need help with college list

College Search & Selection
1

<p>i've been browsing threads like this for the past few years and it's so weird that i'm doing one for myself now...this is kind of long, so please bear with me. </p>

<p>i'm now a senior at a private catholic all girls school in missouri. i'm a minority and i'm going to need a lot of aid (single mom). i'll also be a first gen. my GPA is currently 3.99 (i don't know if it's weighted or unweighted because my school sets A+s as 4.33 even if they're not honors)—upward trend. 9th grade i had a 3.53, 10th grade it was something above a 4.0, and i think my junior year GPA is 4.2, give or take. </p>

<p>my ECs are weak, nothing special at all—spirit squad for a few years, a couple clubs, and i'll have around 200 service hours before i apply anywhere. i've been going through depression and had/have anxiety issues and i just didn't have much motivation to do anything. it sucks now because my ECs are really, really weak and i could've done so much better. i'm on my way to getting help right now, though, and i'm at least proud of myself for keeping my grades up.</p>

<p>the downside is that i've only taken three honors classes even though i was eligible for all of them after i did really well sophomore year. i REALLY tried to get them and sent emails all summer with the registrar trying to add all the honors classes i signed up for, but no one would help me. i signed up for honors bio, history, lit, spanish, and psychology, and i ended up only getting spanish and psych (which is a semester class). it sucks because now it looks like i CHOSE not to take them, when i think i could've done well in them. i ended the year with 4 A+s and 4 As. it wasn't easy, but i feel like i could've been challenged more.
we only have about 3 APs—i think art history, stats, and english (senior class), so that wasn't really on my mind. i signed up for more honors classes senior year, though. is this going to put me at a huge disadvantage? i feel like my rigor pales in comparison to everyone's.</p>

<p>*the first time i took the ACT, i got a 30. i'm taking it again saturday, so hopefully i do better. haven't taken the SAT. </p>

<p>some of the schools i've been looking at:
-rhodes college (i think i have a good chance)
-case western (as a high reach, or am i just delusional?)
-northeastern (match or reach?)
-fordham (reach?)
-boston university (i know their aid is terrible, so even though this is my favorite school i think i might have to just forget about it)
-mizzou (safety)
-SLU (match)</p>

<p>what do you think of these? i know i need more choices. i'm likely going into the sciences. my counselor actually backed me up with case, and i really, really like it. if i applied it would definitely be early action.</p>

<p>it seems like 90% of each graduating class goes to mizzou, but i really don't want to. not that it's a bad school at all; i just want something a lot smaller and i really want to get out of missouri and experience a new city/part of the country. </p>

<p>i know this is long, but do you have any suggestions?</p>

2

<p>Can you afford to go to Mizzou? If not then it’s not a safety. How much will your mom be able to pay for college each year? Your stats are good enough to get money at some schools. Look in the Financial Aid forum for some of the threads on scholarships.</p>

3

<p>i looked on their website and it seems like i could get some automatic scholarships that could cover a significant amount. what would be a good safety? i can’t really pay for anything. UMSL? </p>

<p>i have no idea how much my mom could pay, actually. honestly i kind of assumed she wouldn’t be able to pay anything. we live paycheck to paycheck and money is insanely tight. no savings whatsoever. i was only able to go to this prep school because the school was kind enough to let us pay about 1/10 of the full tuition.</p>

4

<p>One safety would be your local CC. But

</p>

5

<p>Rose Hulman, but I don’t know how well they meet financial aid. They do have merit scholarships, though.</p>

6

<p>Also, small state schools… I don’t know how the state system in Missouri works but in Pennsylvania, we have lots of small colleges besides Penn State and Pitt… For example, Slippery Rock University, Shippensburg University, California University, etc. These schools are only like $6000 (i think) for tuition and still have very good programs.
Definitely a good place to start off. I know lots of people who have received undergrad degrees at these schools and then received masters degrees at other, more prestigious schools.
Hope that helped!</p>

