Help a lost soul and good vibes will come your way!

College Search & Selection
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<p>Basically, my parents are of no help whatsoever. They believe that I can get into ANY school, no matter what I say to try and persuade them. So basically they REFUSE to look for matches/safeties because they think that they are "beneath" me. </p>

<p>As for me: I would like to do something either humanities based (Gov, politics) or business (for practical reasons). </p>

<p>Background: nomad female asian girl whose family keeps on moving to different continents - -" </p>

<p>SAT: 2290. Math: 730, CR: 800 WR: 760
SATIIs: Chinese 800, US history: (projected 770+), Math2C i'm retaking because our school actually did NOT teach us stuff that was on the exam at all! </p>

<p>UWGPA: 3.9+<br>
GPA: 4.2
courses: hardest possible
Junior year: all A’s 1st semester in APEL, APUSH, APBio, Honors Pre-Calc, Honors Spanish 6 (GPA 4.5) journalism
2nd semester: All A’s except for a B in Honors Pre-Calc, journalism (GPA4.3) </p>

<p>***** will this decrease in semester GPA affect my chances drastically?** </p>

<p>Senior year:
APLit
APPsych
APGov
APCalc
physics
journalism </p>

<p>ECs:
editor-in-chief of national award winning newspaper
president/secretary of NHS
won numerous local speech and debate competitions, state qualifier
represented city in national/ regional competitions, placed 3rd
vice president/ publicity chair of speech and debate
won an international bilingual competition in summer of 8th grade(I’m probably just going to mention this in my essay or something like that)
over three years of volunteering teaching Chinese to kids at local Chinese school
member of peer counseling since freshmen year / in leadership
And I’m working on starting my own T-shirt company after a trial batch sold out. </p>

<p>RECS: great, I have really good relationships with both teachers outside of school and I'm planning on also sending a letter from my journalism advisor who loves me. :P </p>

<p>Right now, I’m def. going to apply to UPenn, and I think I'm giving up my dream of Wharton (that B in math, plus the fact that I'm just not a math person in general)! Though I’m applying RD, and APCalc is a lot easier to get an A in at my school, so I’m hoping that they will see that I get an A in Calc next semester to make up for that B in Pre-calc this semester. Though I probably wouldn't have gotten in anyway. </p>

<p>I’ll really like a more liberal arts focused school and professor accessibility, but right now I’m still undecided as to what I want to do with my life, and I still don’t know if I want to do grad school. Money is a HUGE factor as my family just immigrated to America and we barely make any money at all, so I don't know if i want to have the burden of grad school loans and stuf. Also, warm weather is also preferable, and so are study-abroad programs :) . </p>

<p>but other than that i have NO IDEA where I want to apply, or where i even have a realistic shot. </p>

<p>Any suggestions for matches/ safeties ? </p>

<p>I'm thinking about Claremont McKenna, Pomona, USC, Georgetown for reaches.</p>

<p>thanks!</p>

2

<p>If you like the Claremont schools, Scripps/Pitzer would be good for match/safety. Maybe NYU Stern for a match, UMich (try for direct admit at Ross) as a match, Those 2 come pretty close to your Wharton dream.</p>

3

<p>I don't really like the lack of campus feel to NYU, or else i would apply to Stern.
Hmm, I've never actually thought of Scripps/Pitzer before. I will go look at those now! :)</p>

<p>It's either applying to the college of arts& sciences or wharton, as I really want to go to UPenn, and I can only choose one to apply to! </p>

<p>Good vibes are coming your way, newyorka!! :)　</p>

4

<p>Tulane and Rhodes (TN) might be worth a look. They both are good with merit aid. Other schools that are good with merit aid are Denison (OH), Grinnell (IA) and University of Rochester. Best of luck!</p>

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<p>honestly, i think you have very good stats</p>

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<p>Liberal arts and government?</p>

<p>Well your school of choice should be obvious :)</p>

<p>GEORGETOWN! The premiere school in the nation
for government and political connections. Knowing
your debating skills, you should manage to argue
your way into that school :) I know someone who
was rejected, but used her super argumentative
skills to get her way in through an appeal haha (she
was en editor in chief like you.)</p>

<p>For the liberal arts shizzle, you should take a stab
at Amherst. Unmatched in liberal arts. CM is also
a good choice here. You can actually consider that
a match with your stats.</p>

<p>Hoooold up, wait a minute! After re-reading your post,
you want safties too? Hmmm...community college works ;)
HAHAHA jk jk.</p>

<h2>SAFTIES</h2>

<p>Government: Northwestern, Michigan-Ann Arbor
Humanities: Your list is pretty solid here.</p>

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<p>I don't think Northwestern could necessarily be considered a safety...</p>

<p>And OP, get off the attitude that a B will hurt you. Instead, the "OMG A B" attitude is what will most likely hurt you.</p>

8

<p>Have you seen those stats? Northwestern IS a safety hahaha.
Only Ivys+MIT+Berkeley OOS (not even in-state) are crapshoots.
Rest are fairly predictable. You can make a very good argument
that Georgetown isn't even a reach but a match for her.</p>

<p>P.S. Athene, clear your private message system so I can
send something over :P</p>

9

<p>^ done! thanks :) </p>

<p>and Eloquence, I know, I know. it's just that it's the second semester of junior year so i'm worried that colleges will think that i'm unable to keep up with courseload/ slacked off. I've already accepted that I got a B, and that's only made me even more determined to conquer the monstrosity that is math for senior year :P </p>

<p>As i live in Cali, I'm applying to UCLA, and considering some other UCs. Probably won't go there as the classes are tooo huge, but i'd be crazy to not apply as I'm in-state! </p>

