I don’t really want to apply to any sunys, they are all very small with no elite biomedical. And yes, the money depends on the school. Is Ohio state considered a safe school? Or Michigan State?
I can’t truly confirm if this is completely true or not, but I heard from a fairly reliable source (someone who talked with adcoms at UVA) that for OOS they see if you pass a bar, some combination of SAT/GPA/Essay/ECs/Recs ect and then admit based on if you can pay full freight or not. Again, I can’t completely confirm this, and I know a lot of people will doubt it, but to be honest it seems like something a competitive state school might do. From what I hear Berkely likes students who can pay too.
UVA is need blind. We attended an online chat and we were shown what they see on their end of the common app. All questions pertaining to finances are blacked out and admissions does not see. UVA is also more money than this students parents will pay.
Ohio State and MSU are likely academic safety schools for you… But the merit is not automatic. I think you will receive merit but this is not guaranteed…at all. I don’t know if the cost will come down to something that your parents will pay. You need financial safety schools- your parents made that very clear. Apply to Alabama - I believe you will receive automatic merit based on your stats. Also apply to OS because you might get enough merit.
Also - the “elite” schools that you have in mind are over $65,000 a year… They are not $50,000. Berkeley is $60,000 + a year.
I cannot stress to you enough the importance of finding affordable safety schools. This means academic and financial.
You are a strong student and will do well in the process. That said, it is good advice you are receiving here. Financial considerations are important. Make sure you end up with acceptances at schools that you would love to attend and are confident your family can afford.
Most of the schools on your list are extremely competitive. It would be possible for you to be accepted to some, but also possible that you might not be accepted to any (probably Maryland and PItt). Here’s what I mean. Several years ago, we visited a top, top LAC. Admissions rep said 70% of applicants were fully qualified, and the school was confident that they could and would succeed at the school. It’s acceptance rate was 14% (it’s lower now). So 1 in 5 FULLY QUALIFIED students were accepted. It’s nothing personal. Just too many students seeking too few seats. It’s the same dynamic that makes Hamilton tickets so hard to get, and so expensive.
Also, note that some schools have much higher acceptance rates in the early admissions rounds than in the regular rounds. This is notably true at Chicago and Duke. Several schools on your list will have an RD acceptance rate in single digits, particularly for a white male from NY. Of course, the challenge is that ED locks you in to attending a school, and you cannot price shop among different schools where you are accepted.
Other outstanding schools you might consider are Case Western and Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). They do not have big time sports, but both are mid-size with terrific science/tech programs. We especially love WPI. Campus is beautiful and vibe is inspiring. It has a new bioengineering building (just a few years old). Program is uniquely hands-on and project-based learning is emphasized. WPI gives merit aid, and CWRU gives it very broadly.
Virginia Tech is another outstanding choice. Everyone who attends loves it, really some of the most loyal students/alums around. It has big-time sports. Engineering departments are very strong. The acceptance rate is very high given the overall strength of the school. Clemson and NC State would be similar in many respects.
Wake sounds like it has a lot you are looking for. It does give need-based and merit aid. I don’t think the merit aid is very broadly distributed, so it would more likely than not be expensive in your case, though one doesn’t know until you apply and hear back. I know some students were pleasantly surprised with their merit awards this year.
Just make sure you have a couple of options where you feel very confident of acceptance and can afford. Don’t let all of this sound intimidating, you are a strong student and have financial resources. My takeaway from seeing scores of schools over the last 7-8 years is that there just are many outstanding schools out there. Good luck!
OP, listen to the good advice you’re getting. Every year on CC we find threads from stellar students who applied only to reaches (and schools they THOUGHT were matches, but weren’t) and got rejected From. Every. Single. One.
You don’t want to be one of these stellar students without an acceptance. Look for, and apply to safeties, both financial and academic.
I think part of the issue here ( I may be wrong) is that the OPs parents are willing to pay for “elite” schools if they cost around $50,000 ( they cost more) … but if the school is not “elite,” they will spend about $20,000 ( give or take). This takes many great schools off of the list … such as Case Western and others where he may (?) get merit in the amount of $25,000 - but will be left paying $40,000 per year.
