Last Minute Safety Schools

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I'm worried that I'm only applying to schools at which I have only a slim chance, and I'd like to be able to choose between something else other than my state flagship. My stats and college list are below:</p>

<p>Unweighted GPA: 3.8
Weighted GPA: 4.3
Class Rank: 33/587</p>

<p>SAT: 2260
Reading: 800
Math: 730
Writing: 730
Essay: 10</p>

<p>SAT IIs:
Literature: 730
U.S. History: 720</p>

<p>ACT: 34
Reading: 36
Math: 33
English: 35
Science: 32
Essay: 10</p>

<p>Senior Year Schedule:
AP English
Field Biology/Forensics
AP Spanish 5
AP Statistics
AP U.S. Government
AP Economics
Study Hall</p>

<p>I've previously taken AP U.S. History and AP World History, getting 5s on both.</p>

<p>Activities:
-Done stand-up comedy for five years, the last two of which I have worked professionally
-Volunteer tutor for after school program for at-risk kids in a city near me (two years)
-Captain of speech and debate team (three years)
-Captain of varsity cross-country team (four years)
-Class President (three years)
-Service Officer for my chapter of NHS (two years)
-Senior Cashier/Concessionist (We get paid slightly more and do training) at a movie theater (two years)
-Assistant Coach to middle school writing team (four years)
-Theater in high school. Student director and some lead roles throughout (four years)
-President of Model United Nations (two years)</p>

<p>Academic Honors:
-2nd in state for an essay contest
-3rd in state for a Shakespeare monologue competition
-3rd in regional short fiction contest</p>

<p>My letters of rec should be good and I've been told my essays are very well done. I am looking to major in Economics and/or Political Science and English. Below are the schools to which I've submitted apps and finished everything-</p>

<p>Yale - SEA
OSU - EA
WashU - Regular
Vanderbilt - Regular</p>

<p>Now, these next ones are the schools I still need to finish apps for:</p>

<p>Claremont-McKenna/Pomona (haven't decided yet)
Columbia</p>

<p>And that's it...I definitely think I need more safeties/low reaches, but I'm just not entirely sure where to apply. Obviously I'm looking for schools with a good basis in social sciences, but it's also important that there be either good FinAid or scholarship opportunities (parents divorced and non-custodial isn't really contributing). I like several state schools, but OOS tuition seems rather daunting and they don't seem to give as much FinAid to OOS students. Any help would be greatly, greatly appreciated!</p>

2

<p>Alabama before Dec 15.</p>

3

<p>What about some other state schools… like UMichigan? You could also look at some of the smaller liberal arts colleges like Amherst, Williams, - and if you are female… I would suggest Wellesley in Boston (or some of the other female colleges).</p>

4

<p>Your NCP salary will work against you for financial aid. You need merit aid.</p>

5

<p>@gearmom Sorry, that’s what I meant by scholarships; my bad. And I’m a gay male, so I’m trying to avoid Alabama, haha.</p>

<p>@Mom1966 Thanks! I’ve been looking a little at UMich and Amherst, I’ll see what else they need.</p>

6

<p>Consider Northeastern, Boston University and George Washington U as well… if you are ok with an urban environment. Good luck!</p>

7

<p>hold up, @Mom1966, the student is asking for safeties and your first response recommends schools that are at least as tough to get into as ivies! </p>

<p>the second response offers schools a little closer to being safeties, but these could still turn down the OP or might not be affordable to the OP.</p>

<p>safeties must be absolutely affordable, absolutely some place one will get into, absolutely some place one will attend if all else fails, and, of course, have one’s major. </p>

<p>Our job is to suggest schools that meet criteria #2 and #4 and to ask the OP to investigate #1 and #3.</p>

8

<p>Look here if you need low cost safeties: <a href=“http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/”>http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

9

<p>OP, I assume you are in Ohio. Have you looked at Miami? OU? You would get good merit at Kentucky but I don’t know if that’s too southern for you.</p>

10

<p>OP, I have really good reason to believe that you should be concerned about the possibility of not getting into WashU, Yale, Columbia, Claremont, and Vandy. (Love your stand-up EC, btw, and think that it makes it more likely you will get into these schools.) They are all crapshoots. I don’t know whether OSU is Ohio State or Oregon State, but I think either of them could be considered safeties if you can afford them (and only you can run those net price calculators that will suggest affordability). </p>

11

<p>@SpookySpaceKook Well my value option for the week is University of Southern Maine in Portland Maine. Portland, the largest city in Maine, has been ranked the coolest, hippest, most livable city with 230 restaurants. Check out accolades on Wiki. It is also the third most gayest city. You would get 12K off 31K in merit scholarship so your final price with just merit would be 19K. Maine has an aging population, oldest state in US, hence the value for smart young humans. It is just two hours north of Boston with similar weather. Buses and trains to Boston.</p>

12

<p>You would do well to look at your state flagship because it could be closer to 23K than any of these schools. </p>

<p>But if you need large merit, it might be that only full tuition merit would help. In that case, you really need to scramble. I doubt Vandy or WashU (or Tulane or Pitt, for example) is going to come up with full tuition for these scores, but they might. Your other schools are not merit-based schools or don’t offer full tuition. </p>

<p>You can look at the pinned thread here:</p>

<p><a href=“Links to Popular Threads on Scholarships and Lower-Cost Colleges - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums”>Links to Popular Threads on Scholarships and Lower-Cost Colleges - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums;

<p>but hurry. Lots of deadlines passed or coming soon. Alabama is a common recommendation for people in your situation.</p>

13

<p>Temple. In Philly. Great merit aid. Wonderful theater program.</p>

14

<p>I’ve heard the University of Pittsburgh has great financial aid (need-based and merit). My son did not want to apply there because he already has two great safeties and he really prefers warm weather. For what it’s worth, I’ve spent a lot of time there and I actually really like Pittsburgh. The people are down to earth and friendly, but you still get a lot of big city/east coast sophistication and culture. The weather is often the Pitts, but other than that it’s a nice place. Just my two cents. </p>

<p>Good luck! :)</p>

15

<p>Pomona doesn’t have merit aid. CMC does, but the merit aid deadline has passed (12/1). Any interest in Oberlin? Oberlin has merit aid and no application fee.</p>

16

<p>I like the suggestions others have given. Also UDenver, Fordham, Hofstra are some schools to check out.</p>

17

<p>Yes, I can afford the in-state for OSU (comes up to about 20-21k a year). That’s about what I can float on my own without any aid.</p>

18

<p>Temple would be about $15,000 per year if you get the automatic tuition scholarship. Alabama would be slightly less.</p>

19

<p>Reading through the responses so far, I’ve got:</p>

<p>Alabama
UPitt
University of Southern Maine at Portland
Oberlin (Get my Lena Dunham on, I guess)
Temple
Kent State</p>

<p>I’ll just go ahead and send in the stuff for 'Bama for the tuition and look into the other schools there.</p>

20

<p>I should add that Temple has an Honors college you would most likely be admitted into which gives you preferential dorms (housing has been an issue there).</p>

<p>Since you are in Ohio and not opposed entirely to LACs, have you looked at Kenyon? It is small and rural but has excellent academics, slightly quirky vibe, good theater, and offers merit if you apply by 12/15. No supplement. Although I believe if you want to get merit for writing you need to submit a writing sample. One issue may be showing interest. If you are nearby and haven’t visited that may be a strike against you so if it appeals, maybe you can do some last minute schmoozing. </p>

<p>University of Minnesota also gives merit aid to OOS. Minneapolis/St. Paul is a vibrant area with a ton of great theater.</p>