<p>Hi! I am a rising senior from New Jersey and I am having trouble finding good match schools. My stats are:
-35 ACT score (36 English, 36 Math, 34 Reading, 34 Science, 10 Writing)
-PSAT score 224
-4.595 GPA (weighted)
-Rank number 1/300 (so far)
-Public school - not ranked very high
-7 AP classes (5 on US History and 5 on English Lang & Comp)
-780 on the US History subject text, planning on taking Math 2 and English Lit & Comp
-Major is undecided
-I would prefer to stay on the East Coast
-Medium sized schools with urban campuses are preferable
-All-State musician for all 4 years
-NHS and Spanish Honor Society member
-Volunteer music teaching children with autism (co-founder of a website to promote aiding disabled people)
-Museum volunteer for 4 years</p>
<p>So far this is my list of schools:
Reach:
-Princeton
-U Penn
-U Chicago
-Duke
-UNC
Safety:
-Northeastern
-U Pitt
-Fordham
Possible match:
-Rochester U</p>
<p>If a school gives merit aid that would be great because I probably will not qualify for any need-based aid.</p>
<p>Those are all pretty good choices. You have done your homework pretty well.</p>
<p>The problem a kid like you has is that based on your stats all the colleges that should be matches are really reaches. So it’s not surprising that you have some trouble finding a true match. Rochester is a good college to identify in that regard. Others to think about, maybe not quite matches but somewhat less ambitious reaches, include Johns Hopkins (which has a great, great writing program and English department, and also a top music conservatory), Boston College, Tufts, and Emory. See what you think about the colleges in D.C., mainly Georgetown and George Washington. Also, look at the University of Richmond (which has a great music program), and Carnegie-Mellon (right next door to Pitt, and probably a match if you aren’t applying in computer science).</p>
<p>At the safety level, maybe you should look at Boston University, too, which has some merit opportunities, and I like more academically in many areas vs. Northeastern. You can get admitted to Pitt on a rolling basis as soon as they start accepting applications, and you may be a candidate for one of its merit scholarships. You may also want to think about the University of Toronto or McGill. What they charge foreign students is the equivalent of getting a very good merit award elsewhere. They are bigger than you seem to want, but they are both world-class universities in the middle of world-class cities, with completely predictable, stat-based admissions.</p>
<p>Medium size, east coast, urban campus, merit aid…Boston U and George Washington come to mind.</p>
<p>Merit aid unlikely, but other possible matches meeting that description include Emory, Tufts, Georgetown, BC, NYU, Johns Hopkins, Vanderbilt. All are very expensive, with merit aid rare. All their students are meritorious. </p>
<p>Schools with merit aid are more likely to be safeties for you. Merit aid tends to be for candidates well above average for that school. If you’re well above average, it’s probably a safety. That said, nothing wrong at all with choosing big merit aid from a good school.</p>
<p>You say you will not qualify for need-based aid. Are you (and/or your parents) willing to spend $250,000 for college? Have the talk. It will help steer you to the most realistic options.</p>
<p>Allow me to put a plug in for Wake Forest. It’s usually a match for kids who have Duke as a reach. And, the large town/small city of Winston-Salem is probably easier to like than Durham. :)</p>
<p>Actually, DougBetsy, Durham has undergone a transformation of sorts in the last 10-15 years - you really should check out the new restaurants and arts scene. I prefer Durham over Winston-Salem, but that’s my opinion. I second the plug for Wake Forest.</p>
<p>Thanks everybody! My parents are willing to pay up to $35,000 a year and I want to eliminate as many loans as possible. </p>
<p>JHS: I will check out McGill, and U Richmond is a possibility if Greek Life is not too strong. I know they have some good scholarships, so maybe it is worth a shot.</p>
<p>Chardo: I visited both BU and GWU and I didn’t really like either of the campuses. Like you said, for a lot of the schools merit aid isn’t a possibility, making them too expensive.</p>
<p>DougBetsy: Is Wake Forest very Greek as well?</p>
<p>Your list pretty much covers the schools that meet your criteria. Rochester is definitely a match–probably a safety, actually, although a very strong one. Maybe a “low match.” And it gives merit aid. As an FYI, kids I know with stats similar to yours–including my own–were offered merit in the $7-10K per year range there. They do have higher awards, inluding one that is about $30K per year–Renaissance Scholar? Can’t recall–but I’m not sure what the criteria are. I do know that they are reputed to like demonstrated interest, especially for the big award, so scheduling an interview with their travelling admissions officers in the fall or visiting the campus would be wise. You should also apply to Pitt as early as possible to maximize chances of getting the merit they offer to OOS students. Sounds like you would definitely be in their Honors College, which is well thought of.</p>
<p>If you really <em>need</em> significant merit money to make it feasible, then I would suggest that you consider broadening your list to include some LACs or schools outside your target area. Rice would seem like a great school for you, BTW, although I have no idea whether they offer any merit money.</p>
<p>Lastly, I suggest that you run the online calculators at Yale and Harvard, just to see.</p>
<p>Your list seems quite good. As long as you like your safeties, you don’t have to add any more to your list, so only do so if you really like the school. Are you sure you like Pitt? It’s not quite as urban as GWU, but it is definitely more urban than urban campuses with a bubble (differentiating between “urban”). Can you visit? If so, check out Carnegie right next door too.</p>
<p>I ask mainly about Pitt because I see them as a financial safety for you since you’ll know fairly early about acceptance and merit aid due to their rolling admit policy. The other safeties are definitely highly likely, but I’m not sure when they notify of aid and if your top $$ is 35K, they may, possibly, not work.</p>
<p>Not urban, but Binghamton is a match that would fit your budget. Most private schools that would be considered matches for you will net well above your 35k budget, even with merit aid. The ones that might merit-down to 35k are your safeties (Northeastern, Pitt). Add Tulane and Miami to that list.</p>
<p>Those are terrific stats! Safety/Match/Reach is a good college app strategy for most students, but most schools at the top end are a reach for all.</p>
<p>Is 224 PSAT likely to be above NY NMSF cutoff? If yes, Northeastern (full tuition NMF award) would be an especially attractive safety / financial safety.</p>
<p>I would guess that for this valedictorian, that those reach schools are all close to a match (30-40%). </p>
<p>Medium Sized East Coast Urban Match schools for you
Tufts
Brandeis
Boston College
Wesleyan (Suburban Hartford, quite large for a LAC)
Rochester
Johns Hopkins
Carnegie Mellon
GWU
Richmond</p>
And it gives merit aid. As an FYI, kids I know with stats similar to yours–including my own–were offered merit in the $7-10K per year range there. They do have higher awards, inluding one that is about $30K per year–Renaissance Scholar? Can’t recall–but I’m not sure what the criteria are. I do know that they are reputed to like demonstrated interest, especially for the big award, so scheduling an interview with their travelling admissions officers in the fall or visiting the campus would be wise. You should also apply to Pitt as early as possible to maximize chances of getting the merit they offer to OOS students. Sounds like you would definitely be in their Honors College, which is well thought of.</p>