<p>Let me know what you think are safety, match, and reach colleges for me.</p>
<p>Colleges:
Penn
Brown
Cornell
UC Berkeley
University of Michigan
UNC - Chapel Hill
University of Wisconsin - Madison
University of Washington
University of Colorado - Boulder
Bowdoin
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Vassar
Middlebury</p>
<p>-Washington State resident
-GPA: 4.0 (Class rank: 1st)
-SAT: 1880 (will retake)
-Volunteer at Humane Society
-Tutor at Elementary School for Club de Lectura (Spanish Club)
-Cheer Captain
-Yearbook Editor
-Will have over 90 college credits at graduation (Running Start)
-Member of Phi Theta Kappa
-Part of Honors Program</p>
<p>Also, if you have any input on which would be the most affordable and most likely to accept my community college credits, that would be great!</p>
<p>I, unfortunately, cannot answer all of your questions, but I will do my best.</p>
<p>Reach:
Penn
Brown
Cornell
UC Berkeley
Bowdoin
Vassar
Middlebury</p>
<p>High Match/Low Reach:
University of Michigan
UNC - Chapel Hill
University of Wisconsin - Madison</p>
<p>Match:
University of Washington</p>
<p>Safety:
University of Colorado - Boulder
University of Hawaii at Manoa</p>
<p>If you can raise your SAT scores, you will have much better chances at these schools. I cannot answer which is more affordable or which will accept your credits, but I hope that I helped!</p>
<p>UNC-Chapel Hill is exceedingly difficult for out-of-state students to get into. I would suggest that you look at some test-optional schools, since you have such a strong GPA and class rank. Bowdoin remains a reach, because it is highly selective, and attracts many students like you, but your chances are better there than at Penn, Brown, Cornell, Berkeley, or UNC. They would all be extreme reaches for anyone with less than a 2100, unless you have very compelling personal circumstances. I’d recommend Colorado College and Pitzer, but they are very expensive. They are both test-optional. Did you want to get out of the Pacific Northwest? You probably have better odds for securing financial aid at Willamette, Whitman, and University of Puget Sound. If you want to look at UCs, you should be able to get into Santa Cruz. If your UC-weighted GPA is over 4.0, then Davis might be within reach despite your scores. Michigan and the UCs are quite expensive for out-of-state students. Do you know your family’s EFC? With a strong GPA and class rank, your own state university will undoubtedly be the most affordable option. </p>
<p>@sjjunior Thanks! @woogzmama Yes; I would like to get out of Washington, but UW has everything I want other than location, so it’s still a contender. I have no idea what my family EFC is, but I will most likely require a lot of financial aid. (My mother wont tell me anything.) Do you have any suggestions for colleges with need-blind admissions or colleges that have good financial aid programs?</p>
<p>I agree with the above. You to seem to have great stats, but the standardrized test scores are rather week. UW I think would be a good option as it is a state school, but there are other options.</p>
<p>Thankfully for you, many schools are both test optional and cover 100% of need. These often come in the form of liberal arts schools, that are great for its undergraduate focus. Look them up on the forum.</p>
<p>jae, Need based financial aid depends on your family’s income, so there’s no way to determine whether it will be “good” or not unless you start with your EFC. You need to sit down with your parents and explain this to them as figuring out what is and what is not affordable has to be the FIRST step in building a list.</p>
<p>Choose two or three of your favorites and ask your mother to fill in her financial information on their on-line net price calculator. (If your parents are separated your father’s income may or many not be a factor, so it’s best to address that now rather than later).</p>
<p>If it turns out that need based aid works for you, then you can proceed with a wide list like the one you have now. If, in addition to need based aid, you’ll need merit aid, then you’ll have to start over again. Many of the colleges on your list are "need only: no merit, period.</p>
<p>If your family is very low income, then you should contact QuestBridge right away. This is a terrific organization that helps high achieving kids low income kids with top colleges.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t worry so much about need blind, but would concentrate on colleges that will pay full demonstrated need. </p>
<p>Your grades and rank are excellent.
