Hi everyone! I am a current junior trying to build my college list. I was wondering if anyone had any good recommendations for safety schools for me! I am planning on majoring in political science & be pre-law so cost is a huge factor for me (any private safeties with awesome merit scholarships would be great). I have San Francisco State Uni as my in-state, safety school but also want to apply to out-of-state safeties. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Here are my stats:
-GPA: 4.3 weighted as of now, 3.85 uw
-I have not taken the ACT yet but I will in April
-All the APs taken (including senior year): AP European History, APUSH, AP English Language, AP Spanish Language, AP Gov, AP Microeconomics, AP English Lit, & other honors classes
ECS:
-Founder of a student organization focused on empowering and educating young women interested in politics
-National Honors Society
-National Project Director for a National Activist Society
-My school’s Model UN logistics officer
-Apart of my town’s philanthropy program where I created my own service project
-Tutor for middle schoolers
-internship with my local congressman
-political researcher for my county’s democratic party
-political/activism writer & project manager for a student magazine
I would prefer a safety school in a large city (i.e. Portland, Boston, NYC, Chicago, etc). I was also considering the University of Portland or DePaul University.
What are your AP test scores so far? What is your budget?
U Portland and DePaul are good choices, probably highly likelies for admission, and don’t know on affordability yet (a safety isn’t a safety if it’s not affordable). What appeals to you about those two schools?
Not all safeties…but consider other CSUs (UC Davis and CSU Sacramento for their proximity to the state capital), Lewis and Clark in Portland, U Puget Sound, Willamette (Salem not a big city, but Willamette is next to the state capital bldg, and good for Poli Sci). That’s a good start for now. Are you considering DC for reach/target schools?
Capital University is a small Ohio private known for giving out awesome merit aid. It is in Bexley, a tiny city within Columbus (15th largest) that is home to the governor’s mansion and the residence for Ohio State University presidents. Capital University also has a law school located in downtown Columbus.
You should be running net price calculators to see if schools are likely to be in budget. Another tool is College Navigator which lists average net price by income brackets and other financial aid information like % receiving institutional aid. College Navigator - National Center for Education Statistics
Cal poly SLO would be a safety for Humanities, as would UCSC.
OOS:
More match than safety but can become a safety if you start showing interest now: Whitman, St Olaf, Denison, Dickinson
Safeties: Willamette, Kalamazoo, UVT, Muhlenberg
(more high match low reach but look into Macalester, and if you’re a girl women’s colleges)
University of Arizona would give you 20k a year with your gpa, Arizona State might also be a good match, UH Manoa closes March 1st, but they are in Honolulu. University of Pittsburgh is in a big city.
There’s really no such thing as an out of state or private “safety” school. There’s a few schools that offer good merit scholarships. University of AZ or University of AL, for instance. The rest are going to be a financial reach. I would put several other Cal-States on the list of safeties.
If a college has automatic admission for the student and is affordable at list price or with automatic scholarships for the student, why would it not be a safety for the student?
@2022jl Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA has an accelerated pre law program and fantastic poly-sci department, especially being 2 hours from DC. Merit money is great and with your stats, you should consider applying for the Presidential Scholarship to get 35,000 merit per year.