7

<p>no one really answered any of my questions, but thanks</p>

8

<p>Case Western is very expensive and very high academics - I don’t think they give total financial aid. Since I am in Ohio I am more familiar with that particualr school than the others.</p>

<p>For another Ohio school, Capital University in Ohio will just about automatically give full tuition scholarship for your ACT scores if that is any help. I am also thinking you would probably get more aide being you have a single Mom. </p>

<p>Sorry I couldnt’ help more.</p>

9

<p>Since you are in Missouri don’t forget about Truman State. </p>

<p>Well respected smaller school approx 5K students instate COA is approx 15K. You would qualify for at least $2500-$3000 in automatic scholarships and could potentially recieve more through their competitive scholarships. They are typically quite generous and the application is free and rolling. You would know in a few weeks if you are accepted and you have nothing to loose by applying.</p>

10

<p>I don’t know the other schools, but I’d say you are right in the mix for Fordham. Being an minority from out of the tri-state area may help you merit aid wise. Good luck.</p>

11

<p>

Really?? (10 chars)</p>

12

<p>You might want to talk to Lindenwood University in St. Charles, MO - The have a pretty impressive scholarship program for kids who make at least a 30 on the ACT. No, it isn’t a big name school, but you didn’t say what you were majoring in so I can’t say if that would make a difference or not.</p>

<p>I’ve studied all of the Missouri schools pretty well - It will help you if you can get your ACT up to a 31 as you would be eligible for the Bright Flight scholarship which will add about 2,000 to your scholarships at the various schools. </p>

<p>While Mizzou is nice, it is expensive no matter how well you do.</p>

<p>Another school to consider is SEMO. I don’t know the exacts on it, but I think with your GPA and scores, you already qualify for full tuition. Theirs is the best ‘State College’ in Missouri in terms of tuition assistance.</p>

13

<p>I second Truman State.
Since you’re first-gen and URM, your stats are quite impressive (first gen in particular is a big obstacle because other students can rely on their parents’ knowledge early on, and capitalize on that without even realizing it). Also, you managed to get a full scholarship (I assume) to a private school. All of this will put a positive context to your application. </p>

<p>You need to make SURE (100% sure) that your counselor checks ‘most rigorous available’. Since Honors classes weren’t available to you you shouldnb’t be penalized for not taking them. </p>

<p>Stick to the ACT since you seem to be doing well in it.</p>

<p>If you like Rhodes, look into all the liberal arts schools in the South: Davidson (a reach), Agnes Scott (a match), Hendrix (a match), Elon, Guildford (matches? safeties?), Furman…
If you’re okay travelling, try schools in the Midwest like Earlham, St Olaf, Wooster, Allegheny, Illinois Wesleyan, Lawrence, Beloit, Ripon… These schools would likely be very interested in having a student from the South and that would give you a push.
These schools are pretty good with financial aid.
Contact them (type “request info” + the name of the school in your search engine) and you’ll get more information about each.</p>

14

<p>If I were you I would also look at schools that give really good financial aid, like Grinnell and Macalester. I’m not saying you are a shoo in for those schools at all, but they would be your lottery ticket and worth an application.</p>

15

<p>Would you ever consider a Northeast LAC? Some of them have excellent FA and would be excited to receive an application from a candidate like you, a smart URM from (for them) an underrepresented state. Feel free to PM me.</p>

16

<p>-case western (reach)
-northeastern (reach)
-fordham (match/reach)
-boston university (match/reach)
-rhodes college (match/reach)
-SLU (match)
-mizzou (safety)</p>

17

<p>Northeastern, Case, Fordham, and BU are actually all matches. BU’s aid is… decent. It’s a crapshoot, I guess. I have friends with similar stats and 80k~100k incomes who have received near full-rides, and then I have friends with better stats and lower incomes who have received much, much less. </p>

<p>What is your family’s income and how much are they willing to pay?</p>

18

<p>I wouldn’t consider Case or Northeastern to be matches given the stats posted and the latest figures from the most recently admitted classes. More likely reach schools. But you never know with these two schools. </p>

<p>BU and Fordham may be matches but again, it is close.</p>