Looking for matches/safeties

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Rising Senior
Location: Honolulu, HI
Ethnicity: **Asian and Pacific Islander
**School: Really small private girls' school.
GPA: So far I've got just around a 3.8-3.9 unweighted.
Rank: **Our school doesn't rank, but I'm pretty sure I'm 2/24. Yeah, really small school.
**Tests: SAT: 2190 (W:800, R:730, M:660) - retaking. Took the US History, World History, and Literature SATII's, waiting for results. Will take the Japanese one also. Taking the ACT this coming weekend. Almost 100% sure I'm going to be NMSF.
Course load: I've taken the most rigorous classes available to me up until now, APs haven't been available to me before this past year (and only one - APUSH). I've self-studied for AP World. Hoping for 5s in both. My senior APs will be AP US Gov, AP Chem, AP Japanese, and AP English Lit. Our school has a limit on how many APs you can take during Senior year. Usually it's three, but they make exceptions for certain students, and I'm one of them. I'm trying to get them to let me self-study AP Euro. Oh, we only have 7-8 APs offered. I've taken two dual enrollment courses at a local university and plan to do 2-3 more before graduation.
Awards: Bausch and Lomb Science Award, my school's highest honor in Social Studies (the school honors the student "closest to perfection" in each subject. Normally, in core subjects the seniors get the award, but I got it this year as a Junior), QE Merit Scholarship - the highest merit scholarship my school gives out, covers 1/2 tuition for my entire schooling there.</p>

<p>EC's:
Leadership: Student Council President (9th and 11th), Student Council VP (10th), Corresponding Secretary for Serteens (11th), President of Serteens (12th), Secretary for National Honor Society (12th),
**Service: **Girl Scouts, assisting with a children's aikido class (throughout high school and eighth grade), multiple service projects with Serteens Club
**Other: **Aikido (A Japanese martial art - 7 years, will be 9 by graduation), Paddling (will be 3 years by graduation, 2 years varsity), Debate (will be 2 years by graduation), NHS (will be for 2 years), Intern with a state senator this year - possibly going on to becoming a paid intern next year</p>

<p>**Other Info: **I have no hooks. I'm positive I'll have outstanding teacher recs as long as my favorite teachers don't decide to quit. I'll have done National History Day at least twice (I made it to states twice so far). I've done a school year-long internship with an organization that brings in foreign exchange students from around the world and have also hosted a few times. Our school's Japan Wizards (a competition sponsored by the Japan-America Society of Hawaii that quizzes you on things like Japanese culture, language, government, etc.) team, of which I was captain, won one of four trips to Japan in Freshman year.</p>

<p>I'm looking at schools like Georgetown, Yale, Princeton, Brown, Middlebury, Amherst, Tufts, Swarthmore, UChicago etc. I may also be applying to the Air Force and Military Academies. I'd be grateful for any suggestions for matches - I know these are all reaches. </p>

<p>Ideally, I'd like suggestions for smaller private schools that might give me good aid because of where I'm from/my ethnicity. </p>

<p>If it makes any difference, I'm planning on either going to law or graduate school immediately after my undergrad (unless I miraculously do get into an Academy and decide to go there) with the possibility of pursuing a doctorate. </p>

<p>Geographically, I really want to go to the East Coast, mid-Atlantic/New England area. It's not set in stone though.</p>

<p>And I think I'm going to be studying either history, Middle Eastern studies, or international relations. Possibly some combo. </p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>I would think that being from Hawaii is a “hook”, isn’t it? </p>

<p>How big is Hawaii’s population?</p>

3

<p>What’s your financial situation? Do you need aid?</p>

4

<p>Financially, aid would be nice. My family is in the $100-200k range, but in Hawaii, that’s nothing spectacular. The cost of living is insane here. But seeing as mainland schools don’t always recognize that, I’m going to be relying on merit aid as well.</p>

