I need some safety/match schools!!

College Search & Selection
1

Hi,

This is my first post on here. I am currently a high school junior on her college search!! I already have a few colleges in mind, but they are almost all what I would categorize as ‘reach’ schools. These colleges include: Georgetown University (dream school), Johns Hopkins University (BIG reach), the Naval Academy, Duke University, Northeastern University, Boston University, Boston College, Carnegie Mellon, and the University of Virginia.
The only ‘safety’ school that I have right now is Virginia Tech (w/ a double legacy). Any other safety/match schools north of North Carolina and as far west as Illinois that come to mind while reading my stats would be greatly appreciated!

ACT: 34 (34 E, 34 M, 33 R, 36 S)
GPA: ~4.2
Junior Year schedule: Theology (required), HN French 3, HN English, HN History 20th Century, HN Precalc, HN Microbiology, AP Biology, AP Environmental Science, AP Physics 1, Independent Study (I’m working on a project with paramecium under the guidance of my AP Biology teacher)
Senior Year schedule: Theology (required), HN French 5 (skipping 4), AP Lit, AP Gov&Pol, AP Statistics, AP Physics 2, AP Chemistry, Independent Study (an expansion of this year’s project), Dual Enrollment Microbiology, Dual Enrollment Genetics. I will also be taking Calculus through my community college this summer.

I hold many leadership positions in a lot of clubs/extracurriculars, I have spent 2 years on the track team and I will be doing both indoor and outdoor track senior year. I am a member of NHS and I have had a job since last summer. I also regularly volunteer at the hospital as a part of an elder life program.

I have applied for two internships this summer, one is paid and the other is not. The paid internship is with a clinical trial stage vaccine production company. The unpaid internship is with Georgetown’s Cancer research center (I am really hoping to get this one!!). If I get either internship, I will include it on my college applications.

I go to a Catholic school (on scholarship) near DC and I am Hispanic and Native American.

I have a passion for science, especially biology, and I need to go to a college with a strong science program. I am hoping to major in biology or biophysics and to research while in college. I will be on the pre-med track as well. I am also looking for a medium-sized college (greater than 5,000 but less that 20,000 students) in or at least near a large city.

I know that these are a lot of conditions and I appreciate any suggestions that I get! Thank you!!

2

How much money can your parents spend per year on college and what is you home state?

3

I live in Virginia. Tuition would have to be less than $30k/year.

4

With your test score, ethnicity, challenging classes, and love of science/biology, you will more than make it into your dream schools. Congrats!

5

Are you registered with a tribe? That makes a difference in whether being Native American will help. If you do get in, how will you pay for those schools? You need to run the net price calculator in each college website to see if they are affordable.

6

Since your dream school (you shouldn’t really have a dream school, but that’s another discussion). Since your first choice is an early action (EA) school, you’re probably going to apply to Georgetown by Nov 1, You can also applying to BC and Northeastern EA, Northeastern not really having a significant supplement. Those are not reach schools for you. Therefore, frankly I don’t think you need additional safeties unless you don’t have an admission in hand by mid-December.

I might even consider some MORE competitive schools like the ivys given your profile especially because they are very generous with financial aid.

7

If the OP is not a registered tribe member, they have less of a hook (yes, Hispanic helps, but Native American is a more significant hook). I’d add one true safety for sure. But a safety has to be affordable – are you eligible for need based aid is the question.

8

^^^^
Virginia Tech is a true safety. Not sure you could find a better one given the financials.

9

You will have some terrific choices. My post is mostly about money because my DS has a lot of choices, but money is a big factor in making a final decision. In general he received scholarships mostly in the ±$20,000 range from private colleges in the Northeast with one full tuition offer.

With an affordable school like Virginia Tech as a safety, you can probably concentrate your efforts on selective schools that meet your financial needs.

From what I’ve heard being a registered tribal member (if this is the case) helps with admissions plus you have the stats for selective schools.

But the first thing you need to do is sit down with your parents and run some NPCs.

JHU, Georgetown and Duke are very generous to lower income families…not so much to families earning more than $120,000 but each situation is different. NPCs are pretty accurate if your parents have straight forward finances (they do not own a business or rental property). Second homes will eliminate a lot of aid. (Duke has some hyper competetive merit scholarships btw.)

Schools like Northeastern and Boston University have merit scholarships, too. Are you a possible NMSF or NHRP (BU gives a $20,000 scholarship for NHRP and NMF while NEU gives $30,000 for NMF) Run the NPCs for these schools. But realize that a $20,000 scholarship still leaves a lot to pay.

Look at this website if you are looking for merit aid.
http://www.kiplinger.com/tool/college/T014-S001-kiplinger-s-best-values-in-private-colleges/

Or this website if your family qualifies for generous financial aid.
http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/articles/2015/09/14/colleges-that-report-meeting-full-financial-need

10

Both of these suggestions are west of you. The University of Pittsburgh. Is a strong match with a likelihood of merit scholarships. It is very urban and in a great part of Pittsburgh. It is on the large side of the size you are considering. I would consider it an academic safety. Another possibility would be Case Western Reserve in Cleveland. I would consider it a good match for you. Pittsburgh is the nicer city. They are usually pretty good about merit aid with your stats.

11

txstella, thank you very much for the helpful links!! I did receive an email about NHRP but I have not started the application. Now that I know about the scholarship opportunities, I definitely will.

12

intparent, I am not a registered tribe member. I believe that I would be eligible for financial aid (I have one providing parent and 4 younger siblings), and I know for a fact that Georgetown and Johns Hopkins both meet 100% of the demonstrated need. I’m unsure about the rest of the colleges, but I will run NPCs as suggested, thank you!

13

lvvcsf, thank you for these suggestions!! I have received a ton of emails from Case Western Reserve and it has been at the back of my mind for a while. I will definitely look into both U of Pittsburgh and CWR :slight_smile: