Help Finding Safety Schools?

College Search & Selection
1

Hello everyone, I was looking to see if anyone could help point me to a few schools that would be realistic safety schools for me as I’m kind of doing this college thing on my own and I don’t even know where to start.

What I know I want: I’m looking for schools in New England, or at least up North (4 seasons!!) with decent political science/ government policy programs (so basically liberal arts), and that are near cities (fun things to do in close proximity w/o needing a car). As for the atmosphere, I prefer places that are socially liberal, promote altruism, and cultivate intellectual curiosity. Basically, I want to be somewhere where people care about what’s going on around them and want to get stuff done. (Also really nice architecture and older but nice facilities are a plus!!)

Ethnicity: Hispanic

Income: less than $20,000

GPA: 4.22w, (my school does not calculate unweighted GPA’s)

Ranking: 2/10, (I’ll be Salutatorian)

ACT: 32 (R-36, E-35, M-27, S-30) (I’m retaking this weekend, but I don’t have high hopes as I have the worst test anxiety :frowning: )

School Details: I attend a small (38 students) Catholic boarding school in Connecticut in a convent

State: I’m technically a resident in both Connecticut and Texas

Intended Major: Political Science/ Government policy

EC’s:
-Softball Catcher and 2nd baseman for all of high school
-National Honors Society President
-Student Council Vice President
-Debate Club
-Outdoors Club Vice President
-AV Club Treasurer
-Human Rights Club Vice President
-Drama (lead)
-I play violin, piano, guitar, ukulele, and sing
-I’ve had a job as a tutor and as a babysitter and was the youngest intern taken by doctor
-I started a small nonprofit organization at my school. Students create stuffed animals in life skills class and sell them. All proceeds go to Leukemia Research and for every stuffed animal bought, another is donated to a child in the local children’s hospital.
-I volunteer a bunch and have gone on mission trips to Spanish-speaking countries to help high-risk youth

Awards:
*School
-Highest grade in Anatomy and Physiology (12th grade class, took in 11th)
-Highest grade in Overview of Catholicism (I’m not even Catholic lololol)
-President’s award of Excellence (11th grade)
-Honor Roll (11th grade)
*National Awards
-Questbridge College Prep Scholar and Finalist
-I’m a National Hispanic Scholar (through College Board)

AP’s;
-Calculus (only AP offered by my school)
-Computer Science (I’m taking this online in my free time)

Notable Coursework:
-I’m in all honors courses asides from my electives and AP courses
-I have a whole extra year’s worth of credits and had the option to graduate last year due to me leaving middle school with 5 highschool credits. (2 years ahead in Spanish, 1 in Math, and other two were life sciences)

Essays: I haven’t written them yet. Although I’ve been told I’m a good writer, I’m pretty scatterbrained and I haven’t yet decided what to write about.

Letters of Recommendation: I attend a really small school, so many of the teachers know me quite intimately. Any letters I get should be pretty good. My Political Philosophy teacher is always ready to write me one, and I’m very invested in that class as it is connected to my intended major.

Background:
I come from an extremely abusive household. My mother is very mentally ill and she, my brother, and I suffer from significant health issues. My mom actually dropped me off at my boarding school across the country this summer (she told me we were going on a short vacation) for revenge because I had her forcefully admitted to a mental institution 2 years ago after she had a mental breakdown. This worked out great for me as I was able to finally make good grades, join clubs, and become active in my school (Something I could never do before due to my lack of parental support). I have a plethora of random life skills and people skills I’ve acquired from moving around so much and taking care of my brother and me in the absence of my father and emotional absence of my mother. I come from a conservative background, however, I have developed my own liberal worldview through my experiences.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read through this if you’ve gotten this far! And please, I’m only looking for realistic safeties, I’m not really looking for a competitive route at the moment.

2

Here are some ideas: Fordham, Manhattan College, Boston University, CUNY schools, Ithaca College, and Providence College.
You can do some initial research at cappex, niche and/or parchment as well as the school websites.

3

Thank you! I am already considering Fordham (free ride offer) and BU actually!

4

Wow, fantastic that you have a free ride offer!!!

5

It comes with the whole “hispanic scholar” thing haha I haven’t actually applied yet, but thank you!!

6

Congrats on Fordham! That’s fantastic! What about Holy Cross? Outstanding political science/government, really terrific academics all round. Worcester is not NYC but has greatly improved in recent years. Jon Favreau (not the actor) is a Holy Cross alum and, within a few years of graduating, was Barack Obama’s speechwriter for his first presidential campaign. Good luck!

7

Thank you! I’d prefer not to go to a Catholic or religious affiliated college (that’s the only thing holding me back from Fordham atm) as I’ve been in Christian/Catholic schools my whole life and want to experience something new, but thank you!

8

Dickinson would be a low match, and they meet 99% of need. Run the net price calculators on any schools suggested (like I don’t see SUNYs as affordable).

9

Holy Cross in Worcester is a full-need-met school on a campus that wins lots of “most beautiful campus” awards, less than an hour on commuter rail from Boston; and it has the socially progressive values you’re seeking. (Edit: but just read your new comment above re: preferring not to re-up for Catholic education.)

Women’s colleges can make great match/safeties, as they tend to be a notch easier to get into relative to their level of rigor and prestige. Bryn Mawr is an easy commuter rail trip from Philadelphia and has many shared programs and facilities with Haverford, and also a consortium relationship with Swarthmore and Penn (Bryn Mawr being the only one of the four that is not a Questbridge school). Mt. Holoyke and Smith (in the 5 College Consortium with UMass Amherst, Amherst College, and Hampshire) would be great options also.

10

Yes, I think Mt. Holyoke would be good match school and excellent fit. Great school, beautiful campus and traditions, engaged students. Or, Bryn Mawr if you want a similar school near a bigger city (Philly).

One thing to note is that for LACs and some larger colleges they give students who have reached out to them prior to applying a bit of advantage (demonstrated interest is the lingo used to describe this). Students gets ‘credit’ for things like setting up and interview (if they offer them), attending a college fair or visiting the campus. It’s okay to apply if you haven’t done these, but as soon as you decide to apply you should click on some emails that colleges may have sent you and spend some time on their website. Also, sign up for their admissions emails (you can usually find a link on the admissions page) and follow the colleges on your insta account. These are simple ways to demonstrate your interest in the college. Finally, if you have any questions about the college, send an email to your regional admissions representative.

I’m sure you know this, but you really need to get a start on your essays! Do you have someone you like and trust who will read them for you and give you suggestions? Also, check out the College Essays section on CC to get great advice on how to approach them.

Congrats on all your hard work and success and please keep us updated on your progress!

11

Free ride at Fordham would be brilliant imo. We didn’t find the Jesuit ideology to be really visible tbh (either at Fordham or any of the other 2 Jesuit schools we visited - it seemed to be pretty much “it’s there if you want it and you can ignore it if you don’t”) . Have you visited?

12

Apply to Fordham and get that full-ride safety locked in. Then build your list upwards.

What recommendations (other than Fordham) for affordability have your own guidance team come up with? You basically need a full-ride. Yes, a lot of the automatic full-rides are in the south, but since money is an issue do read through this list from last year and apply to any that appeal and whose application dates haven’t passed. http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/2006094-2017-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-p1.html

Bryn Mawr won’t admit you without an affordable aid package so drop an application there.

13

I’m also a questbridge finalist, so I’m basically guaranteed a full ride at any of their partner schools as well if I can actually get in them lol

14

Fill out the Request information form at Connecticut college, Skidmore, St Lawrence, Dickinson, Muhlenberg. Run the NPC and choose 2-3 that is cheaper.

15

Questbridge is nice if you can get the admission. You need to lock down a true safety while you are waiting to learn about QB.

16

The Fordham merit aid for NHRP is a full tuition scholarship not a full ride. The only full ride is the Presidential which isn’t guaranteed and obviously very competitive.

BU’s NHRP scholarship is for 20K a year. It is possible they’d stack it with need-based aid.