Help me narrow down my list please

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hi I've currently got 10 school on my list and would like to narrow it down to 5-7, so any help would be appreciated.</p>

<p>About me:
White Male WA
SAT I:2130 CR:700 M:710 W:720
Am taking the SAT and SATIIs
All A's except 2 A-'s and a B+ so I think thats 3.9 something UW
IB Diploma Canidate
ECs:
4 years Rowing, pretty successful, been voted most inspirational and recieve the "coach's award" a few time each, I may be elected captain this year
3 years Academic WorldQuest, Won Regional competiont last year, earnign a trip to Nationals in DC
2 years in Philosophy Club, "Sherriff" this year</p>

<p>Schools:
High Reach: Dartmouth
Low Reach: Bowdoin, Middlebury, Colgate
Match: Colby
Low Match: University of Puget Sound, Gonzaga
Safety: Washignton State (Honors), Western Washington (Honors), University of Victoria</p>

<p>What I'm looking for:
Academically challenging but not cuthroat
Decent Rowing Team
Strong Humanities
Undergrad focus
Politically moderate
Not Urban and with some easy access to the outdoors</p>

2

<p>You should only need one of the safeties. If its a safety you should be guaranteed to get in and if you get into one of the reaches or matches you will not be going to the safety school.</p>

3

<p>Unless you really like some of the low matches/safeties and/or are looking for merit aid or something, I’d say you can drop 2-3 of the 5.</p>

4

<p>You may need more than one safety if you’re not sure about which will admit you to an honors program and/or which might give you a merit award. If any of that is important to you.</p>

<p>And…one of the safeties may be a financial safety.</p>

5

<p>Yeah money is kind of the reason i still have so many safeties and low matches on there. We were middle to upper middle class untill my dad lost his job in may, he’s back in work as a self employed and our income has yet to stabilize although we have pretty good savings. So I have absolutely no idea how my FA situation will pan out and want some good money options both need and merit. I could still probably drop one or two on each end of the spectrum, which is where i’d like some help. thanks for the input so far.</p>

6

<p>^^^</p>

<p>You’re wise to keep your financial safeties because your family’s EFC will still likely be high and/or your F/A package will be student loans (not free money). I know that that confuses many students. Many think that “generous F/A packages” mean free money. At most colleges, F/A packages are student loan offers. :frowning: The wording is very misleading. I think colleges should use another name for F/A.</p>

<p>You need merit money. Merit money is not considered to be F/A. F/A is based on determined “need”. Merit money is awarded based on your stats.</p>

<p>Have you looked at the scholarship pages for your financial safeties? Do those include larger “automatic” scholarships that you know that you’ll receive if you apply on time, because you have the stats. I’m not talking about being “automatically considered”…I am talking about automatically being awarded the $$ because you have the stats. :slight_smile:
Or, do those schools have competitive (limited) scholarships (where only some are awarded), and you won’t know until next year if you’ve won one…</p>

<p>You need to have one or two schools that have larger automatic scholarships that you are qualified to receive if you apply on time. Those will be your affordable schools. Those are true financial safeties.</p>

7

<p>I just looked at Wash State. Their merit schollies are small - only about $2k per year. That’s not much when you consider that the total cost of attendance is going to be around $22,000 per year. And, that $2k doesn’t reduce your EFC…all is would do is reduce your F/A package.</p>

<p>You need some schools that will give you more money for your stats.</p>

8

<p>Do Gonzaga and Wazzu have rowing teams?</p>

9

<p>Is Wazzu Washington U?</p>

10

<p>No, it’s Washington State University.</p>

11

<p>You may want to consider U Dayton. They have a rowing club and you could probably get some scholarship $.</p>

12

<p>^^^^ </p>

<p>UDayton has automatic schollies…and your stats get a big scholly… [url=<a href=“Admission : University of Dayton, Ohio”>Undergraduate : University of Dayton, Ohio]Affordability[/url</a>] (scroll down and look at the colorful bubbles)</p>

<p>For a 1410 M+CR SAT and an A average GPA you get…
$50k - 110k for four years ---- the exact amount depends on your SAT. If you retake and do better on Math and CR, you’ll get a higher amount.</p>

13

<p>This may seem like an “out there” suggestion for someone on the west coast…but…it sounds like you need a financial safety in case the finances don’t pan out with your family or with an F/A package that doesn’t include all student loans (yuck!)</p>

<p>If your family can’t pay its EFC, then you need to consider schools that will give you big bucks…</p>

