Chance midwestern kid for the coasts [MO resident, 4.0/35 for Physics or Philosophy, ideally with merit]

Chance Me / Match Me!
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Demographics
US citizen / MO/ suburban

  • Type of high school *
    Public mid size High school
  • Gender/Race/Eoptional)
    Male/mixed race
  • Other special factors : NA

Intended Major(s)
Physics and maybe philosophy

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Unweighted HS GPA: 4.0
  • Weighted HS GPA (incl. weighting system): 4.5/5.0
  • College GPA (for transfers):
  • Class Rank: Top 2-3%
  • ACT/SAT Scores:
    ACT 35

Coursework
General requirements, symphonic orchestra (9-12), all honors

AP: World History (5), Physics 1(5), Spanish (5), Chemistry (5), Eng Lang (4), Gov (4), and Comp Gov (4)
Senior Year: Eng Lit, Physics 2, Calc BC, Psych, Physics C Mech and Physics C EM

Awards
Scholastic National silver Medal, 2 Scholastic Gold Keys and 2 Scholastic Silver Keys for writing

Chemistry USNCO National Qualifier

Physics contest 1st place

National Merit Finalist (expected)

State winner and regional finalist for science project

Extracurriculars
Cross country (9-12). State qualifying, all conference and all district. Co-captain 11th grade and captain 12th grade.

Honor Societies: English, Music, Science and National Honor Society. Significant volunteering and tutoring. Secretary of NHS 1/th grade. Created automated hours tracking sheet.

Piano (kindergarten to 12 grade). Numerous local and regional awards and qualified for state level recognition

Violin (3rd-12th grade). Highest level school orchestra 9-12). All suburban co-concert master, and kiva and regional recognition and awards.
Chamber orchestra and play at nursing homes.

Work: dishwasher to line cook at country club for 2 summers. Lifeguard 1 summer.

Missouri Boys State

Tutoring. >100 hours volunteered for peer tutoring and founded tutoring company.

Worked on food drive with local garden, supply drive and bake sale.

Hospital volunteer >70hours

Essays/LORs/Other
Working hard on essays and good writer. Quality TBD

Cost Constraints / Budget
Ideally have some merit $$$

Schools
(List of colleges by your initial chance estimate; designate if applying ED/EA/RD; if a scholarship is necessary for affordability, indicate that you are aiming for a scholarship and use the scholarship chance to estimate it into the appropriate group below)

  • Safety
    University of Colorado
    University of Arizona
    University of Missouri
  • Likely
  • Match: UCSD, UCSB, UNC, UT, UMich, Emory,
  • Reach: Ivy(TBD), UC Berkeley, UCLA , Stanford, Georgetown and Duke
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If you thinking of applying to UCs from out of state, you need to square this issue away. The UCs will likely cost around $70K/year. There is very, very limited merit available. Make sure that is affordable for your family before investing the time in the application, which of course is totally separate from the common app so does require some time investment.

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Based on your comments I’ll assume you are full pay. Have you run the net price calculators for Duke, Gtown, Stanford?

Safety -

U of Colorado - yes to admission, no to merit. So with their normal merit, you are mid 50s.

U of Arizona - $32K merit - so you’re all in for less than half of CU.

Mizzou - cheapest I’ll assume.

Match - I don’t know - but the UCs you’ll be over $70K. UNC high 50s. UT mid 50s, U Mich $76K and Emory - who has merit - $84K - so most likely best case high 50s. These are all reaches to me but even if safeties, you can’t get real money.

Reach - UCB and LA - see UC comments and Stanford and Gtown have no merit aid and Duke very limited.

So for a physics major who wants cost, you can’t really do better than Arizona. It’s a top school, it’s inexpensive and oh by the way, the Honors dorm is really really nice with a cafeteria on the bottom and gym and counseling center adjacent.

If you have demonstrated need, then UNC (one of two publics who promises to meet need along with UVA and your privates could come into play.

But I’m not sure any of them have anything on Zona.

Bear down I say - and make your life easy.
Good luck.

