<p>I am a junior from Virginia who is starting to put together her list of colleges. My list has kind of a lot over the past two years, going from big schools to small schools, schools very far away to those close to home. It has been interesting looking into all of these possibilities, but with reality starting to set in, my scores starting to come back, etc. I think I am kind of ready to make some hard core decisions about where to apply. I have gotten some great advice from different posters on cc about how to go about getting where I want to be career wise. (thanks warblersrule and haystack!) While I like the south, its climate and the warmth of the people there, I am very impressed with the academics of Michigan and would be honored to be admitted. </p>
<p>I am a pretty strong student in the classroom. I will have 7 APs by grad at a very strong public high school. I have a 4.5 gpa, ranked 6/340 right now. Several leadership positions..Girls State, captain of my cc team, etc. But, here is the bane of my existence right now: my SATs and ACT scores! Took the ACT back in Feb. It was a 24. Just got back my first SAT: 1170 (CR/M). I was extremely disappointed. Obviously, I am retaking it (next week actually) and then again in Oct. and I hope to improve. Personally, I am a bit unique in that I have a physical disability (I wear a cochlear implant), but don't try to dwell on it at all. I did a bit of researching online and it seems that UM puts a lot of emphasis on having a well-rounded and unique student body. I like that quality a lot.</p>
<p>I want to have a career in historic preservation and/or urban planning. I could see myself working as a historic preservationist in some way. I will most likely want to get my Master's in HP or an MArch degree with an emphasis in HP. I would apply as a History or Anthropology major.</p>
<p>The problem is the OOS costs. With my rough board scores, even if they were to go up to 1250 or so, would it be possible for me to be competitive for a substantial amount of merit aid? Enough to make attending Michigan comparable to an in state Va school (around 23K)? My folks make about 120K a year, so I most likely will not receive need-based aid. </p>
<p>I really appreciate your reading through this long post! Thanks so much for any help you can give me as I start this process!</p>
<p>Michigan doesn’t offer much merit aid, if any at all, especially to OOS. There’s no way you’d be able to afford it. Also, you wouldn’t get need based aid as an OOS student anyway. UVa is just as good, but will also be a reach unless you can get those test scores way up.</p>
<p>Yea you wont get any aid from umich if you bring your scores up id def recommend uva If not JMU is also a pretty good in state school and im sure you would have no trouble getting in there</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies. Maybe I had better rethink this option. Getting those scores back has made me realize that some of the schools I thought I had a chance at, might be out of reach. After reading through some earlier posts on this forum about what UM values in its applicants, I was hoping that my gpa and class rigor might count more than the SATs, so that is why I added it as a possibility. (bc of how strong its history and anthropology depts are, too)</p>
<p>I am going to apply to VT, but although UVA is a comparable school to Michigan academically, unfortunately I don’t care for it at all on a personal level. JMU doesn’t really appeal to me either. So, I will keep on looking and learning. Maybe I will do better next weekend on the SAT and I will self study over the summer for the Oct. test.</p>
<p>Re-take your SAT’s/ACT’s and see how you do. If you manage to raise them significantly you’ll have a shot. Right now, your chances of admission to Michigan are essentially zero.</p>
<p>“Right now, your chances of admission to Michigan are essentially zero.” </p>
<p>I very much disagree.</p>
<p>Michigan cares much more about your grades and course rigor than it does about test scores. This is an area which you obviously excel. Assuming you raise your score by just a couple of points, you will be very competitive for admission.</p>
<p>I know there are different views on a person’s chances of getting into any school really. I guess the best I can do is try to raise my scores and then maybe give it a shot, knowing in reality that it might not be affordable for my family. I would never put them (or me) in a position to try to go into debt. Knowing I want to go onto grad school adds to the mix, so I need to be very sensible with my undergraduate costs. Thanks so much for your help about this! Do any of you have any other schools that I could be thinking about?</p>
<p>Regardless of whether you can get in, you’re not going to get aid.</p>
<p>Look at test optional schools - some of the top ones are Bowdoin, Wake Forest, Sarah Lawrence, etc. Run the price calculators at these schools and see if your family is willing to pay. </p>
<p>VA state schools are also a very good option.</p>
<p>I don’t know what a 4.5 means and if it is weighted or not. It is possible to get into Michigan with a 24 but to do so you would need A’s in viturally all of your classes and come from a high school where Michigan understand and is impressed with the curriculum. 24 is a barely acceptable score. I don’t think you can get in with a lower score but I know of people who have been admitted with 24’s.</p>
<p>As far as aid goes, the test score will kill the chances for merit aid at virtually any school.</p>
<p>As far as alternatives, you may want to consider the SUNY schools. Their OOS tuitition is lower than other states. Also Minnesota has OOS tuiltion much lower than Michigan.</p>
<p>Yes, in order to get merit aid at UM you have to be in pretty much the top 1% of the accepted applicants. I’m an incoming freshman in the honors program with a 32 ACT and 4.0+ GPA, and I received nothing in merit aid. In order to be eligible for merit aid, you pretty much need a 34+ ACT, and that might not even guarantee you anything…</p>
<p>One of my friends was accepted into both LSA and the art school this year with an ACT of 26 (her second time taking it; the first time she received a 23.) However, she’s in-state, and she has a brother who attends, if that makes any difference! Also, I’ve heard that most people are never able to raise their ACT scores by more than 3-5 points, so that’s something else to think about. I know a girl who got a 30 on the ACT, retook it and received a 29. Not trying to be a pessimist, but it’s just something else to think about.</p>
<p>I really appreciate everyone’s honesty. That is why I like to ask questions on the schools’ forums because so many people have personal knowledge of what is more than likely to happen. I won’t be taking the ACT again…I really don’t think I am as suited for it as I am for the SAT. (although I really don’t think I am suited for either after seeing my first scores:( )</p>
<p>I am an extremely hard working student and get the grades I do because I study my backside off. You know those kids that just seem to have innate knowledge? That is not me. With a lot of hard work I have earned all A’s this year. res ipsa, my gpa is weighted due to the APs and Hs. My school is one that is consistently in the Newsweek magazine for being a “top hs” if that matters to UMich. Even I am frustrated with my scores, I totally understand why schools have to have some way to discriminate among very high achieving applicants and those students who score high should be the ones that are chosen for the best financial merit money. </p>
<p>Honestly, I am going to prepare but I am who I am and if I am not a great standardized test taker, I am going to just deal with that fact. I think I was shooting a bit too high with Michigan and if I need to be in that top 1% with my SATs to get the OOS costs down, it is time to move on and look at more realistic schools. Thanks so much everyone for your advice!</p>
<p>Truth financial aid is very tough. I have over a 4.0 gpa and got a 34 on my ACT and I go no money. Even though I loved Michigan, I decided that I’m going to go to USC. Best of luck!</p>
<p>alwaysleah, I did take a look at the list that was on the home page for cc. The thing is, I am kind of set on wanting to go to a big school. Everyone has their preferences, but I love the atmosphere of the big state schools. I didn’t see many of those on that list, at least close enough to home. </p>
<p>OhioZ5, are your referring to USC as in the Univ of Southern California or USC South Carolina? I am actually looking into South Carolina, because if I could raise my SATs to 1200, with my gpa I might actually have a decent shot at one of their awards that would reduce tuition enough to make it comparable to my state school level. They seem to have a very strong history program and geography, too. So that might be a good option for undergrad. Thoughts?<br>
(I am going to be posting on the SC forum eventually!)</p>