Is my College List OK?

College Search & Selection
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<p>Hello and thanks for reading this thread. I appreciate it. :)</p>

<p>I hope you can answer my questions because the college process has been extremely confusing for me. I have required the use of the internet often and sometimes my counselor to answer my questions because I’m new to this and my parents are immigrants.</p>

<p>Well, I suppose I’ll begin like many of the threads on this forum by giving a short background on myself (even though I hate to talk about myself…).</p>

<p>I am a senior living in Michigan. I am Middle-Eastern. I have a 4 GPA and a 35 ACT. I am somewhere in the top 5% of our class (we don’t know exact ranks until graduation). I would like to major in math and would also like to go to a school with a strong chemistry department and some Arabic courses (I want to better my ability in the Arabic language).</p>

<p>In terms of what type of college I would want to attend, I would like to go to one close to home—preferably in the Midwest. I also wish to attend a college with a Muslim population and some halal meal options. Colleges that have some students that are not interested in drugs, alcohol, sex, partying, etc. are also of great interest.</p>

<p>Financially, my parents are in a unique financial situation (I would prefer if I don’t have to discuss about it) where they will not receive financial aid (or very little of it) but the more expensive colleges will be out of paying ability. Their maximum ability to pay is $35k/yr total (tuition, room and board, fees, etc.). We have checked the calculators and everything. I also do not want to be a financial burden on them at all and I plan to pay my parents back.</p>

<p>I have already sent all my application materials to Michigan State, Case Western, and the University of Michigan. I have been accepted at Michigan State. :)</p>

<p>Which ones on my list would be a “safety”, “match”, “reach”? I have recently been introduced to these terms by fellow classmates and Big Future on collegeboard, but I don’t understand what they mean. How many colleges should I apply to? Which other colleges should I apply to? Is my list solid?</p>

<p>Once again, thank you. I am grateful for your time in reading this and responding to it.</p>

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<p>One things for sure, University of Michigan, while a very good school, as pretty excessive partying. I heard about someone who goes there but is going to transfer to her state school because there’s wayy too much drinking/partying and nothing else really to do…</p>

3

<p>Well, Michigan State is a safety, since it has already accepted you, and its list price of $25,000 per year is well below your $35,000 per year limit. You chances also look pretty good for University of Michigan.</p>

<p>Any large school will have both party/alcohol-prone students and students who prefer to not drink alcohol.</p>

<p>Michigan State has [“alcohol</a> free space”](<a href=“http://www.liveon.msu.edu/faq/what-alcohol-free-space]"alcohol”>http://www.liveon.msu.edu/faq/what-alcohol-free-space) dorm areas, and [halal[/url</a>] food.</p>

<p>University of Michigan also has [url=&lt;a href=“http://www.housing.umich.edu/dining/observance]halal[/url”&gt;http://www.housing.umich.edu/dining/observance]halal[/url</a>] dining options and [url=&lt;a href=“http://www.housing.umich.edu/undergrad/subfree]substance”&gt;Additional Living Options – Michigan Housing]substance</a> (including alcohol) free rooms](<a href=“http://www.eatatstate.com/nutrition]halal[/url”>Nutrition and Allergens | Eat at State).</p>

<p>Case Western Reserve has a substance free dorm, but it is intended for those recovering from abuse or addiction, so it is probably not what you want.</p>

<p>Contact the schools if you have more questions.</p>

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<p>dinasaurus, like ucbalumnus said, large schools will have both types of students. I don’t need to go to a college that is anti-partying, anti-alcohol, etc. but I would like to go to a college where there is a contingent of like-minded individuals who would rather spend a weekend doing something other than “wild parties” for fun.</p>

<p>Thank you ucbalumnus for your response, but could you or anyone else please answer my other questions? It seems that “safety” means a college with a higher acceptance rate? Is that correct?</p>

<p>Basically, should I apply anywhere else or is my current college list fine? If I should apply elsewhere, then which other colleges should I look at based upon my criteria?</p>