<p>happiness and bubbles are coming to poi, adamonkey2, Eloquence and radronOmega! :) </p>

<p>what would be some schools with really strong econ depts ? I know that Claremont Mckenna does, but I don't really know of any other..</p>

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<p>Did you just say happiness and bubbles are coming to me? Meh, nevermind, we'll save that for PM chats hahah.</p>

<p>Econ: University of Chicago. It's the like the UPENN equivalent in the Economics department. Everything is a notch below Chicago. But, further down from there, you got northwestern and Dartmouth.</p>

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<p>why are they all in cold places ??!!! haha thanks. if there's no business school per se I'm applying to, I might do econ instead. Though Georgetown looks more appealing by the second... does the school have a campus-y feel ? Like the student body is a cohesive unit? I wish i had the resources to visit! </p>

<p>good vibes= happiness + bubbles in my book!</p>

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<p>athena -- your stats are excellent and I think the "lesser" UCs would be your safeties. I would certainly consider UCLA and Cal's honors programs which will offer a good way out of a lot of those huge classes. Also, UCSB has been recruiting top students with financial aid: definitely look into that as well.</p>

<p>Consider applying to Standford. They recently announced a very generous financial aid policy (like Harvard's). Of course, Stanford is a reach, but then, you are a competitive candidate. </p>

<p>I also agree you should consider Pomona/Claremont colleges - they're excellent and would seem to be "matches."</p>

<p>Also: post this question on the parents forum. You'll get tons of advice, in particular on schools good with merit aid. Parents are much interested in aid, for obvious reasons ;)</p>

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<p>Agree with katliamom about parents forum. Lots of experienced parents never venture over to these pages.
I would think hard about places like Georgetown since you live in CA and money is a factor. I live in CA and have a son in college across the country. Everything is more expensive.....
Someone else I know has a child in Hawaii and she can't afford to come home very often. Plane flights keep going up.
There are lots of choices in CA. I would stick with those.</p>

14

<p>American has both an excellent school of communications and a good school of business. And you'd likely get very good merit aid on top of need-based.</p>

<p>Virtually none of the liberal arts schools offer business.</p>

15

<p>thanks for all the great advice!! rainbows and sunshine are coming your way! ;p </p>

<p>ebeeeee: well,actually I'd probably not be able to go home anyway, as my parents will be working in another country by the time I enter college. So there would really be no home to go to , though my friends have offered for me to stay with them during breaks. Thats' a really good factor though, I haven't really thought about that!</p>

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<p>Would you consider Smith or Mount Holyoke or one of the other top single-sex schools? You will get a lot of name-recognition cache from these colleges (which seems to be a priority for your parents) but without the same cut-throat admissions competitiveness that you'll find at Penn and the other Ivies.</p>

<p>However, you did not say if you're an American citizen. If yes, you should find excellent need-based aid at the "Sister Schools." BUT ... if you are not a US citizen (or permanent resident), then the bar is set much, much higher. Colleges that would be "Safe" for a US citizen seeking aid can sometimes be "Reaches" for internationals who need money.</p>

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<p>I actually haven't really considered single-sex schools, because I want to have a balanced ratio of genders in my social group. Almost all of my best friends are girls, though I do have several really close guy friends, but I just don't see myself at an all girls school because sometimes that can be rather stifling. Thank you for the suggestion though, I'll def. start looking more into that aspect....who knows, maybe i'll end up loving the idea of a single sex school? :) </p>

<p>oh yes, I'm a permanent resident (Thank heavens), and I plan on staying in America even after getting my citizenship.</p>

18

<p>athenegoddess</p>

<p>Please take a look at Bryn Mawr. I know it is near Philadelphia so the winter is on the rainy side, but gee whiz, it is a good place for a really, really smart young lady like yourself.</p>

<p>As to the safeties. You need to find a true safety where you are positive you can be admitted, and where you are positive you can pay for it with nothing more than federal financial aid. Your true safety will probably be an in-state public university, or a community college. That is because sometimes money ends up being the final deciding factor. Find your safety, and learn to love it because this time next year, it may be all you have left. That is not me being negative, that is me speaking for all the moms and dads out there who have had to face hard decisions about money.</p>

<p>You also mention that your parents will be moving by the time you enter college. That can affect your in- or out- of state status. When you are looking at your current in-state schools, make sure that you understand their requirements for acquiring, and maintaining, in-state residence.</p>

<p>momfromtexas did a lot of research on full-ride scholarships a while back. If money is going to be an issue for you, you should read her threads. They may give you some good ideas.</p>

<p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/148852-what-i-ve-learned-about-full-ride-scholarships.html?highlight=what+I%27ve+learned+about%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/148852-what-i-ve-learned-about-full-ride-scholarships.html?highlight=what+I%27ve+learned+about&lt;/a>
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/291483-update-what-i-learned-about-free-ride-scholarships.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/291483-update-what-i-learned-about-free-ride-scholarships.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Wishing you all the very best.</p>

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<p>^ so if my parents move out of the country, i'm not counted as in-state anymore ?!! </p>

<p>eeek!!!!! </p>

<p>thanks for the advice/help, happymomof1 !!</p>

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<p>If you and your parents have been legal residents of a U.S. state for at least 12 months prior to your matriculation in college, then you will probably be eligible for in-state tuition, even if your parents relocate during your college career. </p>

<p>For more information on state residency requirements for tuition purposes, see Guide</a> to State Residency</p>

<p>But if you're worried about college costs, and your family income is very low, you might actually fare just fine at a pricey private college--one with excellent need-based aid (this would certainly include Bryn Mawr). Schools with good aid can end up costing less than public colleges, depending on your Expected Family Contribution. (If it's very low, the snazzy schools may give you a lot of dough.)</p>