<p>I'm a junior who knows exactly what schools I'm going to apply to so far, but I think I need a couple more. I need more safeties (and maybe even another match or two), and I'm really having trouble finding some that I like. I definitely don't want to apply to a bunch of schools for the sake of getting in but not liking them. </p>
<p>Basic stats: 3.62 cumulative GPA, definite upward trend.
Got a 1650 on the SAT (all 3 sections)...I know, not fantastic, but I took it cold and am really thinking with dedicated studying over the summer, I can get it up to at least 1900. Also planning on taking the ACT, and I think I can well on that too (practice test shows 30+).
I live in a rural area that doesn't send kids to any top colleges (or hardly any schools OOS)...would this help at all?
Solid, well-rounded ECs and some leadership (and a focus on journalism).</p>
<p>-I'm looking for some OOS safeties because I'm already well-versed on in-state schools (VA).
-Journalism major (or political science)
-Parents can afford ~15,000/year, but it'd be really fantastic if we could get some pretty good aid. I really don't want a ton, if any, loans.</p>
<p>As far as school preference:
-At least 7,000 kids, no bigger than 35,000ish.
-Geographically wise, it doesn't matter really, but I'm no fan of the southwest.
-I don't even know if any LACs have at least 7k students, but in the case that they do, not interested in LACs.
-I don't really know what else to say other than that I visited UVA, Georgetown, and Ohio University so far and loved them all, so I guess a college that has the same kind of atmosphere as one of them? Visited Roanoke College to try out a LAC and did not like it (because it was too small).
-Oh, and not urban, as in, GWU and NYU smack-dab in the middle of the city with no campus urban.</p>
<p>Open to any and all suggestions. I really want to try to find some that I like so I can visit over spring break and the summer.</p>
<p>You should run the net price calculator on each school’s web site. Given your financial constraints, net price will be a significant factor in determining if a school can be a safety. A safety must be assured to be affordable as well as certain to admit you.</p>
<p>$15K is essentially room and board at most schools. Go the Financial Aid forum and look at the stickied threads for full tuition scholarships. Also look at schools in the Dakotas where cost of attendance seems to be among the lowest in the US.</p>
<p>Disclaimer: Technically my parents can pay more than that, but I really don’t want to burden them with a lot, so that’s sort of my limit I’m putting on it. I figured that for at least privates, I could probably get half-decent aid between financial and merit.</p>
<p>That’s where I’m getting my assumptions from (though I know they’re not 100% accurate). I’ve run it for 4 different schools and have consistently been told I’d get decent aid from the school and federal aid, and only have to take out $5000 loans.</p>
<p>I second @violet1996 - UMass Amherst is an excellent school. Granted, it looks a bit like a state prison, but the academics are phenomenal (relative to the affordability) and the surroundings are beautiful. </p>
<p>UMass-Amherst is a great school but likely unaffordable for this student. It costs about $38,000 for OOS students and won’t give a lot of financial aid to an OOS student.</p>
<p>Some of the SUNYs might be safer for you, and have lower cost of attendance. SUNY-New Paltz has a $27,000 CoA; Plattsburgh costs about the same.</p>
<p>You may also be interested in some smaller regional state colleges, too. Middle Georgia State College estimates OOS costs to be around $19,000. Georgia Gwinnett College in suburban Atlanta is $25,000. The CUNY colleges’ tuition is only $10,000 for OOS; however, the cost of living in NYC is obviously very high.</p>