College Suggestions? Big sports, warm, outside of NY

College Search & Selection
1

I am a rising senior (2019) in the midst of college search and seeking some suggestions from you guys to help expand my list.

SAT: 1380
ACT: 30
GPA: 4.0 (top 10%)
Lot’s of EC’s, leadership, 4 year varsity athlete
Interested in: Health Sciences/Medicine

Looking for a school that has:

  • Searching out of state (NY)
  • a lot without a car
  • Preferably warm (warmer than upstate NY)
  • Big School with lots of school spirit and big sports
  • Not too conservative politically (I am slight liberal and can deal with conservative views but I don’t want them shoved down my throat or not too accepting of opposing views)
  • Net Price: approx. 30K/yr.

I have visited and liked PSU, Clemson, OSU, UDel (would like bigger sports)
Trying to avoid the state of Virginia in its entirety
Maybe looking into (have not visited): Syracuse (downside weather), UNC, Michigan

Thanks everyone for your help! Eager to hear from y’all

2

I’m not sure about your financial situation and if you would get enough aid to bring these schools down to 30k a year, but look into University of Maryland, University of Alabama, University of Wisconsin- Madison, University of Connecticut, Florida State University, University of Miami, and Tulane University. Typically, it’s very difficult to receive financial aid as an out of state resident when you are applying to flagship state universities, so it pays to look into privates like UMiami and Tulane. Good luck!

3

Maybe look at the University of Kansas: great basketball, great college town, nice campus, research university/state flagship, maybe some merit aid (you can research that/run the NPC). You might also look at Tennessee, Kentucky, and Missouri. Not sure about aid at those. Good luck!

4

University of Texas may be a good option for you. Aid can be hit or miss there but they do have great school spirit and sports. UT is also extremely liberal so you should have no worries with political differences.

5

UT and Michigan are not going to be possible for OOS students with a 30
ACT. 1380 isn’t going to be a high enough SAT, either.

6

University of Iowa (honors college invite for those stats) would automatically give you merit and it is a beautiful and happy campus with great medical resources and school spirit/football, etc. Might be slightly above$30,000 OOS with auto merit. University of Nebraska Lincoln is now Big 10 and a big bargain with $14,500 automatic merit for those stats and reasonable OOS tuition and R&B to begin with. Well under $30,000, with possibility of some additional freshman year one-time awards. (It was my daughter’s financial safety, and by far the best bargain.) Not sure either one is warm, though… Miami (Ohio) also gives money OOS, but maybe not enough. In general, Wisconsin does not give financial aid or merit out of state.

7

@bobo44 beat me to it. I was going to suggest Nebraska.

8

I suggest Duke. Are you interested in pre-med, biology, statistics? Duke has excellent programs in all these areas. Besides, Duke is out of NY, has a warm climate, an excellent basketball team, and great school spirit. If you are considering scholarship, Duke might be a perfect school for you.

9

Nebraska and Iowa are not warm in the winter… less snow than upstate NY, but maybe just as cold.

10

Penn State would be $45,000 or more OOS and is notoriously stingy with merit and need-based aid. Most admitted students get no institutional scholarships or grants. Penn State is also not warm.

11

University of Arizona or Arizona State? They might be matches based on GPA/standardized scores.

If Clemson is on the list, add UK-Lexington, UT-Knoxville, and the University of Alabama.

Duke is a high reach given OP’s standardized scores. Unless OP wants to take another ACT to get it to 34+.

12

Alabama, Mississippi (Ole Miss), and Nebraska all offer substantial scholarships for OOS applicants with your stats. The University of South Florida has low-ish OOS tuition (<$18,000).

13

ASU alum here, post #10 beat me to those suggestions!

14

@henryz That’s a solid recommendation but the OP’s stats are probably too low.

15

University of South Carolina will give some merit for your stats. Not sure, but likely more than Clemson.

16

Duke is also nearly impossible to net down anywhere close to 30k.

Why are you avoiding the entire state of Virginia?

17

Don’t use the act and the 1380 sat is very competitive in the real world outside of college confidential.

18

UNC is a huge reach OOS. Maybe try one of the non flagship campuses. Not sure why you want to avoid Virginia, but JMU may be a good match. I suggest looking at schools that give merit for your stats.

19

I’m surprised that it wasn’t mentioned yet but LSU would fit the bill. Warm Southern state with big time football and a decent basketball team. The OPs stats make it a match.

If the standardized scores are higher, Tulane could be a target but it’s sports programs aren’t that well known even though it’s Division 1.

20

@henryz i visited duke and it was beautiful but a little in the middle of nowhere for me given i wont have a car… also very expensive so its far out of reach