Need more safeties/matches

Chance Me / Match Me!
21

<p>Thanks a2wolves. I don't think money will be an issue anymore, as a good family friend is a multimillionaire and he said he would "help" pay for my college tuition because our family can't afford it.</p>

<p>Grades went from 3.1 freshman year to a 3.67 junior year for a 3.4ish UW cumulative. Michigan GPA is around a 3.3 UW. Took all AC and AP classes. Graduating with 9-10 AP's.</p>

<p>34 ACT</p>

<p>I won't list all my EC's but lets just say that my ECs are the strongest part of my application. A couple international level EC's, several national level EC's and numerous state/regional level EC's. 4 president/VP positions. Played at Carnegie hall. EC's show passion in business.</p>

<p>Amazing recs
connections with professors at michigan
instate at michigan
Low income (EFC = O) + wrote my essay about this
I go to a feeder school (120+ kids a year) with a reputation</p>

<p>Assume good SAT II scores and a 4.0 Senior year. Taking all AP's senior year, but the AP classes that i'm taking such as Economics, Government, English etc. are all blowoff AP classes as the teachers are VERY easy. </p>

<p>Applying early as hell for michigan.</p>

<p>Anyone else?</p>

<p>Umich (number 1 choice by far)
NYU
indiana
MSU
Uchicago (shooting in the dark...essays)</p>

22

<p>I have no idea where you are getting that 3.3 UW GPA number for Michigan. Michigan's average UW GPA for enrolled admits in 2005 was 3.72--which is a long ways from 3.3.</p>

<p><a href="http://sitemaker.umich.edu/obpinfo/files/umaa_freshprof.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://sitemaker.umich.edu/obpinfo/files/umaa_freshprof.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>I think that 3.3 is correct for people applying from college into some of the graduate programs--like business--so maybe that's where you are getting the number.</p>

<p>P.S. Your SAT and ACT will help you a lot in overcoming the 3.4 GPA--but I don't know that I'd rate you a match even with them--probably slight reach.</p>

23

<p>
[quote]
I don't think money will be an issue anymore, as a good family friend is a multimillionaire and he said he would "help" pay for my college tuition because our family can't afford it.

[/quote]
ARGH!!!!! Have him pay for mine, not yours!!!! congrats!!!</p>

<p>I still say stick with the good $$$ schools, never rely on someone to hold a promise like that, and even if he does, make it easy on him. You don't want to make a friend pay 160K for a school, or even 60K when they can be paying 20K. </p>

<p>I messed up when I showed that list of 100% guaranteed aid, some of those schools don't (UNC, WUSTL). Virginia, Notre Dame, Emory, Cornell, Georgetown, and Boston College all will meet 100% of your need for all 4 years, with no outside loans. That means if you are accepted to any of those schools, you won't have to pay a dime at any place. Of course, some recalculate your 'need' on their own scale, so you may be stuck with a small (manageable) amount, but that's it. </p>

<p>Here's what I did, I averaged the US News and Business Week's ranking (the two top UG business rankings). I took the top 28 schools, as there was a drop off after that. Then I went by both US News and Princeton Review's "selectivity ranking", and put them in tiers in which I think you could get in or not. Safety (75-100%), Match (50-75), Slight Reach (25-50), and Reach (less than 25). From here, you could choose what safeties you like, and the rest just pick schools you like. I bolded the ones that guarantee to fill 100% of your need for all 4 years.</p>

<p>REACHES
MIT
Penn
WUSTL</p>

<p>SLIGHT REACHES
Berkeley
Georgetown
Cornell
Emory
Notre Dame
USC</p>

<p>MATCHES
Michigan
Virginia
Boston College
Carnegie Mellon
UNC
NYU
Wake Forest
Wisconsin
Illinois
Texas</p>

<p>SAFETIES
Maryland
BYU
Miami (OH)
Penn State
SMU
Minnesota
Michigan State
Indiana</p>

24

<p>What am I missing here that everyone else is seeing?</p>

<p>This person has great SAT/ACT test scores (around 700 to 720 averages), but the U/W GPA is around 3.4, and he's never done better than 3.67 U/W GPA in any year. Also, the SAT IIs haven't been taken yet--and while there are supposedly 9-10 APs being taken (already taken), I see no AP scores. Personally, I also have my doubts about getting this person getting a 4.0 next year with an all-AP course load.</p>

