Junior Looking For Safeties/Targets

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

I’m currently a junior in high school, and just looking for potential colleges to start looking at, whether they are safeties or targets! I have been looking at LACs and schools with a good liberal art background, but am open to anything that will provide a top education and good professors/opportunities.

Background: African American (Somali), Muslim, First Generation student coming from a low-income household and suburban public school in Minnesota

I have not gotten the best grades until now, primarily because of mental health issues that I’ve worked on, and are no longer impacting my schoolwork. I currently have all As in my hardest course load of high school years, and I’m hopeful and determined that it will carry on to the end of my high school career.

GPA and Rank: will end junior year with a 3.1/3.2 unweighted (out of 4) and a 3.2/3.3 weighted, still probably in the bottom 50% (764 in my class).

Honors/AP/IB/Dual Enrollment Courses:
Middle School+Freshman Year: Honors Intermediate Algebra, Honors Geometry, Honors Advanced Algebra, Honors English 9, Honors Physics, Honors Precalc, Honors Civics

Sophomore Year: Honors Spanish 3, Honors English 10, Honors Chem, APUSH, AP Stats (missed AP exam, will be taking junior year as self-study),
(I took AP Calc ABC, but had to drop because of schedule changes and low grade, will take the AP exam as a senior)
AP Exam Score: APUSH-3

Junior Year: Honors Orchestra, IB English 11 HL, IB Biology SL, AP US Gov, IB Spanish 4 SL, IB Theory of Knowledge, Honors African American History, AP Euro/IB History HL 11 (counts as the first year of IB History while being AP Euro)

AP Exams: AP US Gov, AP Euro, AP Psych (self-study, requirement for associates), AP Stats (self-study, missed AP Exam)

Senior Year Courses: Honors Orchestra, IB English 12 HL, IB Middle East/African Studies HL 12, IB Spanish 5 HL, College Honors Microeconomics, College Honors Public Speaking, AP Physics 1, Honors Debate II, Physical Geography (@ local CC), Drugs & Health (@ local CC), Introduction to Philosophy (@ local CC), Ethics (@ local CC)

IB Exams: IB English HL, IB History HL, IB Spanish HL
AP Exams: AP Lang, AP Physics 1, AP Spanish Lang, AP Calc BC (self-study, missed exam/class), AP Environmental Science (self-study, finish lab requirement for associates)

I will also receive a bilingual seal in Spanish from the state of Minnesota, and plan to receive an Associate of Arts after graduation once I receive AP/IB scores

Extracurriculars:
Chamber Orchestra (most selective orchestra of my school, rehearsals in the mornings, ensemble contests, and small gigs)
Presidential Volunteer Service Award Gold(2x)
Debate Team (Varsity/Unofficial Captain for 3 years)
Lacrosse (nothing worthy, sophomore-senior year, interested in playing club lacrosse for the school)
Part-Time Job as a Barista (since 2021)
MN Teen Activists (my nonprofit, 501c3)
I’m one of the co-founders and the secretary, started in 2020, raised over 100k for businesses after riots in Minneapolis (2020) and Brooklyn Center (2021), organized a state-wide walkout for racism in schools and for Daunte Wright’s death with over 200+ schools participating! We also plan to create a council with the state attorney general’s office soon and continue to advocate for educational policy reforms and students. I promise we aren’t one of those fake nonprofits lol.

ACT: only taken PACT, with a score of 30, with recent practice tests on my own, I am scoring 32-34 so that’s my goal.

Intended Areas of Study:
International Relations (Major)
Economics (Potential Double Major)
Spanish (Minor)
Statistics or Math (Potential Minor)
Computer Science (Potential Double/Triple Major or Potential Minor)

Budget: I am mostly looking for schools that provide students with good financial aid, as my household income is under 60k.

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Aren’t you the one with separate threads to Carleton and Mt Holyoke ?

You should look at the questbridge based on income if you are a citizen.

Berea. Coe. Beloit. Here’s more on the 2nd list below

https://www.questbridge.org/

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-liberal-arts-colleges/a-plus

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Sorry, I thought this was a duplicate account, since we’d seen your info already. Now I realize you’re making different threads, about different colleges. It might be better to just use one thread, for suggestions for reach, match, and safety, with the likelihood of good financial aid, which you need.

For safety, apply to the campus of the Minnesota state college system that is commutable for you, and for a reach, apply to U Minnesota’s flagship school, Twin Cities. Living at home, with your Pell Grant and your subsidized federal loan, and a part time job, these schools are within financial reach for you, even if you don’t get additional aid.

The schools that provide a full ride (which you pretty much need) are extreme reaches for you, because of your poor record from your first two years of high school. The 3rd tier private schools that offer “merit money for B students” are not going to be so interested in you, because you don’t necessarily bring up their admission stats with a high GPA and high scores, and possibly you not in them, because they’re, well, 3rd tier, and you sound as if you’re reaching for higher, as well you should be.

You’re calculating your GPA based upon straight A’s throughout the rest of junior year, but you’re only half way through. I’d say that right now, you should not waste energy on researching schools. Focus your attention on your schoolwork and your very nice ECs, and worry about choosing schools in the early summer, based upon hopefully having established an amazing academic record in 11th grade. As for what to do this summer? Seems obvious that with your interests, you should volunteer for a local political candidate, in addition to your Barista job. Also, prep obsessively and with laser focus for the ACT. You should have plenty of time to prep after school is over, in addition to the continuous prep you’re doing now. Take it in July, continue to prep, and if your score isn’t what you want, take it again in September. I have a feeling that with a lot of focused self-prep, you could get a 35. For an applicant like you, with poor grades in 9th and 10th, fantastic grades in 11th (and hopefully first semester of 12th, too), plus a very high ACT score, will go a long way towards making a competitive school that provides full financial aid willing to take a chance on you.

