<p>What courses have you based your 3.6 GPA on? Only the academic cores? Are those weighted or unweighted? </p>
<p>I basically agree with Ulysses, with the exception of the Newhouse School being a safety. It is a match in my opinion. Syracuse Arts & Sciences is a safety.</p>
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<p>I have a feeling that the privates may end up being too expensive due to the disconnect between your gpa and test scores. I would definitely suggest adding one or more SUNY’s as safeties and running your preliminary EFC calculations now to see what, if any, FA you will qualify for. The maximum NYS TAP award is $5,000/year and the NY publics also have a supplementary grant for those with low EFC’s. At the very least, you could start at a SUNY for your lower-div/gen ed classes and then transfer to a school like SU if, like many, you find your choices limited by your FA awards next year.</p>
<p>I think Albany, Oswego, and New Paltz have journalism programs and UB has media studies, communications, etc.</p>
<p>Here is a list of schools that could be considered that offer merit aid</p>
<p>Low match or safety:
American University Washington DC
Christopher Newport University Newport News VA
Clark University Worcester MA
Clarkson University Potsdam NY
Dickinson College Carlisle PA
Fairfield University Fairfield CT
Gettysburg College Gettysburg PA
Ithaca College Ithaca NY
Loyola College Baltimore MD
Marist College Poughkeepsie NY
Muhlenberg College Allentown PA
Providence College Providence RI
Quinnipiac University Hamden CT
Saint Joseph’s University Philadelphia PA</p>
<p>More Safeties
Bryant University Smithfield RI
Hobart and William Smith Colleges Geneva NY
Ramapo College of New Jersey Mahwah NJ
Rowan University Glassboro NJ</p>
<p>Get together with your Guidance Counselor to narrow down the list.</p>
<p>Have you tried an online matching service to find some safety schools? I used myUsearch.com to find my safety schools. When it asked for the GPA and SAT scores, I put in ones slightly lower than my own. Collegeboard.org also has a good college search assistant.</p>
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<p>Oh man…3.31 UW. You’re such a horrible student! Most people have failed tests and quizzes and stuff. And getting a 2 on the AP doesn’t mean you’re not smart. Almost failing out of 10th grade because of absences? What type? </p>
<p>Honestly, if you know basically anything about college admissions, you know that there are A TON of safety schools for you.</p>
<p>And by the way, I’m not judgmental, snotty, or bitter.</p>
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<p>It’s closer East than it is West. 
In all seriousness, New Orleans is the only exception to my rule. I’m absolutely in love with the city, and I adore Tulane. It’s actually tied for my first choice with Fordham.
(And no, not too interested in Loyola).</p>
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I would suggest that you applied to SUNY New Paltz and SUNY Purchase as your safeties. New Paltz is a large town and is much bigger than many upstate SUNY campus. SUNY Purchase is in Westchester County. It is located in Purchase but is close to White Plains and New York City. I think Clark University could be your safety or match too.</p>
<p>Even you did not ask for reach or match suggestions, I think your number is very good. You should seriously consider Vassar, Macalester, Rochester, Brandeis and Trinity College. You have better chance to get into one of these school than Columbia University, Brown University or Georgetown University.</p>
<p>Hope this will help. :)</p>
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<p>My EFC is $0. Haha. I told you I needed aid. I’m looking into low income tuition caps. I know Tulane, Lafayette, and Manhattan would completely cover tuition for me without loans if I were to be accepted. SUNY’s will definitely have to be a consideration, though. I like New Paltz.</p>
<p>Just so you know, I think Gettysburg would be a match or a safety for you. Your stats are really good, so don’t underestimate yourself.</p>
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<p>Academic cores and AP electives. They’re weighted. It’s a really difficult situation. I basically have a 4.0 (UW) for all of my English and language and humanities classes, but a 2.6 (W) for my math and science classes (with the exception of biology-related courses, where my grades are pretty good). I think the fact that I’m not applying to be a math major or pre-med will be to my benefit, but my well-roundedness is seriously lacking.</p>
