Comments/suggestions on my college list?

College Search & Selection
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<p>Thanks in advance. I already have a couple threads about this ("a couple" = 500,000), but I've thought a little more since I made them and I'll try to be more concise. </p>

<p>Financial aid situation: My parents are legally separated and my mother has custody of me. My father doesn't intend to contribute (this isn't set in stone, but I have to operate on the assumption that he won't), and colleges are going to treat me as if I have less need than I do because of his assets (most of which I'll inherit someday, but this is a morbid thing to consider and I'm not sure if it's relevant). I want to apply to selective prestigious schools, but I'm also looking at slightly lower-ranked schools that might give me merit aid. </p>

<p>I'll link to my stats in another thread. Basically, I have high grades and scores but mediocre extracurriculars. I want to major in math, but this could obviously change. I want to be able to take graduate-level classes, so most LACs are out even though I like the idea. </p>

<p>Stats: <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1514251-university-michigan-out-state-chances.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1514251-university-michigan-out-state-chances.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>I'm an Ohio resident. These are listed in order of how I perceive my chances.</p>

<p>Stanford (not happening)
University of Chicago EA (not happening)</p>

<p>UNC - Chapel Hill EA (reach)
University of Michigan EA (reach, and I know their aid is bad but my dad talks about it all the time and might be convinced to contribute money if I get in)</p>

<p>UIUC (match)
Brandeis (match)
University of Rochester (match)
Case Western EA (match, could stay with relatives off-campus after second year)</p>

<p>Ohio State (affordable safety, could stay with relatives off-campus after first year)</p>

<p>I'm still trying to figure out whether or not I should apply anywhere lower-ranked than Ohio State (and what schools they should be if I do). I like Ohio State and I can afford it, but I wouldn't get a full ride or anything. </p>

<p>I don't worship the US News rankings or anything like that, but I care about prestige (on some level) because I've spent a lot of time on here developing an inferiority complex. :)</p>

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<p>In at all. UNC-CH is not a reach. Don’t apply EA to Case Western.</p>

<p>Are you eligible for need based aid ? If you are, apply to University of Virginia.</p>

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<p>EA at Case Western is non-binding.</p>

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<p>^ Yes, and UNC is correctly classified as a reach for an OOS student - ECs are very important as are essay and recs. [Common</a> Data Set | Office of Institutional Research & Assessment | The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill](<a href=“http://oira.unc.edu/facts-and-figures/data-summaries-and-publications/common-data-set/]Common”>Common Data Set | OIRA)</p>

<p>If you’re happy with OSU then your list is fine. If you feel the need of more choices you can look up the list of scholarship schools that have been posted on your other threads.</p>

<p>BTW, Brandeis and Rochester do consider NCP info. <a href=“CSS Profile – CSS Profile | College Board”>CSS Profile – CSS Profile | College Board;

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<p>Yeah, I know. I think Case is the only school on my list that doesn’t. I’m applying to Brandeis and Rochester because I heard they give good merit aid?</p>

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<p>Rochester has a very few full tuition scholarships. Other than that, my D was offered one of their highest merit scholarships this year - $20,000/year. With COA over $58,000, that leaves a lot to pay.</p>

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<p>Is there anywhere similar-ish that has better merit aid?</p>

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<p>If you do end up becoming a NM Finalist you might want to consider Northeastern, which I believe is the highest ranked school that will grant full scholarships to those finalists. They also pull in a ton of NMF’s because of this (109 last year, more than BC, BU, and Tufts combined). They are also in general very generous with merit aid (not as much with need-based).</p>

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<p>What is your parent’s rough combined income? Did you run the NPC’s on those different schools using it to get an idea of the differences in net costs?</p>

<p>I’m sure your essay will be very good. I have seen your posts and advice in the essay forum and it is usually right on and mature. I think you have a good potential essay topic.</p>

<p>I think it is worth it for your to put a few reaches. But don’t overlook putting in a few apps where you will get the guaranteed tuition/full ride. You want options since you don’t know your dad’s participation level, and really how will you control that from year to year? I don’t know why you’d apply to state schools where you’d have to pay more, rather than applying to schools where you would have a good chance at merit.</p>

<p>I’m going to PM you about an interesting math program for you to keep in mind for the future (it doesn’t really belong in this thread).</p>

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<p>OP is a gifted writer with great essays (I’ve read them). I thought you were heading down the LAC route? Is Reed off your list? I am not sure how Univ of Calif aid works for out of state students, but UC Santa Barbara’s College of Creative Studies has a math major, and I have a hunch it would appeal to you. Students have turned down the likes of Stanford for the College of Creative Studies. It’s like graduate school at the undergrad level. Google it!</p>

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<p>You should consider the university of Alabama
[Out-of-State</a> Scholarships - Undergraduate Scholarships - The University of Alabama](<a href=“http://scholarships.ua.edu/types/out_of_state.html]Out-of-State”>http://scholarships.ua.edu/types/out_of_state.html)</p>

<p>Also if you can handle a smaller LAC, take a look at a William Jewell College in Liberty, MO. Which will probably cover full tuition with your scores and if you qualify for FA.</p>

<p>CASE will be pretty good for you also if you qualify for FA. Just make sure to visit and show interest (interview, etc) and you are correct, apply EA since it is non-binding.</p>

