<p>There is Aquinas College in Grand Rapids MI. They would probably give you a full ride you applied there. They have a generous amount of scholarships. It is worth taking a look at.</p>
<p>There is no reason not to add St John’s to your list of schools. If you show interest in them and let them know that they are a top choice for you or even THE top choice, finances allowing, it could your merit awards, if your stats are in the running for them. </p>
<p>$50K over 4 years for high school is one thing. A year at a school in NYC can run that easily. Most students who go there are from nearby, so the average COA for St John’s can be understated. Coming from Kentucky, you are going to be in the upper end of transportation costs. Your parents are being wise in watching what they can afford for your college. Make sure you have affordable choices on your list. Parents do not have to pay for college,so yes, their say counts heavily, unless you can come up with the money without them.</p>
<p>St. John’s is a very generous school which would be thrilled to have your diversity. However, I suspect your perception of the school is a little off. There is no sense of the word elite which applies to St. John’s. And I actually like the school and know many kids who have gone there and done very, very well in the financial world. It has an excellent alumni network in certain fields. However, it is just not what you think it is. Cobrat hit the nail on the head. If you are interested in pharmacy, St. John’s is a great school. Otherwise, not worth the trip, and I have a feeling the lifestyle would be a lot different than what you are used to and not in a good way.</p>
<p>^ Not sure OP has done enough digging.</p>
<p>No finaid stats a school publishes necessarily apply to you. 85% may be on aid, but the bulk of those could be getting just a few k and the numbers thrown off by a handful of nearly full aid packages to the students they most want. Some may simply get an offer of loans and work study. You need to run the NPCs.</p>
<p>Not sure you get the impact of this:</p>
<p>*If science is your weakest subject, the typical pre-med courses may weed you out of the path to medicine. *</p>
<p>You need to prioritize. What’s most important? Location or your chance of pursuing medicine?</p>
<p>I agree: no way that St. John’s is “elite” in any sense. I don’t blame your parents in the least for not wanting to pay for it. </p>
<p>Georgetown is an elite Catholic university in a city. :)</p>
<p>Fordham would be a much better choice if you want a Catholic school in NYC. (BTW, Fairfield U is really in a suburban environment, which is what the OP wants to escape from.) </p>
<p>I’d start by looking at the list posted by MYOS1634. And there are many other choices, if what you really want is a solid Catholic school with access to a city.</p>
<p>If you intend to be pre-med and go into psychiatry, I am wondering how your ACT score could be so low in science. Pre-med courses are very science oriented, and if you cannot raise your science score in the ACT I question whether a career in the sciences is the one for you.</p>
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<p>Indeed. Even most NYC area Catholic families I knew growing up would, if faced with a choice of sending their child to St. John’s or some SUNY/CUNY, often choose the latter if there was no full-ride scholarship/FA combo forthcoming from the former. Most didn’t think St. John’s academic reputation was such it was worth paying for…especially to the tune of $50k/year.*</p>
<p>It was also not only for financial reasons, but also because many SUNYs/CUNYs actually have better academic reputations in the NYC area. Several Catholic families I knew of insisted their kids enrolled at Queens College, Hunter, or Baruch because those CUNYs are considered better academically and St. John’s didn’t provide much/anything in way of FA/scholarships. </p>
<p>Also, even in the case of Pharmacy, some public programs such as SUNY Buffalo are actually ranked higher and have a much lower sticker price than St. John’s assuming one didn’t get a free-ride scholarship/FA combo. </p>
<p>*The same families would pay some tuition/full-sticker price if their child had gained admission to Fordham, Manhattan, etc.</p>
<p>What about Catholic University in DC? You might get generous merit money there.</p>
<p>I can’t get the Run-DMC Sucker MC lyrics out of my head when I hear “St. John’s University”.</p>
<p>One of my best friends went to St. John’s. She’s not encouraging her rising senior D to apply.</p>
<p>Holy Cross in Worcester, MA might be a school to look into.</p>
<p>The “science” section in the ACT is not a science test, at all. It doesn’t test for science skills like the math section tests one’s math skills. Essentially, the science section is just another reading section with science related topics. While having an extensive science background may aid someone in understanding things a little better, no pre knowledge is needed in the section as all the information is provided in the reading section. The science section does not test one’s true knowledge of physics, biology, anatomy, etc.</p>