<p>And Hawaii’s population is ~1.4mil</p>

5

<p>With that income range you won’t qualify for much, if any, FA. There is no adjustment for COL (neither colleges nor the gov’t take that into account). You’ll need to look for merit aid. </p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/649276-nmf-scholarships-updated-compilation.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/649276-nmf-scholarships-updated-compilation.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

6

<p>Your family’s income is too high for need-based aid at most schools. Financial aid is based on income and assets…and your family has a high income. </p>

<p>Many areas in this country are expensive…schools don’t care about that. Sorry. </p>

<p>Schools don’t give financial aid for ethnicity or state that you’re from.</p>

<p>Almost 100% sure I’m going to be NMSF</p>

<p>However!!! Since you’ll be a NMSF/F, you will get merit scholarship offers from some schools…but not from the schools on your list. :(</p>

<p>However :slight_smile: there are some good schools that will give you generous merit offers for being NMF. What was your PSAT?</p>

<p>You need to ask your parents how much they will pay each year. For instance, if they say, “we can only $20k per year,” then you will have to include schools that you know for sure will give you large merit scholarships. </p>

<p>If your parents won’t pay $60k per year, then scholarships won’t just be “nice”…they will be a necessity. </p>

<p>There are a good number of kids from Hawai’i that attend my kids’ university. One thing that they mention is that their airline tix are pretty expensive to come to the Mainland. However, since they are getting large merit scholarships, it’s worth it. That said, your actual COA will be higher than other students because your transportation costs will be high.</p>

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<p>I understand, that’s why I’m hoping for merit aid or diversity scholarships or whatnot.</p>

<p>…could I have match/safety suggestions, please?</p>

8

<p>uwc, are you aware that few (maybe none) of the colleges on your list offer merit based aid? If you must have merit aid, then you may have to revise your list. </p>

<p>In other words, your demographic would certainly help you with admissions, but may not help you with money. </p>

<p>Anyway, there’s a big difference between a family income of $100K and $200K. Ask your parents to use an online calculator to get a better idea of how much need based aid you might be entitled to. You could then discuss how much they’d be willing/able to contribute to make up the difference.</p>

<p>I’d suggest Smith both as a match – perhaps even a safety – and as a potential scholarship granter.</p>

9

<p>consider LCC or KCC or HCC. Jk jk.</p>

<p>I didn’t really read your post. It’s too long and I’m lazy. Good thang I know you in person gurlfriend. But anyway. Consider William and Mary. It’s public, dunno if it gives merit aid at all, but I honestly think you definitely have a wonderful shot at it. It really struck me personally as a school with a great personality and somewhere that you/ I could fit in lolololol. NYU would be a good shot too, I think. Though i don’t think you’d want to go there. . . Literally all east coast women’s colleges are fair game. Hm, what else. Middlebury in vermont. Wesleyan in CT. . . </p>

<p>Yeah sorry, my response kind of ignores the merit aid aspect entirely, gomenasai.</p>

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<p>You can narrow down your list really fast by looking only at schools that have programs in Middle Eastern Studies. Rutgers is one place that would probably be a safety for you (but it’s a LONG way from Hawaii!).</p>

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<p>You should take a look at the midwestern LACs, where being Asian/Pacific Islander gives you a boost. Grinnell offers merit aid for someone with your scores and has exceptional sciences. Check out Macalester and Oberlin too. They are all matches for you.</p>

<p>However, if you are very keen on east coast/mid-atlantic (and can accept no merit aid), then consider Bates, Colby and Bowdoin. All very preppy - but so are Middlebury and Amherst, so I assume that’s a possible fit for you. Bates and Colby are matches. Bowdoin is more of a reach. No merit aid at any of them. Haverford (part of the consortium with Swarthmore and Bryn Mawr) might also be a fit, but it too is between a match and a reach.</p>

12

<p>How about the women’s colleges such as Smith, Wellesley, etc? They give out pretty good aid even in your income bracket.</p>

13

<p>try looking at Colgate U</p>