GPA:3.7-8 (UW) 4.1-3 (W- depending how this semester and senior yr go)
ACT: 31 on mock freshman yr, have been working for 32+
Adv. Classes: 2
Honors: 3
AP’s: 6 (Lit&Comp, US History, Lang&Comp, Bio, Stats, Psychology)
EC’s: prestigious summer ballet programs in PNW & Europe (by invitation), multiple dance awards, 3 years of student choreography project, leading roles in several productions, 3 theatre productions, volunteered at summer camp 2 yrs, animal shelters, and food banks. Helped put on dance performance for special needs students. Currently running a business w/ a growing online following. French Club and NHS. Will be adding to this list after summer and 1st semester senior year.
Current List of Colleges
Reaches (don’t know unless you try):
Johns Hopkins
CMU
Emory
William & Mary
UNC Chapel Hill
High Matches:
Brandeis
UC Irvine
UMich Ann Arbor
UCSD
USC & Boston College (both have family connections :P)
Matches/Low Matches:
Univ. of Washington
UC Davis
LMU
UConn
Safety:
Butler
Rutgers
Gonzaga
UMass-Amherst
Any colleges similar to these that you could suggest? Any I should cross off? I am interested in biology and the other sciences. I would prefer a school with a strong research program. Thanks for your help!
If you’re going STEM look at technical schools like South Dakota School of Mines or New Mexico Institution of Mining and Technology. Any other schools like that are cheap and effective. Don’t get into loads of debt with those big name colleges with more then 10,000 kids. I looked at SDSMT and they have applied Biological Sciences (BA). I would seriously consider it.
Have you talked to your parents about the price limit and run net price calculators on all of these schools’ web sites?
A further consideration would be whether you you firmly desire to attend what’s known as a research university, or whether you simply would like to be involved in research. If the former case is the case, then I think your list is excellent (though I’d add the University of Rochester.) If the latter is the case, then you could still consider a broader range of options.
@DerpyDobo that is a smart idea. However, many people have told me to attend a liberal arts school, so I can become more well-rounded and also to have options if I change my mind. Worst come to worst I have a full ride to Boise State because some distant relative established an endowment fund there. My family is not affluent, but my parents have approved of these schools and would be willing to support it. I will check out those colleges you mentioned though, because they do sound like good institutions that offer programs I am interested in.
What is your stae of residence? Also, talk to your parents a bit more about money. If they are in the $120-150 range of income, your EFC might be more than they are comfortable paying. Run the NPC for a few of the colleges you have listed. This will help you decide if you should pursue meet-full-need schools or schools that offer merit scholarships.
UC schools are very expensive OOS. Don’t expect financial aid.
What about Tulane?
@ucbalumnus yes. I know I will be able to get some aid from FAFSA since I will have 2 older siblings in college when I apply. My dad was unemployed for a while but recently got a job, and that didn’t keep my brother from going to UChicago. I make money independently from selling clothes, but I will also be getting a real job that will probably help. First I need to see which schools accept me, then decide which prices are more feasible. I plan on applying for every scholarship possible. I have thought a lot about this and I don’t want money to get in the way of me attending a school I love.
@txstella I am a California resident, so a UC would probably be a good option for me. I also have relatives in Washington that are willing to house me should I choose to attend school in the Seattle area, which would subtract a little more than $10k. Thanks for the advice! I don’t know much about Tulane, but since you suggested it, I will take a closer look. Thank you 
^Make sure you apply to schools you can afford. There are so many stories of students who can’t go to their “dream” school because of money. Ask your parents how much UChicago costs them and run the NPCs for your favorite schools NOW. There are so many schools that can be affordable to you if you plan properly.
Your working is great and the clothing line shows a lot of initiative. BUT the money you earn can’t offset $65k.
Outside scholarships may not be all that helpful. Apply to schools that have MERIT scholarships if the NPC number is too high. OOS publics are very expensive in general.
OK. Your being a CA resident is a relief. You have access to some great schools at an affordable price.
You might want to drop some of those OOS off your list like UMass Amherst, Rutgers, and UConn. I understand the appeal of W&M but you can probably find a nice LAC that will give you either merit or financial aid. Look over the Fiske guide.
Take UNC, William and Mary, Michigan, UConn, Rutgers, and UMass off your list. You will be a full pay student there. If you are not affluent, you will not be able to afford them.
Your safety schools should be UC’s or CSU’s since you’re a CA resident. Rutgers would probably be considered a match.
Why Butler is on your list? Does that mean you are more inclined to be a business major? If so, you should put CPSLO on the list, it is affordable and has great business programs. UCI is another thought. Of course put Babson on the list to counter Butler.
Good luck.
I think rather than adding to this list you should think about ways you can cut it down. I do agree that you should add some UCs and CSUs, but they should be replacing other things. Do you really think you’ll have the time and money to complete 19 applications? That’s a lot of work you’re creating for yourself. I don’t think you need more than 2 or maybe 3 safeties since you have so many matches and low matches (though you certainly don’t need 10 of those either!) And I don’t think it’s a good use of your time to apply to 5 different reaches. Apply to the 3 you care most about and then you’ll be able to put more effort into the applications. In general, I think you should narrow this list down to schools that you really love. Your life will be a lot easier if your final list contains 8-12 schools.
@CaliCash UNC is one of the smarter schools on her list in terms of finances. They meet full financial need and divide the EFC by the number of students in college. UNCCH ends up being cheaper than a UC for many Californians.
I think UCSB has the strongest Dance department among the UCs (I could be dead-wrong about that), and so you might as well include it if you want to continue dancing.
That is a lot of schools.I know UC schools are one application but that’s still 16 applications, right? How did you pick your safeties? Make sure you are as happy with your safeties as your other picks and that they are absolutely affordable. You probably only need at most three safeties.
If you can, apply EA to a couple of schools.
Waiting until April of senior year to figure out the finances is the way that many students and parents get financially shut out (i.e. all acceptances are to schools which are too expensive). Their heartbreaking let-down stories show up in April every year here. For most students, money can get in the way of attending a school that one loves, so figuring that out up front at the application stage is much less of a let-down then than in April of senior year.
Please check with your parents and run the net price calculator on each school to get estimates, so that you can see what category the school is in:
A. Affordable at list price or on need-based financial aid if admitted.
B. Not affordable on need-based financial aid, but could be if you get a big enough merit scholarship. (Then your chance estimate must be based on the scholarship, not admission.)
C. Not affordable on need-based financial aid, and no realistic merit scholarships are enough to make it affordable. (Not worth wasting time, effort, and application fees to apply to.)
If you are a resident California, the UCs and CSUs do tend to have good need-based financial aid, so check their net price calculators – you may have lots of good options. Most out-of-state publics would fall into category B and C above (exceptions may be UNC-CH and UVA), unless their list price is so low that you can afford them without any financial aid (beyond Pell grant if you are eligible) or scholarships (schools like SD Mines, Truman State, and UMN Morris would be examples of very low list price out of state public schools, though even they may be too expensive if you are low to middle income).
Full ride at Boise St.? Tuition, room and board and fees? If so, I would suggest keeping them on the list as a financial safety. Cross them off after you know the final price tag is within range on the others.
The University of Michigan, one of the most expensive schools as an out of state student. I suggest you cross that one off