<p>Currently I have a college list comprised of 6 schools, but I want to balance out my list with another match school. I'm looking for a school that has a nice campus and/or location (Doesn't matter which coast, but I would prefer to be in a coastal state). Additionally, I would prefer for it to be in a safe area, but I'm pretty flexible in this department. For size, I want a match school with around 6,000-10,000 undergrads, though I can make exceptions. Here's my current list, so it's easier to get an idea of what I am looking for. I also live in VA and I plan on a math/science major though I'm still undecided. Basically, I want a place similar to BC or USC that isn't a reach, but is still pretty strong academically.</p>
<p>Current GPA: 3.57 uw/4.00 w GPA (hopefully) after senior year: 3.66 uw/ 4.08 w
SAT: 2090 and will take once more
Reach: UVA, Boston College, USC
Match: Northeastern, Virginia Tech
Safety: UMN - Twin Cities</p>
<p>A couple schools I've looked at: Wake Forest -- I think this would classify as a reach, but on Naviance there have been many students with similar stats that have been accepted.
Tulane -- Don't know much about this school, but I know they give good aid. I also like the location and size.</p>
<p>I've run the NPCs for most of these schools and the average COA looks like it'll be around 30k. If you could find any where it would be less, then that would be great. My income bracket is about $95,000-$115,000. If you want to see my ECs and such, I've posted those before. Thanks! Any help would be appreciated!</p>
<p>My son got into Tulane with similar stats, but he did not receive any financial aid. DePaul would be a safety for you, and you could probably get a scholarship. Pitt is a match. </p>
<p>@mommdc I have considered Richmond, but the size is just a little too small for me I think I would want at least a little closer to 4,500 or 5,000 undergrads. Also, because it’s private I think I would rather want a school that’s OOS, which would be essentially the same cost + travel fees. As for Maryland, I couldn’t even go there if I wanted to, haha my dad vehemently hates the terps.</p>
<p>@woogzmama Did your son not receive any financial aid at Tulane because your income was too high, or was it similar to my family’s? I don’t know too much about Pitt and Depaul so I’ll look into those two as well.</p>
<p>@hotchair - Tulane requires the CSS, along with the FAFSA. They did not meet our EFC, but we are a low-income/high-asset family. They do not guarantee meeting demonstrated need. The good news is that they will inform you of any merit awards when they send your admissions decision. They have a non-binding Early Action option, and a free application, and so there’s nothing to lose. On the Tulane admissions thread, I saw students with similar stats say they received generous merit awards. Apply, by all means. You will probably get in, but don’t count on a merit scholarship. We visited DePaul with our older son, who was interested in the Theatre School (one of the best, and most selective, in the country). It doesn’t have a great deal of prestige nationally, but it’s in a great location in a great city. </p>
<p>Matches: Rochester (Lake Ontario coast), Tulane, Case Western (it’s coastal - Lake Erie), Miami (FL and Ohio actually), UVermont (EA). </p>
<p>UMN is not a safety. My D was waitlisted two years ago for the science/engineering school with better stats. It was her rolling safety. She applied the minute the applications opened in Sept and didn’t get a decision until Christmas week - after all of her other early applications and was admitted to the social science school not the sci/eng school. It didn’t make any sense. When she called to withdraw her application (she was admitted ED somewhere else anyway) she was told that she had been wait-listed. Chuckle. The whole thing was senseless and reeked of bureaucracy </p>
<p>For a safety consider Vermont or Case Western both of which have EA and you’ll know before other application deadlines. Vermont may not be within your budget, but Case often gives enough merit to make it enticing. </p>
<p>@woogzmama Ohhh I see. The CSS profile really seems like it can trip up a good financial aid package. Can you tell me more about DePaul? Does it have a nice campus (aesthetically, but also modern, clean, etc.)? Is it located in the actual city, or is it in some sort of closed-off campus?</p>
<p>@ClassicRockerDad I like your suggestions. Specifically, Rochester, Case Western, and Miami (FL). I know they’re all strong academically, but could you tell me what the campus is like and how the people are? Both Miami schools seem like big party places (although I think the same could go for Tulane), while Rochester and Case appear to have more academically oriented students. I don’t know much about the campuses.</p>
<p>As for your D, that seems pretty surprising. I think they must have suspected that MN was her safety and waitlisted her to see how bad she really wanted it. Did she also have that free application without an essay? I think I may start looking into other schools in order to get a 100% safety on my list.</p>
<p>My husband complained about the boring architecture at DePaul, but I thought that the facilities were very attractive. There is a real campus, but it is located within the Lincoln Park neighborhood. It’s just one or two stops away from Wrigley Field (possibly walking distance in decent weather), and near the zoo. Lincoln Park is sort of like Greenwich Village, with some beautiful residential blocks and some funkier ones. An old friend of mine lives near DePaul, and she is an heiress married to a successful tech entrepreneur. It’s a Catholic college, but not oppressively so. Read up on Saint Vincent DePaul: his mission was tending to the urban poor in Paris. The school prides itself on diversity and the number of first-generation college students. There’s no football team, but they do have a D-1 basketball team that regularly ranks at the bottom of the Big East for men; the women’s team is usually very good. As I mentioned before, they have one of the best Theater schools in the country. I understand that Music and Communications are also excellent. I can’t really comment on other departments, but it just seemed like a perfect safety for you, considering your stated criteria. </p>
<p>Haha I guess it’s what’s on the inside that matters. Anyways, it seems like a good option for a safety after what I’ve learned about UMN. Sounds like it has a great location and the D1 Basketball seems like a plus. That’s actually how I’ve heard of them and I’m Catholic anyways, so I wouldn’t mind the affiliation. As long as the tech/science departments aren’t horrible, it sounds like a better option than Minnesota.</p>
<p>She didn’t have a free application, but if I recall the application doesn’t require an essay. I don’t think they gave her application too much human thought. It’s possible that she didn’t meet the statistical requirements for admission from OOS. It’s possible that there was a clerical error and she was just admitted to the wrong school. It’s possible that there was a clerical error and her transcript was typed in wrong. We just didn’t know and didn’t care. It was all moot. </p>
<p>The science and engineering programs are very good. There are many internship opportunities with the Air Force Research Laboratories which are right in Dayton. I generally hire an intern every year from UD and they love the student life there.</p>
<p>I think that Dayton is probably stronger for Engineering and Tech fields. I don’t know much about the college, but my nephew lives in Dayton and likes it a lot.</p>
<p>@par72 I’m not looking exclusively at engineering. I’m applying to BC as a comp sci major, but I’m still undecided on the matter and that could change. I have an idea of what I want to do, but I’m not dead set on anything yet. I’m just asking about the tech/science departments because whatever I major in will most likely be in that part of the school.</p>