Hi everyone! My brother is currently a junior in high school and has begun the college process but we need some help balancing out his list.
His stats:
GPA: 4.38/5
SAT: CR: 650 M: 680 W: 640 (1970 all together) (single sitting, has only taken once and will take again in spring)
Class Rank: 9/220
EC’s: nothing amazing, but he is a 2 sport athlete, baseball and indoor track, a member of the school’s business club and key club, he also works at rec basketball games during the winter and takes scores, sports take up a ton of his time leaving him little room to join more clubs.
Schedule Rigor: he constantly takes all AP and honors classes
AP’s: US History (4), currently in AP Bio and AP Psych (due the school’s limited offering of AP’s and block scheduling, he can only take 2 a year)
Residence: Western MA
High School: Well regarded public school
What he is looking for in colleges:
Area: Northeast for the most part, seems to enjoy the more traditional campus feel but would like a school right outside of a large city
Major: Business, so a good business school is very important
Prestige: He would like to attend a more “prestigious school”, at least for business
Other: COST IS NOT AN ISSUE, wants a lot of school spirit with sports being a focus for students
Our List:
Notre Dame
University of Virginia
Boston College
Boston University
George Washington University
Villanova
Bentley University
UMass Amherst
UConn
Providence College
Bryant University
So far his favorites are ND, UVA, and BC. Clearly his list is very top heavy and we would really appreciate some suggestions of more match/safety schools that fit some of his criteria. Also any advice on how to strengthen his app would be appreciated!
I agree that it is a somewhat reach-heavy list unless the SATs go up a bit – still a number of schools on his list should work just fine. Some of the schools on the list don’t appear to meet his school spirit/sports focus (ex. Bentley, Bryant, GW) but of course that is your call.
Consider Lehigh (excellent business program and huge rivalry with Lafayette makes it more school spirited than many mid-size schools), Syracuse, and maybe Fordham (not huge for sports but the school has non-binding EA which is always a plus).
Since he is full pay and wants strong school spirit and sports, a lot of public flagships might also be good options. Consider IU (very well-regarded for business), Ohio State, Penn State, and U Maryland.
@happy1, Bryant is just his safety and Bentley and GW were new additions to the list so we didn’t know much about them. Thanks for your suggestion of Lehigh! We will definitely look into it.
@lalalemma thanks for the awesome suggestions! Penn State, IU, and Wake Forest seem like schools he would like, He visited U Maryland but did not feel he fit in with the students there
^^^Emerson does not have a b-school. And while I think Holy Cross does have an economics and accounting program, it does not have a full-blown b-school with a wide array of majors.
Very strongly recommend Villanova, my brother is there and he loves it! Great academics, great campus and campus feel. We’re from Mass too, and he has no troubles with getting home, he often takes the train (but we live closer to Boston)
I think Michigan is a reach, but Temple,Villanova, Boston University GW, Bentley, UMASS/Amherst, UCONN, Providence College & Syracuse are great matches–Bryant is a true safety – very small school with limited reputation in New England–I know several students who loved it, but it is not on the same level with the other schools on your list.
Consider Babson if he wants a small environment and it’s close to Bentley and Boston/Cambridge/Wellesley College.
ND, U Virginia (only 28% Out of State students), Boston College and Wake Forest are all Far Reaches because of SAT scores, # of AP courses taken and lack of outstanding extracurriculars.
Perhaps he can start a small business and run it part-time: Online, Ebay, etc. to show his interests and success.