This is for my son, but after getting deferred at UGA, I want to make sure that his list looks okay, maybe additional safeties or other matches would be also helpful? I appreciate the advice on this thread immensely.
ACT: 31 (took it twice only (once JR and once SR year due to a football injury) and this is not superscored)
GPA: 4.29 weighted, 3.79 unweighted
Class Rank: 94/435 (large public hs in NC)
IB Diploma Candidate
Activities: Varsity Football, Volunteer Work, Band, Part-time job during COVID
2 APs= 5 and a 3 on the AP test
IBs= 7 to be taken in May
Biology Major
Geography: NC, VA, SC, GA (seems like the VA schools have been pricey- e.g. William and Mary and Va. Tech from Net Price Calculators)
Current List:
Ga. Tech -EA
UNC-Chapel Hill- EA
N.C. State- EA
UGA- Deferred EA
Clemson- RD
Univ of SC -EA
Wofford - EA
Furman- EA
UGA admits a lot of kids in-state in the EA round. I think your son has a good chance of getting accepted in the RD round. I also think he has a great chance at NC state and university of South Carolina. GA Tech and UNC Chapel Hill might be a hit or miss. I don’t know much about the other schools on his list. Best wishes.
We are also in NC. My daughter just graduated from William and Mary. WM doesn’t give any merit except for it’s very top applicants, so it would be a pricier option. My son is also applying to colleges now. I think you have a good selection of schools. Mine is applying to Chapel Hill, WM, UVa, Wake, UNCW. We really like Elon if you haven’t looked there. It is private, but does have some merit which your son may get with his stats.
Assuming your weighting is .5 honors and 1 for AP -
It’s hard to tell on the NC schools. OOS - no to UNC and NC State - But in state I think in 55/45, at NC State. Your weighted GPA is slightly in range and over half go TO…I guess if NC State is that close, UNC unlikely.
Ga Tech - no
UGA - likely no
Clemson - likely yes - but 70/30 - not a safety. Why not EA?
U of SC - likely. But no Honors.
Wofford and Furman seem out of place - but yes to Furman and probably to Wofford.
I would add - since you have such great schools - like a UNCW and App State. Or have you looked at CNU - in the vein of Wofford/Furman -with merit you might be ok.
William and Mary is awesome, in fact my first really wanted to go there- but just was too pricy out of state. Elon is a good school and a gorgeous campus and I highly respect it, it just was not a lot of merit with S1 who had similar stats. He got is to around 45K, but Wofford closer to 32K made it a bridge too far so it was not really an option.
I might add in a few more instate schools. ECU, UNCW, App. Your cost would be much better than the private/OOS options. They should be safeties, but you’d have more options.
Thank you Tsbna 44- good and very frank comments and I tend to agree on the 55/45 which is why I started the thread.
I feel like Clemson may be too expensive in the end, so I am not sure I want my son to be on a razor’s edge with NC State, with a hopeful U of SC and then 2 private colleges which all depend on aid!
Why the two small privates ? They don’t fit the list. If small is preferred, why not Ogelthorpe in Atlanta and Flagship 50 which I believe you just need a 30 ACT…will match UNC.
UNCA or I’d really look at CNU in Virginia for solid small. Its campus, dorms and food all rate really high and food is soooooo underrated. Many a kid struggles eating poorly. . With merit if still avail you’d be high 20s low 30s if I’m seeing right.
Thank you for this tsbna44- full disclosure, although probably self-evident, I went to Wofford, and Furman of course is in Greenville. The two schools there are ones I am really familiar with- so that is the reason, and really no more. Oglethorpe is well rated, and would check the Atlanta box for my son, so I didn’t really think about that-
Are you from one of the big metros in North Carolina? From what I understand, the big state schools try to pull from all corners of the state, so that can make it harder for students from those populous places. But if you’re in a less populous area, then that might improve your odds at NC State (and perhaps UNC, depending on how sparsely populated your area is).
I agree with Appalachian State and ECU as recommendations. UNC-Asheville and Christopher Newport if something smaller is desired (though I wouldn’t say either was small…closer to mid-sized).
Another school I’m going to throw out there is Presbyterian. It’s small, like your other small SC privates, but there’s a hefty number of athletes there. Your son might find he really enjoys that crowd.
Oh, and another NC public you may want to think about is NC A&T. It’s an HBCU that I’ve heard some really great things about.
One of the bigger metros, if not the biggest from a college applicant perspective which doesn’t make me feel good about UNC. Maybe NC State, b/c they typically admit around 90 or so from our school- just hoping the 90 or so in front don’t have as good as a resume…
I came very close to going to Presbyterian. Smaller than Wofford or Furman, and I would say a little more under the radar, I am a little worried that it isn’t as highly ranked, but I do know that end the end it is should be about fit and ability to do well at the school you are in- thank you for those recommendations!
Furman’s COA is $70,846. 90% of students without need receive merit aid, with an average package of $26,412 (source). So that would bring costs to around $44kish, depending on kind of merit aid your son would receive.
I can’t find the common data sets for Wofford or Presbyterian. So, instead I’ll use the net price for families earning $110k+ acquired from College Navigator as an imprecise estimate on how the merit aid/discounting picture might look like between the schools .
Essentially, I think that Presbyterian’s going to give you the best price of the three. I only mention the price as you were not keen on feeling as though acceptances to Wofford and Furman were likelier, but that the financial picture was more uncertain.
I was saying App or UNCW etc bcuz u said he prefers large. ECU maybe as they have football.
So Furman, Wofford, Ogelthorpe etc are great etc the student seems to want bigger so in that sense I don’t see why. A bit farther but would be cheap and high spirit. WVU. Big time sports.
I wouldn’t worry about rank in a bio major.
My kids are both at safeties. My son at Bama is crushing it job wise - not sure if monetarily but quantity wise. We went too hard. My nephew has had a tough road. Day traded last few years. Applying for accounting jobs at 30 and has two offers with barely any experience. It’s still nuts job wise. No matter where you go.
The stats show bio is tough - but even if he finds a great job and many will, I don’t think the school will matter that much - especially at these levels of schools which are all fine - but not top shelf in perception.