<p>Hello, have been lurking for a while, almost new at posting.
Our S is a senior this year and have two (flagship and another state) colleges as safeties and quite a lot reaches (through qb program). Help with some matches would be appreciated.
His stats: SAT 2090 (CR680 M740 W680/essay8) and SAT 2180 (CR690 M800 W690/essay9)
ACT 33 (E34 M35 R27 S36 and writing08 and
ACT 35 (E35 M36 R31 S36 and writing08
06 AP's all 5 (2 sophomore year Chemistry and world history and 4 junior year, biology, calculus AB, English Lang and US history
SAT II Chemistry 800, Math II 770, biology 760 and US history 650
decent EC's and Leadership positions
Interested in engineering, chemical to be specific with research opportunities
Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>Forgot to mention the reason for posting. Would like suggestions about match colleges.</p>
<p>How about Lehigh, Carnegie Mellon, Villanova?</p>
<p>If he is applying through Questbridge, it is not likely that your family has a lot of resources to pay for his education, which would mean that he needs to identify places that are likely to offer him significant merit-based and/or need-based aid. Finding “matches” that will do that is tricky.</p>
<p>Your son should read through the threads on automatic and competitive merit-based aid that are at the top of the financial aid forum. The automatic aid colleges/universities might give him more “safe” options, and the competitive aid institutions will expand his “reach” options beyond the Questbridge list.</p>
<p>Wishing you all the best!</p>
<p>Sometimes for kids with top scores and grades there are no real matches. My older son applied to 6 reaches and 2 safeties. Safeties were RPI and WPI and he would have gotten a fine education at either. Carnegie Mellon is probably a match for engineering, my kid refused to apply for anything but computer science, so it was pretty much in the reach column too. It’s where he ended up attending and it was a fabulous choice for him - he graduated two years ago and is in his dream job.</p>
<p>IMO, there are lots of safe engineering schools with merit money and distinguishing between matches and safeties is not that important.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the replies. Have looked into Carnegie Mellon, and thought it would be a reach, not because of his stats but because it is somewhat selective. Will look into Lehign and Villanova.</p>
<p>His GPA is 3.92, school does not rank, taking the most rigorous classes his senior year, (6 AP’s) which by the way I am very worried of. Have done a decent amount of community service (about 200+ hours) mostly tutoring. Did his own research this summer in the local University based in chemistry/biology. Does a fair bit of computer programming (websites) He will thrive in any collage but a good fit would do wonders as he challenges himself to the fullest. We own a small business which is running at a loss since the economic meltdown and depleted all our savings hence the qb application. He would be a first generation to attend college. </p>
<p>Thanks once again for all the help.</p>
<p>What is your state of residency? If California, Berkeley and UCLA may count as matches. If not California, they would likely be too expensive unless he gets very rare full ride merit scholarships (UC financial aid meets in-state need, but does not cover the $23,000 per year additional out-of-state tuition).</p>
<p>Lehigh is probably a match. Your son’s stats are way above its frosh class stats, but it considers “level of applicant’s interest” to be important – meaning it will probably reject or waitlist high stats applicants whom it believes are using it as a safety, unless they play the “interest” game well (have visits recorded, pester the admissions office, check the admissions portal, etc.). So if he really likes the school, and its net price calculator or merit scholarships indicate affordability, he should apply there, but should play the “interest” game there, and not view it as a safety.</p>
<p>@ucbalumnus, Thanks, we live in Florida. Infact Berkeley was one of his top choices until his Counselor mentioned about the lack of aid due to oos. Looking into Lehigh/Villanova. Presidential scholarships look impressive and will get more details soon. The gpa above is uw. w is around 4.25</p>
<p>Thanks once again for the help. Really appreciate as college admissions stuff is all new to us.</p>
<p>I’ve been in this situation: high stats kid, no money, self employed. My S’s SATs were a bit better than your son’s–2300±-but his GPA was not quite as strong: an A- instead of an A. I think your S is in a stronger position in that regard. (Speaking of which, according to my understanding, your S’s 35 on the ACT is his strongest score: equivalent to a couple hundred points higher than his SAT. Don’t know about Questbridge, but you should probably send that, not his SAT, if applying in the normal way.) Similar APs. Not an URM. (I assume you aren’t either, or you would have mentioned it.) We thought about Questbridge, but didn’t pursue it, since S was neither first gen nor an URM. (This may well have been a mistake on our part, but it worked out anyway.) </p>
<p>Firstly, have you run any of the online NPCs to see what they estimate as his need and their FA? </p>
<p>Our situation was that even a huge merit award–like $30K per year–was not going to be enough, because we couldn’t come up with the $20K+ to meet COA. So we eliminated merit schools and went for the need only schools with deep pockets. Our state U was not suitable. I didn’t think my S was going to be a strong enough candidate for some of the really big scholarships at OOS flagships, and I also wouldn’t have been able to get him to do the applications. (Also a problem with Questbridge. 
