Hi! I’ve been researching for a while but haven’t yet found a reach school and would also like to know if my current list could be better. Most mine are all safety schools. I want to major in journalism and I’m hoping to go to an out of state school or at least one not right next to home (for me that’s Portland, OR). I do have in-state schools on my list but I really would rather not go to them if I don’t have to.
My search criteria so far has been:
Preferably around 10,000-35,000 students (but this is really flexible).
The journalism program offer a specialty along the lines of multimedia or online journalism. I want to be able to go beyond just reporting.
The school must have a newspaper and a nice study abroad program.
Co-ed school.
I would prefer a campus with lots of greens (trees, grass areas, ect;).
Either affordable or good scholarship options.
On campus housing is important for me to have at least as a freshman.
I’m trying to avoid attending schools in a large city although this is flexible as well.
My current college list (in no particular order):
Bowling Green State University
Ohio University (main campus)
Eastern Illinois University
Western Washington University
Michigan State University
University of Toledo
University of Oregon
About me:
My current unweighted GPA: 3.81
SAT (new): 1260
ACT: 26
My class rank is in the top 25%.
My school doesn’t really offer any AP classes. The only thing they offer is IB or Adv Stats (which I’m taking next year) where you can then test in AP:
IB English HL (2 years)
IB Anthropology
Adv. Stats
Extracurricular Activities: I ran the Embody Love Club last year. A member of the National Honor Society for three years. On class cabinet for three years (two years as a PR and one as the VP).
Other: I’m one of the editors-in-chief of my school newspaper. Specifically I am the online editor. Newspaper takes up most my time between running the website and social media accounts, to fundraising, to reporting, photos/videos, and doing layouts. I’m also in Leadership. I also have had a job but no longer work due to schedule.
I’m think you’ll definitely get into Western and U of O, you probably have those as your safety schools. Have you thought about other schools in neighboring states like in Washington or California?
Thanks! I’ll look into Syracuse. I have looked into schools in California but didn’t find any that I liked so far. As for Washington I’ve looked into three or four that I have found and so far have only added Western to my list.
What does “affordable” mean to you and your family?
For some families $60,000 a year is affordable.
For some families $10,000 a year is all they can afford.
Have you and your parents set a budget for school?
“good scholarship options”
ACT of 26 might not give you too many options. Are you going to re-take it?
Honestly affordable for me I’m not really sure what it is. My mom isn’t really ready for the college talk… However, I know I will be relying on scholarships and financial aid mostly and will most likely have to take out a loan. I don’t think I’ll be able to get any help from my parents. I’m not sure if I am going to retake the ACT but I am considering it.
You don’t need to go a second further until you have that talk with your mom.
Scholarships usually go to higher scores and higher rank.
“Financial aid” = big broad term. You will either get grants or loans depending on your family income and you can only borrow a certain amount each year.
Trust us, this is a talk that needs to happen ASAP. It doesn’t matter if she is ready or not. Your stats might get you say $15,000 per year but if you are choosing an out of state school (OOS) then the total cost could be over $40,000. Your family might make too much to qualify for any grants and then you will be stuck with a $25,000 gap and no way to fill it and pay it.
The stories I read this past spring here on CC were tragic…post after post of kids who got into their dream school and only then did they sit and run the numbers and realize there would be no grants or scholarships forthcoming.
You should most definitely prep more and plan on that September ACT. You’ve got a few weeks.
I know how much we make each year and I know we qualify for grants. I wish the conversation could happen and I’ve tried. I never get anything so I decided to instead just ask for her past years income. I know I am most likely not going to be able to get any help from my family due to low income. I’ve figured that for years. I find it difficult to name an affordable price. Each college I look at I also look at the price as well as the scholarships offer. I also try the net price calculators and I am aware those are only estimates. I also am partaking in a class at my school called AVID that will help me apply to the colleges I choose but also apply for scholarships. I am however supposed to have my list of colleges to apply mostly ready for when school starts which is why I choose to ask this question. I will definitely consider retaking the ACT but I’m not sure how much I can improve it. I was pretty happy with the 26 as my goal had been a 22/23. I am not a good test taker and my scores tend to reflect that.
1.Avid is a fantastic program. Glad you are in it. You will get some great college planning.
A 26 IS a good score, but a lot of schools only give merit to a bit higher scores and you could effectively "seal the deal" if you made a bit higher. It wouldn't hurt to try! Do some practice sections over the next few weeks and focus on the sections that were harder for you.
Keep making a list but make sure you have some safety schools that you feel you can afford (to the best of your ability to tell)..including any local or regional branches of schools that are near you and would allow you to live at home to save money.
Good luck! Try if you can to have that conversation with your mom. You sound like a great kid and you are working hard to make this all work out.
Michigan State and BGSU Will not provide you r with sufficient financial /merit aid. Eastern Illinois has suffered huge budget cutbacks so I’d be careful. Ohio University may give our merit scholarships but I don’t think they’d be sufficient, unless you’re urm and the office of diversity steps in.
Try to retake the act. Even +1 pt will make a difference.
It sounds like you will qualify for Pell grants, which means you’re lower income.
For journalism, you have two paths : major in economics, political science, history, foreign language, Science&Society - gain content knowledge and work for the college newspaper. OR: major in journalism. The first path seems to have better job prospects.
That means your list would have two types of schools : those that emphasize writing in content based classes, those that have journalism majors.