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<p>A safety is a place where you are assured admission and assured affordability. It should also be academically and otherwise appropriate, and a place you like. Since you have already been admitted to Michigan State, and it costs less than your price limit, it is an obvious safety if it has the academics you want (it does have math, chemistry, and Arabic) and you like it. (The alcohol-free dorm areas and halal food options appear to meet your non-academic needs, but you may want to ask the housing office for details.)</p>

<p>If you do like Michigan State, then you need only apply to any other school you like better than Michigan State. If there are no others besides University of Michigan or Case Western Reserve, then you need not apply to any others beyond them. (If Michigan State is your clear first choice, then you need not apply anywhere else at all and can just send in your statement of intent to register there.)</p>

<p>If you do not like Michigan State, then you need to find some other college where you are assured admission and affordability, and which fulfills your needs and wants, to be a safety (unless you receive an admission offer with sufficient financial aid and/or scholarships at one of your other schools).</p>

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<p>If you didn’t do it already, I’d try to contact the Muslim Student organizations at your top choices, they may be able to provide you with a great deal of insight and information.</p>

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<p>happy1, thank you for the advice! :slight_smile: I have already done so and this communication has mitigated several of my worries and concerns about living in a college environment. I am fine from that aspect! :)</p>

<p>ucbalumnus, thank you so much for that information! Seeing it from that way, since I am happy with the colleges I’m applying, I should not apply any further. But then why is it that the collegeboard states that one should apply to 1 or 2 safeties, 2 or 3 matches, and 2 or 3 reaches? (Would a “match” be where one expects to be admitted and a “reach” where there is a slight chance to be admitted then?)</p>

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<p>You are in good shape because Michigan State is a safety and a financial safety. I would call Michigan a match, and Case a safety for your stats. However, Case is an admissions safety, not a financial safety. Case does have good merit aid, but you are much more likely to be admitted than you are to get merit aid at Case. </p>

<p>It might make sense to add some schools to apply to. You will want to look for schools which offer good merit aid, and which your stats are well above their averages. Case Western is a good choice, because both of those criteria are met. </p>

<p>Sorry I don’t have any particular suggestions, since I’m not as familiar with schools in the midwest.</p>

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<p>I think you would be safe going to any of those institutions, because each will have its fair share of students who are there for academics because they all have outstanding programs in many fields of study. You should be admitted to all of those schools because of your outstanding test scores and academics. The University of Michigan is not only the best school in the state, but one of the finest in the country. Michigan State has outstanding programs and an absolutely breathtaking campus, and Case Western has great programs and is located in a pretty cool and unique area. Best of luck in your decision! I’m sure going to any of these institutions will allow you to get a great job and pay your parents back in no time :)</p>

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<p>Thank you both for your informational replies.</p>

<p>sacchi, at Case Western, I would be considered for some larger scholarships according to their admissions/financial faculty.</p>

<p>Thank you hergie for the support! I hope your college applications and search go over well! :)</p>

<p>ucbalumnus, I appreciate you answering all my questions. Your information has been very helpful and I cannot express how much it has helped.</p>

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<p>Match is a school that is likely, but not certain to admit you with enough financial aid and scholarships (if necessary). Reach is a school where the chance of admission with enough financial aid and scholarships is small. Note that a school might be a match or safety when looked at for admissions only, but be a reach overall if you really need that hard-to-get merit scholarship to be able to afford it. A school can also be out of reach, particularly if there is no chance of getting enough financial aid of scholarships to afford it.</p>

<p>Not sure why people get hung up on the number of schools to apply to. The most important one is your safety, which you have already. Then you can just add any number (which can be zero, or a very large number, or anywhere in between) of other schools that you apply to that you like more than your safety. Some people to apply to just one school, if their first choice happens to be a safety. Others apply to dozens… though applying to that many can be expensive with application fees and time consuming with essays and the like.</p>