<p>U Alabama has a rowing team, AND would give you a full-tuition scholarship (automatically) for your high stats if you apply for admission and apply for scholarship by Dec 1. This scholly is worth about $80k for an OOS student because the scholly increases to cover any future tuition inceases!! :slight_smile: ) please, see below. </p>

<p>You would also qualify for entrance into the Honors College (must apply), and then you’d be able to be in the awesome honors dorms, have priority registration, and take the small honors classes. </p>

<p>Students in the honors dorms each have their own private room (yeah!) which is in a 4 room suite with a living room, kitchenette and 2 bathrooms (kind of like a 4 bedroom apartment - each kid with his own room)</p>

<p>Both of my kids go there and LOVE it. One went on the NMF scholly and the other is on the Presidential scholly. The school is gorgeous, the academics are strong, the dorms are NICE!!!, and the spirit is high. We are California natives, so I can honestly tell you that UA is not some “deep-south” school. :)</p>

<p>Here is a link to the newest honors res hall. [Housing</a> & Residential Communities - The University of Alabama](<a href=“http://housing.ua.edu/ridgecrestsouth.cfm]Housing”>http://housing.ua.edu/ridgecrestsouth.cfm) When you go to this page, scroll down to the smaller pics and you’ll see various pics of the interior & exterior of the res hall.</p>

<p>Here is a link to the Virtual Campus Tour [Virtual</a> Campus Tour - The University of Alabama](<a href=“Page Not Found | The University of Alabama”>Page Not Found | The University of Alabama)
I recommend viewing in full screen. Then use your mouse to “move around”. Be sure to also click on the numerous icons on the bottom to view various parts of campus.</p>

<p>Presidential Scholar
An out-of-state first-time freshman student who meets the December 1st scholarship priority deadline, has a 32-36 ACT or 1400-1600 SAT score and at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA will be selected as a Presidential Scholar and will receive the value of out-of-state tuition for four years. </p>

<p>Also…depending on your major, you would also likely get awarded department schollies. DS2 was also awarded an Engineering scholly on top of his Presidential.</p>

14

<p>^^^ </p>

<p>Oh, and I forgot to add the big plus for males… :)</p>

<p>UA has the most beautiful girls on campus that I’ve EVER seen (and I’ve been on many campuses in Calif and other parts of the country.) The men in my family can’t get over how good-looking the girls are at UA. </p>

<p>There is a college book that rates “look” for various campuses…UA got an A+ for pretty girls.</p>

<p>Oh, and…UA does have a pretty good football team… ;)</p>

15

<p>As far as low reach, and I agree it is, Colgate has all of the qualities you are looking for. I would keep it on your list.</p>

16

<p>Thanks for all the help so far guys.</p>

<p>I’ll definitely look onto Dayton and UA, although I 'm hesitant to go to the south considerign how much I hate humid weather. ( I know, stupid criteria right)</p>

<p>Yes WSU and Gonzaga do have crew, although I question whether or not I’d be able to row at Gonzaga (or at least at the varsity level) since most of their guys are huge and I’m a lightweight. WSU has a pretty decent club team ans some fairly competitive lights.</p>

<p>Any other schools with really good merit aid programs for my stats, or outside scholarships I schould be looking at?</p>

<p>And still any advice on knowkign a few of those schools of my list?</p>

<p>Thanks Again!</p>

17

<p>Look at New College of Florida. Its average SAT scores are commercerate with yours.</p>

<p>NCF’s campus is situated on Sarasota Bay; it features sailing, women’s soccer (the “Ugglies”); and quiddich as its competitive intercollegate sports.</p>

<p>It has extensive writing requirements. Big folks on campus are Fulbright Scholars. To boot, its football team is undefeated since 1960</p>

18

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<p>That’s understandable… I hate humidity too!!! LOL…but the good news is that Alabama is only humid in the summer (bad in July). Not bad during the school year. </p>

<p>Fall, Winter, and Spring don’t have humidity (hey, this isn’t Houston with lots of months with humitity.) Fall and spring are GORGEOUS in Alabama - blue, blue skies…fluffy white clouds. And winters in Tuscaloosa are not bad at all.</p>

19

<p>Senior Dad…does New College give much automatic merit money? Or is it competive or what? </p>

<p>OP needs some financial safeties…schools that he’s sure will give him money.</p>

20

<p>NCF is a part of Florida’s state university system like UF and FSU. But it also has the private Four Winds Foundation, with is quite generous with its scholarships for students with excellent SAT scores. Money is freely availabe, but only for excellent students.</p>