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2023 Best Physics Schools (collegefactual.com)

25 Best Colleges for a Physics Degree 2020 | GradReports

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Likely admission, perhaps, but Colorado gives very little merit (same with UCs, for that matter, but they’re a much harder admit than Colorado for out of state).

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You might look at USC. It is a private school, not a UC. If you apply EA before Nov 1, you will be considered for their merit scholarships.

National Merit Finalists don’t receive an advantage in the admissions process. However, if admitted, and if they designate USC as their first choice by May 31, NMF receive a guaranteed half-tuition scholarship for 4 years.

https://ask.usc.edu/app/answers/detail/a_id/898/~/what-types-of-scholarships-are-national-merit-finalists-eligible-for-at-usc

Edit to add: National Merit Finalists may also be considered (along with everyone else who applied EA) for the full-tuition Trustee scholarship. If a NMF is awarded the full-tuition Trustee scholarship, it can not be combined with the half-tuition Presidential scholarship.

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Cost is a factor but not necessarily a barrier.
Wondering on chances of getting in but will also weigh costs in decision.

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For the UCs, I’d guess that you have a solid shot at any of them. UCB and UCLA are reaches of course, but I think you have a decent chance. If you can afford them, it’s definitely worth applying. Put a lot of thought into your PIQs, not only for admissions purposes, but for a shot at merit (a long shot, but a shot nonetheless).

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The UCs are test blind, so won’t see your ACT score.

Before applying, check to make sure that you have completed all of your A-G requirements.

As was mentioned, the UC application is different than the Common App. You will be asked to answer four Personal Insight Questions and to include up to 20 Activities & Awards (350 characters each). It takes a lot of time, so make sure the schools are within your budget before you start working on the application.

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This is where it pays to have a budget.

Many families are full pay - but choose not to be - if that makes sense.

I set a limit for my kids and I wouldn’t go a nickel over it.

So that’s the best way to eliminate, etc.

To me, Arizona is a great choice (depending what you mean by coast because it’s West but not coast) but it’s a top school and bottom price.

But if you want to be loved - you can look at Tulsa (small school, very good size - and you’d be free) with NMSF. The President posts on here and 25% of their kids are national merit scholars.

Alabama - has the most national merit scholars in the country and you’d get the following - free grad school if you want it. They have 338 kids from Missouri in attendance but over 1500 from neighboring Illiniois.

  • Value of tuition for up to five years or 10 semesters for degree-seeking undergraduate and graduate or law studies
  • Four years of undergraduate on-campus housing at regular room rate* (based on assignment by Housing and Residential Communities)
  • $3,500 per year undergraduate supplemental scholarship for four years**
  • $2,000 one-time allowance for use in research or international study (after completing one year of study at UA)
  • $500 per year Supe Store book scholarship for four years

UTD (auto), USF (auto), Maine (auto), Fordham (possible), USC (possible) and many more give extra $$ for national merit.

It’s just another avenue - if $$ ultimately play into your equation. What do you plan to do with your physics or philosophy degree?

You should really speak to your family about finances - and all the possibilities. Once they know the various possibilities, the decision on finances might change.

You’re certainly in an enviable position, especially if you get NMF.

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My impressions -

  • your safe schools are appropriately safe and you will get merit $$ from the majority.
  • your matches are accurate, but Emory will be difficult without an ED and Michigan and North Carolina will be 1/2.
  • your reaches will end up 1/5 or 2/5 and won’t likely include Stanford or Duke unless your activities show a lot less like a laundry list and the depth in a couple is a differentiator.

Would be curious to know how you want to stand out to an admissions officer given you have lots of good stuff, but nothing unique for the top tier. Would be helpful to at least know your essay topic. Finally, where do the better students go to college from your high school?

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What kind of merit are you talking about? Something to reduce an 80k tuition to 66k? Half tuition? Full tuition?
Have you run the NPC on each of them?
Have your parents given you a budget?

Wrt safeties, UArizona and ASU Honors will provide excellent Physics, Honors College, and solid Philosophy seminars. Better than Mizzou but apply there just in case.
CU may offer a small scholarship to reduce the 60k cost.
Don’t expect a scholarship at UCs or UT so I’d cross them out -you have better options for that price or cheaper ones.
UMichigan offers financial aid if your parents make less than 95k I think but no merit.

