Help adding a few safe schools to my college list? (I'm overwhelmed)

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hey! Does your life lack stress? Would you like to share in someone else's pain? Well, you've come to the right place!
My current college list only includes highly competitive and highly ranked schools (we're talking top-tier schools here people). Apparently I’ve spent the last year living in some alternate reality where everyone gets accepted into the college of their dreams and backups aren’t necessary! If only :((</p>

<p>Anyway, that means I need help. Your help.
Here are my super fun test scores and school preferences: </p>

<p>ACT- Composite: 33 (Science: 36, English: 34, Reading: 34, Math: 30)
SAT (I'm retaking this)- 2140 (Writing: 690, Math: 690, Reading: 760)
APs- U.S. History (5), U.S. Government (5), English Language and Composition (5), Biology (4), and currently enrolled in an additional four AP courses
GPA- Unweighted: 3.97 Weighted: 4.18
ECs: Varsity Basketball (4 years), Varsity Golf (4 years, Captain 1 year), Rock climbing, Debate Club (VP), UNICEF Club (member), Creative arts (Volunteer), Coaching (Volunteer)</p>

<p>As for cost, well, around $25,000 would be optimal, but I don't want to rule any schools out just because of an intimidating price tag. Same goes for ruling out schools because of size or location. However, I would prefer a school with an accepting atmosphere— where being gay is okay and quirks overshadow jerks. </p>

<p>If you can find it in your heart to look past my poor rhyming abilities and offer up a few realistic suggestions for me, then your contributions will be greatly appreciated! And what could be better than appreciation from a random person on the internet? That’s right—nothing.
(No really, thanks in advance)</p>

2

<p>You haven’t listed the schools you are already looking at. Some might not be as extreme a reach as you fear; others might be a huge stretch. In the case of the latter, you should probably prune the list down to one or two with the clear understanding that they are long shots. You haven’t specified any interests, either. How is your state’s flagship public university? You can probably get into most public colleges, with a few notable exceptions (e.g. Berkeley Engineering, et al), and can undoubtedly find an in-state safety that will be affordable. Your stats are good enough to get you a merit package at a lot of good colleges outside the very top tier. If you want a quirky school, try New College of Florida. Their out-of-state price-tag is right around $25k. You can design your own curriculum. Reed sounds perfect, but they offer no merit aid, and they are not need-blind. Tulane might give you a merit scholarship. Wheaton (MA, not IL) or Goucher might, also. </p>

3

<p>What is your major and home state?</p>

<p>Did your parents set the $25k per year budget that they’ll pay or are you guessing? Be sure to ASK them to get a firm amount. Keep in mind that YOU can only borrow $5,500 as a frosh so you can’t borrow your way thru college.</p>

<p>Most schools, unless they are bible schools, don’t care whether you are straight or gay. College kids today are very accepting.</p>

<p>What schools are on your current list?</p>

4

<p>Biology, maybe? And I live in Ohio.</p>

<p>My family can most likely find a way to pay for any school I choose, so a price tag of around $25k isn’t strictly necessary (it would just be a nice bonus).</p>

<p>I just made this list: UChicago, Reed, Oberlin, Swarthmore, William & Mary, Carnegie Mellon, University of Michigan, and Case Western.</p>

<p>Does my list seem realistic? </p>

5

<p>^^
Well, none of those are safe.</p>

<p>What is your career goal with bio?</p>

6

<p>Agree, none of those are safe, so it’s not realistic as a complete list. Have you looked into state schools in your state?</p>

7

<p>Case Western might be more of a high match…but I think you need true safeties.</p>

8

<p>A safety is a school you are assured of getting into, can definitely afford, and would be happy to attend. Wright State might be a good option- good bio program and inexpensive in-state.</p>

9

<p>Okay. I would prefer an out of state school, but I’ll add Ohio State as a safety. Would Drexel, Wooster, Earlham, and Lewis & Clark College be good additions as well?</p>

<p>And I don’t really have any biology career goals yet. I’m more focused on getting into a university and exploring the field before I set off on a more specialized career path. </p>

10

<p>Yes,those seem like good additions. You do know that quite a few of the schools on your list cost over $55,000/year, though, right? You should run net price calculators with your parents on each school just to make sure that your assumption that they can/will pay that much holds up in the face of the actual numbers. Also… nice to see an Ohio kid looking to that school in the north. :)</p>

11

<p>The truth is that Ohio University in Athens is the hippest and quirkiest public school in Ohio. I recommend applying to it instead of OSU. You might even look at their Honor Tutorial College. Best college bargain in the state. <a href=“http://www.ohio.edu/honors/future-students/index.cfm”>http://www.ohio.edu/honors/future-students/index.cfm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>I agree that Wooster and Earlham meet your criteria. Also take a look at Allegheny College in Pennsylvania.</p>

12

<p>Your information screams Oberlin to me. Not a safety, but a high match based on your stats. Strongly recommend visiting, and should be convenient to do so in-state. You should look at Wooster and Kenyon while you are at it.</p>

<p>As others have stated, you need to run the NPC to see how the numbers look.</p>

13

<p>I think your list is not too reachy. Adding those safeties will round it out nicely. </p>

14

<p>Visiting Oberlin sounds like a great idea! I’ve already visited Wooster, Kenyon, and Allegheny College (they were all nice). OU always came across as more of a party school to me, so I’m not too too keen on it. Would OSU sound like a better fit for me if I mention that both my parents are alumni and my grandpa was a professor at OSU back in the day? </p>

15

<p>If you can get the CR+M upto 1500, you can probably get enough aid from UPitt to go for $28K, maybe less. Get your app in now because they show their love for early admits in the way of merit. Good Honors program, an Honors dorm, and guaranteed internships. Very good bio program and the hospital research is world-class.</p>

16

<p>

Well, there is family tradition. Can’t knock that. :-bd </p>

<p>True, OU is a party school. Then again almost all state schools are party schools. Well, most colleges are party schools actually. It just is a matter of what kinds of parties they have. </p>

<p>I still recommend looking at the Honors Tutorial College at OU. This is not the typical honors program. In fact, it is not an honors program, it is an Honors College which includes weekly, hour long, face to face meetings with your major professor.</p>

<p>Hanover College near Madison, Indiana has a lovely large and spacious campus which overlooks the Ohio River. I attended a concert there a concert a few years ago. Definitely would be a safety for you.</p>

17

<p>Might look at Holy Cross-near Boston with nice campus. HC has a great science program and also meets 100% demonstrated financial need.</p>

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<p>Make sure to ask your parents how much they WILL pay. Some kids assume that since their parents make a lot of money they’ll be able to pay a lot. Some can and some can’t. Others could, but won’t. Get an actual number from your parents.</p>

19

<p>Thanks guys! I’ll look into those schools.
And I’ve already asked my parents what they will pay, but they’ve been really ambiguous about it. From what I’ve been able to gather there’s around 100k in my college fund, so 25-30k a year would be best. </p>