Yes, they will be as accurate as possible if your parents are married, and most of their income is W-2 income, perhaps with small amounts of typical investment income (e.g. interest and/or dividends).
Fraternities and sororities are rather large there (24% of men, 36% of women), and rush is sometimes said to be more rigorous and competitive than getting into the school. Unfortunately, it is also one of many colleges (not just in the south) where the fraternities and (especially) sororities tend to be heavily (self-)segregated by race (and there was a scandal a few years ago where some of the sororities allowed alumni to reject new pledges, and some of those alumni were racist and rejected non-white pledges even when the current membership wanted to admit them). See http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/1552777-sorority-racism-article-crimson-white-p1.html .
The city that it is in, Tuscaloosa, has some issues described in https://www.propublica.org/article/segregation-now-full-text . But you may have noticed racial segregation elsewhere, like in Baltimore or Washington, so that may not too unusual to you.
However, the state of Alabama does not have a Confederate flag in its state flag, unlike two neighboring states.
Greek life can be fun, might rush if I have the money and time. Will not self segregate because that’s just not me. If I don’t get a bid then their lose. These articles about discrimination in Alabama are a little scary but it’s not like racism doesn’t happen in Maryland.
If your guidance counselor is pretty sure that you can be admitted at UMCP, then that is a reasonably safe option for you. But do remember to find at least one true safety where your stats flat-out guarantee your admission, and that you know for dead certain your family can afford without any aid other than guaranteed federal aid determined by the FAFSA, and/or guaranteed state aid, and/or automatic scholarships guaranteed because of your stats.
@happymomof1 Respectfully, UMCP is my safety. My scores and grades are higher than 96% of accepted students overall. Not even considering any hook etc. just grades and scores.
My rigor is also top of my class. I have really pushed myself. For example, I am one of the few students taking multi variable calculus in my school. Named AP national scholar, recieved 5s on 8 AP tests, and 800 on bio and 780 APUSH SAT2, Hispanic scholar etc. I am a pretty decent student. Probably will get some merit. If I don’t, I can afford it by working like my siblings.
If it matters for suggestions 1510 SAT (no plans to retake)
4.0 UW GPA, 4.9 W GPA
@ucbalumnus My parents used the net price calculators on a few selective school websites. Most estimates are within budget. A selective school is still possible without burdening my family or putting me in huge debt.
Thank you all for the advice.
Honors at a public university would be a great option. You will be surrounded by other motivated students, get access to special opportunities, and often priority class registration. Hopefully that’s enough to sway your parents!
If you go cheap or full ride, will your parents contribute the saved money toward your medical school (or other professional school) costs?
However, you do want to choose a college which you will be satisfied attending and graduating from whether or not you go to medical school afterward.
If I go full ride, parents are willing to put the money saved aside for me. My parents want to help with medical school regardless of my decision. Thinking of applying to both selective schools, honor colleges (that are tution free based on stats), and my state’s flagship.
Sounds good. Make sure to apply EA wherever you can – I think that helps with Honors college offers.
Congrats on all your HS success and good luck!
Congratulations on your high school successes!
It sounds like you will be an excellent student and have a bright future, regardless of which college you attend. Success is about the person more than about the institution.
That said, I will offer another perspective for your consideration, in addition to the others offered so far on this site.
What matters to you in the actual experience of your four years of college? Consider that as well. It is not just about life AFTER college. It is about four years that provide a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in learning.
My son has a good friend from high school who is similar to him in many aspects, who is equally smart, who achieved at a similar level in high school classes and on the SAT, and whose family’s jobs and house suggest that they may have a similar income to ours.
My son chose a “top” college. His friend accepted a full four-year merit scholarship in an honors program at a less selective private college.
When they compared experiences, there was a significant difference. My son’s classes involved reading more challenging materials (primary vs. secondary sources), writing more essays, and engaging in more stimulating discussions with peers and professors than did his friend’s classes (according to the friend’s opinion). At my son’s college, but not his friend’s, it is typical for people to be interested in ideas and discuss them outside of class, in dorms and dining halls. When my son mentioned that he’d “gotten so much smarter” since starting college, his friend said he thought he’d “gotten dumber.” His friend is not miserable at college by any means: he has friends, he has a good deal, etc. But it is not providing the immersive intellectual experience for him that my son’s college is for my son.
