Feedback on my list of colleges

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I've been really trying to devise a list of schools that I want to apply to for the past couple of months now and I think I have a near-final list.</p>

<p>I'm not entirely picky when it comes to fitting in at a school. In ideal school would be on a nice scenic campus, small/mid-size, with a VERY active student body. But, I'm totally cool with modern/urban campuses that aren't very picture-esque and extremely large schools. I intend to major in neuroscience or a similar program, but if not, then still definitely something within the biological sciences is within my calling.</p>

<p>Here's a quick rundown of my stats: </p>

<p>From: Florida
ACT: Composite - 35, Reading - 36, English - 35, Science - 34, Math - 33, English/Writing - 32 (Essay: 9)
SAT: not too great; not reporting
GPA: Unweighted - 3.94, Weighted - 5.58
Class Rank: As of mid-year, I was ranked 30-something of 515... so top ~7%. Should be higher come this fall. </p>

<p>AP Classes: Bio (5), World History (4), Psychology (5), US History (4), Calc AB (4), English Lang (5), Spanish (x), Enviro (x), Calc BC (x).... x = AP's I'm taking my senior year</p>

<p>EC's:
-FBLA (9, 10, 11, 12), VP of FBLA (11), Pres of FBLA (12)
-Spanish National Honor Society (10, 11, 12)
-National Honor Society (12)
-National Technical Honor Society (11, 12)
-Mu Alpha Theta (11, 12)
-Rho Kappa (11, 12)
-Florida Public Service Association (11, 12)
-Senior Council (12)</p>

<p>-Aiming to have at least 100 community service hours by the time I submit apps.</p>

<p>-I've built and currently maintain websites that generate income
-I've participated in two highly-selective week-long leadership camps this summer... one through the county's sheriff's office, which selects ONE student from each of the 26 high schools in the county. The other, Seminar for Tomorrow's Leaders (S4TL), selects about 160 students from various Rotary districts throughout west Florida. These equate to about 130 hours of intense leadership training, team building, and working on making oneself a better person.
-I plan to hold a job through my senior year.
-Financial aid is a huge need for me. EFC = $0
-Hispanic Male</p>

<p>......And here's the list.</p>

<p>(These first three are my DEFINITE top choices; of them I’ve only visited GU but am visiting the other two before summer ends, so will be able to rank them accordingly.)
*University of Miami (highly desirable, private, potentially good aid?)
*University of Florida (highly desirable)
*Georgetown (highly desirable; claims to meet full need)
University of California San Diego (very desirable; not sure what aid is like)
Vanderbilt (very desirable; claims to meet full need)
Stanford (desirable; claims to meet full need)
Columbia (desirable; claims to meet full need)
Brown (desirable; claims to meet full need)
Florida State University (desirable)
University of Alabama (semi-desirable, mostly because of their full-tuition award for my ACT score)
University of Central Florida (possibility)
University of South Florida (serves only as an ultimate safety and near-home last resort)</p>

<p>I've tried my best to rank them in order of desirability, regardless of in-state or OOS. Any and all feedback or recommendations as to where I should reconsider or start considering would be welcomed. :)</p>

2

<p>Any feedback at all?</p>

3

<p>“Claims to meet full need” can vary a lot. Some meet it with no or minimal loans, while others may offer loan-heavy packages. Also, the school’s definition of “full need” may be different from what you and your family actually need (i.e. if they think your EFC is greater than what it actually is, that could be a problem).</p>

<p>UCs are not known for giving much financial aid to out-of-state students, and the full price out-of-state costs are expensive.</p>

4

<p>U of Miami …were talking Ohio or Florida? I know the one in Ohio you could definitely qualify for guaranteed aid.
Georgetown is likely that you will get in, but its one of those schools (like ivies) that is a bit of a crapshoot.
Same with Colombia Stanford Brown and Vanderbilt.
If you get into Colombia or Brown (the two real ivies) you WILL get money. Ivy League schools give terrific financial aid…if you can get in. So you have a shot so go for it!</p>

5

<p>Thanks for the feedback so far. </p>

<p>

Florida. :cool:</p>

6

<p>Looks like a great list to me! I wish I were as organized!</p>

7

<p>Get rid of UCSD and you have a great list! (Get rid of it only because of financial aspect)
Now, do something with that leadership training - you have to show leadership by actually creating a project to get into Stanford, Brown, Columbia.
Are you applying EA to Georgetown? You absolutely should!</p>

8

<p>

I’m not sure what I could do. Especially considering that I only have a couple of months before I’ll be submitting my applications =/

I’m most definitely applying, but not EA… the acceptance rate is hardly different for EA than RD… they told us when I visited the campus that there’s no difference whatsoever in terms of how EA apps are viewed, although if you’ve been told or know something different, please do share! :)</p>

9

<p>I would apply EA. Just because your more likely to get in the more room they have and if you are showing your interest. Will it make or break whether you get in? no. Could it help/will it hurt? no. Therefore, it is worth it. </p>

<p>And besides, its entirely non binding and you will know sooner. I see no reason not to.</p>

10

<p>Actually, I think you have a very good point. Of my top three choices, I’ve only visited Georgetown and UF and I REALLY REALLY love them both… I just visited UF yesterday, and maybe I’ll come to prefer one over the other in the coming days, but if you were to ask me right now which I’d choose, regardless of any financial associations, I don’t think I could answer. So an EA acceptance would actually give me some extra time to figure out if I REALLY want to go there over any of my other (top) choices.</p>

