Hey. I’m putting together my final college list, pending visits, and have been trying to get a good idea of social life, academic focus, and the balance between them for the schools.
I’m particularly looking for an academic focus on business, computer science, law and/or politics, and medicine/biochemistry (in that order).
Something additionally with a good alumni network throughout the east coast.
In terms of the social scene, something with a strong presence of Greek life with events throughout the week.
Lastly, I’d rather it be somewhere where the people who get high marks and participate in clubs aren’t mutually exclusive from the people who spend Thurs-Sun hammered.
Any experience, hearsay, or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Restrictions: 3.8 WGPA, 28 ACT but with very strong background/extracurriculars. <$50,000 annual cost after-aid.
You have a LOT of public universities on your list. Clearly, you are only an instate resident for one. Some of the OOS schools will have costs for you under $50,000 (Purdue, Alabama, probably Iowa) but some just won’t.
Are you a resident of MIchigan? If not, UMich likely won’t come in under budget. OOS cost is $76,294. They don’t guarantee to meet full need for OOS students and merit aid is unlikely. Of course, if you are instate, this is a great option.
My daughter with an UWGPA 3.9+, 34 act loved UDel. She was in the honors college, work hard play hard, she got great merit, but even my UWGPA 3.7 30 act son was offered $10,000 a couple of years ago. Happy students, lots of daging, a lot going on, nice walkable campus with a great Main Street with restaurants, bars and shopping.
True. That is something I wasn’t thinking of at first.
Still, most come out to somewhere between $50,000 and $60,000 including indirect expenses. Not entirely undoable Michigan is more or less an outlier.
Even though they don’t offer full need-based aid, would I still be looking at some relief after completing the FAFSA? I am a PA resident, single parent, middle income.
It is a bit aggressive by design since I like Penn State and am a PA resident.
UF and UMich are the two big reaches. For some reason, even though you are correct by saying UMD, Wisconsin, and UIUC are reaches, the data from my school indicates that virtually everyone who applied with above like a 3.4 GPA got accepted. Not too sure why that is.
For computer science or business?
These schools admit by major and they’re all top 20 or higher schools for CS.
UMD Business is also a top 25 school.
Overall acceptance rates don’t tell you the whole story.
What is your unweighted GPA? 4 for A, 3 for B. You show a weighted - which will likely include more points for honors and AP. So a 3.8 isn’t a 3.8 and it all depends on the weighting system your school used and how much rigor you have.
Your academic focuses are wide spread but I thought of Bentley til I read of Greek life.
In general - the only ones that will work with less than $50K -and let’s say you have a 3.6 (just a guess):
MIchigan - you won’t get in and if you did, it would be well over budget
Minnesota - you might get in - and it’d be close. But it’s might get in.
OSU - unlikely to get in - cost - close. Ohio U, Miami Ohio might be better bets.
Wisconsin - won’t get in and won’t make cost
Illiniois - you might get in (depends on major) -
UMD - won’t get in and cost
UF - won’t get in but cost ok. FSU also a no but better odds. UCF and USF maybe matches. FAU a yes.
IU - will get in although not likely Kelley - potentially cost an issue
PSU - you might get branched
CU Boulder - you’ll get in but maybe not your major and cost an issue
Pitt - you may get in but it’s more and more difficult as it’s become more popular. Not the same at all but close geographically - WVU might be a sub.
Purdue - you might get in and it will work for cost.
Iowa - this works
UMAss - gonna be tough
Michigan State - yes - but cost an issue
Alabama - doesn’t fit your list at all - if you told me Iowa State, UNL - I’d get it. Well it matches up most with UF. You will get in and it will make cost with $10K auto merit. You might also look at Arkansas, Mississippi State.
Rutgers - could go either way - and will be about budget.
So your list isn’t set up for merit. For every Ohio State or UMD that are unlikely, there are subs - a UNL, Iowa State, Kentucky, UNH, URI, WVU, Colorado State, Wyoming, etc. etc.
If you have to budget, then you need to set up for it.
Now back to your unweighted GPA - that matters and how much rigor do you have - meaning how many advanced, honors, AP classes have you taken. A 3.9 weighted doesn’t say much unfortunately - so I guessed at a 3.6 but don’t really know.
Looks like the student chose a lot of big 10 schools - so it’s another - with a less competitive admission but very good. And mid 40s price wise b4 merit.
Is your child coming with you or has someone agreed to take care of them while you are at college? Will you be traditional college age(18 or 19)? Unless you have a college fund that can pay for your education, I don’t see a middle class student not having large loans paying that much and having a child to support.