortunately, my guidance counselor has not been too helpful this summer (I’ve sent her an email a few weeks ago that she hasn’t responded just yet). So I’ll have to meet with her in person.
-LOR: I’m having a difficult time in this area because unfortunately, I’ve always been a shy person in class, so there’s only a few teachers who may be able to write an exceptional LOR for me. I was thinking that maybe if I provided a brag sheet/activity sheet it would help them out. I also heard that I am allowed to ask to write it myself and let them manipulate it.
-Budget aside, do you have any attainable reaches off the top of your head based on my stats(If I go test optional)?

8

I worry about your major with the math schore. IS might be a better major for you.

You could then “potentially” get into a school like U of Alabama with its diversity scholarship and easily make your budget. Yes, not the kind of school you want but very good in IS.

9

I am worried now as well.
The problem with U Alabama is that I’d have to take a plane to get there which would add additional costs. Also, the school isn’t as diverse as I would like it to be, which could be uncomfortable for people like me.
So, regardless of flights, should I broaden my choice of schools in terms of region? Because it seems like it’ll be much more difficult if I limit myself to the NE region.

10

I’m hoping that maybe my math score will be higher now that I’ve actually completed Algebra 2

11

I hope it goes up and you should absolutely find schools you can afford - and would be comfortable.

You have URI - so that’s in state - that’s good. Not sure about diversity. It’s right at $30K. So
that works - sorry. I was thinking diversity. Bama has a killer deal but not sure you’d get it with that score anyway - four years free tuition, $1K a year, and free housing year one - but you likely wouldn’t qualify. URI is 74% white. Bama is 73% - so sometimes you’d be surprised.

Rhode Island College gets no pub on the CC but it’s just over half white so lots of diversity. It also has tuition about $11K for the year. So I don’t see a r&b cost but likely less than $30K.

What math are you taking now?

12

AP Pre-Calculus

13

I like the RI schools for you. Rhode Island College has a CIS major.

Some of your schools are not realistic. Like an Ivy and pre calc senior year don’t match. And some are not going to be diverse.

And some like a Penn State - no chance of affordability. For the OOS publics and all privates please run the NPCs.

14

It’s great that you’re looking into colleges now and not waiting until later in the fall. It looks as though you’re going to be prepared academically for college, but I do think that your list of colleges should be reconsidered. If a school definitely won’t be affordable, it will need to come off the list. That means most of your out-of-state publics, unless there’s a special arrangement (like perhaps there may be one with UM-Boston for RI residents, or RI residents pursuing a certain major). I also agree that the schools that you’ve listed as reaches are extremely unlikely and that your time and effort is better spent on different schools.

In reading through your posts, a school in Alabama also came to mind for me…Tuskegee. This HBCU has about 2100 undergrads, and would give you $10k/year in merit aid, leaving you with a cost of about $23k/year. If you were to get your SAT over 1200, you would qualify for free tuition and $800/year for books. So although there would be additional costs for transportation, this school should still fall within budget.

Agnes Scott (GA) is a women’s college of about 1k undergrads in Atlanta. It’s part of a consortium where students can take classes at other universities like Emory, Spelman, Morehouse, Georgia Tech, etc, which can also make it feel bigger. It has a very diverse student body, with 6% Asian, 33% Black, 14% Hispanic, 35% White, 6% 2+ races, 2% unknown, and 3% non-US residents. With your current stats, the NPC estimated you’d receive $23k in merit aid, which would still leave about $35-36k just for tuition, room & board (not including additional expenses). If your family runs the NPC, you may find that your family qualifies for additional need-based aid. On its affordability page, Agnes Scott indicates that after grant aid, the average cost to attend is $23k. And as Atlanta is a major airline hub, it shouldn’t be too difficult to get flights home.

The last southern school I’m going to mention right now is Xavier of Louisiana. This is another HBCU that is particularly known for its pre-med preparation and for its pharmacy school, one of your potential interests. Sticker price is $37-38k, but you may receive merit and/or need-based aid. I’d run the NPC here, too.

If architecture is one of your interests, then these are some other schools you should run the NPC on:

  • U. of Hartford (CT)
  • Roger Williams (RI)
  • U. of Maine – Augusta
  • Keene State (NH)

As Rhode Island doesn’t have any public colleges accredited for architecture, you may get in-state rates at Maine or Keene State (or, perhaps as more of a reach, U. Mass-Amherst). But as you’re still undecided (which is 100% reasonable), it sounds like a B.S. in Architecture rather than a B. Arch would be better for you, as the latter really is intensive and has little space for exploring other options.

2 Likes
15

Of course. I will run the NPC’s and check back with you later on.

So do you believe an Ivy league is 100% not possible at this point? I just want to know so I can clean up my list.

16

I’d say it’s 99.9999999999% impossible at this point.

4 Likes
17

Truth hurts. But that gave me a reality check so thank you!

1 Like
18

Nothing is 100%. I don’t think given your interests that the Ivy is best anyway. You should find the schools that meet your interest.

No one can say impossible. I don’t see it. Others may disagree. But you lack grades, rigor and test scores.

If your essays or activities mention your diversity, who knows - it could help.

But in general I don’t think Ivies, top LACs or top publics are possible - forgetting finances.

But I’m not an AO.

As long as you’re ok with URI or RIC, then you should take the shots you want. You can’t get in if you don’t apply.

1 Like
19

Just because you’re an unlikely candidate to be accepted to a school in a certain athletic conference doesn’t mean anything about you as a person. As I said earlier, I think you are prepared for college and will be able to be successful if you choose a place that fits you well.

:100:

7 Likes
20

Thank you both for this advice. I’ll return soon with a more refined list that accounts for finances and more!

5 Likes