Looking for target school suggestions [NJ, 4.0, 1370, <$45k/year, biology, chemistry, math]

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

We’re looking for some suggestions for additional target schools as that’s the part of the list that might change the most. Thanks!

Demographics
US domestic
New Jersey
small public high school
female

Intended Major(s):
Biochemistry, Chemistry, or Math/Applied Math

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores:
4.0 uw/4.5 W, no rank, 1370 SAT (670 verbal/700 math), taking again in August

Coursework
Honors Bio
Honors Chem
Honors U.S. History
Honors World History
English Honors & AP English Lang., AP English Lit.
French 1 - 3 honors
Math honors & AP BC Calc., AP Statistics
AP Chem, AP Bio, AP Physics, AP Environmental Science
AP Computer Science Principles
Economics Dual Enrollment
Art and Creative Writing Electives

Awards
Math Honors Society
French Honors Society
Science Honors Society

Extracurriculars - nothing special, probably not enough for the reaches
Varsity and Club Volleyball
Part time Job
Summer Camp Counselor, three summers, with one volunteer season
Stem Camp Counselor, volunteer
Basketball Stat keeper
Summer research in Bioinformatics & Ecology
Piano

Cost Constraints / Budget
Max. of $45k
EFC: $48,000, we ran NPCs for each college

College List
No Early Decision (could change)

Reaches
Colgate (early decision possibly?) - Test Optional
Richmond - Test Optional
College of the Holy Cross (acceptance rate plummeted last year)

Targets (Here’s where we need suggestions for other schools)
Dickinson
Trinity College
Gettysburg (might be too expensive)
Muhlenberg

Safeties
Rutgers - Early Action (she actually would like to attend here in spite of the fact that the list is dominated by small colleges)
TCNJ
Loyola University of Maryland - Early Action
University of Scranton - Early Action

2

SUNY Geneseo, SUNY New Paltz, SUNY Binghamton

NYS will match the cost of Rutgers. If the OOS cost is less than Rutgers, you will pay the lower cost.

Would Union or Skidmore be targets? Have you run the NPC?

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Seconding Geneseo and Skidmore.
Look into Denison, St Olaf, Wooster, Kalamazoo, Beloit; if willing to look South: Southwestern (Tx), Austin College.

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Yes, Skidmore and Union would be targets. Skidmore isn’t my daughter’s vibe, and Union is way over our budget according to their NPC, which is unfortunate because it seems like it’d be a good fit.

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5

Have you thought about Lafayette or Bucknell, both in Pennsylvania?

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Have you looked into St. Lawrence?

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Yes, but their NPC results came in WAY over budget at close to $60k per year.

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I have read about St. Lawrence, and while it does seem like a fine college, my daughter wants to avoid extreme winter weather. Same with Clarkson.

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UMASS Amherst, UCONN, UDEL gave my kids enough merit to bring it close to Rutgers, SUNY Bing came in cheaper (but higher test scores).

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Thinking a bit more broadly, I’d investigate these:

  • Clark (MA): About 2400 undergrads
  • Denison (OH): About 2400 undergrads…seconding this rec
  • Duquesne (PA ): About 5100 undergrads
  • Elon (NC): About 6300 undergrads
  • Oberlin (OH): About 3k undergrads
  • Otterbein (OH): About 2200 undergrads
  • Seton Hall (NJ): About 6k undergrads
  • Siena (NY): About 3500 undergrads
  • Susquehanna (PA ): About 2200 undergrads

Seconding the recs of SUNY Geneseo & New Paltz, too. And although its arts programs get the most attention, I’d also check out SUNY Purchase (about 3100 undergrads). If she decides to brave further north, Oswego would be a good contender to consider.

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I’m glad you ran the NPCs.

Holy Cross apparently is an ED type school - ie very high acceptance rate.

Why do you need more targets ? Your issue is going to be - can you make budget at these. For example, at U of Arizona with your 4.0, your tuition will be $8k. Your total cost will be low to mid 20s. Miami of Ohio will be low - perhaps 30s.

