Match me - Rising Female Asian Senior at NJ Public HS, Accounting Major

Chance Me / Match Me!
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Demographics
US Citizen, NJ resident, Public HS, Female, Asian, First-gen

Intended Major(s)
Accounting

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores
UW GPA: probably around 3.9, my school only tells me W GPA but I’ve gotten As in all my classes except Bs in AP Lang
W GPA: 4.66/5.0
Class Rank: 2 out of 290
SAT Scores: 1550, 760 Reading/Writing, 790 Math (only took it 1 time)

Coursework
Taken only four AP classes so far (junior year):
AP Physics 1, AP Lang, APUSH and AP Seminar (got 5s on the exams)

Taking four AP classes next year:
AP Calc AB, AP Stats, AP Research, and AP Biology

Bunch of honors classes (all As):
Honors English 9, 10, and 12 (not doing AP Lit)
Honors Geometry, Honors Algebra 2, Honors Pre-Calc
Honors USH 1, Honors World History
Honors Biology, Honors Chem

  • Four Years of Acad/Regular French

Awards
AP Scholar, NMSQT (haven’t found out yet but most likely Commended Student),

Extracurriculars
Personally think these are lacking a little, barely have any business ECS at my school but I’ve tried to do finance-related leadership positions for clubs I enjoy
Environmental Club- Treasurer
College/Career Exploration Club- Vice President
Disease Research/Awareness Club - Rep Leader
French Club/French Honor Society- Treasurer
Student Council- Treasurer
National Honor Society- Treasurer
Waksman Student Scholar at Rutgers- Published DNA research project in NCBI GenBank
Environmental Volunteering(clean ups, awareness events, managing school greenhouse)- around 200 hours in total
STEM Camp Volunteer- Two summers, Around 60 hours in total
Family Repsonsibiites- working at my family restaurant (I work around 5 hours everyday after school plus longer on weekends)

Essays/LORs/Other
Only started the rough drafts of my essays so far so I’m not sure how good they are. I’m going to ask my AP Seminar/Research teacher and French teacher for LORs because I’ve had them for classes all 4 years and they’re club advisors for clubs that I have leadership so I have a pretty good relationshiip with them. Most of the schools I’m considering currently only need 1 teacher LOR.

Cost Constraints / Budget
My parents have said they can pay around 20K a year and the NPC for the private colleges I’m interested in say COA around 35K a year. I haven’t looked into student loans much so I’m not sure if it’ll be worth it to take out loans for a better private college than attend a cheaper public in state one because I’m aiming to work at a Big 4 after undergrad and I’ve read that the school’s connections and networking help out a lot with Big 4 recruiting.

Schools
Safety(not sure in terms of affordability but in stats I think I’m good): Rutgers NB (EA and I qualify for their free tuition program), TCNJ, Penn State, Ohio State (EA), Temple
Reach: NYU, Villanova (EA), Boston College, Wake Forest

Researching for accounting schools has been kinda hard, every website says something different about rankings. I’d appreciate other school suggestions and thoughts on my current list. Thanks!

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$15k per year will be hard to bridge. You can only take loans of up to $5.5k first year, increasing slightly in following years. The rest would have to be made up from your work earnings part time during the school year (usually assumed to be up to $3-5k) and summers.

Note that CPA licensing now has a 150 credit prerequisite (i.e. five years of college course work), so consider that additional expense in preparing for accounting.

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Congrats on your achievements. For what it’s worth, your ECs seem fine. It’s not relevant if they don’t match your major but then you are a treasurer so it does.

Most important in ECs are you do something you enjoy, show tenure, and impact so not just that you’re a treasurer but what did you accomplish. Many solid, affordable schools won’t care.

But you brought up something important. Budget. That determines everything. If private schools you like are requiring loans, we’ll in my opinion, I’d take them off the list. Or leave them on as a Hail Mary, but if you can’t get enough merit to overcome the loans…then no. Why ? Accounting - highly employable from anywhere.

