Junior who is looking for safeties

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I’m a junior, and over the past few months have really narrowed down where I’m going to apply to. However, most of my schools are reaches. I need to find some safeties and even a couple matches as well, but I’m having a tough time finding them.</p>

<p>What I’m looking for: I’m planning on applying to Northwestern ED (legacy), Georgetown, UVA (in-state), Ohio University, and possibly George Mason if all else fails. My only real requirement as far as location is that I promised my parents I wouldn’t apply anywhere west of IL. Also, I don’t want an extremely urban school like George Washington or NYU. My problem is that UVA is the only in-state school I like, and I’m really bound and determined to go out of state (with UVA being the exception.) And yeah, I'm aware it's more expensive and so on and so forth, but if I can swing it, I really want to.</p>

<p>Journalism and/or political science major. </p>

<p>GPA: About 3.8 (W) My school doesn’t do unweighted GPAs. Upward trend, and expecting it even higher by the time I apply to college and the first semester of my senior year is done with.</p>

<p>Course rigor: Pretty rigorous. On a scale of 1-5 (with 5 being most rigorous), I’d give myself a 4. </p>

<p>Test scores: Took the SAT without any studying and got a 1650 (yeah I know). But I scored a 188 on the PSAT so I think I'll do better when I retake in April though. Took a practice ACT and expecting at least a 28. </p>

<p>My ECs are pretty good. Typical stuff; belonging to clubs, a sport, church stuff, community service, NHS, and some leadership.</p>

<p>Any good safeties out there for me; money isn't a huge issue, more just looking for safeties admission-wise, not cheap-wise.</p>

2

<p>Have your parents told you how much they can pay? If not, get that figure. It will determine which places are and aren’t safe for you.</p>

<p>If your parents don’t know yet what their figure is, sit down with them and run the Net Price Calculator at the website of each of the places on your list. That way they will know what it is likely they will be expected to pay at each place, and together you can come up with a reasonable financial baseline.</p>

3

<p>Yep, a safety isn’t a safety unless you can afford it. For some people that means a community college or it might mean George Mason. For OOS schools, you’re going to need to bring those ACT and/or SAT scores up, or you’re going to need a school that accepts apps without test scores or parents for whom price is no object. But, again, you cannot do much searching for a safety without knowing what your parents can afford.</p>

4

<p>Anything here of interest that you may qualify for?
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-20.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-20.html&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/1562918-updated-list-schools-auto-admit-guaranteed-admission-criteria.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/1562918-updated-list-schools-auto-admit-guaranteed-admission-criteria.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

5

<p>Ask your parents how much they’ll spend each year. You need to know that for sure. </p>

<p>Ask them if they’ll spend $60,000 per year on college.</p>

<p>ALSO…ask them how much they’ll spend for a SAFETY. Believe me, there are parents who’ll spend X for a reach/match but will only spend a smaller amount for a safety…especially if it’s an OOS public. </p>

<p>Until you have better scores, it’s hard to make recommendations. Hopefully, your PSAT indicates that you can do better. Right now, with your current scores, we can really only recommend lower ranking schools for safeties.</p>

<p>What is your major and career goal?</p>

6

<p>Muhlenberg college
rollins college</p>

7

<p>

</p>

<p>Both consider “level of applicant’s interest”, usually a signal that they do not want to be used as safeties by high stats applicants (i.e. risk of being waitlisted or rejected for this reason). Apply to them if you like them, but do not consider them to be safeties.</p>

8

<p>ucbalumnus,
now that I think of it…actually muhlenberg would be more of a match (IMO)</p>

9

<p>I’d wait until you get your SATs and ask again.</p>

10

<p>Alright, I’ll talk to my parents and get back to you all, and I’ll take a look at the automatic full tuition schools and automatic admit schools.</p>

<p>

Journalism and/or political science…I’d like to be a journalist or do something with the government.</p>

<p>Thanks for the help so far.</p>

<p>Also, as a side note, my school district is seriously considering a switch to the 10 point grading scale, which I think will be approved, so if that happens I’m expecting my GPA to go up to at least a 4.1 or so, if not higher, if that changes anything.</p>

11

<p>Goucher would be a possible safety. Ursinus, possibly (good at writing, political science). Allrbight. All are right by a big city.</p>

12

<p>Goucher cannot be a safety because it considers “level of applicant’s interest”. Same with Ursinus and Albright.</p>

13

<p>Okay… I don’t agree that a junior could not SHOW INTEREST and move a couple of those colleges into the safety column. Just because they “consider interest” does not take them off the list. The OP could sign up for mailings on the website, visit campus, and go to any events the college has in their area (presentation or visit table at a college fair, etc.). If the OP truly has shown interest, and also can write a strong “Why College X” essay, they can certainly be a safety.</p>

14

<p>Yes but OP still has time to “demonstrate interest”: by filling out a request info form, requesting an interview, visiting the campus… This is enough, even if the school is a safety.</p>

<p>Intparent, we posted the same thing at the same time!</p>

<p>it’s easy to demonstrate “interest” – safety schools should be cooed over as much as the other schools that’s all. :slight_smile: No school likes to be treated like a lesser-school, not really worth an applicant’s real interest.A junior can easily do these simple things and be fine for the “interest” portion of his/her application.</p>

15

<p>what was the break down of your SAT scores the first time you took them… CR/ M/ W?</p>

16

<p>To add to the comments on showing interest, it is at least as important (and maybe more important) to spend time really getting to know your “safety” colleges. You need to really be willing to attend your safety, and it can be harder to find colleges where you really feel the fit where your stats are on the higher end for the school. One of my kids ended up falling in love with her safety, attended with great merit aid, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a senior thesis that was nominated as one of the top 60 nationwide in her subject of study that year. Spend some time on your safety selection – you will be more likely to have a good fit, show interest in the process, and maybe even find a school that is great for you and saves you some money.</p>

17

<p>

550/510/590</p>

<p>Math will definitely remain the weakest of the three sections (and I know colleges look at CR and Math the most) but I think I can possibly pull it up to 600. With some studying I honestly think I can pull my CR and W up to near 800’s.</p>

<p>Thanks for the suggestions about showing interest. Intparent, you have a great point.</p>

18

<p>I talked to my parents, and they said they’re willing to pay about $15k a year. They also said that my grandfather has set aside some money to help me pay for school (they didn’t say how much, but I’d venture to guess about $5k or so).</p>

19

<p>Look at Temple University. It’s a great school and offers automatic scholarship based on your SAT scores. I believe you get full tuition if you have a 1400+ cr+m</p>