Can you take 4 IB classes rather than the 2 you’re currently taking? Curriculum rigor will matter a lot for honors programs (that come with scholarships) and ~100% need schools.
Ideally you’ll have taken by end of senior year
4 years of English (honors / IB)
4 years of history, social science (honors/IB)
4 years of science (including biology, chemistry, physics, and one more)
Math up to pre-calculus
Foreign language up to level 3 or 4
Art, other electives (IB ab initio as a complement ?)
Do you have this curriculum? Any 'deficiency ’ compared to the model above?
When you say “top 25%” is it because you don’t know or does your 3.81 not place you in the top 10%?
Do you know the average act /sat at our school? What percentage attends 4-year colleges?
Are you African American, Asian, Native American, Hispanic, Latino/a?
Are you a boy or a girl?
Universities to consider
Mizzou - top for journalism in the nation, you could get in with our stats, but you’ll need a 27 for any scholarships
St Bonaventure : excellent, prize winning for journalism, accessible with Your stats (27 better)
depending on the answers to the questions above, you should look into 100% need colleges that is, where if you’re admitted they I’ll provide you with a financial aid package sufficient for oubto attend. Top colleges such as Hamilton or Skidmore, Grinnell may be possible reaches; St Olaf, Gettysburg, Muhlenberg, may be slightly easier possibilities (depending on your school profile and your own). Eckerd, Knox, depending on your desirability wrt their usual applicants and thus whether they’d be willing to offer preferential packaging.
go visit Lewis and Clark outside Portland and, if you can, Willamette. Register ahead of time, sign up at Admissions. If you’re urm, make sure to indicate this. Both offer strong writing and good financial aid.
Michigan State and BGSU Will not provide you r with sufficient financial /merit aid. Eastern Illinois has suffered huge budget cuts so I’d be careful. Ohio University may give you merit scholarships but I don’t think they’d be sufficient, unless you’re urm and the office of diversity steps in.
Try to retake the act. Even +1 pt will make a difference.
It sounds like you will qualify for Pell grants, which means you’re lower income.
For journalism, you have two paths : major in economics, political science, history, foreign language, Science&Society - gain content knowledge and work for the college newspaper. OR: major in journalism. The first path seems to have better job prospects.
That means your list would have two types of schools : those that emphasize writing in content based classes, those that have journalism majors.
Can you take 4 IB classes rather than the 2 you’re currently taking? Curriculum rigor will matter a lot for honors programs (that come with scholarships) and ~100% need schools.
Ideally you’ll have taken by end of senior year
4 years of English (honors / IB)
4 years of history, social science (honors/IB)
4 years of science (including biology, chemistry, physics, and one more)
Math up to pre-calculus
Foreign language up to level 3 or 4
Art, other electives (IB ab initio as a complement ?)
Do you have this curriculum? Any 'deficiency ’ compared to the model above?
When you say “top 25%” is it because you don’t know or does your 3.81 not place you in the top 10%?
Do you know the average act /sat at your school? What percentage attends 4-year colleges?
Are you African American, Asian, Native American, Hispanic, Latino/a?
Are you a boy or a girl?
Universities to consider
Mizzou - top for journalism in the nation, you could get in with our stats, but you’ll need a 27 for any scholarships
St Bonaventure : excellent, prize winning for journalism, accessible with Your stats (27 better)
depending on the answers to the questions above, you should look into 100% need colleges that is, where if you’re admitted they I’ll provide you with a financial aid package sufficient for oubto attend. Top colleges such as Hamilton or Skidmore, Grinnell, Macalester, may be possible reaches; St Olaf, Gettysburg, Muhlenberg, may be slightly easier possibilities (depending on your school profile and your own). Eckerd, Knox, depending on your desirability wrt their usual applicants and thus whether they’d be willing to offer preferential packaging.
go visit Lewis and Clark outside Portland and, if you can, Willamette. Register ahead of time, sign up at Admissions. If you’re urm, make sure to indicate this. Both offer strong writing and good financial aid.
I have a list of 100% need based schools that AVID provided but that’s the only way I know which ones are.
I said top 25% because I don’t know where I am at the moment. I know last time I was able to look it was in the top 25% but I don’t remember exactly as I was paying more attention to my graduation requirements. Also since then our class size has dropped significantly due to drop outs and students who graduated early. I will be given my most recent transcript including last semesters grades when school starts again.
I do not know my schools average SAT or ACT score. I know typically my schools average SAT score is better then their ACT.
I can take 8 classes at my school but I won’t get my schedule until next week so I only know what I forecasted. I forecasted for 7 classes first semester and 6 second semester (one was a one semester only class) for this next school year. I did take an IB history class last year but was unable to take another this year as I still needed to take Gov/Econ in order to graduate. I took two years of Spanish in middle school and then another year and a half in High school although I only have two credits. I took it up until Spanish 5. I did fulfill my art requirements at my school by taking Band and Culinary arts. I can try to add an IB course once school starts again. I took pre-calc last year and forecasted for Adv. Stats this year which I will be offered the option to test AP in. I also will have taken four years of English, all honors or IB (you can only take IB English in your junior and senior year). I’ve taken Biology, Chemistry, and Forensics/Biotechnolgy. I have not taken Physics.
The next ACT is September 10th or 11th I believe. You may have missed the registration deadline but check for sure. If it says all test locations near you are full, try to sign up on the waiting list.