(Junior) High stats, college suggestions?

College Search & Selection
1

Demographics: Asian Male, Large Midwest Michigan Public High School

Major: Undecided (likely STEM majors)

SAT: Have not taken but have 1490 out of 1520 on PSAT (760 math, 730 EBRW)

ACT: 34, might retake if I have time (35 English, 35 Math, 33 Reading, 33 Science, 10 out of 12 Writing)

SAT Subject Tests: None, will take Math II and one other, likely Biology

AP Exam: 5 AP Gov, 5 AP Lang, 5 AP Macro, 3 AP Bio

GPA: unweighted 4/4, weighted about 4.3

Class Rank: 1 of ≈600 if based off unweighted GPA, Top 8, maybe 5 through the school system for ranking (uses other factors)

Junior Year: AP Physics C, AP Calc BC, AP Lit, IB Theory of Knowledge, IB Spanish, Top School Orchestra (have maintained 4.0 with these classes and anticipate the same next semester)

Senior classes: AP Chem, AP Psych, AP Spanish, thinking about throwing AP Stats in there but am cautious because of senior year and college apps

ECs (I’m a junior, so a few are predictions but are likely to happen):

  1. Class President -> Student Body Vice President -> Student Body President (3 years in Student Government)
  2. 1 year HS representative to school board
  3. NHS (2 years)
  4. Top Orchestra (4 years)
  5. School section leader (2 years)
  6. 2 years first division rating for solo at both district and state level (will be 4 years by the time I graduate)
  7. Local audition-based youth orchestra (5 years)
  8. Youth orchestra section leader (1 year)
  9. Science Olympiad (4 years)
  10. Varsity Tennis (4 years)
  11. Team Captain (1 year)
  12. 2 years all-conference honorable mention, 1 year all-area first team, sportsmanship award
  13. Tennis program website manager, fundraised for program using letters written to alumni
  14. 3 years on local youth committee (member -> chair-elect -> chair) designed to review grants and decide on where to give money to those that apply for grants
  15. Numerous department awards for high marks in classes, so far 8 out of 12 I have received a department award so anticipating more
  16. 1 year non-voting member of community foundation board
  17. 1 year voting member of community foundation board
  18. At least 300 volunteer hours

Based on PSAT:

Good chance for National Merit Semifinalist

Good chance for National Merit Finalist

Ivies and Stanford will be reaches. Where do I classify USC (half tuition through National Merit is very attractive), UCLA, UC Berkeley, Michigan, and Michigan State? I am in-state for the last two. The UCs are iffy because of poor out of state financial aid. So what I’m looking at is:

Reaches: Couple Ivies, Stanford (UCLA, UC Berkeley, USC)

Matches: Michigan

Safeties: Michigan State (is this a safety?)

What are some more matches and safeties (maybe even those that give good money to National Merit Finalists), and where else should I apply?

Thank you all!

2

Your list is fine. But for the ivies and Stanford, you need an EC that stands out.

3

I understand that, but I think at this point in my HS career it will be difficult to find that standout EC/hook, which is why I’m looking for more matches and safeties

4

It might be good to give us some info on your financial restrictions. I would classify USC as less of a reach and closer to a target. If you could calculate your UC GPA it might give us a better indicator of whether UC Berkeley and UCLA are targets. Michigan State is a definite safety.

5

Financially, I need quite a bit of aid. I can get more specific if need be. How do you calculate UC GPA? I’ve watched some videos and read some tutorials but am still very confused.

6

RogerHub says my capped UC GPA is 4.33 but I’m not sure if I did it correctly (I’m assuming I’ll finish out this school year with straight As)

7

Bump

8

If you need aid, Berkeley and UCLA should be taken off your list. They give no aid to OOS students, so expect to pay 55-60k a year.

And the USC 1/2 tuition NMF scholarship is not automatic btw. You aren’t guaranteed it.

9

For merit:

http://nmfscholarships.yolasite.com/
http://competitivefulltuition.yolasite.com/
http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/

For reaches, since you have a lot of leadership, I’d suggest trying for some of the competitive scholarships in the second link: USC, Duke, Vandy, Emory, Rice, GT, etc.