First thing - remove the OOS public. They don’t work. If you want one that will work. - U of Alabama Manderson School where you’d get ‘at least $28k a year in merit vs $32k in tuition. You can apply now, have a financial safety in the bag. No essay needed. NY/NJ is sending a lot of kids there as is Illino Even with room and board and travel you are there. Check the Ms State website. They have an estimator. Looks like you’d be $18k UAH would be cheap and in a mid size growing area (high tech). At Troy, an Alabama public you’d have free tuition and housing.

There may be others of you want to stay close to home like West Chester PA that may work but may not.

You may say - that stinks, it’s too far etc. the flip side is - your hard work made it so you can go within budget.

Your reach schools - if they show $35k - you can’t afford. So take them off. Now if you want Hail Marys, look at the W&L Johnson, UNC Morehead Cain, SMU Presidential, American Frederick Douglas, Seattle U Sullivan and other full ride. Unlikely but trying two wouldn’t hurt.

It’s great you are asking but I’d advise in finding a guarantee safety (like a Bama) - but that means you’d be happy there. After that, apply to schools that can potentially meet your price. Based on what you said, you don’t have that shirt of the NJ schools. . In my opinion, you then are not spending your time wisely.

Hence the list I gave you. No doubt there are more. I have a list where someone like you can be $25k or less can pm it to you if u want. I made it for a family friend who is less accomplished.

Congrats. Best of luck and will watch for what others write as well. I assume Rutgers is likely but I toss out Bama and Troy as get a quick answer today (have their own apps) and take financial pressure off while waiting for others.

https://financialaid.ua.edu/cost/

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My daughter is a CPA and graduated from Rutgers with her 5 year masters in accounting. She got a job offer from her current employer in 2017 after her junior year internship with a starting big 4 salary. She said getting hired by a big 4 would’ve been easy (she graduated summa cum laude), but she honestly didn’t want to work that hard after graduation. Her company allowed her to come in with a later class so she could take a year to pass all of her exams (while she was a caretaker for her grandfather).

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Your academic achievement and class rank make you a strong candidate across your seemingly well thought out list. I think you have a great shot at several of those reaches. I would strongly suggest you review finances with your parents and review the NPCs to see what makes sense. Of course Rutgers is a great option.

Specific to Bama. As an Asian person who comes from an extremely diverse state like NJ not sure that you would be comfortable at Alabama with its 1.5% Asian population. Of course that is a matter of personal preference but wanted to raise it before you wasted time.

https://oira.ua.edu/factbook/reports/student-enrollment/fall-term/students-by-race-and-ethnicity/

Good luck.

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Yes they report 600 Asian kids. My note is more to place affordability above anything else and based on OPs comments, no school beyond Rutgers and TCNJ will work. Rowan is another NJ public with accounting and as I mentioned some PA regionals like West Chester…may work…depending on merit aid. Lots of PA regional schools.

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Thanks for the advice! I’m aiming for a CPA so I’ve been looking into getting the extra 30 credits and people suggested getting FEMA credits or community college credits as a much cheaper option as opposed to getting a master’s degree so I think I’ll do that.

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My daughter did the 5 year masters in accounting in 4 at Rutgers (thanks to AP test scores).

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Look at Grand Valley. They are particularly good in the business areas and the business school is in downtown Grand Rapids. You almost certainly will be a direct admit to the business school. You are guaranteed an out of state tuition waiver which gives you in state tuition. Then you will be awarded an additional $11k a year, which makes cost of attendance around 13k a year.

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Thanks for the advice! I forgot to mention location. I prefer to stay close to the Northeast and am not comfortable moving that far in the South, but I will definitely look into the schools you suggested. I don’t really have high expectations for my reaches but I thought it wouldn’t hurt to apply and see. Not really sure what you meant about the NJ schools, could you elaborate?

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Thank you for the insight! I don’t think I’m going to aim for a master’s but Rutger’s is one of my top schools that I’m considering. Do you think Big 4 prospects are good there for undergrad? I haven’t found much information on it.

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Sure. As for another comment - if you are concerned with Asian population, then schools like Wake wouldn’t be on your list.

