Help with College List!

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Some information:
School: Private boarding and day school; sends maybe 5ish to Ivies/top 10, maybe 5-10ish more to top 30
GPA: by the end of this year, probably about 6.7-6.8ish (weighted) on a 7.0 scale. To our school, 6.5+ = 4.0.
Rank: School doesn't rank beyond top 2. I'm not in the top 2 (there are about 90ish people in my grade)
Junior Year (this year) schedule: AP Bio, AP Calc BC, AP US, AP French, English III, Astronomy, Orchestra
Senior Year (next year) schedule (subject to change): AP Econ (both Macro + Micro; same class), AP Stats/Multivariable Calculus (again, same class), AP English, AP Chem, Senior Seminar (required writing-intensive class), Orchestra</p>

<p>Standardized Tests:
ACT: 35 Composite
SAT: 2150 total; retaking in June
PSAT: 215; will be named NMSF, hopefully finalist
SAT IIs: 760 Math IIC, 780 Chem, 800 BioM</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
Tennis: JV doubles (9th grade), Varsity 2nd doubles (10th), Varsity 3rd singles (11th)
Lacrosse: JV (9th-11th), JV Captain + center (11th)
Junior Engineering Technical Society (science competition): 1st regionally, 2nd in state, 2nd in nation (10th); 3rd regionally, 5th in state, 37th in nation (11th)
College of Wooster Math Competition: 2nd as a team (10th); 1st as a team and 7th individually (11th)
Community service: 273ish hours to date, will accumulate more (don't know exactly how much yet)--includes french tutoring, giving tours to prospective students to my school, volunteering in hospitals, volunteering at inner city school</p>

<p>Summer stuff:
2008 - tennis camps, volunteer at local hospital
2009 - more tennis camps, more volunteering (at different hospital)
2010 - I applied for an internship at NASA, but I don't think I'll get it. :/ Back up plan: work with a professor at Case Western Reserve University</p>

<p>Other stuff:
Teacher Recs: debating between a combination of 1. English teacher (very eloquent, calls me one of his best students in his 43 years of teaching), 2. French teacher (taught me for two years, I work as a tutor for her), and 3. Calc teacher (I go to her for help a lot, knows me well, can also comment on my lacrosse improvements)
Essays: I don't know what my short one will be yet; the one I submitted to my guidance counselor was about JETS. My longer one was about how lacrosse has helped me become so much more outgoing and develop more as a person, not being afraid of asking for help and reaching out to others. Hoping the "shy, introverted, math-and-science-nerd Asian" stereotype will be avoided.</p>

<p>Specific school things:
- We're thoroughly middle class. The $50,000+ budget of most private universities will be EXTREMELY hard to finance; I need to apply to some colleges that either 1. has plenty of merit scholarships or 2. has VERY generous financial aid.
- I would like a student body that's small but not too small. 2,000ish - 7/8,000ish would be ideal, though those numbers are flexible.
- I would like to double major, preferably in two unrelated areas (right now I'm thinking neuroscience and economics, though that could change. Math also really intrigues me...).
- I don't mind being in the minority. I go to a private school dominated by Caucasians, and I fit in fine. However, I do not want to go to a school that is oppressive towards minorities.
- I hate dressing up (unless it's for some grand event). Jeans and a t-shirt, sometimes even athletic shorts and a t-shirt are what I wear when not forced to wear fancy clothes.
- I would like to go to a school that's somewhere near a decently urban area, but I'm not extraordinarily picky about the location.
- Mom would like me to stay east of the Mississippi River, unless it's Rice.
- Love, love, LOVE the outdoors.</p>

<p>Some schools I'm thinking about: Rice, Emory, UNC Chapel Hill, Colgate, maybe some of the other NESCAC schools... I know all of these schools don't fit every criteria I listed. That's okay. I'm flexible.</p>

<p>So... other than the 4 listed above, I don't have very much to go on. I've visited a few southern schools; Rice, Emory, and UNC are the only ones that really stood out to me (Duke, GA Tech and Wake didn't stand out as anything special). I've also visited CMU, Swarthmore, and UPenn, but I didn't like any of them very much. I need help formulating a list of reaches, matches, and safeties (safeties especially!) that would fit the majority of my criteria... Any advice? Thank you to everyone in advance!</p>

