Help!, what colleges to apply too?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I need help deciding which schools to apply to! </p>

<p>I am a very good student and have challenged myself as much as possible throughout high school. I want to apply to schools not that far from where I live (I live in PA, so basically I just don't want to go out to California or something like that) I plan on apply to Georgetown and UPenn as my reach schools, and Villanova as a school that I think I'm well qualified for. My problem is coming up with safety schools. I do not want to go to any PA State School (including Penn State), LaSalle U, St Joes U, or U of Delaware, because there are so many kids from my high school that go to those schools. </p>

<p>My classes were
freshman: all honors (history, biology, theo 1, english 1, alg 1, spanish 1)
sophomore: one AP (Euro), rest honors (chem, english 2, theo 2, spanish 2, geo)
junior: 2 AP (USH, Bio), 1 college class (intro to criminal justice) rest honors (english 3, theo 3, alg 2, spanish 3)
senior: I am involved in this program where I take half of my classes at LaSalle U (first semester: macroeconomics, modern european lit) (hopefully for the second I will have microeconomics and a science), 3 APs (Lang, Gov, and Calc), and 1 regular: theo 4. I plan on taking intermediate spanish at a community college in the second semester - I just couldn't fit it into my classes. </p>

<p>I have taken the hardest classes possible. I'd rather be challenged and learn a lot than to have a high class grade. My school has a weird GPA system so I have a 4.0, but it's weird and they don't weigh it. I rank 15/260. And my grades could have been higher, but I was facing a lot of home problems and moving, as well as depression, that my guidance counselor will explain. </p>

<p>My SATs are not great, but I will improve them in Oct., The first time I took them they were awful, but on the second try them improved a lot. Math: 660, Reading: 660, Writing:720 (Total 2040) - I will improve them though</p>

<p>As of now I've taken 2 subject test - US History: 700, and Bio M: 600 (I'm going to take more and not submit Bio)</p>

<p>I've taken 3 AP test so far and I got 4s on all of them. Bio and USH we're basically self study though because the teachers were terrible. (especially in apush, we only got to the civil war). </p>

<p>My ECs are: Mock Trial (VP Soph) (P Junior and Senior)
TV Studio (crew member)
HOSA (Tres Junior and Senior)
NHS
Community Service Corps
Mathleetes
Office Helper
Tennis (I had to stop this year because of the college classes)</p>

<p>I plan on double majoring in Political Science and Economics if possible, and then go to Law School.<br>
So, what schools should I be looking at? Should I not even both with UPenn?</p>

2

<p>anyone? please??</p>

3

<p>What about some of the State U. of NY schools? SUNY is a bargain for out-of-state students–the differential is much less than at other states. Here’s a chart with the middle 50 percent grades for the various campuses:
<a href=“https://www.suny.edu/student/downloads/Pdf/2013_Admissions_qf_stateop.pdf[/url]”>https://www.suny.edu/student/downloads/Pdf/2013_Admissions_qf_stateop.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

4

<p>Are you averse to LACs? You have some very fine examples in your state:</p>

<p>Swarthmore
Haverford
Bryn Mawr (if you are a female)</p>

<p>These are all, along with Penn, part of the Quaker Consortium. The four schools share cross-registration. This means that if you get into one school, you can take some classes at the other schools. In other words, you wouldn’t have to get into Penn to take some classes there.</p>

<p>Swat and Haverford are both top-ten LACs and Bryn Mawr is also prestigious.</p>

<p>A LAC education puts you in small classes, gives you plenty of interaction with real professors, and focuses less on pre-professional programs than on the base parts of an overall education.</p>

<p>Get your SAT up into the 2100s to have a decent shot at Swat or Haverford. I encourage you to check out the ins and outs of the Quaker Consortium and the schools that are in it.</p>

5

<p>American University. Good for Poly Sci. If you get the SAT up you might get some merit aid. What can your family afford?</p>

6

<p>GWU, Dickinson, Bucknell, JHU, Lehigh, Lafayette, Vassar, Colgate, Hamilton, CWM, W+L, Skidmore…
There are lots of schools meeting your stated criteria, depending on how much you can afford, what your best SAT scores are etc.
Try using a college search engine and input as many factors as you can to help narrow it down to a manageable list, such as distance from home, size of school, near a city etc. Then start researching.
I like [College</a> Navigator - National Center for Education Statistics](<a href=“http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/]College”>College Navigator - National Center for Education Statistics) - you can export the list to a spreadsheet.</p>

7

<p>^^^^^^^^^^^^^</p>

<p>Yes, though the OP will probably want to get the SAT higher to get into Johns Hopkins and top-25 LACs Vassar, Wash & Lee, Colgate and Hamilton.</p>

8

<p>LACs are a fine idea, but Swarthmore and Haverford are the reachiest in the state, and the OP is looking for safeties. (I think it might be a good idea to throw Haverford in there as another reach, though.) It sounds like the OP is probably a male student at a Catholic HS.</p>

<p>I think Drexel would be a safety for you, since your are in their top 25%, and they seem to admit over 50% of applicants. I don’t know about their strength in poli sci and econ, though. I see lots of business and engineering there. It seems like Bucknell would be a solid match, if not a safety. Lafayette is probably another match, and the subjects you favor seem to be very popular majors, which usually means the department is strong. Allegheny looks like a safety for you, Gettysburg probably another match. At all of the LACs, being a male–I assume, perhaps incorrectly, that you are–will give you a bit of a boost.</p>

9

<p>You should definitely apply to American University and George Washington University, both in Washington, DC.</p>