I am not saying that you can’t find intellectually oriented peers and stimulating classes at a college that is not top-ranked. But I am saying that you should explore the aspects of each college’s environment that will affect your daily experience of the college.
Your parents and siblings seem to think you will thrive in a certain type of environment and are willing to support you. You are being very thoughtful and responsible in weighing the pros and cons of your choices. I think you are wise to apply to a range of colleges that the NPC suggests may be affordable for your family, then look at your acceptances and your financial aid packages. (My son’s best friend at college got an aid package there that made it less expensive than the state university’s offer for him!) Then, after ruling out any options with unacceptable financial aid packages, visit a couple of options and decide which balance of cost and environment suits you best.
Regardless of what you decide, how wonderful that your parents and siblings are so supportive!
@TheGreyKing Thank you for your perspective. My family wants me to try for the more selective colleges. No guarantees but I will give it my best shot.
Seeing the results of the NPC put my mind at ease. With grants, our family contribution might be less than my brothers’ individual contributions. If I work summers and breaks, I could be loan free. Maybe even lessen the burden for my parents.
@TheGreyKing It posted before I was done. You are right, I am blessed that my family is so supportive. Just curious, what school is your son attending? It sounds like a wonderful school.
@Tigerkat – it sounds like you are on the right track. So glad that the NPCs put you at ease. Now that you feel like you can explore a range of schools, it’d be great to hear more about what you’re interested in.
Have you done any campus visits? Since I gather you are Latino, you would be an excellent candidate for some ‘fly ins’ this Fall – these are programs to selective colleges that allow you to visit. You have to apply but I don’t think it’s too onerous.
They will typically pay your airfare and you can stay with a student. Here’s an example from the LAC my D attends: https://www.davidson.edu/admission-and-financial-aid/plan-visit/open-house-programs/access-davidson. But just Google the college name and fly in and you will find other examples. Of course, senior year is busy so you can’t do too many, but it could be a good opportunity to try to see some of your top choices.
Let us know what you’re looking for in a college in terms of vibte, size, location, etc. and the CC crowd can offer suggestions.
@Tigerkat - In answer to your question: Williams College.
OP, at this point, you don’t have to make a choice! You should be applying to both kinds of schools. Find schools that will offer scholarships to someone with your profile (and with a 1510 SAT, 4.0 GPA and being Hispanic, that shouldn’t be difficult) and apply to those as well as applying to selective colleges. With your grades and test scores, you don’t necessarily have to go to a “non-selective” school for undergrad - you can go to a less selective but still excellent college that offers a full ride.
I went to a top 100 liberal arts college on a full scholarship and have zero regrets. It was a stimulating intellectual atmosphere - my classmates and I discussed all range of philosophical topics and world events inside and outside of the classroom; I wrote a LOT (more, actually, than the students I taught at Columbia); I had a lot of personal attention from professors. I went to a great top 10 PhD program and work at a very large tech company that you have definitely heard of. I don’t know if my life path would’ve been different had I attended one of the more selective colleges I got into - but I certainly would be more in debt! My monthly loan payment for undergrad AND grad is less than 5% of my monthly gross income. It’s incredibly freeing.
I work alongside people who have gone to ALL kinds of undergraduate colleges. And I have tons of friends from my college who went onto med school.
Check out Emory - your scores make you competitive for the Emory Scholars program. UVa also has the Jefferson Scholarship, which you may be eligible for.
@juillet you are so right, balance between freedom from overwhelming debt and a stimulating environment is important. I hope to have achieve both.
From what I have read about Emory, it sounds like a wonderful school. It’s on my list. The research opportunities with the CDC are amazing. I would be very lucky to receive acceptance from a such a selective school.
For selective schools, my parents and I are cross referencing lists of colleges that meet financial need with colleges that meet some of my wants. I am realistic and understand that I need not to get my hope up for just one school. Plus honors colleges and my state’s flagship school. Don’t want to go there (There is nothing wrong with UMCP, I just want to explore different horizons.) It’s a safety and a solid education.
I have been on a few tours and information sessions of schools this summer that are within driving distance about 8 hrs. max. It’s been helpful but not ideal because classes are not in session. Trying to also visit different types of schools. From these tours, I have learned some of my preferences.
I might apply for a few fly in programs but not too many. My senior class schedule is still challenging and I don’t want to miss too many hours at work. Got to save for tution.
In the long run, the fly-in programs may end up being more valuable than the extra hours at work. Just sayin 