Good safeties?

College Search & Selection
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<p>Hi. I'm currently a junior in high school and as I'm narrowing down my college list I've noticed I have a good number of reaches but I'm lacking safeties. My unweighted gpa is a 3.3 and my weighted gap will put me in the top 25%. I just took the SATs but based on the test itself and prep courses I'm confident I can get at least a 2100. What I'm looking at as safeties now are UMass Amherst and Ithica. Are these reasonable safeties and what other schools should I look at as safeties. Also I'll be going in as a Physics major. Thanks in advance.</p>

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<p>Side note: If its helpful I’m an officer of 4 clubs, on the varsity tennis team, did research at the Beth Isreal Deaconess Medical Center, and worked at Toys R Us.</p>

3

<p>Are they safe financially as well as for admissions?</p>

<p>Consider the state university system in whichever state you are in.</p>

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<p>They’re safe financially. It’s really more about admissions. As of now I’m kind of ignoring finances as I’ll factor them in as I narrow down my list more.</p>

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<p>There might be something helpful in this thread:</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/931514-colleges-jewish-b-student.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/931514-colleges-jewish-b-student.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

6

<p>

That is the wrong way to do it. Start by restricting the schools to what your family can pay for. What good does it do to get into a school you can’t afford?</p>

7

<p>Well I plan on assembling my list then narrowing it down by finances then applying.I still have until next December until I have to apply. :)</p>

8

<p>Sometimes it is better to have an honest discussion with your parents in the Spring of your Junior Year. What is their EFC? Have they calculated it yet at one of those online calculators? Or maybe you will be paying full freight, meaning not eligible for need-based aid. </p>

<p>There is no sense touring a campus, “falling in love” with it and then your parents tell you it is out of the question financially. And it would also be a waste of time & gasoline & possibly hotel room & meals out at restaurants.</p>

9

<p>A good argument can be made for making a list, and then narrowing it down by finances. However, following that plan puts you at risk of learning very late in the game that your list doesn’t contain enough affordable options. It is better to build your list upwards, starting from the safeties.</p>

<p>You should start by identifying one or two Rock-Solid Safeties that you can afford without any aid other than federally determined (FAFSA) aid, that you know without a doubt will admit you based on your GPA and ACT/SAT scores (if they require exam scores), that offers your major(s), and that you can be happy attending if all else goes wrong in the admissions process. For most students, this will be an in-state Public U or community college. For students with excellent GPA and test scores, the Rock-Solid may be an OOS public, or even a private, that offers guaranteed admissions and scholarship money for those stats. Here is one list worth looking at:<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;