<p>I know you don’t want to apply to a state school, but you should still apply to Penn State as a safety.</p>

10

<p>If you don’t want LaSalle or st. Joe’s, there are other Catholic schools in the area that might be academic safeties (don’t know about financial, though). </p>

<p>Cabrini, Chestnut Hill, Gwynedd Mercy, Holy Family, Neumann, Rosemont.</p>

<p>Not sure if all are coeducational by now. That should be the first screening factor, I guess.</p>

<p>And check Franklin and Marshall. Terry Madonna is on the faculty and does political polling.</p>

11

<p>Thank you so much for all the options! Actually to give a little bit more information, I am a female, and I do go to a catholic high school, but it’s really only because my grandfather pays for it as the public high school in my district is not good. I’m not religious, these were just the schools I had an interest in. So, I’m not exactly looking for a religious school. I liked Villanova because when I went there no one was too preachy about religion. Also, I am looking for schools that give good aid. My dad, as my mom refuses to talk to me and does not wish to contribute to my education, makes <20k a year, so I’m looking for scholarships, aid, and student loans. I started looking into American U, and I really do like it. The Quaker Consortium sound like a great idea too. I shall check out the rest tomorrow. Thank you all so much! :)</p>

12

<p>*I plan on double majoring in Political Science and Economics if possible, and then go to Law School. *</p>

<p>And you need lots of financial aid since your dad makes less than $20k per year and your mom won’t contribute (and doesn’t speak to you). </p>

<p>Well, then don’t apply to OOS publics. The SUNYs may be lowish cost for OOS students, but they aren’t going to give you needed aid to go there, so they won’t work. The point is that “lowish cost” is all relative. If an OOS SUNY costs $27K a year and they’ll only give you about $12k in federal aid of grants, loans, and work-study, then the school will NOT be affordable. </p>

<p>American U doesn’t give great aid and you don’t have the stats for merit there.</p>

<p>It sounds like you have a non-custodial parent ( a mom) so that will be a problem at schools that require NCP info for financial aid. It’s doubtful that your mom would co-operate. </p>

<p>You need to apply to schools like DePauw and Loyola Maryland. They don’t require high stats, yet they give good aid. </p>

<p>Some other LACs might work. </p>

<p>PA publics don’t give great aid.</p>

<p>Villanova doesn’t meet need. Most of the Catholics do NOT meet need. Loyola-Maryland does claim to meet need…it does use CSS Profile. I think Notre Dame, G’town, and BC are the only other Catholics that meet need, but you don’t likely have the test scores for those schools. </p>

<p>Your student loans are limited to the following amounts:</p>

<p>5500 frosh
6500 soph
7500 jr
7500 sr</p>

<p>To borrow more requires qualified co-signers. That would NOT be a good idea…too much debt…AND, you’d have BIG DEBT for law school. </p>

<p>Have you asked your grandfather if he’ll contribute for college? If so, how much will he pay? Will he continue to pay as much as he does for your Catholic high school tuition?</p>

13

<p>Both of my grandfathers and my great uncle are willing to help me. My grandfather has had an account for college set aside for a while. He contributes under 4k for high school because I have some scholarships there.
I know Villanova is not known for good aid, but I’ve talked to a lot of admissions people and from what they told me I would get very good aid there. My friend goes there and his parents make over six figures and he is getting good aid. I am in no ways banking on getting good aid though, because you can’t rely on word. So, I’m really not as much concerned with money as I am a quality education. I know that I sound very naive, but I do have other people in my family who will help me out.</p>

14

<p>My friend goes there and his parents make over six figures and he is getting good aid</p>

<p>If your friend has that kind of income and got “good aid” from Nova then he got either MERIT or TALENT scholarships (which are different), he has siblings in college, or his parents are divorced and only one parent’s income counted or there was something funky done. Another option is whether Nova takes into acct younger siblings also attending Catholic schools.</p>

<p>No one with that high of an income would get good need based aid from Nova without a circumstance of high stats, siblings in college/catholic schools, or something.</p>

<p>The EFC would be too high.</p>

<p>Another option is that perhaps your friend and his parents were offered loans and they consider that “good aid.”</p>

15

<p>I was about to reply, but mom2 took the words right out of my mouth in #12 and 14. </p>

<p>You are female, therefore you should <strong>definitely</strong> apply to Bryn Mawr. Not only is it a great school, but it is in the consortium with Haverford and Swarthmore. Haverford is close enough that taking classes there is reportedly very easy; Swat requires more planning.</p>

<p>I really think that you should look farther afield in hopes of getting good FA. One possibility would be Bowdoin, in Maine, which meets need. It is also SAT-optional, which would help you. Bowdoin is an elite LAC, like the Quaker schools. Mount Holyoke College and Smith College, both womens’ colleges in Massachusetts, have good FA, are SAT-optional, and are elite LACs in consortium with 3 coed schools.</p>

<p>Trust me, womens’ colleges are not like convent schools! :)</p>

<p>If you need a lot of FA, and you do, it is essential to A) apply to the schools that meet need and have deep pockets, and B) cast a wide net. Never make assumptions about what kind of FA you might get. Keep an open mind and try not to fall in love with any school until the figures are all in. And even then, realize that you can appeal an award. People here can help you with that.</p>

<p>Breaking 700 on your M and CR sections would really help you, but if that doesn’t happen you need to explore the SAT-optional schools, because the rest of your stats are very strong.</p>

16

<p>Might look at Holy Cross one of the best Catholic schools. Holy Cross has good financial aid and is one of the very few that meets 100% demonstrated need. The HC campus is very nice.</p>