11

<p>I think your list seems a little scattered to me. You are a great candidate for the best schools, and quite frankly I think you should aim higher. With such a strong ACT and academic credentials as a URM, you should be very competitive for the most elite schools and if you need aid the best schools in the country give the best aid. You’re getting into Florida and have a full ride at Alabama in the bag, why waste the app on Central Florida, South Florida, and FSU? UCSD is a public that isn’t going to have good financial aid for an out of state student. Miami, similarly is going to have worse aid than better schools. Instead use those apps on elite schools that will give you loan free aid - places like Duke, Yale, Dartmouth, Penn, and Northwestern. </p>

<p>You should apply to more elite reaches that will give you great aid, and ditch a lot of safeties/ UCSD is my main point.</p>

12

<p>Interesting. I see what you’re saying, but what happens if I don’t get accepted into any of those reaches? Then I’m left with few safeties (UF would actually be the only thing close to a safety if I nixed FSU, USF, and UCF) which aren’t bound to give me great aid in the first place and I’d be stuck with maybe Georgetown/Miami/Vanderbilt acceptances and possibly little aid there… then what?</p>

<p>I totally see your point, but have never been told that I’m really a strong candidate for the elite schools, let alone with the confidence that you seem to have about it. I’m obviously not complaining, but there’s just no way of knowing that I’ll be accepted into one (if any) of those, and don’t want to put all of my eggs into that basket. Yale’s always been in the back of my mind, so maybe it’s worth applying there. Northwestern has never even been a consideration, so I’ll definitely look into that.</p>

<p>But now I’m ultimately even more confused, to be honest.</p>

13

<p>Seeking, I’m with Slipper. I think you are a strong candidate for some selective schools, especially for those that have difficulty attracting high achieving Hispanics. I would put these rural and Midwestern schools into that category: Dartmouth, Williams, Amherst, Bowdoin, Carleton, Grinnell. They are all academically rigorous and generous with aid. </p>

<p>The one I’m most familar with is Williams, but I believe that they all have excellent sciences. You would be definitely be a person of interest.</p>

<p>These would also meet your wish list “ideal school would be on a nice scenic campus, small/mid-size, with a VERY active student body” </p>

<p>Of course you should have a balanced list and one or two good safeties, but ironically, the most selectives are often the ones that offer the best aid, and the farther you venture from big urban schools, the greater the URM appeal.</p>

<p>I would also suggest that you look into QuestBridge.</p>

<p>You may need to take two SATIIs.</p>

14

<p>OP, How do you get a 5.58 weighted GPA when the max for weighted is a 5.0 and max for unweighted is a 4.0? Is that a typo?</p>

15

<p>I don’t necessarily agree. </p>

<p>I don’t think that you should go to a super elite school just to go to a super elite school.
Look into those schools, yes. But if you don’t like them or don’t see yourself there, then why do it?
Your education/college experience is what you make it. You don’t need to go to harvard to succeed. Yes, you would possibly have a shot because youre a great applicant.<br>
I just feel that so many applicants to those schools only apply because of the prestige. You should go wherever is best for you.</p>

16

<p>

Max for weighted? There’s no such maximum, at least in my school district. Our valedictorian is graduating with a near-8.something GPA.</p>

17

<p>How is the weighting done? In most cases, “weighted GPA” is a typical 4 point scale (A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1, F = 0) with honors / AP / college courses given +1 (so maximum possible is 5.0).</p>

18

<p>

First, GPA is calculated regularly (A=4, B=3, etc.). Then, honors classes get .04 added for an A and .02 added for a B. AP classes get .08 added for an A, .04 for a B, and .02 added for a C. These are added AFTER the GPA is calculated on the 4.0 scale and each semester, hence there is essentially no limit on what your GPA can be because every AP/honors B+ will directly add to your weighted GPA.</p>

<p>So for example, if I took two AP courses and the rest regular courses, and got all A’s, my GPA would be 4.0 + .08 + .08 = 4.16 after the first semester, and 4.32 at the end of the second semester.</p>

19

<p>Have you taken any SATII’s? I believe Georgetown requires three.</p>

<p>If you decide to pursue Northwestern, find out how good their aid will be. I think they put lots of loans in the typical package.</p>

20

<p>University of California San Diego (very desirable; not sure what aid is like)</p>

<p>Forget that school…UCs aren’t affordable to EFC 0s that are OOS. They don’t give the aid you’d need.</p>

<p>What was your PSAT? Are you a likely NMF?</p>

<p>Is your goal med school?</p>

<p>Apply to:</p>

<p>Vandy
Wash U
Georgetown…does it meet need without large loans?<br>
Brown
Yale
Harvard
Princeton</p>

<p>UMiami…don’t know if they meet need. They aren’t hungry for more Hispanic kids, but your stats are high, so perhaps preferential packaging if they don’t meet need??</p>

<p>Bama is a safety, but wondering if you’re a likely NMF…if so, bigger scholarship money. </p>

<p>Columbia and Stanford have a good number of Hispanics, so don’t know if your status will help much there.</p>

<p>You don’t have a non-custodial parent do you? If so, that’s a wrinkle.</p>