match/reach schools for meteorology?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>D's GC is suggesting that she apply to 6+ schools. I think she should only apply to schools she likes, that she has reasonable chance of getting into and we can afford. Currently she has two safeties Texas A&M (auto admit) and OU (her top choice) she recently added a reach, MIT, to the list. I'm going along with MIT for now as it gives her an incentive to increase her SAT scores which could increase her chances for outside scholarships. I doubt she can get in to MIT (they only have a 5% admit rate) and haven't a clue as to how we'd pay for it if she did. She does understand this is both a financial and academic reach. We are going to visit MIT in July when D is in Boston for another camp. Maybe it won't be her cup of tea after all..</p>

<p>Can anyone suggest other schools? She is looking for schools that have a good research/operational meteorological program and that are known for good merit aid (we won't qualify for FA). We have already ruled out both Florida State and Penn State because of OOS tuition and lack of merit aide. We have also considered University of Miami but just can't see D in Miami, tropical meteorology isn't her thing. I lived in Miami for several years and loved it, I just can't see D there. She's also considering adding UA-Huntsville for a financial safety if she doesn't make National Merit. Can anyone suggest some match/reach schools that we might have overlooked? Both OU and Texas AM are 'super safeties' for D from what I've been told and MIT is a very high reach (lottery),</p>

<p>Budget: about $20K a year toward COA plus any merit aid and outside scholarships</p>

<p>Location: Texas (but willing to go anywhere)</p>

<p>Stats through the end 10th grade (she took her last final today!):</p>

<p>GPA: weighted 106.16 unweighted 98.11 (100 point scale)</p>

<p>rank: 37 of 630 (based on grades through 1st semester of 10th grade not sure when second semester ranks come out) very academically competitive high school, rank is based on weighted GPA, she was homeschooled until 9th grade so she wasn't allowed to take as many weighted classes her freshman year as other students, she's solid for top 10% and hopes to make top 5% by graduation.</p>

<p>SAT: 2150 CR 760 Math 710 Writing 680 essay 6* (scanning error on second page have requested score verification) MC 75 -will retake SAT a second time in January of 11th grade with a goal of 2200+ for scholarships</p>

<p>PLAN: English 30 Math 32 Reading 27 Science 32 Composite 30 predictive ACT score 31 - 34 will take ACT April of 11th grade (required by high school)</p>

<p>AP's: 9th grade Comp Sci score: 5
10th grade World History anticipate 5
11th grade Chem, Am Hist, Physics 1/2, Cal BC, Eng Lit
12th grade Eng Lang, Physics C, US Gov, Eco, German</p>

<p>Dual enrollment: 8th grade Beginning College Algebra (on-line)
10th grade Comp Sci Advanced (articulated)
12th grade Speech, CAL III</p>

<p>SATII: Math level 2 770 (she'll retake this she ran out of time because she didn't prep at all and didn't even get to the last 10 problems)
taking chem and physics May of 11th grade </p>

<p>EC's: orchestras, ensembles, Girl Scouts, Mu Alpha Theta, NHS, and others too identifiable to mention here, 100+ volunteer hours</p>

<p>good shot at National Merit (10th grade she got 214 and needs about 220 for our state, she'll prep over the summer)</p>

<p>Part of me wants to just tell her to only apply to OU and be done since I really can't see her not getting in and I think it would be a great place for D - they even have a college campus Girl Scout group! but I don't want to sell her short by not exploring other options. Any suggestions?</p>

2

<p>Valparaiso University if she’s okay with a smaller, somewhat Christian school. Admission safety and should chuck merit her way. </p>

3

<p>“I think she should only apply to schools she likes, that she has reasonable chance of getting into and we can afford.” That makes sense as any school she applies to should be one that she has visited and has no qualms about going to even if she gets accepted. Look at schools that try to meet 100% of aid and try to do so through grants and not loans, also schools that she may receive merit scholarships as her grades and SAT scores seem fairly high.</p>

4

<p>Honestly, there probably aren’t many better options if she’s very focused on exactly a meteorology major.</p>

<p>If she’s willing to broaden a bit - to atmospheric science - there may be more options. Cornell offers a major in atmospheric sciences and in Science of Earth Systems (integrates geology, atmospheric, oceanic, and biogeochemical pricinples). Yale’s undergraduate program in geology and geophysics seems to have a concentration in climate change/meteorology. Georgia Tech has a major in the earth & atmospheric sciences (although this does have the issue of being an OOS public school). Caltech has a major in geological and planetary studies with a concentration in atmospheric chemistry. Johns Hopkins has a major in earth and planetary sciences, which includes instruction in atmospheric science. McGill has an undergraduate major in atmospheric science that focuses on weather and climate.</p>

<p>If she’s willing to widen even further to earth science/geology/geosciences programs, there are also Rice, Stanford, Princeton, and Vanderbilt as reaches, and Drexel as a match. NYU also has a Center for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, although the undergrad there would have to major in a more traditional major like physics or chemistry.</p>

5

<p>Wisconsin- Madison? (OOS) </p>

6

<p>An admission safety, but a match as far as merit $ goes is UNC Asheville. They have an Atmospheric Science major. An added bonus is the presence of the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville. Plenty of opportunity for students to gain experience there. </p>