<p>I know this was a long post, and I thank you as well for reading through it!</p>

2

<p>Hm, that was a great deal longer than I expected it to be. Sorry about that… I tried giving as much information as possible to make your lives easier. Again, thank you to all in advance!</p>

3

<p>Check out WashU :)</p>

4

<p>Also look at University of Rochester for a match / safety. If you are willing to stay in the Ohio area, you might like Oberlin.</p>

5

<p>@PandoraHearts: I haven’t looked into WashU an enormous amount, mainly because I don’t know about the finances… I most likely won’t be able to get a scholarship (they’re so competitive!), and I don’t think they would offer me the kind of “aid” that a lesser institution (i.e., Colgate) would offer me. I know that I shouldn’t rule out colleges now based on finances though, so I’ll look into it a bit more. :slight_smile: Thanks!</p>

<p>@shennie: Funny story with URochester… My mom heard that they were coming to our area the summer before my junior year, and she signed me up for an interview and an information session with them. As the date approached, a situation came up that we couldn’t worm our way out of–I emailed the admissions office, but it was just days before… I don’t know how that would affect my relationship with them.</p>

<p>I really want to get out of Ohio if I can. I’m applying to OSU, and possibly Case, as a financial backup in case everything else falls through, but I really would like to get out of Ohio…</p>

<p>It’s funny though. Everyone keeps suggesting Oberlin to me…</p>

6

<br>

<br>

<p>The NESCAC schools are expensive ($50K +) and generally do not offer merit scholarships. They do have good-to-excellent need-based aid but if you are “thoroughly middle class”, and high enough in that bracket to be attending a private boarding/day school, you might not qualify. Find an online “EFC” (Expected Family Contribution) calculator to help you predict whether you will. </p>

<p>The Midwestern LACs generally are a little cheaper ($40k-$50K) and most (other than Carleton) do offer merit scholarships. Check out the website of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM). Of course, your chances of good merit aid will increase as the selectivity decreases. Macalester and Colorado College are the most urban of the ACM colleges. Most of Macalester’s merit scholarships are small (~$3K) but I believe they have a few that go as high as $13K. Colorado College is both urban and super outdoorsy, if you can imagine that (the school is in the heart of Colorado Springs but the city is at the foot of the Rockies). With your many AP courses and strong stats you should have a good shot at merit aid from schools like these.</p>

<p>Being Asian probably will give you an admissions boost at many LACs. I don’t know how that will play at Rice but in other respects it’s an excellent choice.</p>

7

<p>*
I need to apply to some colleges that either 1. has plenty of merit scholarships or 2. has VERY generous financial aid.</p>

<p>mainly because I don’t know about the finances… I most likely won’t be able to get a scholarship (they’re so competitive!), and I don’t think they would offer me the kind of “aid” that a lesser institution (i.e., Colgate) would offer me. I know that I shouldn’t rule out colleges now based on finances though, so I’ll look into it a bit more.*</p>

<p>You need to figure out your financial situation. And, yes, it’s ok to rule out colleges based on finances. </p>

<p>You need to find out a few things…</p>

<p>1) What will your family’s EFC likely be (using both federal and institutional methods). These will be estimates, and your family may likely have to pay more - sometimes a LOT more. </p>

<p>[FinAid</a> | Calculators | Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and Financial Aid](<a href=“Your Guide for College Financial Aid - Finaid”>Expected Family Contribution (EFC) Calculator - Finaid)
Do both the federal method and institutional. Many privates and a few publics use the both methods. A rule of thumb is that EFC can be about 1/4- 1/5 of family income. This can vary if income is low, family size is large, there are siblings in college, or if assets are high.</p>

<p>2) You need to find out what your parents are willing to pay each year for your education. Ask them. If there is a difference between what they will be expected to pay and what they are willing to pay, then you’ll need a whole different strategy for picking schools (which is why finances do have to be considered when constructing your lists.) If your parents cannot pay what they will be expected to pay, then you’ll need to pick schools that give huge merit for your stats.</p>

<p>3) If your parents are divorced, then you need to realize that the schools that give the best aid will consider your dad’s income/assets also and will expect him to contribute. If he won’t contribute, then you need to consider other schools - most likely big merit schools.</p>