For safeties - the first link: Oklahoma, Alabama, Kentucky, Nebraska, Mississippi, ASU, UCF, etc.

For matches - it depends on how much merit you need, but maybe Ohio State, Pitt, Case Western, BU, NE

10

@Jpgranier Thank you. I will definitely cross the UCs out. There lack of out of state financial aid, after doing net price calculators, will make it unaffordable for me. Do you have a link explaining where the USC half tuition isn’t guaranteed? From my research I haven’t come across an instance where someone was denied the NMF scholarship. I know you must get accepted first.

11

@nw2this Thank you. Those sites are very helpful

12

Presidential Scholarship: Half tuition scholarship awarded based on academic excellence, leadership, service and talent. (~200 awards)
Students may also be selected for the Presidential Scholarship through the National Merit Scholarship Corporation on the basis of their PSAT performance. Entering first-year students are considered if they have been designated National Merit Finalists and name USC as their first-choice college. (Number of awards varies)

The key word there is considered, not automatically given.

If you get NMF, Alabama has one of the best automatic NMF scholarships:

http://scholarships.ua.edu/nationalscholars/

Value of tuition for up to five years or 10 semesters for degree-seeking undergraduate and graduate (or law) studies
One year of on-campus housing at regular room rate* (based on assignment by Housing and Residential Communities)

A $3,500 per year Merit Scholarship stipend for four years. A student must maintain at least a 3.3 GPA to continue receiving this scholarship stipend. If a corporate-sponsored scholarship from the National Merit Corporation is received, the total value cannot exceed $3,500. (For example, if you receive a corporate-sponsored scholarship of $2,000 per year, UA will contribute $1,500 per year to reach the total stipend amount of $3,500.)

One-time allowance of $2,000 for use in summer research or international study (after completing one year of study at UA)

Technology Enrichment Allowance $1000

ALSO, if you go into a STEM major, you’ll also receive $2500 a year. Keep in mind that all these stipends do not have to be spent at the school. The amount you do not spend will be given to you as cash at the end of the year;)

13

http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/649276-nmf-scholarships-an-updated-compilation-p65.html. I agree that the UC’s need to come off the list. Aid for an OOS student just isn’t going to happen. ASU Barrett would be essentially a safety for someone with these stats especially if he ends up NMF and he’d get merit aid.

14

Regarding the USC NMF half-tuition scholarship, is that new this cycle? I thought it was automatic if admitted. Thanks for pointing this out, @Jpgranier. I’ve skimmed the USC forum but I don’t see any discussion about the change in language on the USC website.

15

You’re likely to get into Michigan (and Mich State as safety), so I wouldn’t look at any other publics unless you’re applying for a full-tuition scholarship like Robertson at UNC, or a special honors program like Plan II at UT-A (see this list: http://competitivefulltuition.yolasite.com/). Makes no sense to pay OOS at a UC or any other public over Michigan.

So if you qualify for need-based aid (run NPCs), then pick a few elite privates that meet full need. If you need merit aid, pick some less elite privates that will give merit to students with high stats.

16

To be honest, I know a lot of kids who have gotten into Cornell without an “EC that stands out.” Pretty generic ECs, in fact, though they are pretty good at what they do.

17

@Flurite that’s encouraging to hear. Would you say my ECs are all quite bland? I feel that they are solid and give me a shot at Ivies, especially considering my (what I consider, especially for my area) strong academics, but obviously not as good of a chance as those with hooks.

18

@insanedreamer you’re right. As far as publics go, I’m only now looking at Michigan and Michigan State. Would I be okay with Michigan State as my only safety? I really do like the school. Would you consider Michigan a match? Or a high safety/low match? If I can safely proceed with only applying to Michigan as a match and Michigan State as a safety, could I, in addition to these schools, proceed with applying to exclusively reaches/high financial aid private schools?

19

@Jpgranier @ShrimpBurrito It is pretty ambiguous. I’ll keep the “considered” in mind, but I have yet to hear or read of anyone denied the half tuition scholarship with NMF.

20

@dihydrogen99 I say you should definitely and put together a strong app for Cornell. Depends on what school you’re applying to within the university, though. A&S and Engineering are hard for sure, and being an ORM is gonna be tough, but I think you have a nice shot.