My DD has her heart set on either Brown or Columbia She’s also interested in Yale, Boston College and UCONN. Secondary to cost, she’s not applying ED to any school. . I feel she needs more safety schools. I’m looking for suggestions.
Small town/ school. Best I can tell on Naviance, no history of any Ivy acceptances from her school
Avg 103+ W (97+ uw)
Rank - 1-2 (out of 105)
All honors/ AP courses ( except requirements of gym, civics, 2-3 electives)
AP World history
AP Stats
AP Environ science
AP Lang
ECE US History
SAT 1450
Decent essays
Good-excellent recommendations
Student gov - jr,sr
Drama - sop, jr,sr ( stage manager))
NHS - jr,sr
World Lang honor society
Quiz bowl, soph, jr, sr ( qualified for nationals as a jr, couldn’t go as they qualified late and slots filled),
100+ hours volunteer in nursing home
Student internship in museum
National commended merit scholar
AP scholar with Honor
Wants to major in art history
Within a 3 hour drive from CT.
I know it’s a reach for all (except UCONN), but what do you think her chances are at the schools listed and do you have any ideas on other schools. Figuring 40k/ year is doable
Have you run the Net Price Calculators for all of the places on her list? If you have a normal financial situation (not divorced, not a small business owner, no real estate other than the home you live in), the NPCs should be pretty accurate. If the places on her current list don’t look to be affordable, she should cross them off now, and move on.
@happymomof1, I guess I should have stated 40k/ year is “ideal” and not “doable”.
Yes I ran the net price calculators.
Those listed are all ideal as they meet financial need or fall in the “ideal price range”. No guarantee of merit scholarships at other private schools. Could we spend more? Yes, but I would live to keep it at this mark. We can do this without really changing anything ( meaning, not pulling out of savings or stopping the 401k). Although, I have told DD ( and stand by this statement), her job is getting in and my job is paying. We are allowing her to choose the school that best suits her Out of the ones she is admitted to. We planned for this the best we were able as we’ve always told her, “it’s not are you going to college, it’s where are you going to college” not going has never been an option for her ( both her choice and ours).
I’m just looking for other ideas for safety schools as I’d hate to have her attend a college as that is the only one she is admitted to. To me all except UCONN are reaches.
DH and I like UCONN ( we’re alumni). DD grew up going to basketball, football and volleyball games, so UCONN is almost too familiar to her and she said she’d go, but she doesn’t seem to enthustiastc about it. She doesn’t like other CT schools or URI. She hasn’t looked at UMASS yet.
I guess I’d be pretty surprised if she got in at any of the Ivies on her list. I don’t see the “pop” that is usually needed for those on her list. Having her “heart set” on any of them is a recipe for a rough spring.
It is another reach, but Williams is the place to be for art history.
I would be preparing her now for likely disappointment. A gazillion kids from the NE apply to those schools and she doesn’t appear to have a resume that would stand out.
A 1450 new SAT is equivalent to an ACT 32, which is lowish for Ivies.
Make sure she has matches and safeties that she likes.
Would she be interested in attending a women’s college? Admission is usually slightly less competitive. My D took several art history classes at Wellesley, which meets full need.
@MurphyBrown, she is taking AP Calc, AP Spanish, AP lit, AP art history, honors physics ( couldn’t fit AP physics into schedule) this year.i think her essays are good, will have her teachers read / review when school starts.
She’s also scheduled for ACTs in the fall, couldn’t fit them in this spring.
Perhaps Fordham (either the Rose Hill or Lincoln Center campus). They have non binding EA, she would likely get merit aid, and might qualify for the honors program.
Art history is a Williams specialty. Williams has one of the best art history programs available. But while it admits 19% vs. the under 10% of the Ivies you named, it is not a safety. Easier admits with respectable fine arts: Skidmore, Bard, Sarah Lawrence.
I would second women’s colleges if she has interest—Smith, Mt. Holyoke, Bryn Mawr all have strong art history and acceptance rates in the 40-50% range.
I’d encourage your daughter to visit at least one of the “sister” schools, and see what she thinks. Most of us who ended up at one of them never had imagined that we’d be happy there.