<p>you’re selling yourself short. you have a 2320 on your SAT! definitely elaborate on your somewhat low GPA. colleges understand. and your ECs are solid. wicked essays and recs could send you a long way. </p>
<p>your reaches are not reaches and your major reaches are more like reaches. if i were you, id focus more on finding more reaches than more safeties. there are a lot of great schools between state and ivy league…many LACs as well.</p>
<p>Rawr! This is a combative little thread. </p>
<p>/No I don’t have anything to contribute otherwise.</p>
<p>Honestly since you are a girl I would look at Bryn Mawr as a low reach/high match as well as Smith and Mount Holyoke. They are all really strong all girls schools and I know Bryn Mawr at least has good aid. Also if you are iffy about going to an all girls school, Bryn Mawr is part of a consortium with Haverford, Swarthmore and UPenn where you can take classes for free as well as participate in events, parties, etc. on the other campuses.</p>
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<p>Are these through scholarships or would they be applying your Pell grant toward tuition?Make sure you look at room and board and fees too - these can easily add up to over $10K per year. Here’s a link to help you look at the financial aspects of your potential schools which gives very detailed info on FA (without loans) at each college and includes a “compare” function:</p>
<p>[Student</a> Aid on the Web](<a href=“http://www.studentaid2.ed.gov/gotocollege/campustour/alphabetical/]Student”>http://www.studentaid2.ed.gov/gotocollege/campustour/alphabetical/)</p>
<p>It may not be a slamdunk safety, but given your interests I would STRONGLY suggest you take a good look at Ithaca College. They are very strong in the areas you favor, and I believe they have good contacts in the entertainment industry. (For example, I know one parent whose Ithaca-attending D had an internship in LA at Disney.)</p>
<p>You are in the top 25% of scores for them, and they are not one of those schools where almost everyone is in the top 10% of their class, although 70% are in the top 20%. The kid I know personally who goes there–not the D mentioned above–is very bright and creative, but a somewhat erratic performer academically, like you. :)</p>
<p>Re SUNYs, I suggest you take a look at Purchase and Buffalo. Purchase has a significant arts scene, and is close to NYC. Buffalo used to have a fairly highly ranked graduate dept in English, although I don’t know what the situation is now.</p>
<p>I don’t think anyone could ever consider BC a safety. You might be able to get in or at least waitlisted. Fordhams a pretty good school and I’m almost 100% sure you’ll get in with a 3.6. Quinnipiacs good but for your stats, deff a safety. I think the average GPA there is like a 3.1-3.2. I wouldn’t say Brown is a major reach. They are not as selective as the rest of the Ivys, I know a few people who got admissions there that weren’t in the top 20%. You might have a chance although their campus is not too great. Right in Providence which isn’t the best city (I live in RI). I would say you would get into Brown but I don’t suggest going there because the location and the campus is not the best.</p>
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<p>10.8% this year. Not only are we as selective, we’re more selective than a few and one of the top 10 most selective in the country.</p>
<p>As for location, as someone who grew up outside of NYC, I think this is a matter of not finding the merits in the familiar. It’s easy to trash your backyard.</p>
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<p>In my experience, this is incorrect in every detail. Even Providence gets good marks these days.</p>
<p>I grew up in Waltham, right outside of Boston, so compared to Boston I’m sure you can imagine why I would consider Providence to not be one of the better cities. Browns a good school, don’t get me wrong, unfortunately for Brown though because RI neighbors MA it is usually compared against Harvard and MIT, I don’t think anyone can really say Brown would win that comparison. It’s a good school, however, it has to accept a slightly lower-caliber student than a Harvard or MIT student because given the choice between the 3, not too many would go against the top 2 schools in the nation</p>
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<p>Ummm no it’s not; Brown is a completely different school…</p>