8

<br>

<br>

<p>One other thing: don’t think of Colgate as a “lesser institution”. That is the least bit accurate only if you are comparing it to 10 or 15 other LACs, or to about the same number of universities, among the thousands that are out there. Colgate is a very expensive, very selective school that rejects many good applicants. Of those it accepts, many will find they cannot afford to attend. Colgate does not offer academic merit scholarships. Aside from a few athletic scholarships, their aid is need-based.</p>

<p>In your situation (“thoroughly middle class” but solid stats) you need to be looking at a broader range of schools than someone who is very wealthy or very poor, or who has a substantial college savings account. How broad a range? You’ll only know after you follow the advice mom2collegekids gave.</p>

9

<p>

</p>

<p>I’m attending the school that I am with a combination of financial aid and a scholarship, so we pay a very small amount of the total cost.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>I didn’t know Mac had merit scholarships! My friend goes to Mac and loves it… I was interested in it, but I don’t think my mom likes the idea of going to school in the very mid west (eastern-midwest she’s okay with). I’ll continue to look into them! Thanks!</p>

<p>@mom2collegekids: We did find our EFC using a calculator. My parents are willing to pay for the amount that was shown, but I will have to work to contribute a decent amount of it. And my parent’s aren’t divorced, so that’s not an issue.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Sorry, I didn’t mean it that way. (I love Colgate, I really do.) What I meant was that Colgate is a school at which I would be a very competitive applicant (compared with the Ivies, top 10, etc.). I know that they only have need-based aid, but I have heard that they seem to be more generous with it than other schools.</p>

<p>I’m still not really sure though of at which schools I have a (decent) shot at getting merit scholarship, and which schools have generous financial aid policies. The University of Richmond has some nice scholarships for which I think I would be a competitive applicant, but I haven’t looked into the school very much. I know Wake has some decent scholarships as well, but I don’t think I’m going to apply there…</p>

<p>So I guess I’m just trying to expand my knowledge and find more schools that would be plausible for me to attend. I’ll do a little more research on Mac and see what happens… Do you guys have any other suggestions?</p>

10

<p>Keep Rochester in your sights. I doubt that you cancelling an appointment will be a problem. They know that things come up. They do have merit aid and meet much of your criteria. An excellent school that will give you a fine education if you choose to go there.</p>

11

<p>I most likely won’t be able to get a scholarship (they’re so competitive!),</p>

<p>There are two kinds of merit scholarships…the competitive ones and the assured ones. Yes, the competitive ones can be hard to win and you can’t count on winning one. BUT, the assured ones are guaranteed for your stats. If you have the req’d stats, then you get the merit scholarship.</p>

<p>Students with high stats should ALWAYS apply to 2-3 schools with assured big merit scholarships - those can be your financial safeties. And, sometimes you can get your merit scholarship increased from one safety after you’ve shown the school that another safety (similarly ranked school) gave you a bigger scholarship.</p>

12

<p>@shennie: Canceling the appointment was the main thing I was worried about. I really like the idea of the open curriculum, and I’ve heard they’re a strong science school. I’ll definitely look into it more! Thank you!</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>I have never heard of the assured scholarships… Do you just have to have a certain stat and you get the money? That seems too easy… Do you know of any colleges with these scholarships?</p>

13

<p>If you love the outdoors you should look at Dartmouth. I know you’re looking for financial matches and safeties but you could go with a few more reaches with those stats.</p>

14

<p>@schrizto: I am considering Dartmouth. I’m not sure if I’m going to apply or not yet, but I am looking into it. Thanks!</p>

<p>By the way, while browsing the URochester forums, I came across this:</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Can anyone testify if this is still true? (It was posted in 2009.) If it was, that’d be insanely awesome…</p>

15

<p>*BUT, the assured ones are guaranteed for your stats. If you have the req’d stats, then you get the merit scholarship.</p>

<p>I have never heard of the assured scholarships… Do you just have to have a certain stat and you get the money? That seems too easy… Do you know of any colleges with these scholarships? *</p>

<p>Yes, with assured scholarships, all you have to have is certain stats…GPA and ACT or SAT. And, there are also schools that give assured scholarships to those who make National Merit.</p>

<p>Both of my kids received assured scholarships for their stats…one received a NMF scholarship for tuition, housing, laptop, study abroad money and a stipend. My other son was given full tuition plus $2500/yr stipend. These were automatic.</p>