How did you choose your list of universities ? What criteria are important to you?
Why not MIT?
If you’re not sure, look into Tufts, Brandeis, Wesleyan, JHU, and Rice. Run the NPC. Any thzt you find interesting ?

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Thanks. Not sure about standing out part either. Most of my activities represent something I love (running, music, cooking and tutoring). I do them because they give me joy and not to add to a list.

My essay is a work in progress. It will either be about working in the kitchen and creativity in cooking, or about duality - I am mixed race and tying that to physics and maybe philosophy.

My school usually has 1-2 kids going to “top” tier university. But not always.

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Thanks. I was looking for a warmer locale so that was part of it. Generally didn’t include schools with tech as do want to include classics/philosophy/writing on my education.
Had considered some do others. Had heard Tufts didn’t give aid? Will check the other suggestions.

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Tufts has no merit aid, just need aid same as Gtown and Stanford.

Your parents should run the net price calculator. If it shows need aid, you might qualify. If it shows none, then you will be full pay for sure at Gtown, Tufts, Stanford, likely at Duke, UCs, Michigan, and a chance for merit at Emory. Not good but a chance. Apply by the merit deadline for Emory Scholars.

Last I checked Michigan isn’t warm. And one can argue similarly for Boulder.

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With respect to the study of physics, you may want to consider colleges that have produced Apker recipients or finalists. Pomona, for example, would make an excellent choice for physics.

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The essay about working in the kitchen sounds more interesting to me (and you can easily insert that you draw from elements from your 2 cultures/ethnic roots…)

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And this is precisely where you need to consider whether the UCs are worth the time investment. You will need to write 4 separate PIQs. You will most likely not be able to recycle your common app personal statement. If you haven’t already (and maybe you have), please talk to your parents about cost. It is possible that they are able to pay $70K, but even if so, it is possible that they would really prefer not to. The UC application deadline in November 30. If your parents aren’t going to be OK with paying the UC out of state price tag, your time is better spent writing a killer common app personal statement and putting together an amazing application for the schools more likely to give you the merit you need/want. Of course, it is possible that your parents are able, willing, and happy to foot the bill wherever you choose to attend, in which case, full speed ahead. Just one final caution about the UCs before you sink significant time into the application. I just want you to be sure about this now to save yourself any regret, stress, and/or disappointment later. Also, do double check your A-G requirements - many people miss the fine arts requirement, but it sounds like you have that through orchestra. How about foreign language? That’s another one that can be an issue for some students.

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Congrats on your excellent record! I think you have a shot at any of the schools on your list. That said, the reaches are a reach for any unhooked candidate, despite the accomplishments.

I personally know 2 recent graduates from our area: One was male, applied as math major, excellent public high school, National Merit, 36 ACT, straight As with max AP classes, finished calculus in 9th grade and had multiple university math classes beyond this, captain in 2 sports, work experience etc. The other was male, applied as mechanical engineering, excellent public school, National Merit, full IB diploma, captain of 3 sports, All State athlete, arts accomplishments, lots of leadership, interesting life story. Both of them got shut out of ALL their reaches (lots of overlap with your list). The first ended up at our non-elite but solid flagship, the other ended up at Boulder paying way more than his family had hoped to pay (got only trivial merit.) My point is there is lots of competition at the most rejective schools. You are an excellent candidate, but so are thousands of others.

I agree with those who say to run the NPCs for all your reach schools. Some of these schools do provide need-based aid even to families making $250K+ depending on assets–others do not.

I agree with those who say that Arizona is an excellent choice and therefore a great “sure thing” school.

I agree with the idea of looking into the schools that provide big merit for NMFs. These schools also make great safeties, and a full ride merit scholarship is prestigious in itself (you can list it on your resume). Big merit NMF/NMSF schools and their specialties

Best of luck!!!

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Thanks. The NMF is definitely something I am considering as well.
Not sure of the overlap with physics but will look more, especially Alabama.

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