Evaluate my college list/recommend me colleges?

College Search & Selection
1

Hey guys, I am a HS senior and just wanted to share my information and my colleges to get some feedback.

So I’m undecided, so I wish to go to a school that offers many majors so I can decide later on. Took the SAT twice.
First time: Reading - 600, Math - 570, Writing - 580
Second time - Reading - 570, Math - 740, Writing - 610
Superscore: R: 600, Math: 740, Writing: 610 = 1950

SAT II: Biology: 550 (I took the test freshman year)
Rank: 116/269 (43%)
GPA: 90/3.5 Weighted
AP’s: World(3), US History(2 - might retake), Economy, Government

EC’s:
Varsity Tennis (2 years, maybe 3 this year)
Varsity Swim (2 years)
Boxing for a year
NYSSMA certified level 1 piano player (lol)
Key Club, Film Club, Guitar Club, American Red Cross Club, Swim Club
I think I should have about 150-200 hours of community service logged on (Helping a middle school computer teacher, organize school events, raise money for clubs, assisting teachers)

Currently have two rec.letters, one from my physics teacher and one from my college adviser. Looking to get one more from another teacher and one more from a varsity coach or my boxing coach to get a total of 4 letters.

NY Regent grades (I assume this would only apply to NY schools and I don’t know how much they consider regent grades)
Algebra: 82, Liv. Environment: 86, Geometry: 70, Chemistry: 82, Trigonometry: 71, Global History: 91, English: 87, US History: 98, Spanish LOTE: 88

My list of schools:
Binghamton
Stony Brook
Northeastern
Fordham
UCLA/UCSD
U Miami
Boston U
Cornell
Penn St.
Columbia

State: NY
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Male

Some of the schools listed are dream schools, matches, safeties. I don’t really have a set list that I’m 100% applying to so I was looking forward to recommendations or suggestions, thanks.

2

The only safety you have is U Miami. Maybe Stony Brook too. I suggest finding at least 2 more safeties that you are 100% sure that you can get in and you can afford.

How much can you pay? Although you are undecided, I think you should think of a field of interest that will drive your college research. Business, Science, Social Science, or Humanities.

Cornell, Columbia, and UCLA are out of reach. If I were you, I wouldn’t care to apply, but if you want, you can still do so that you won’t “what if” for the rest of your life.

I would have more schools on par with Boston U on the list. Those will be your reaches. The rest are matches and high matches.

That is my opinion. I’m only a senior like you, so please just take my opinion as a grain of salt.

3

Correct that Columbia, Cornell, & UCLA are out of reach. UCSD and Penn State are really expensive for OOS students, can you pay full out of state costs there?

4

elon university
http://www.elon.edu/home/

5

Can you read point 1 in http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/1621234-before-you-ask-which-colleges-to-apply-to-please-consider-p1.html ?

Being undecided, you may want to look into which schools have your possible majors of interest which are not impacted (impacted meaning that they require a high GPA or competitive admission to declare or change to the major).

6

I know people who got into Cornell and Columbia with subpar grades and scores, so I’m going to take my chances. And yes I understand my list is flawed because I don’t really know yet where I want to apply to. Wouldn’t Penn State count as a safety too @ihtanh98 ? And I believe I should get a good amount from FAFSA or decent aid/scholarship from safeties.

7

@ucbalumnus and wow I didn’t know that, I’ll definitely look into that.

8

Penn State is more of a low match than safety; however, it doesn’t offer financial aid for out-of-state students, so you will have to pay about $60k per year. The same goes for UCSD and UCLA, so if you expect any kind of aid, cross these schools out.

Here is a list of LACs I researched for my friend who have similar M+CR score as yours and can only contribute $15k a year. You can look into these. LACs are very suitable for students going to college as undecided major because they can change/declare a major easily. However, some schools offer very few majors, and no Business or Engineering whatsoever, so be careful.

- Clark University
- College of Wooster
- Earlham College
- Siena College
- St. Lawrence University
- Susquehanna University
- Truman State University

Again, how much do you expect to pay per year. It affects your school selection more than you think.

9

Some schools on your list look out of reach as noted above, but of course if you want to do the application and pay the fee then give them a try. My issues is that I don’t see any true safety on your list. I’d add a couple of schools such as SUNY New Paltz, SUNY Buffalo if price is an issue and some other less competitive options maybe UScranton, Quinnipiac, Siena and schools along those lines.

10

I don’t see Columbia, Cornell, or UCLA happening. If you feel that you want to make a donation to those colleges (for which you cannot even take a tax deduction), it’s your call.

11

Columbia and Cornell are schools I’ll still definitely apply to and take my chances in case my essay stands out.

@ihtahn98 can you tell me what LAC’s are? Cost is a moderate issue, so preferably colleges with less than 40k a year. I’m leaning toward in state schools because they are cheaper for me, however my NY Regents might mess me up so I don’t really know.

12

Re: post #1. U Miami is not a safety for this person.

13

“I don’t see Columbia, Cornell, or UCLA happening. If you feel that you want to make a donation to those colleges (for which you cannot even take a tax deduction), it’s your call.”

Woogzmoma: What? Are you suggesting students buy their way into these schools? LOL or are you implying that the application fee is a donation? lol lol

14

Clearly that the application fee is a donation. And I agree.

OP, it sounds like your knowledge of the financial aid process is sketchy. For each school on your list, you need to run the net price calculator on the school website. You have unaffordable schools on your list now.

LACs are liberal arts colleges. They generally offer majors in the humanities, sciences, and math. They are mostly undergraduate only, so the profs are focused on teaching with no grad school students in the picture. So typically classes are taught by profs, and all research assistants are undergrads. LACs are smaller than universities, usually with 3,000 students or less. Class sizes tend to be smaller.

15

I agree that you need a few more “safeties” - hard to make suggestions though without some idea of what you might like to study. That said, you might look at Gettysburg, Muhlenberg and Siena as possible safeties. Columbia seems to be a reach, but I know folks who have gotten into Cornell (particularly the Land Grant colleges like IRL and ALS) with CR + M scores like yours - or lower. If you Google SUNY Admissions Information you’ll see that for 2015 ALS’s 50% range was 1240 - 1440 and ILR’s 1300 - 1430. So as long as you’re not applying in Engineering - or even Arts & Sciences - it’s worth a shot. You might even end up getting one of their notorious “Conditional Transfer” offers–

Others on your list have become increasingly competitive - such as Northeastern - or might not offer sufficient $$$ with your stats - such as Fordham and BU. You haven’t spelled out your financial situation but SUNYs might end up being most affordable. Agree that you might add another 1 or 2 SUNY safeties - such as Albany or New Paltz.

Good luck.

16

Because cost is a factor and your weighted GPA is a 90, I’d add another SUNY or two as safeties. I agree that Albany and New Paltz are good choices.

17

It seems that a lot of applicants with subpar stats know such students. If true the are likely recruited athletes, URM’s or legacy. This mindset contributes to the single digit acceptance rates at elite schools.

18

Okay, most of my safeties will be SUNY’s like Buffalo/Brook/Albany. Would you guys recommend good matches?

19

holy cross-sat optional.