When the time comes, you might want to take a look at DC schools, because of your interest in Int’l Relations and political activism. But that’s best left for this summer, when you have a better idea of grades and ACT score, also whether you and your family feel it’s a good idea for you to go far away for school.

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If you want to play lacrosse in college, don’t rule that out helping with admissions.

Are you interested in Smith? I think you’d have a good chance of getting in based on your ECs and lacrosse (the team is always looking for players).

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If you would be interested in playing lacrosse in college, Kalamazoo College in Michigan is looking for players who are not necessarily recruited athletes. 98% of students receive financial aid or scholarships.

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I think @parentologist gave some great advice. But one safety that you might want to consider is U. of Minnesota at Morris as it’s the state’s public liberal arts college. Once your junior year GPA is finalized and you have SAT/ACT scores, then I would post back because there might be additional possibilities from schools that offer automatic aid based on those statistics.

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I am interested in Smith, I just don’t feel that I would have anywhere of a chance of getting in if I’m being honest. I know someone from a youth climate justice org that I am a member of that goes there, and she absolutely loves it, but she also was top of her class and a straight-A student.

I love lacrosse, but I just started last year and I am still incredibly awkward while playing at the moment. I also am not that athletically gifted, being short and chubby, but I have a good defensive IQ just from playing pickup basketball with my older brother growing up that my coaches tend to bring up. I would love to play college lacrosse, I’m just still pretty bad at it haha. I know pretty much nothing about the recruiting process if I’m being honest.

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Thanks for the information, I’m definitely going to keep Morris in mind!

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Kalamazoo actually was one of the schools I was looking at, I’ll definitely try and reach out to their lacrosse program!

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Great. I know a girl who applied and listed lacrosse as an activity on the Common App and was contacted by the lacrosse coach. It’s also listed in Loren Pope’s book as one of the “Colleges That Change Lives.”

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You’ve gotten some good suggestions, esp focus on current courses and test prep. I’m concerned that you are not taking any math classes junior or senior year. I don’t think self-studying for AP tests will address this issue. Is there any way you can take a math class senior year.

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There aren’t any other courses besides IB Math HL/SL offered at my school since I already took precalc and AP Stats. However since I absolutely cannot stand the teacher and had a really bad experience with him in the first part of IB Math sophomore year, I’ve avoided any IB math courses. I was planning on taking a math class at the local CC, however, all of the calculus professors have incredibly bad reviews and I honestly would do pretty bad in an asynchronous math course. I tried out IB Math, but it lead to a withdraw/no grade and it was probably the worst class I ever took, even though I had earned a B or higher on every single test that I took.

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At some schools, if you fill out a recruiting questionnaire, the coach is likely to contact you for at least a conversation. My daughter was recruited for Smith several years ago (that coach is long gone) and they were very nice to her during the visit. The team wasn’t that good and really needed some good athletes and you might have the skills needed from your basketball days.

It’s worth a try and will get you an interview I bet.

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You should definitely look into Questbridge. Some good schools to consider:
-Mount Holyoke
-Smith
I think those two are known for generous aid policies.
-Macalester
-Bryn Mawr
-College of Liberal Arts at UMN
-Earlham College
Some more selective ones definitely worth checking out:
-Swarthmore
-Haverford
-Williams
-Carleton
-Scripps
Are you looking for a particular area? Do you want to be close to home?

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I’m not looking for any particular areas, I’m good with all weather and conditions. I just don’t want to be in a college town that has a reputation for being racist or something crazy like that!

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The OP asked for safety/target schools. Many of the ones you list are reaches for everyone, but especially for someone without super strong grades.

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This is the hard part - you are basically saying anywhere in the country.

Unfortunately, you have racists or bigots everywhere - cities, rural, North, South - we all just have to overcome that. It even happens on campus itself.

I know on your other threads you got lots of recommendations -

Questbridge was recommended because of income. The bottom 50% is going to hurt you (needing aid) but perhaps being Somali will help.

If you looked at schools that meet need, I’m not sure there’s one you’d get into but you might look at Franklin & Marshall, Berea, Trinity, and Thomas Aquinas which has campuses in CA and MA - but that is a catholic school.

Schools more likely to fit are smaller and 3rd tier - but for that you need to run net price calculators - but schools like Kalamazoo (I know you said b4 you were interested) , Allegheny, Susquehanna or any school #75 or below.

I think your necessary play is UMN or more likely since you want small UMN Morris.

Minnesota has tuition reciprocity with both Dakotas and Wisconsin - I’m not sure of the racial climate in the Dakotas but some of the Wisconsin branch schools might work - like LaCrosse or Green Bay, etc.

Again, cost wise, run the net price calculators - and figure out what your parents can spend and see if it equals.

Finally, and I know you don’t want to hear this, but it might be a community college is your best bet due to cost.

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i know you’re looking for safeties / targets. your stats make it tough, but highly, HIGHLY recommend occidental college in LA for IR. they have an amazing oxy at the UN program (you basically intern at the UN/related organizations for a semester, generally in the NYC area), and a campaign semester where you’re sent off to work for a campaign for 1 semester. im from the LA area and eagle rock i heard is in a pretty safe area. they’re also full need met!

second the suggestion for questbridge, btw. wasn’t chosen as a finalist but it’s an amazing opportunity regardless.

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I’m cool with community college, my only concern is that I will either get my associates of arts in economics during the summer after high school once I receive my AP/IB scores or only need to take 1 or 2 courses in the fall, so I wouldn’t have that much of a purpose to go. I don’t really understand how transfers work, so I have no idea if I should be applying as a first year or transfer when I’m close to an associates, do you have any insight?

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Why don’t you contact two schools of interest to you, make a zoom appointment with an admissions rep and ask them.