My College List!!! Advice needed!!

College Search & Selection
1

<p>So i am starting my college list and would like some advice on the colleges that are on it so far. For example, if i have a good shot at getting in and any advice or suggestions concerning my list. I have not decided on a major yet: health sciences, sciences, business, marketing, are a few programs that I am interested in at the moment . First here are my stats and then my list. Any advice would be much appreciated.</p>

<p>[<em>]ACT (breakdown):26(first sitting); 27(second sitting)
[</em>]Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0):3.8
[<em>]Weighted GPA: 3.99
[</em>]Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):top 5%
[<em>]AP (place score in parentheses):AP Chemistry
[</em>]IB (place score in parentheses):
[<em>]Senior Year Course Load:Physics, AP Calculus, Spanish 4, Advanced British Lit., P.E., Economics/ American Government, Agricultural business, Teachers aide
[</em>]Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): </p>

<p>[<em>]Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses):National Honor Society(10,11,12), Key Club(editor-10,11,12), Student Council(10,11,12-treasurer), Golf team Varsity(9,10,11,12), FFA(12), attended Illinois Premiere Boys State.
[</em>]Job/Work Experience: Worked as Sandwich Artist for 7 months, corn detasseling for 2 summers
[<em>]Volunteer/Community Service: most through Key Club and Student Council; ~85 hours so far
[</em>]Summer Activities: Working, camps, practicing for golf, Boys State</p>

<p>[<em>]School Type:Public
[</em>]Ethnicity:White
[<em>]Gender:Male
[</em>]Income Bracket:~110,000</p>

<p>My list!!</p>

<p>Reaches:</p>

<p>Occidental College
Rhodes College</p>

<p>Matches:</p>

<p>UIUC
Loyola University Chicago
Lake Forest University
MSOE
Butler University</p>

<p>Safeties:
Eastern Illinois University
Indiana University-Bloomington</p>

2

<p>Wow, good list (pleasant surprise after seeing all these threads that only list schools with <20% acceptance rates)! But honestly, if you improve your test scores (I’m thinking 30 ACT), I’m sure Rhodes College wouldn’t really be more of a match. I don’t understand, however, why all your “matches” and “safeties” are big schools and your reach schools are small LACs. What would you prefer? LACs, or big schools? Middle of the road?</p>

3

<p>Might try as a reach-Holy Cross-top25 LAC 1 hour from Boston. HC has very nice campus, great school spirit and top science programs.</p>

4

<p>Avg. ACT score campus wide at UIUC is 27-32, with business and especially engineering being even higher. You have a good GPA and great class rank though, so I would try to raise your ACT a few pts if possible.</p>

5

<p>international95: I noticed that too. However, as far as campus size i feel that i have been fairly comfortable at most of the schools i have visited ranging from LACs to big schools.</p>

<p>par72: I will definitely look into it.</p>

<p>uofiapplicant: i know i was really nervous about my last ACT and it showed through my score. I might end up retaking it in September. Do you know anything about health sciences at UIUC?? </p>

<p>Thank you for your feedback!!</p>

6

<p>we can’t really talk firm up an applications list until you know what schools are going to require your family to pay. Having this income could put you in the place where schools start to tighten up their non-merit aid til there are only loans. Run the net price calculators each school has on its website and see what kind of Expected Family Contribution they will ask your family for and see what your family can afford. You’ll have to do this with your parents’ help.</p>

7

<p>@noclue2015‌
I think the health science, at least community health, are some of the easiest majors to get into so a 27 will probably be competitive. I would still try to get it to a 29+ just in case though.</p>

8

<p>You are instate for IL.<br>
that means Indiana will be expensive…if your parents wont pay all the costs, then it isnt a safety.</p>

<p>If your parents wont pay all of EIU, then that isnt a safety either.</p>

<p>How much will your parents pay? ask them.</p>

<p>@noclue2015‌ </p>

9

<p>Bowdoin</p>

10

<p>Finally! A non- superficial college list!</p>

11

<p>jkeil911: I already have talked and cleared most of these colleges with my parents. Thank you for your advice. </p>

<p>mom2collegekids: I will reconsider Indiana then. Thanks for the input.</p>

<p>collegebound752: thanks for the suggestion. I will look into it also.</p>

<p>uofiapplicant: thanks for answering. </p>

12

<p>@noclue2015, be sure you work with your parents to run the net price calculators this summer. A lot of parents SAY finances are okay for a given college, but they are secretly (or subconsciously) expecting some aid to come from the college that may not be forthcoming. Running the calculators is a good reality check for everyone. You can find them on the financial aid website page for each college. They are usually pretty accurate unless your parents are divorced, own a small business, or have rental real estate – then they will often overestimate your aid.</p>

13

<p>Any suggestions for another safety?? </p>

14

<p>There is no way to help you select a safety without knowing what your family can afford.</p>