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<p>Is this scholarship pretty much guaranteed?
If so, that’s amazing…I’ll definitely apply there.</p>

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<p>Which one?</p>

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<p>Around $50,000, maybe even less, but income isn’t the problem…it’s my father’s savings. Also, he has a small business so I’m not sure how accurate the calculators will be.
I ran a Net Price Calculator for Ohio State, Case Western, and the University of Rochester. Ohio State is affordable when my dad’s assets are considered. (I still get some need-based aid.) Rochester would be expensive without merit aid.
Case will be cheaper than Ohio State if my dad’s assets aren’t considered, but I’m not entirely sure that my father has non-custodial status because I don’t think my parents understand that legal separation has to be done in a court and isn’t just something that automatically happened when my mom moved out of my dad’s house. They insist they’ll get it done before it’s time for me to apply to colleges, but I think custody has something to do with who I lived with for most of the year and my address is still the same as my dad’s at the moment, so it might be too late for him to be considered non-custodial in college admissions. I didn’t realize they were this far behind until a couple days ago. </p>

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<p>I was, but they don’t have graduate-level classes (I’m taking a lot of lower-division courses in my intended major during my senior year in HS) and LAC financial aid isn’t generally that great. I hadn’t thought much about financial aid when I was considering LACs…my parents aren’t as cooperative as I had hoped they would be.</p>

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<p>Probably not all that favorably, unless UCSB has good merit scholarships.</p>

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<p>No you won’t get aid from the UC system. The essay topic I was referring to is the one in the link you gave.</p>

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<p>Beautiful well reasoned list. I saw your stats. You are selling yourself way short. You are an outstanding student. My take</p>

<p>Stanford: 10% chance - very high stats, but Stanford is brutal without great ECs</p>

<p>Chicago: 40% chance - very high stats, they care a lot about the uncommon essay and you will write a great one, I know you will. This could overcome your having fine but not spectacular ECs. They also really care about how into your academics you are, and with all of those extra math courses, I think it will really give you an edge because you are the traditional UChicago type of student with the academic chops. I know that they are trying to care more about ECs, but if they don’t get a few of those academic nerds, the faculty will not be happy. UChicago still says they want to admit the students that the faculty want to teach. </p>

<p>UNC 51% - they don’t take many from out of state, but you’re more likely than most to be one of them. </p>

<p>Michigan - 80% - I don’t see them rejecting you if you are EA, but they might, plus they love to take top Ohio students just so Ohio State doesn’t get 'em - the rivalry never ends. </p>

<p>UIUC - 90% - no brainier. Money might be an issue. </p>

<p>Brandies 70% - maybe significant merit money too
Rochester 90% - significant merit money for sure if you visit and interview in person.
Case EA - 100% - no way you get rejected. Significant merit money
Ohio State Honors Program - 150%. - Automatic. You could spell your name wrong and and get in with money.</p>

<p>Have you considered Oxford or Cambridge in the UK. They only care about your academics, and it’s only 3 years. You get almost one-on-one instruction, but you do have to be sure about your major, and the deadline is Oct 15, so you’d need to arrange your interview ASAP. The interview is a one-on-one academic quiz. </p>

<p>CalTech also admits primarily on academics. </p>

<p>And send all of those subject tests. The 740 chemistry is impressive too. It’s a very hard SAT II.</p>

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<p>No financial aid, though.</p>

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<p>I’m not writing my Common App essay about foster care, if that’s what you mean. I plan to find somewhere else to include that story, but it would be almost impossible to cram three years of my life into a 650-word essay without losing descriptive detail or important explanations about why I was there, etc.</p>

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<p>Assuming that your parents have some credit and can handle a short term loan to smooth things out, 3 years instead of 4 years is like a 25% discount off the full pay price. You need to do the math to see if that works for you. </p>

<p>What are your AP Scores?</p>

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<p>Not especially high. I was mostly concerned with just passing them all so I’d be able to get credit for all of them at Ohio State.</p>

<p>4 - Biology, Chemistry, English Literature, US History,* Calculus BC*
3 - US Government,* Statistics*</p>

<p>*self-study</p>

<p>APs offered by high school in 2012-2013: Biology, Chemistry, English Lit, US Government. </p>

<p>APs offered by school in 2013-2014: same as above with the addition of Stats and US History. I’m not sure if I inspired this or not. :D</p>

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<p>I’ll have a lot of AP and DE credits, so I’d be able to do this at a lot of US universities too (though I realize it’s a little different because 3 years is the standard length in the UK). I just don’t want to, because I want the fourth year to make my grad school applications stronger.</p>

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<p>I’d solicit other opinions, but that all happened when you were much younger. You’ve grown up. I think the best way to get that in is to make sure that your guidance counselor knows about it and mentions it in her letter. Your application essays need to be about the current you.</p>

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<ul>
<li>I think the AP scores are going to hurt you with Oxford/Cambridge. In Britain, everybody takes what are called “A” levels in their 13th year. For US Students, Oxford and Cambridge use AP scores as substitutes. I think that you pretty much need 3 exams at a 5 to be competitive. </li>
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<p>I think that you have a great list now, and that you should only take one semester of credit (or 1 quarter at UChicago or Stanford) for Calculus, or try to take the theoretical versions of calculus at whatever college you go to even if you lose the credit.</p>