)</p>
<p>I agree with mathmom: for high stats kids, especially those with a need for big FA, there are often no matches, only safeties and reaches. The problem is that his “match” schools on stats are all pretty much lottery schools.</p>
<p>Your son is different from mine in that he is interested in chemical engineering. That probably lets out some of the obvious big names with deep pockets. Many of the schools I would suggest are on the Questbridge partner college list. A couple of others I would strongly consider that are closer to matches for him: Harvey Mudd and the University of Rochester. (Actually I think that Rochester is a safety/low match. They do have some big merit scholarships, and also give need-based FA, but don’t have as much money to give out as the Questbridge schools. They like interest, especially for the big money, so if he wants to apply see if he can meet with one of their travelling admissions people in the fall.)</p>
<p>For chemical engineering, maybe Delaware? Probably too expensive as is, but he can try for the full ride Du Pont scholarship there (probably a reach or high match for the scholarship). There may be other big merit scholarships at <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1461983-competitive-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-4.html#post16224918[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1461983-competitive-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-4.html#post16224918</a> and safety ones at <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-19.html#post16145676[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-19.html#post16145676</a> .</p>
<p>Not sure what your price limit is, but some schools like Minnesota, NCSU (also try for the full ride Park scholarship), and Virginia Tech are less expensive than many others at list price.</p>
<p>@Consolation, Thanks, really appreciate your input. I believe he will have to send the SAT as most reach colleges ask for all the test results. Checked into online NPC and fafsa calculations. Due to the small business we own and some savings bonds in S’s name efc varies from college to college but none were 0. So worried as this might be a problem with qb NCM. I believe to be matched to a college it has to be 0 efc. Do you know anything about it? I am glad your son got into a good fit in the end and all worked out fine.</p>
<p>@mathmom, Thanks, He is interested in CM, and very soon will have a list of a few qb reach schools and good amount of matches and two safeties and also checking the online npc calculations. Glad everything worked out fine for your son.</p>
<p>@ucbalumnus, Thanks again, for the various information. Would look into VT.</p>
<p>Renu, we also had a difficult situation with FA because my H inherited 1/3 of a family vacation house. Some schools looked at this as an asset we could liquidate to help pay for college. Unfortunately, his brothers would neither buy us out nor put the whole place on the market, and it could not be borrowed against. We had put away a small amount of money for S before our financial problems, but that was a drop in the bucket. At many schools, this was leaving us with an EFC of about $20K, but our income at the time was only about $30K! Two schools were willing to believe that we could not touch this asset and gave him pretty much a full ride: Pomona in their initial offer, and Dartmouth after appeal (his eventual choice). They factored in minimal Federal loans and work study, which I think was reasonable. Some of the other schools might have been willing to reconsider on appeal, but we only asked D and the U of C, which refused.</p>
<p>I’m sorry, I don’t know anything about the details of QB. There is a subforum for it I believe–maybe in the Financial Aid forum? You can check it out.</p>
<p>Since you are in FL, your son would receive merit at U Miami, and possibly full rides at many of the privates. For engineering, UMiami and GaTech would be good matches.</p>
<p>Self employment can be tricky with need based aid. Just putting that out there as I hear NPC can be off. </p>
<p>Lehigh does seem like a match and they do give need based aid. The last I knew they have a no loans for those making under $60,000. They look for geographic diversity so that would be in his favor. Interest is looked at and he must show interest! That is very important. Other match/safeties would be Lafayette and Bucknell. They also give need based aid although I felt that Bucknell was not as generous as some of the others.</p>
<p>A safety would be Case Western, which can be generous with merit aid. The only problem with Carnegie Mellon is that they only guarantee to meet need if you apply Early Decision. At least that was the policy when my kids were applying.</p>
<p>Another possibility would be Rice University. Although it would be more of a reach than match, it is harder to get into than Lehigh but easier than say MIT. They also give need based aid.</p>
<p>@consolation, You have been in a similar situation that we are in now. I am so happy that somehow everything worked out well for your S. which means there is hope for us.</p>
<p>@bookworm, Our S is applying to couple of colleges in Florida. He is very much interested in GT. FA is the only concern. His stats are ok for a GT application.</p>
<p>@deb922, He will apply to MIT (his dream school), Rice and six others through qb match. But they are all reaches.</p>
<p>Thanks once again for your replies.</p>
<p>Don’t know if he needs to re-evaluate the safety school(s) in terms of cost, but note that Florida A&M has an automatic full ride for his stats ( [Scholarships</a> - Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University 2013](<a href=“Page Not Found”>Page Not Found) ). It does have chemical engineering. However, the engineering division is shared with Florida State and is a few miles away from both campuses.</p>
<p>Georgia Tech may be difficult to afford unless he gets the competitive Presidential scholarship ( [Georgia</a> Institute of Technology :: President’s Scholarship Program :: Home](<a href=“http://www.psp.gatech.edu/]Georgia”>http://www.psp.gatech.edu/) ).</p>