But you want small - mid and near you.

And I’d want assurances of hitting budget. So I’d look at some SUNYs - smaller ones like New Paltz.

As far as LACS and they are safeties but many will have strong merit - a Wooster, Allegheny, Clarkson, Hobart, etc. it’s much farther but Hendrix had a flagship match, so you might pay Rutgers tuition. U Maine a smaller public and has similar.

You asked for targets - U Miami, Connecticut College, U Denver, Trinity, Franklin & Marshall, Lafayette, etc but again - your list as is works but if and only if you have an assured $45k school.

I only see two - Rutgers and TCNJ.

So the question is - if the student can only go to one of those two, will they be ok or disappointed ?

If disappointed, then you should look at schools and I won’t mention biggies but such as Salisbury, Christopher Newport, SUNY whatever, Kalamazoo, Depauw, Beloit, College of Charleston, York College, WVU for large.

You have a potential price issue. Not an I need more targets issue - if that makes sense.

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Thanks for the detailed reply and helpful suggestions. My daughter merely wanted additional ideas for targets, in case she overlooked something. The other small safeties beyond TCNJ and Rutgers, which she would be happy to attend, are well within budget according to their NPCs. It therefore might come down to Rutgers-TCNJ-Scranton-Loyola Maryland

To our surprise, in light of the number of small schools on her list, she’s leaning toward Rutgers. The idea of being close to home, and having plenty of STEM majors to choose from that are highly ranked appeals to her now. She is able to see the pro/cons of both big and small schools.

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Thanks for the suggestions. Seton Hall is appealing for its variety of Math concentrations. I think she’d love Elon as well, but pricey NPC result.

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Thanks. Forgot to include UDel as it’s on our list. According to the NPC, she’d get enough merit - $17k to bring it close to TCNJ and Rutgers. No guarantees, of course.

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Back when my oldest applied, merit was supposed to be linked heavily to test scores, she had a 34 and a 3.9+ Gpa (1 B). She got $17,000. During Covid her sister with the same gpa but s 33 act was offered $15,000. It seems though, from what I’ve seen, gpa is more important now. Her twin was 3.7/30 and was offered $10,000. My daughter was in honors and felt it was worthwhile.

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16

In this case, you might consider SUNY Bing and Buffalo plus Delaware for solid STEM. Stony Brook too but many say it’s a suitcase school.

Larger schools that could hit $45k - Umass to stay close and U of SC (not so close) with its top notch Honors College.

Lehigh meets need so run the NPC. RPI needs females and will pay. Both UF and FSU are excellent and budget friendly. FSU a match and UF a low reach. Purdue is another (high 30s in cost) - if not engineering, she’d be a likely/safety.

If she’s looking larger, OOS and strong in STEM, that’s a few more ideas. Arizona, as mentioned earlier and not close but is very strong in STEM, especially physics where most rank it top 10. And half of budget. UGA with the Classic Scholarship could work too. Lots of northeasterners. It’s a high target/low reach.

A few other - Bryn Mawr could work. While it’s a female school, you have access to Haverford and Swarthmore. It’s a target. Same with Smith and / or Mt Holyoke. Not as easy but access to Amherst College, UMASS, etc. Run the NPCs on these.

Best of luck to her.

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If she wants schools with no “extreme winter conditions” I would suggest Buffalo and New Paltz are not good choices. Both have extreme winters…Buffalo often gets a TON of snow, and New Paltz is COLD.

It looks like you have a good selection of choices with milder weather. I’ll add, weather was also a criteria for one of my kids, and that was totally fine with us!

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Connecticut College and Mount Holyoke would both be targets/likelies and both offer generous merit. Mount Holyoke comes with the advantages of the five-college consortium.

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Thank you so much! Great suggestions!

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To further a suggestion that has been made, Denison is notable for offering a data analytics major, which might allow your daughter to develop her range of academic interests in an integrated way.

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