Your scores could be better. You’ll need to address the discrepancy. Do some prep (or take a course) and try again, or try the ACT.
Your ECs could use some amplification. Pick one or two that are important to you and try to go into depth.</p>
<p>Any demographic or background points of differentiation – race, ethnicity, religion, first in your family to go to college, very low income – could also be a plus factor for you in admissions.</p>
<p>@shawnspencer Thanks! @momrath Thank you! This is all very helpful, and much appreciated. I will definitely have my mother fill out the net price calculators. </p>
<p>jae, After you understand your financial limitations, the next step is to zoom in on what type of college you’re looking for. Your current list seems to be all over the place in personality and environment – e.g., big, small, medium; urban, rural; sporty, artsy, political. </p>
<p>Once you have a firmer foundation on the financial picture, come back for more suggestions on how to refine your list.</p>
<p>I agree that you need to take into account finances when compiling a list. However, unless your SATs come way up I think you list is way too reach heavy. Most of the schools are really out of range (Penn, Cornell, Brown, Berkeley, Bowdin, Middlebury, Vassar, UM, UNC). I’d say UW and UWisconsin are high matches and UC Boulder is safety. (Don’t know anything about UHawaii). If your HS has Naviaince you can take a look at it for your schools and you will be able to tell where you stand – otherwise look at the average statistics for the schools online. Also think about if you prefer large universities or LACs because that might help you better target your search.</p>
<p>Thanks! @happy1 I was also thinking it’s a little reach- heavy, but I am having difficulty finding match / safety colleges with my intended major (South Asian Studies / Hindi Language). I will take a look at that list and keep searching though!</p>
<p>You mention your mom, but as @momrath mentioned if your parents are divorced, many of the colleges on your list will expect both parents to contribute. So if your dad is in your life at all (essentially if you are in contact with him), they expect all financial information from both parents (income and assets) AND from any stepparents. I would expect you would not get a lot of need based aid regardless from U of Michigan, U of Wisconsin, UC Berkeley, and probably U of Colorado-Boulder. Most state schools give very poor financial aid to out of state students. You should take them off your list if need-based aid is important to you.</p>
<p>@momrath We did a few net price calculations for UMich, UWisc, UCB and UW. Out of those, only UCB seems out of reach. As far as refining my list; it’s a little all over the place because my intended major is South Asian Studies (not very common), even harder to find is a college that offers Hindi language, which I would like, but not even all the colleges on my current list have that. I would ideally go to a liberal-leaning, medium/ large college in a rural/ suburban area. </p>
<p>You did indicate that you are out of state when you ran the calculators, right? Not sure what the situation is with your parents, but be aware that the calculators will show more aid than you really would get in situations where your parents are divorced, own rental real estate, or own a small business.</p>
<p>One school you might consider is University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. They offer Hindi, I think, and they are cheaper for OOS students than most public universities.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, they are ALL reaches except for Hawaii, with that SAT score.
Even when you improve on your scores they will still be reaches - then again Madison and Boulder might be target schools for you, but can’t certainly say for sure. So, just do your best on the next test, try ACT as well if you can, and apply. Then just wait for the outcome.
Best of luck to you.</p>
<p>Just based on the information you have provided thus far, and staked with more than perfect applicants that you are going to be competing with in the next few months.
Yes, your leadership skills could use some work if there is still time, in addition, you have not shared any of your athletic, or musical/instrumentation interest if you are involved in any, and of-course volunteer more, and partake in research if offered.
In all you have a good chance in some of the schools, but we all know that the competition is getting harder, thus, realizing that they all are reaches is in itself a good thing, so you do not feel all that disappointed if you do not get in.
Best of luck to you…</p>
<p>Dickinson college has a good Asian Studies program, but no Hindi.
UT Austin has the Critical Language Flagship for Hindi (ie., pretty much the top program for that language as well as Urdu).</p>