<p>I have some doubts about
UC Berkeley (U/W GPA 3.93, W GPA 4.19 and out-of-state) as a slight reach
and
NYU (U/W GPA 3.6)
Carnegie Mellon (U/W GPA 3.6)
UNC (U/W GPA 3.7--and out-of-state)
UTexas (U/W 3.55 GPA--and out-of-state)
Wake Forest (U/W 3.55 GPA)
all as matches.</p>

<p>And Maryland (U/W 3.5 GPA--and out-of-state), and Penn State (U/W GPA 3.56--which counts for 2/3rds of who gets in)--as safeties--well this is a bit too optimistic.</p>

<p>No offense, BadKarma89--I hope you do get into Michigan and the others--but I think you are being a bit optimistic with your estimated senior grades and chances.</p>

25

<p>Calcruzer: I meant that my michigan GPA is a 3.3 GPA, not that their average is a 3.3. I think you are right as well. I don't think Carnegie Mellon, UNC (especially out of state), wake or NYU are matches. </p>

<p>As for my 4.0 GPA, I know, it is highly doubtful to even predict a 4.0 from a 3.6 max level student. The thing is, I got all A's, and the few bad grades were from Math, Science and Spanish. I'm not taking AP spanish next year, and if you show up to class EVERY day and participate in class, the lowest grade the Physics AP and Calc AB teacher gives is a B+, so if I actually study then I think I can get an A-, which would be a 4.0 for michigan. I have been continuously getting A's and A+'s in all my other classes. </p>

<p>Although my stats would make me a slight reach for michigan, I'm hoping my low income status + instate + connections with prof. will make me maybe a more solid match.</p>

26

<p>Well, connections (networking) counts for a lot--so maybe you have a better shot at Michigan than I realize. And I think that you can get into Maryland and maybe Illinois and Wisconsin as well--but I wouldn't count on the ones I mentioned above. And, of course, these weren't your predictions anyway--they were A2Wolves--so you may not be agreeing with any of them.</p>

<p>The other point is that your senior grades could be 4.0--but you'll be applying in November through January--before any of these grades come out--so these schools will not be counting any of that in their admission decisions.</p>

<p>Having said that, best of luck--and keep in mind there are lots of great schools in this country--not just the top 20 or 40 on the USNW list. </p>

<p>In fact, my own son is scheduled to go to Indiana (last on the list above--and a safety for some people)--and he's thrilled as can be--as am I (A2Wolves will be going there also). It's last on the list above, but obviously good enough (excellent) in our view--so I hope nobody thinks that we are putting any of these schools down by ranking them harder or easier to get into.</p>

27

<p>UMich really isn't super difficult to get into... they accept something like half their applicants, I believe. My stats are significantly lower than yours, but counselors, teachers, and other adults all seem to think I'm a shoo-in. And State is even easier to get into. Have you seen their average ACT score?</p>

28

<p>I think no school outside the top 40 accept less than 50 percent of their applicants. But that doesn't mean they aren't competitive in terms of acceptance. Almost all the competitive ones in terms of acceptance rate are in the northeast. </p>

<p>Out in the west or midwest, there are schools like UC Santa Cruz that have an average U/W GPA of 3.45 and W GPA of 3.69, yet accepted 79% of applicants last year. (Other examples--Seattle University--U/W GPA 3.52, W GPA 3.67 or so--acceptance rate 78%, University of Oregon--U/W GPA 3.49--yet acceptance rate of 91%). </p>

<p>I think since these schools are less known, not on the coast, or just far away from the parents--lots of students don't apply to them--which hurts the acceptance rates.</p>

29

<p>Luckily my school does not rank so the only thing they would be seeing would be my GPA. </p>

<p>I used to live in Seattle, so I'll look into Seattle University, but if I don't get into UofM I will probably go to MSU and transfer, or go to Indiana for thier excellent business school.</p>

30

<p>bump</p>

<p>anyone else?</p>