I’m not one of those people that considers a 3.9gpa or a 34 act low btw.
I have had an 85-86 average for all my high school years. I scored a 26 on my most recent ACT and plan on retaking soon. I have not taken any AP classes. 4 years of most standard classes. Ive played a couple sports, been in a couple clubs/ student council, and have also done some charity work and even ran a small business. With all that out of the way, where should I apply? Planning on EA application for as many as I can. Looking for some BIG state schools on the east coast or close to. Not looking for safety schools or schools that are a definite in, more so schools that I have a small shot at. Any help or ideas would be much appreciated, or if you had a similar situation and remember the decisions you received from any schools that would be fantastic.
What state are you from? What is your budget? Do you have some sense regarding an intended major?
I’m also aware that I’m an idiot for not trying harder in school so you don’t have to tell me twice.
UMaine, URI, UVM, UNH, RIT, Quinnipiac (not BIG but pretty rah rah, especially with hockey), SUNY Buffalo, Temple, George Mason.
Sorry I forgot to mention, I am from buffalo NY but not interested in any suny schools. I am fine moving anywhere along the east coast. I’m not worried too much about budget right now, just looking for acceptances then I’ll focus on the numbers. Intended on a business major.
Are your parents concerned about the budget? It’s a waste of time to look into schools that are outside your budget. The first thing you should do is find out what they can pay.
Money isn’t a huge issue at the moment, just applying to a variety of schools, and then looking at the price. Just looking for some reach schools to add.
@Bennnnn ,
Unless you are independently wealthy and where colleges are approaching the 80K/year cost of attendance (including some where you would be better served going to SUNY), money is always an issue. I am quite sure that you and your parents may have different ideas as to how much they are willing to spend/borrow or you to go to college. Your bet bet would be to get on the same financial page now.
@Bennnnn , first, don’t criticize yourself for getting the grades you did. Your worth is not entirely tied to your GPA and your test scores. Hanging out in the CC forums can skew our judgement as far as what stats are needed to be successful in life. It’s great when a student achieves that 4.4 gpa and 34 ACT, but no one should fire shots at the student who notches what you achieved.
There are numerous schools that fit your stats and desired east coast location. I plugged your general stats and intended general major of “Business” into the USN&WR app and here are a few of the public schools that were identified:
Temple, U of Delaware, George Mason, UMass Lowell, U Vermont, West Virginia U, East Carolina Univ, U of Maine, Virginia Commonwealth U … and dozens and dozens more.
In your shoes, I would target the non-flagships. Go for James Madison instead of U of Virginia; UNC Charlotte instead of UNC Chapel Hill. Also, some states accept more OOS students than other states. For instance, the top PA schools have 30+% of OOS students, while most NC public universities have 13%, 11%, or even down to 4-6%. The Massachusetts schools have a couple of outliers over 10% but appear to be in the 5% range mostly.
I believe in chasing the dream. I don’t agree you should adhere to a strict “if it appears unaffordable, it is DEFINITELY unaffordable” rule. However, unless your family is wealthy, finances will play a big role in dictating your final destination. My advice is to apply to as many options as you like and can afford the application fees. Maybe you’ll get some surprising news on the financial aid, maybe not. However, it is a MUST that you include schools you are 100% certain your family can afford. That would mean applying to a couple of SUNYs and other in-state public options, even if they are not at the top of your wish list.
Good luck!
Providence College, Pitt, Temple, Schools that @taverngirl mentioned come to mind. Business schools are usually more competitive for admissions than the regular college, for Liberal arts.
You are looking for reach schools. I’d star looking at ACT ranges of the schools that interest you, and consider the ones where your 26 is in the bottom to mid range of the mid 50% as reached for you. That’s what you want, right? Reach schools.
If you like a school, buy the lottery ticket I’m assuming you have your realistic choices and safety covered.