<p>In terms of Kentucky colleges, St. John’s is better by a long shot. With a 22 on the ACT you can pretty much guarantee yourself admission into any college in Kentucky, except for maybe Centre or Transylvania. St. John’s is somewhat of a selective school, only 46% of applicants are accepted, UK is 70%. Fordham, like one poster mentioned, is at 42% accepted. If I went to St. John’s I would definitely look into the Honors program they have. They also have connections with many, many more employers than any other Kentucky state college.</p>
<p>In school, science and math are my best subjects. I just finished my junior year and scored a 96% on my honors physics full year final. I finished with a 90% in my sophomore honors chemistry class, and a 93% in my freshman honors biology class. I am great at science.</p>
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<p>Admission rate is not a reliable indicator of selectivity, since each school’s applicant pool is different.</p>
<p>Do not make the mistake of judging a school by its worst students. Even though University of Kentucky may have lower minimums, its average and top students have higher high school credentials than St. John’s University does.</p>
<p>[University</a> of Kentucky Admissions Information - CollegeData College Profile](<a href=“http://www.collegedata.com/cs/data/college/college_pg02_tmpl.jhtml?schoolId=1532]University”>University of Kentucky Acceptance Rate | CollegeData)
[St</a>. John’s University Admissions Information - CollegeData College Profile](<a href=“http://www.collegedata.com/cs/data/college/college_pg02_tmpl.jhtml?schoolId=29]St”>http://www.collegedata.com/cs/data/college/college_pg02_tmpl.jhtml?schoolId=29)</p>
<p>It still is not clear why you want to go to St. John’s University or why your parents object.</p>
<p>OP, you have some seriously knowledgeable posters who live in the NYC area, have the experience and savvy to comment on a range of issues- and they are telling you St John’s not quite what you see it as, from your distance.</p>
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<p>The first part, I can somewhat understand. From the vantage of someone who’s unfamiliar with NYC, NYC area Catholic University, private, and has a “gorgeous campus” sounds very promising and possibly even “elite”. </p>
<p>The reality, alas is very different and many others including myself have already outlined the actual academic perception of St. John’s among NYC locals…including Catholic families. </p>
<p>Regarding the “gorgeous campus”, it’s ok but located in a very boring and somewhat isolated part of Eastern Queens in an area where the nearest subway station is a mile from campus and located in a somewhat sketchy area, especially at night. </p>
<p>That station is also at the very end of the F-line so even if you get to the subway station…it’s going to take a while to get to the more happening parts of Queens…much less Manhattan or the rest of the city. Not saying NYC…especially Manhattan-based nightlife/activities are completely inaccessible. However, you’ll spend quite a bit of time (minimum 1-2 hours each way on bus/subway or 1 mile walk to subway) on public transportation/enroute…especially during off-peak hours. </p>
<p>You can also take buses to other stations…but considering how slow and sometimes unreliable they can be, that’d only add to the trip time…especially during off-peak hours. </p>
<p>As for OP’s parents’ objections, I wouldn’t blame them, especially if they’re already aware of St. John’s actual academic reputation.</p>
<p>UDayton is generous with scholarships, so maybe your sister got one so the cost was lower??? Or maybe your parents realized that sending her there cost them more than they thought?</p>
<p>Have you looked at Berea? I believe it is on the list of “Colleges that Change Lives” ( look that site up, it has great schools listed, based on Loren Pope’s book of the same name). Berea’s weebsite says students there have ACT’s between 20 and 30.</p>
<p>Every student at Berea gets a tuition scholarship: [Tuition</a> and Other Costs - Office of Admissions](<a href=“http://www.berea.edu/admissions/tuition-costs/]Tuition”>http://www.berea.edu/admissions/tuition-costs/)</p>
<p>You could also apply to test-optional schools if there is a mismatch between GPA, ability and ACT/SAT. [SAT/ACT</a> Optional 4-Year Universities | FairTest](<a href=“http://www.fairtest.org/university/optional]SAT/ACT”>ACT/SAT Optional List - Fairtest)</p>
<p>I am a fan of many state universities. They may be big, but they often have ways to break the student population down into smaller communities, including honors programs. I would not look down on the UK possibility if you are from Kentucky.</p>
<p>Berea’s mission is to serve kids from Appalachia so they are favored. That said, their admit rate is low, sitting right between U Penn and CIT, fewer % admits than Amherst. I’d look into how many of the rejected were NOT from their target geographical area.</p>
<p>S visited to Berea and applied, it was the only school that rejected him. We live in Ohio, not the Appalachian part, but his stats were well above Berea’s so it’s hard to determine if it’s a reach or match based on stats. Also, if your family makes more than $X you will not be able to apply. An interview is mandatory. </p>
<p>But by all means look at it. It’s in a beautiful town, the campus is gorgeous and the teaching seems to be first class. And it’s basically free, though you work 10+ hours a week for the duration. But for someone who wants out of KY and to a big city…well Lexington is like 30 minutes away and that’s the 'big city".</p>