Help Me Find Some Safety Schools!

College Search & Selection
1

I am currently a junior in HS (class of 2017) and I am still looking for safety schools. Here are my current stats:

3.57 unweighted GPA
28 composite on the ACT (30 on Reading, 31 on English, 29 on Science and 22 on Math. My strong/weak points are pretty obvious)
Just took the SAT in October, may take the new one.
Prospective Eagle Scout (project to be done this winter, everything else done by Spring)
125+ volunteer hours and counting

Maryland resident. I would prefer to go nowhere further than Chicago to the west or Boston to the north, but as long as its worth it, I'll give it a shot.

I am still choosing between international affairs or nursing majors. I’ll save that for a different thread :slight_smile:

I would greatly appreciate any help from you all. Thank you!

2

How much can your family afford to pay? A safety has to be flat-out affordable for you. Sit your parents down, and ask them to run the Net Price Calculators at a couple of the public universities in MD, and at two or three other places that look interesting to you now. If you are serious about nursing, a number of the MD community colleges offer that so perhaps your own county’s CC (or one in a neighboring county) could serve as a safety for that particular major.

3

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28 composite on the ACT (30 on Reading, 31 on English, 29 on Science and 22 on Math. My strong/weak points are pretty obvious)
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You need to have someone who is good at math sit with you while you do an ACT math practice section. Don’t time yourself, just have them watch you worth thru problems and tutor you as needed.

That 22 is really bringing down your scores. If you can get a composite of 30, you’ll have a LOT more merit options.

Safeties HAVE to be affordable so how much will your family pay?

4

mom2collegekids: I’m trying to do that now. A couple of my friends who got 30+ are helping me out, but I’m also looking for a tutor.
I haven’t discussed in-depth with my family the amount we are willing to pay, but >10K for in-state tuition and >20K for out of state would be a possible range.

5

Perhaps UScranton, SUNY Buffalo if affordable (run net price calculator)?

Definitely have that money talk with your parents before you go too far in this process.

And good luck getting the math up – practice does help! If friends can’t help there are online or in person courses you can look into.

6

Saint Anselm is a little out of your desired distance, but they have a great nursing program and would probably give you some great merit aid (I applied with similar stats and got a 15,000 scholarship and an invite into the honors program).