So most important thing is budget. If you have looked at schools like BC and Wake and they show you cannot make budget, there’s no reason to apply and see. Getting in will just crush you as you can’t go.

You need a definite school (why I mentioned those south) than can make budget. The rest …need a chance.

So you have near zero way to make budget at the OOS publics you chose. The NE is a tough area college cost wise. But states tend to take care of their own residents so NJ publics that offer your major will be your best bet since you are locked geographically. But a school like West Chester or Millersville or other PA regional that offer accounting ‘May’ get you to budget so they may be worth a try.

A private like York in PA may get you in range via merit but may be the only one (I can think of). It’s be worth a flyer.

Only other major public maybe with a chance is URI. Or Maine…maybe.

Good luck.

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I did consider the diversity thing and Villanova and Wake Forest are less diverse than I would like but in terms of academics, they’re amazing for accounting so like I said, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to consider. Will look more into NJ public schools but I’ve been pretty set on Rutgers if I stay in state. Thanks

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If you feel you’re assured of entry into Rutgers, that’s your safety. Personally I’d add a second. I think you’re good but crazy stuff happens.

Check those others to see if they offer total merit scholarships because if they don’t then why apply ??

Find a school with a Stamp Scholar or other full ride like UNC, UVA, W&L. At Wake look at the stamps and Susan Reynolds - see what is required to get - bcuz that’s how you can afford, etc.

Always ensure you have a possible way to afford or it’s wasting time applying - if that makes sense.

So in that sense with the two scholarships I just noted WFU could work ( although Winston Salem is not remotely NE) but see what you need to do to get those two. Check out the Fredrick Douglas at AU and Johnson At W&L too.

Good luck.

Ps there are other lists but this may help you narrow in on funding oops ( I see Fordham on there, for example).

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Wake has approx 5% (and steadily rising) and Villanova just under 7% Asian population. A far cry higher from the 589 Asian students out of 32,000 at Bama. Not to mention Villanova is in an extremely diverse city.

I wouldn’t take either off your list until you do more research and dig into finances.

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Much appreciated! Probably should clarify, my reaches are out of my range but they all offer merit scholarships(albeit very competitive) which my application would be automatically considered for so I want to take the chance. I believe schools like UNC and UVA would most likely priortize in state students. Will definitely look into a second safety in NJ.

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Yes but be sure what is needed. It’s not just always applying. For example for you to afford Nova, you need the Presidential. Look at the requirement even for consideration.

Regular merit won’t get you to your if you say they show $35k and often merit and need don’t stack. Not trying to dissuade you but I’m, from experience, warning that you could very well be wasting time.

Ps the UVA and UNC scholarships are brutal to get. Even admission is brutal but both do award to OOS.

As you’ll see in the link from Nova below, don’t assume that you get consideration. Look at each school’s aid page in detail. When you open the link click on presidential.

https://www1.villanova.edu/university/undergraduate-admission/Financial-Assistance-and-scholarship/merit-based-scholarships.html

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If a school’s NPC says $35k, then it’s not going to be affordable (assuming you have a straightforward situation. If your parents are divorced, own a business or own real estate beyond a primary home that can make NPCs inaccurate). Any merit received could decrease your need based aid because most of the schools on your list don’t stack scholarships (do double check).

Penn State and Ohio State are not going to be affordable.

You have to look at each school to see how many credits they will take from CCs.

Also note that Wake forest’s business school is not direct admit, so there is risk at any non-direct admit school that you aren’t accepted, typically when applying second semester of soph year. Business school admission is holistic, so not entirely in one’s control.

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Hard to beat Rutgers. The only other affordable instate options would be Kean, TCNJ, Montclair, WPU and Rowan. For even lower cost you could consider community college for 2 years and then transfer with advanced standing.

The Big 4 recruitment is best at Rutgers (particularly New Brunswick campus).

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Miami University in Ohio could be a financial fit - they offer good merit for someone with your high stats, and offer full rides. Miami has a good accounting program with many Big 4 placements, but the campus is an hour away from civilization. Rutgers might be a better choice overall.

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