Need some ideas for New England and southern schools to apply to?

College Search & Selection
1

Hi everyone! I’m preparing to enter my senior year and have of course been crafting a list of colleges that I will apply to. The problem is that I only have about 2 schools I seriously love, but they are both target/below target schools (according to my guidance counselor)- those schools are Providence College and Salve Regina University. I’m looking for schools in the following states: RI, SC, NC, and possibly MA and CT. I’d really appreciate if someone could recommend some schools that would be a good fit for someone like me according to the info provided below! Thank you :slight_smile:

Some general info:

-No SAT scores, never took it

  • Only took ACT once without studying and got a 26 overall composite and 29 on writing. Planning on studying and taking it once more in the fall so that I can improve my math score (I got mostly 28s-30s on English based questions, but 21 on math- it's my weakest subject)

-99 on US History regents, 98 on English common core regents, 96 on Bio regents, 95 on Earth Science regents

-Received a score of 4 on the AP Language and Composition exam and a 5 on the AP Psychology exam

-My intended major is Psychology with a minor in English. I most likely want to eventually attend med school to become a psychiatrist, but if not I will just go down the regular psychologist route.

-Senior scheduled classes are AP English Lit, AP Bio, AP Gov, possibly AP (or regular) Computer Science, and Spanish 5

-My overall GPA is unfortunately a bit lower than I hoped it would be due to some anxiety issues that interfered with my schoolwork freshman and sophomore year. Overall GPA for freshman and sophomore year was about a 3.1/4 (unweighted) but just finished out junior year with a 3.5/4 (unweighted). My scores in all classes range from 91s-97s aside from math (low 70s) which brings down my average.

-My EC’s include 3 National Honor Societies (Social Studies, Art, and Spanish), being a freshman orientation leader for 2 years, being a member of the community service club at my school, Art club, etc. I plan on adding more EC’s this year.

-Awards: Outstanding Spanish student (10th grade, given to 1 student), Outstanding Photohraphy student (10th grade, given to 1 student

2

UNC-Asheville? College of Charleston? Quinnipiac? Stonehill?

3

What’s your budget?

4

Boston College, Boston University, UNC chapel hill.

5

@newjerseygirl98 I don’t necessarily have one, but paying something like $60k a year would be a little absurd.

6

Look up Connecticut College in New London. They are a small liberal arts college that will allow you to be an individual and forge a path tailor made for you.

7

Elon in NC, or Furman is SC. Furman is test-optional, which might help.

Good luck!

8

UNC Wilmington. Terrific public option that is a rising star in the Southeast. Scintillating coastal location just ten mins from the beach. More OOS students would only be to their benefit. They are an especially great fit for lopsided applicants (lower GPA + high test scores, like you, or vice versa) - I would know. :wink:

I would also recommend Quinnipiac, but keep in mind that it is VERY expensive, even a bit overpriced IMO. And this is coming from someone who had it as his second choice school at the end of it all.

9

<<<
don’t necessarily have one, but paying something like $60k a year would be a little absurd.
<<<

PLEASE ask your parents how much THEY’LL pay each year. You may not have a budget, but they may have one! :wink:

You need to know how much they’ll pay each year.

10

Well, Quinnipiac costs about $62k/year, and they don’t meet need, either. So that might not be a great option.

11

You don’t have to have reaches on your list if you and your parents are happy with the two you have.

It seems like you want Catholic

http://www.campuscorner.com/religious-affiliations/roman-catholic-colleges.htm

If not here are some smaller publics with low tuition in the states you mentioned.

Eastern Connecticut State
U South Carolina Aiken or other USC campus
University of North Carolina at Asheville or other UNC campus
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

12

May I suggest that you really study for and take the ACT again twice more? If you can get your score to 32 you can go to Ole Miss tuition free with a 3.0 grade point. With a 30 you get a substantial discount. Of course, Ole Miss may be too far south for you. The English department is good.

13

Boston College, BU, UNC Chapel Hill and Connecticut College are all inappropriate suggestions based on your stats and their ticket prices. What state do you live in? If RI, then U of RI might be a good safety. I think U of NC at Wilmington and Asheville were good suggestions.

14

I wouldn’t recommend taking the ACT or SAT past junior year, personally.

UNCW’s English department is among the top in the state.

15

My best score by far was in September senior year. I think it’s fine to take it after junior year.

16

I agree Quinnipac is overpriced, and that BC & Connecticut are unrealistic.

I was actually rejected from Providence with a 3.33, which is just under their 50th percentile. The financial aid was horrible; my net price was higher than my income!

If you’d consider Pennsylvania, you’d have some good options. My college (La Salle University) gives good financial & merit aid.

Look into:

-Bryant University
-Meredith College
-Wofford College

17

Clark University is particularly strong in Psych.

18

I think many of the privates mentioned in the previous posts are high reaches and above. I also don’t see how Providence and Salve Regina are just match and below, and may not be financially viable choices anyway. Does your guidance counselor regularly get students into these schools? NC schools like High Point and Salem may be less expensive privates to look at. Your profile is really pretty weak and you just don’t come across as very motivated. Adding ECs senior year for the sole purpose of puffing up your application?

19

@Oregon2016 um, I wouldn’t recommend High Point to OP. If you say she’s less motivated, then she wouldn’t do very well at HPU. That school is a poor man’s Elon.

20

@LBad96 Yes, good point, but she thinks she is competitive, and I don’t know her whole profile. It is an option.