@willdephs if you get merit to Maryland and the cost comes down to $35,000… is that affordable? If Case Western comes down to $40,000… is that affordable? These are discussion you need to have with your parents. You need this information in order to craft your list of affordable safeties and matches.
If your parents are giving you a budget of $20-25,000 for “non-elite” schools, then you should put SUNY Binghamton on your list. It is a very good school and they have biomedical engineering.
You can also use the NPCs for the competitive schools on your list and see if any of them come in at an acceptable cost.
Thanks everyone for the advice, this thread has been very helpful and I will try to avoid applying to all reach schools haha.
Check and see if Tulane has your major. They have some very large scholarships - make sure to show interest even if you can’t visit.
My friends son was rejected from Michigan and received a tremendous scholarship to the U of Miami honors program.
Good luck!
http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/
These are schools where large merit scholarships are awarded automatically for qualifying stats.
The highest-ranked among them is the University of Alabama (https://scholarships.ua.edu/types/out-of-state.php).
Many more colleges grant competitive (not automatic) awards in a wide range of dollar amounts, without necessarily publicizing specific qualifying scores and GPAs.
If you want enough merit money to reach a $50K net at a relatively prestigious/selective college, you might want to click-sort on the Kiplinger “best value” lists:
http://www.kiplinger.com/tool/college/T014-S001-kiplinger-s-best-values-in-private-colleges/index.php
http://www.kiplinger.com/tool/college/T014-S001-kiplinger-s-best-values-in-private-colleges/index.php?table=lib_arts
Some of the following schools may fall in the sweet spot:
Vanderbilt (maybe too selective for the needed merit amount ?)
USC (ditto?)
Rensselear
Brandeis
Tulane
UMiami
Boston U
Case Western
George Washington
IIT
As for other OOS public universities (beside Alabama etc), in many cases I’d expect net cost to be a bigger challenge than admission. I wouldn’t count on a big competitive merit scholarship (like Maryland’s Stamp Banneker/Key or the Robertson at UNC/Duke) to drive the net price below $20K. Instead, you might want to focus on OOS sticker prices that your parents are willing to cover.
http://www.kiplinger.com/tool/college/T014-S001-kiplinger-s-best-values-in-public-colleges/index.php
I’m getting kind of a mixed vibe from Georgia tech… would that be considered a safety, match, or reach?
Georgia Tech is a reach.
GT is a reach even if it looks like a match on paper. I don’t know if you need money to attend, but if you do… then it is also a financial reach.
There is no public university that is a reach for you, they are all matches and safety’s, however that doesn’t mean you will be admitted to all of them, you are just more likely than not to be admitted.
UNC, UVA, Michigan and GT are all reaches for this student. This does not mean he won’t get in… he might… but they are reaches. A match on paper does not make these schools matches. Some of these schools have very low acceptance rates for OOS students… and being from NY makes it that much harder. It’s an over-represented state with highly competitive students.
This student needs safety schools that cost $20,000 a year- that is what his parents will spend on a safety or match. So far there are no schools on his list that are guaranteed to come in at that price. The OP could also try the NPC at the reaches given that there are 2 in college.
@willdephs you have a very good chance for merit at Ohio State University- check the application deadline. These awards would bring the cost down to the price of Binghamton.
Georgia Tech has become very much more competitive than just a few years ago. Basically what happens is that lots of high stat kids apply ED to one very competitive school and then apply EA to UNC, Ga. Tech, Michigan, UVA, and a few others. So GT has lots and lots of applicants and has become extremely competitive. You can look up the numbers; it’s interesting. In fact, the school is now touting its very high retention rate, which is partly a result of attracting so many high-achieving students.
Are you saying that this isn’t a high achieving student? This is ridiculous, the OP will be in the top 10% of applicants. Just because they have thousands of marginally qualified applicants driving down admit rates doesn’t mean the OP has less than a 50% chance of admittance.
The student has an excellent GPA and test scores. We dont know his approximate rank… top 2%? Top 10%?
He is applying to schools along with thousands of other very…very… strong students… with very impressive ECs. Does this mean he won’t get in? No- but it means that these schools are reaches. And he is applying from an over-represented state. These schools get lots and lots of NY applicants- quite frankly… NY is boring when it comes to applicants.
And… This student has financial parameters. He needs to focus on affordable safeties and use the NPCs for competitive schools that meet need.