<p>I've basically done my college applications, and I could use some narrowing down....
My list is pretty ridiculous.. Do any of these schools seem out of my reach?
Which are reaches?
Ut-Austin
Rice ED
Boston University
USC
Notre Dame
Cornell
Penn
Chicago
NYU-poly
Vandy
Tulane
Cooper Union
UCLA
Cal
Tufts
Alabama
WUSTL</p>
<p>Here's the profile!
Texas high school senior
2180/1430 SAT (760m,670cr,750wr)
Taking Math 2,chem, and phys. subjects in a couple of weeks
32 ACTw/wr (34m+e,32r,27sc) (about to retake... I think I'll get a 34.. who knows)
31/617 rank
3.98 gpa
95.1 uw average
99.3 W average
taking calculus BC ap, ap gov/econ, ap stats, ap chem, ap physics c, and ap elit this year
11 AP classes
3 5's and a 4 so far (taking 7 this year)
NHS,YoungRepublicans,2yrs.basketball,1yr.work,1yr. debate,1yr.academic comp., physics teacher's aide
one of two NM commended at my school,Ap Scholar w/honors,regional qualifier in my current issues comp.
Prospective major: electrical engineering
*Spent all my time fresh. and soph. year working out and practicing for basketball, but I had to quit when I got a job as a junior b.c. we needed the extra money (my mom dated a conman who ran up tens of thousands of debt on her credit card).. worked 16 hrs. a week during the school year last year and 32 hours a week in the summer
will try to work this into my essay along with how my dad walked out on me at 11 and I've been morally supporting my mother like an adult ever since and how we had to go to a local charity and get free food for a little while and how I fell down three times in basketball tryouts and got up and made the team</p>
<p>I’d take out the UC’s since OOS tuition is over 50K now. You have a good shot at any one of these, but the acceptance rates make it a guessing game. Just get this list down to no more than 12 schools -you’ll do a much better job with the supps. Good luck with your ED app.!!!</p>
<p>Since you mention the need to work, I’d narrow the list based upon best odds for $.</p>
<p>With your SAT/GPA you would get full tuition to Bama, so I’d jump that to the top of the list. I’d apply TODAY.</p>
<p>Next, run a FA calculator (College Board has a good one) so you have an idea of your EFC. </p>
<p>Many of the schools on your list “Meet Financial Need” but it is the school’s determination of need. Not all schools come to the same determination. </p>
<p>I would also sort by need-blind and meets financial need. Tufts is not officially in this list, but they are very good at meeting need.</p>
<p>I’d rule out Notre Dame and UCLA due to cost and rep that school doesn’t offer top aid. I’d carefully think about NYU, Penn and USC where the COL is high. Even if school meets your need, you must still consider the social life. Won’t be much fun to not go out with new friends due to financial restrictions.</p>
<p>Going thru your list with the financial tooth comb should weed out enough that you will not feel overwhelmed with the number of apps.</p>
<p>Go to each school’s web site and put “financial aid estimator” in the search box. Use the estimator to see if your net cost after non-loan financial aid is realistic. If not (and you there is no chance of merit scholarship that can help), you can remove the school from your application list because it is out of reach.</p>
<p>I like ALL of the schools better than Ut-Austin.
At UT-Austin students are numbers, and the top 9% law really waters down the student body. There are some pretty undeserving people who get in just because their classes aren’t very competitive. And I didn’t realize that Chicago doesn’t have engineering… but I finished my supplement already soooo… might as well send it!</p>
<p>*By NYU I mean NYU Poly by the way</p>
<p>But yeah… I guess I could just not do the UC apps and the USC one
That’d make it pretty manageable</p>
<p>Even Alabama, which is likely a lot less selective overall?</p>
<p>NYU has a reputation of poor financial aid; investigate how much it is likely to offer you before applying (not sure if NYU Polytechnic has different policies).</p>
<p>USC is private and has different financial aid policies from the UCs.</p>
<p>Well Alabama is my safest financial option.
UT doesn’t offer much aid, and at Alabama I’d receive free tuition +2500 + aid$.
It’s kind of a financial safety.
I have HEARD… don’t know quite if I’ve heard right… but I’ve heard that aid money at NYU Poly is pretty good… and I’d have a chance at a little merit aid there…
Does USC offer good financial aid?</p>
<p>When you say “I’ve basically done my college applications”, do you mean you’ve almost completed the actual applications and paperwork, like letters of rec, transcripts, and test scores?</p>
<p>I don’t know about financial aid, but the USC application seems like a lot of work. The UC’s add a lot of work too, since they have some unique requirements, (like a year long art class), and they don’t use the common APP. And they are expensive out of state.</p>
<p>I have requested my letters of rec at all the common app schools; I have sent transcripts; I haven’t sent all my test scores.
Yeah, the USC one does… I probably won’t do it ;)</p>
<p>USC has very good merit, but it is competitive. USC app is MUCH easier this year since they are taking the Common Application. Review the Common Application supplement and decide if it is too much work.</p>
