<p>Hey everyone! I have a very awkward situation right now. I am a junior who is struggling to find options for college and I have no clue. So I am looking for a reputable college. You know, top 50 or so (or something like that) that is strong in economics, international relations and if possible, physics. I would love a balanced experience, a college not filled with humanities students or just engineering and math. The problem though, are my stats. My ECs are pretty strong so I won't go in depth. My SAT score is about 2250 but my UW GPA is 3.3 and my weighted is a 4.3 on a 5.5 scale. I take the hardest schedule possible and am in the gifted program and all this other stuff. So its not like I'm dumb its a problem with laziness and all. But I digress.</p>
<p>So which universities or LACs would be nice? I don't mind the size but strong and chill academics with fun and parties so not like... UChicago for instance. Thanks everyone!!</p>
<p>What can your family pay? If you don’t know, ask them. In the end that will decide where you can actually attend unless you score it big in the financial aid lotto.</p>
<p>My parents can’t pay that much seeing as its just my mom and me. And I would hate to go to my SS (Pitt/Penn state). But I might have to. Just some other options on the table. I would qualify with a zero EFC.</p>
<p>With a zero EFC, a college that meets full financial need is probably highly desirable for you. US News publishes a list of schools that claim to meet 100% of need:</p>
<p>[Colleges</a> That Claim to Meet Full Financial Need - US News and World Report](<a href=“http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/articles/2012/02/16/colleges-that-claim-to-meet-full-financial-need]Colleges”>http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/articles/2012/02/16/colleges-that-claim-to-meet-full-financial-need)</p>
<p>However, most of the schools on that list are highly selective, so your GPA may make it uncertain to be admitted.</p>
<p>Some good colleges that are generally less selective, i.e. more tolerant of lower GPA are the so-called “Colleges That Change Lives”:</p>
<p>[CTCL</a> Members | Colleges That Change Lives](<a href=“http://www.ctcl.org/colleges/list]CTCL”>http://www.ctcl.org/colleges/list)</p>
<p>Almost none of these schools meet full need, but some might provide merit in addition to need-based aid.</p>
<p>So I would look at those 2 lists and see what appeals and is realistic for admission and financially.</p>
<p>Penn State and Pitt may not be good safeties for you in any case, because Pitt may be tough to get into (3.9 Avg GPA) and Penn State only meets on average 56% of need, so it might end up costing you $15K or so per year. Try the Net Price Calculators for a few schools to get an idea of what they might cost you.</p>
<p>A better safety might be a school like Alabama-Huntsville, for instance. If your CR+M SAT is at least 1490, you would get a full ride (tuition, room, board, and books) there.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.uah.edu/images/admissions/Financial%20Aid/Documents/scholarship.pdf[/url]”>http://www.uah.edu/images/admissions/Financial%20Aid/Documents/scholarship.pdf</a></p>
<p>I looked at both the lists and found some interesting materials. Would a college like Colby be within reach? Or Macalester? And if, for some reason I could afford to take out $15,000 grand out in either loans or pay it off later or sooner any other schools?</p>
<p>Take a look at Kings College in Wilkes Barre. They have pretty generous financial aid. Their business school is gaining a good reputation.</p>
<p>Some of the Pennsylvania state colleges have money to give as well. Cal U. gave great aid to some of my daughter’s friends, but I don’t know if they have the programs that you want.</p>
<p>Macalaster would be GREAT fit, <em>very</em> strong in international relations, good in economics too. Physics I can’t speak for, but I know they consider things holistically so you would stand a good shot. They have a strong social justice/activist vibe, so if your ECs have to do with that it should help. Macalaster has a good mix between laid back more rural stuff if you need to get away, but it’s also literally right by the twin cities if you want to go have fun or get involved. It’s one of my top choices.</p>
<p>Edit: Just checked out your profile: the UN and Russian stuff should work very well for you if you apply to Macalaster, play them up. Good luck!</p>
<p>Since you have an EFC of 0, you are going to need some serious advice on navigating this process. Pop over to the Financial Aid Forum, and take a look at the threads on Guaranteed Merit-based Scholarships. Your SAT score is good enough to make you competitive for some of them.</p>
<p>On your own, you are limited to the Federal/Stafford Loan maximums of $5,500 freshman year, $6,500 sophomore year, $7,500 junior year, and $7,500 senior year. That comes to a whopping total of $27,000. If the college/university you attend also awards Perkins Loans, you can pick up a bit more. But truly, you do not want any more debt than that for your undergraduate education.</p>
<p>Colby looks like a reach - the average GPA is 3.87 and average SAT score is only slightly below yours. But it’s good to have a few reach schools (that you can afford!) on your list.</p>
<p>Macalester - not sure, they don’t seem to publish accepted student GPA numbers.</p>
<p>With a 3.3 GPA, Macalester probably would be a reach, too. A strong upward trend might make a big difference, though.</p>
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<p>Point of caution: the fact that parents are separated/divorced will not necessarily exclude the non-custodial parent’s income from the EFC calculations.</p>
<p>The schools below Top 50 are still highly reputable. I’d look at both LACs (liberal arts colleges) and universities: The top 100 LACs and the top 200 in universities (to pick arbitrary numbers) are all going to provide you with a great education depending on what you want to major in and what you are looking for in a school. </p>
<p>Don’t get blinded by brand name recognition: The fact that strangers on the street don’t know about a school doesn’t mean it isn’t a great place to spend 4 years of your life and won’t set you up well for the future. Name recognition is also highly region specific. I grew up on the West Coast and hadn’t heard of most of the New England LACs except Amherst. (Williams? Middlebury? Bowdoin? Who?)</p>
<p>hopeful, even selective colleges admit imperfect applicants. Since your scores, extracurriculars and curriculum are all good, you need to explain or compensate for your relatively lower GPA. </p>
<p>Perhaps a counselor or teacher could help you explain in your application why there is a discrepancy between your ability and achievement. The key is to accentuate the positive. Many colleges are willing to take chances on kids who show potential but the burden of convincing them falls on you (i.e. in your application materials and in some cases in interviews).</p>
<p>So some questions: What is your rank? Is English your second language? Are you the first in your family to attend college? Do you have a job? Are your grades unbalanced, e.g., higher in either verbal or higher in math/science? Do you show an upward trend? Male or female?</p>
<p>I would also suggest that you look into QuestBridge.</p>
<p>To answer your questions, I am male, English IS my second language, but I came to America early on so its not really responsible for my difficulties. I do work. My grades are imbalanced towards verbal subjects but with strong grades in the natural sciences. Math and German really are the worst. No upward trends that I know of. Taking the hardest possible schedule at one of the strongest public high schools in PA. </p>
<p>That is interesting though. Thank you everyone for the help!</p>
<p>I wouldn’t rule out a school like Carleton - your GPA might be a little low, but a challenging schedule will help and I know a few people here who got in with great ECs and scores despite a slightly lower GPA. Carleton also has a great PoliSci/IR department, a good econ department, and is strong in the sciences - you’ll find a solid mix of math-science and humanities people here. Financial aid is generally pretty good too.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t rule out Macalester and Colby either; actually, I think they’re both feasible, especially since you’re interested in IR (Mac prides itslef on being very internationally-focused). I think GPA stats are often misleading when looking at colleges because admissions will look at you in context of your school. My school used a completely different GPA scale altogether. These schools would still be reaches for you, but I wouldn’t give up hope - take a chance and apply. Many of them will waive admissions fees for financially needy students as well.</p>