Need Matches/Low Matches

College Search & Selection
1

Demographics: Asian male, middle class, PA, business major

Objective:
GPA: 97 UW, 99 W(4.0 UW on 4 scale for context)
SAT: 1510/1600 New SAT superscored,1480 single sitting(2190 superscored, 2130 single sitting converted to old SAT)
SAT II: 720 Bio E
Rank- 2/100
Course Rigor- 7 APs, 8 Honors throughout high school, most rigorous in my school

ECs:
FBLA-2 years- treasurer(11), president(12)- 1st at regionals, ~20th at states
Model UN- 2 years- treasurer(12)- best delegate, 3 events per year
Tennis- 3 years- #2 singles on varsity team, club team, local tournaments, etc(biggest EC, not recruit level though)
Tennis volunteering- helping out at local clinics over this summer for our district residents(100 hrs)
Students against destructive decisions(SADD)-4 years-treasurer(11)
Engineering competition-11-12th
Recycling club- 9-12th- President(12)
Piano- seven years- private lessons

Preferences:
Mid to large sized university
Northeast/midatlantic region
Near a city or vibrant college town
Actual defined campus, not several buildings incorporated into a city(think GW)
No big core curriculum, fairly flexible

Reaches:
Georgetown(EA)
Boston College(EA)

Matches:
Villanova(EA)
Maybe URichmond

Safety:
Ohio State
Penn State
Pitt

I’m happy with my safeties and my reaches and I’m looking to add some matches. Richmond has been suggested to me a few times but I haven’t looked into it too much yet. Will visit in the fall but on paper it seems like a good fit. Absolutely loved my Villanova visit. However, I feel like both Villanova and Richmond are high matches so I’m looking for something that might be a little easier to get into. I wouldn’t be too surprised if I got rejected by all of my reaches and matches on my list right now so I think I need to add more lower matches.

Safeties are in state(Pitt/Penn State) around a COA of 30k/year with OSU being 23k/year with automatic scholarships. Would prefer Pitt/Penn State if I can get Schreyers at Penn State or a scholarship at Pitt to make it closer to OSU price. Looking to get lower matches around that price too through a combination of FA and merit if possible. Thanks!

2

Medium-to-large, Northeast/Mid-Atl, defined campus, urban or college town:

Fordham
Syracuse
TCNJ
Providence College
U of Buffalo

You might also consider U of Rochester – maybe a high match.

Notes:

  • I actually think BC is a high match/low reach for you.
  • The U of Richmond is small (a LAC).
3

Boston College would definitely be a match. You are above their 25-75% numbers for SAT and GPA. Any reason NYU Stern did not make your list? All due to lack of campus? It would be the best of the business programs you are applying to. What about CMU? Cornell?

4

@prezbucky Hi, thanks for the suggestions. Any chance of merit at those schools? I was actually just looking at Rochester and thought it might’ve been a good fit haha. I’ll look into that as a high match. BC business is quite a bit harder than BC overall so I didn’t really think it was a match.

@swimchris NYU is too pricey with not so great financial aid. It would definitely be a huge reach and if I were to apply to more reaches, they would be those with better financial aid. I am considering CMU and Cornell too but my scores are on the lower side.

5

@prezbucky Also I can’t find a class profile or something similar for Rochester. How are my scores for it? They have an odd test scores policy so idk where I stand. Also they say GPA isn’t even considered and I don’t really understand that.

6

I do think that Gtown, BC, and Villanova have a large core curriculum. If you are OK with those you may also consider Fordham - Rose Hill (Gabelli) where you would likely get merit aid and may have a shot at the honors program (and there is non-binding EA). Agree with URichmond and URochester as options for you and perhaps (if it isn’t too far south) Tulane as well (Tulane does like to see demonstrated interest though).

7

Average SAT among URochester admits is about 1400 and average GPA is about 3.8

Their 2014 admit rate was 36.4% – may be a bit lower than that now. But even if it has dropped to 30%, I think you can fairly safely call it a high match (25-40% chance); on a good day, it’s a match (40-60%).

8

@happy1 I’m not sure if my stats are good enough to get the COA down near my safeties at those schools. If not, then I don’t see the point. I browsed the Fordham threads and to get lots of aid you need close to perfect scores. I like URochestor and URichmond because they are good with need based aid but they are both quite selective so I think they are high matches at best unfortunately.

I will have quite a bit of AP credit outside of my major which could get me out of some required classes, so I think I could have flexibility in curriculum at most schools. Even without it, I didn’t feel like those schools had a large core. I was thinking more along the lines of the core at UChicago.

9

Just as a quick FYI. The core at UChicago takes about a third of your classes. At BC their core is half http://www.bc.edu/schools/csom/undergraduate/academics/core.html

10

@swimchris Wow I didn’t know that. But tbh it doesn’t seem as bad as I thought it would be especially with AP credits. I knew they had theology/philosophy requirements too so I guess it started adding up. If I’m open to schools with cores like this, are there any schools I should look into that I previously wouldn’t have?

I’ll have 2 AP maths, 2 AP sciences, AP Psych, AP English, and AP Macro so I have a pretty good spread that could probably make a core more manageable.

11

Take a look at Northeastern, defined campus, great city and co-op program. I think it would be a match with a chance of merit, but it gets more competitive each year.

Its nice to see a well balanced list.

12

@Mom24boys I’ve looked into Northeastern and will definetly visit when I go to BC. Is their need based aid good? My stats are good but I don’t think they are good enough for merit at NEU. I know admissions gets a lot harder each year so I thought it be more of a low reach for me now. However, if I get get good need based aid or a combination of need+merit to meet need that would be great. They also have EA which is nice too.

Most of the suggestions so far have been more match/high matches. Should I bother with “low matches”? Low matches won’t meet need and idk if there’s any match schools that I can get FA good enough to beat the value of my safeties. Since I have a good safety base, is it a good idea to apply to a lot of these “high matches?” The high matches mentioned so far like Richmond, Rochestor all have great FA too and if that doesn’t work out my safeties are always there. My net price(before loan+work study) comes to around 20k/year at my reaches and matches so I don’t think a “low match” could beat that with merit.

13

NEU meets full demonstrated need of domestic applicants.

http://www.northeastern.edu/financialaid/aid/thenortheasternpromise/

14

@Mom24boys Thanks, would it be a match got business? I like the idea for co ops especially for business that could be really useful.

So if my matches are now NEU, Rochestor, Villanova, and Richmond, is that a good list? I would honestly love to go to any of these schools but they are all around low 30s acceptance rate which means there is a good chance I could get denied everywhere.

15

This is more of a high match for business but check out Michigan; it has an amazing business program at the Ross school

16

@guitar321 I have heard getting directly into business is quite hard at Michigan and also they don’t meet need for OOS so I doubt it would become affordable.

17

They do meet need for all students but guarantee 100% to only in state students. Also, check out IU’s Kelley School

18

@guitar321 What’s the difference between “meets need” and “guarantee 100%?” Isn’t that the same thing? Also not sure if it would be anything below a reach especially for business.

19

Rochester, Case Western, Lehigh, Northeastern, Syracuse, American, Clark

20

Acceptance letters this year said they could only take “one in four,” so probably between 25 and 30% now. Might be more of a low reach based on that.

And meets need is the same as guaranteeing to meet 100% of (school-calculated) need.