<p>You should apply to 2-3 schools that will give you huge assured merit scholarships for your stats - those schools can be your financial safety schools.</p>

<p>AUTO $$$ CC Important links to Auto Scholarships…
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>If you’re from Ohio, last year’s NMSF cutoff was 213, so you have a good chance of making NMSF this fall and as long as you do what you’re supposed to do and not get into any trouble at school, you’ll make finalist. </p>

<p>As an NMSF/NMF, you’ll be offered lots of scholarships…
NMF scholarships
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/649276-nmf-scholarships-updated-compilation-20.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/649276-nmf-scholarships-updated-compilation-20.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Do you know how much your parents will pay for your education each year? If not, you need to ask. It won’t do you any good to get accepted to a top school that will expect your parents to pay - say $50k per year - and your parents will only pay $25k.</p>

16

<p>*Unless your son is 100% certain he wants to UR <em>and</em> is a NMF (in which case there’s an automatic $22,000 merit award) *</p>

<p>Unfortunately, UR has reduced their auto NMF scholarship to $15k per year. Since UR costs about $53k per year, that still leaves you with about $38k to pay.</p>

17

<p>Thanks, mom2collegekids, for the links! They’re really helpful!</p>

<p>Yeah, I’ve talked to my parents about the money; I just don’t want to say anything about our financial situation online…</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Well… it’s a start, right? :)</p>

<p>Does anyone (in general) know how hard it is to get merit scholarships at the University of Rochester?</p>

<p>Also, I have a dual citizenship–United States and Canada–and I’ve been thinking about applying to some Canadian universities in addition to those in the United States. The tuition for Canadian citizens is AMAZING, which is one of the main reasons I’m considering applying (and, after all, who doesn’t love Canada?). I just have a few questions:</p>

<p>Are you allowed to visit the universities in Canada like we do in the United States?</p>

<p>How hard is it to switch out of your field once you enter the university?</p>

<p>How is a Canadian degree perceived in the U.S.? Will I have limited job prospects if I do decide that I want a job in the U.S.?</p>

<p>And which universities are known for their neuroscience programs? (Right now, that’s the path I’m set on. I would love if I could double major in neuroscience and potentially economics or international relations, but I don’t know if you can do that…)</p>

<p>Sorry if these seem like stupid questions… I only recently became interested in Canadian universities. I’ll try to find another thread to post these questions in as well; I don’t know how well you guys know about the Canadian system.</p>

<p>Edit: My dad got his PhD at Waterloo and my mom got her master’s there, so I know a little bit about it… The university I’ve done the most research on is McGill. I’m getting a favorable impression; I’m just a little concerned about its size…</p>

18

<p>Does anyone (in general) know how hard it is to get merit scholarships at the University of Rochester?</p>

<p>Except for the assured merit scholarships (like the NMF one), URoch is one of the hardest schools to predict merit scholarships. Their methods for awarding merit is so bizarre. I’ve seen people with high stats get hardly anything, but kids with lower stats get good merit. I don’t know if those with lower stats got merit because they are from an odd state or if they are a URM and are wanted for diversity.</p>

<p>Yeah, I’ve talked to my parents about the money; I just don’t want to say anything about our financial situation online…</p>

<p>That’s fine. As long as you’ve talked to your parents and everyone is on the same page. Believe me, you don’t want the crazy surprises some kids have during the spring of senior year when they get their acceptance and FA packages and then their parents announce that they have no intention of spending XXX dollars. So, as long as YOU know your situation, you can proceed. :)</p>

19

<p>Alright, so here’s what I’ve come up with so far:</p>

<p>Reaches:
-UNC Chapel Hill
-Washington University in St. Louis
-Middlebury</p>

<p>Matches:
-University of Rochester (I’ve done research on it and decided I liked it a lot!)
-Emory
-Rice
-Colgate
-Macalester</p>

<p>Safeties:
-OSU (financial)
-Case Western Reserve University (maybe financial; known for merit aid)</p>

<p>I still need to do a lot of research on the schools with automatic scholarships, so I haven’t included any of those. I want to try to expand this list (I’ll narrow it down later!); does anyone have any other suggestions?</p>

20

<p>Edit: I would also like to add William & Mary. Would this school be a reach for me? I know it’s competitive to get into out-of-state…</p>