Thank you so much @EconPop , do you think I would have any chance at some 50% acceptance rate schools? I know they would be a long shot, but is it worth the application to apply to schools like Clemson, Georgia, penn state, Syracuse, Florida state, etc? My ACT score fits them and I’m confident in my essay and application, only issue is my classes and gpa. Do you think there would even be the slightest chance of getting accepted? Also, any schools that come to mind that are similar that don’t cost a ridiculous 30k a year out of state? Thanks for the help!
“I’m not worried too much about budget right now,… Intended on a business major.”
I think that you are looking at something like $25,000 per year for a SUNY. Some schools cost over $80,000 per year. A potential business major should understand how this plays out over 4 or even 5 years (the majority of university students in the US take more than 4 years to graduate).
You might have a good chance at U.Mass Lowell or UNH and a very good chance at U.Maine Orono. U.Mass Amherst or UVM might be worth an application, but I do not think that they are safeties for you. I would probably call them matches.
I think you have a shot at most of those schools, but remember, “a shot” doesn’t mean you have a 40%-80% chance at getting in. 4 of 5 of those schools are state flagships, the highest-ranked public schools in their respective states. For instance, UGA’s stats are slightly above your stats. Also, UGA has only 11% OOS students. My guess is that while UGA is listed as a 50% admit-rate school, that 50% is for in-state students – it’s likely the OOS acceptance rate is lower than 50%. You can always call the school and speak to an admissions officer to find out for certain what the OOS acceptance rate is. Also, while the in-state costs are reasonable, the OOS costs total over $42K.
Penn State enrolls more OOS students, and your stats seem to be within reach of the lower end of their middle-50. Be aware that the OOS costs at PSU are approximately $46K+. Apply to these schools if you think you really want to attend, but be realistic with your chances and family finances.
Syracuse is a private school, and your GPA/ACT put you in a decent position for admittance – no guarantee, but a target school for you. OTOH, being a private school means Syracuse is more expensive. Your family would be staring at a $65K+ bill every year, including Room&Board. Maybe you’d receive some financial aid, but who knows how much. Apply, but be realistic about your chances (stats and financially) and be sure to apply to a few safeties that are 100% within your stats and finances.
If you want to go to school in GA, also apply to George State; in Florida, add UCF; in SC, add USC; in PA, add one of the Penn States that is not in University Park. Don’t focus as much on the name. The other schools have similar enrollment numbers and similar campus sizes to the schools you listed. But you definitely have a better chance at being admitted at GA State, UCF, USC than the schools you listed.
Of course, in the end, unless these schools come through with significant FA, finances may dictate that instead of attending GA State for $44K, it makes more sense to attend a SUNY for $25K.
“Finances are not an issue right now”
There’s no such thing as “right now.” Either you can afford it or you can’t. You’re putting the cart before the horse and pushing your wagon down a hill. You really need to find out what you can actually afford before you start.
Second a 3.4 GPA and a 26 on your ACT isn’t going to go far on the east coast where schools are much more competitive. If a SUNY school is 25k, there’s a lot of out of state universities that have similar costs that’ll let you in, but they won’t be on the east coast. If you want to try Texas, University of Houston and Texas State are within that budget and your stats are a match. These are big state schools.
You mentioned you don’t want a safety school. That’s fine, but be prepared to go to community college if you don’t get into the schools on your list.
I said I didn’t want safety schools because I already have those figured out, along with a couple targets. Just looking for input on reach schools
If those big state schools are what you want, get your app in immediately. Penn State looks at 3 numbers class rank, test score and date of app. A lot of rolling admissions schools are that way. So get “rolling” on them. Just understand that you are on the lower end of the accept curve, especially to the business schools and as an OOSer.
Just make sure you have affordable safety schools on your list too.
You really do not want to apply to a bunch of schools, get a bunch of admissions, and then have your parents tell you that they are all too expensive, so that your only option is to start at a community college. Find out their price limit now before you make your application list.