<p>Hey guys. I just finished my junior year in high school, and from what I've heard, application season comes fast. Unfortunately, I have very minimal help from parents who are just as new to this as I am and a guidance office that mainly deals with struggling kids, and I have just no idea where I should apply. Can anyone recommend some schools that I might be a fit at?</p>
<p>Current stats:
- 3.77 unweighted/4.77 weighted gpa
- 32 ACT - already tried retaking this, didn't work out due to my complete inability to do the science portion (33-35 on every other section, 25 science...) - My school stresses the ACT way too hard for me to even have realized there was another option, is it worth trying the SAT or am I too late?
- 7 Ap classes so far with a mix of A's and B's, 4 on Human Geography (freshman), European History, and Art History (sophomore)
- Plan on 5 Aps next year
- EC's:
- Gymnastics: jv freshman year, varsity sophomore year (quit after that)
- Student Council (really takes up a majority of my time): member sophomore year, treasurer junior year, president senior year
- Drug/Alcohol Prevention Club: member sophomore year, leader junior year, leader senior year
- NHS member
- online intern at a musical promotion website (I write reviews and do interviews of bands)
- summer job last year and this year, will continue throughout this year
- lots of various volunteering efforts, but not committed to any single cause</p>
<p>As far as I can tell, I'm decently well rounded without excelling at anything, which could be good or bad. Other information - My parents make a decent amount of money, so I can't really count on a great deal of financial aid; that being said I'd rather not put a giant tuition on them, so anywhere where I'd be competitive for merit scholarships would be best. Otherwise, I'm 100% indecisive about prospective major, don't really care about setting, public/private, or anything else, as long as the school provides great opportunities for me to learn.</p>
<p>Help us out:
Your home state
Some hint of what you would like to study, even if you are undecided
Big school vs. small school</p>
<p>You are not too late to try the SAT, and I’ve heard that many kids perform significantly differently on the two. This might be especially advantageous for you since there’s no science section on the SAT. You need to arrange for it quickly, especially if you haven’t done SAT Subject tests yet, which many schools require.</p>
<p>Since you don’t have a major in mind and don’t have knowledge of large/small or the like, I’d suggest your local state university. It’s less expensive than private, has all the majors, and may even have an honors program. Also, look for the threads on guaranteed merit scholarships - you probably qualify for a few of those. You aren’t looking at the extremely top-tier schools because 1) they’re insanely competitive and 2) they don’t give much in the way of merit money, but that isn’t such a big deal. </p>
<p>You say you have lots of volunteering, but not any one cause - OTOH, you have lots of involvement with student government and that’s a big plus.</p>
<p>You’re in good position. Good luck!</p>
<ul>
<li>Illinois, but I’d welcome an out of state school just as easily as an in state one</li>
<li>Well, I definitely shy away from anything science related, and calc C is about as far as my brain can handle mathematically before that’s a non-option too. I like the ideas of: marketing/advertising, statistics as the only math option, psychology (but I feel like everyone does that), philosophy (but not very job-oriented), and international relations.</li>
<li>Leaning towards a big school, as long as I can still get individualized help if I ask for it.</li>
</ul>
<p>University of Chicago (the best in Illinois)-reach
Northwestern University (second best in Illinois)-high match
University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign (third best in Illinois)-match
University of Minnesota- Twin Cities (low OOS tuition)-low match
University of Wisconsin-Madison (low match-high OOS tuition though)
Iowa State University (low OOS tuition-safety)
University of Michigan (ridiculously high OOS tuition-match)</p>
<p>Typed up a big long thing but got timed out, so here’s the condensed version.</p>
<p>Add UIC and Miami of Ohio to the list of publics - good business schools with broad curriculum choices.</p>
<p>Your stats are good enough to at least apply to larger high stats schools like Duke, BC, ND, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, Tufts.</p>
<p>One thing you may want to consider is your big school bias. It’s hard to get excited about a subject while in a lecture hall with 500 other students. LACs, with their small classes, low student to faculty ratios, and accesibility to mentors (Whitman here in WA)help shape the studies of capable kids who may lack an initial focus. The best at this might be the Women’s Colleges.</p>
<p>A 32 ACT score is slightly higher than your GPA - no real need to retake unless you spot a scholarship that needs a 33. Take a practice SAT (available online), then compare the score to your ACT. If it’s lower, I would skip it and focus on other things.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the help guys! I’ll look into all the schools and try out a practice SAT. Magnetron, how bad is the GPA? There’s not much of a chance to raise it since sadly, most of my apps will be in before first semester ends, so what else do you recommend focusing on?</p>
<p>Your GPA is great - not bad at all. What you want is for you is for your standardized test scores to AT LEAST support your good grades. Your ACT score is 98th percentile, top 2%. Your GPA puts you, I’m guessing, top 5%, which is what I mean by the ACT being “slightly higher.” If you had below a 30, then you would definitely need to study and retake it. Studying over the summer and getting a 34 may qualify you for a couple of automatic scholarships.</p>
<p>OP’s GPA & ACT score reflect a good match for Ohio State Honors College. With National Buckeye Scholarship, COA at tOSU would be equivalent to in-state UIUC. Above all, Ohio State is more diverse than Illinois in terms of % of OOS students and that Illinois residents have been consistently recruited by the school.</p>
<p>Geographic diversity (autumn 2012)
Ohio State enrolls students from every state and territory. States with the highest enrollment:</p>
<p>500+: Illinois#1, Pennsylvania#2, California#3, New York#4, Michigan#5
300 – 499: New Jersey#6, Texas#7, Maryland#8, Virginia#9
100 – 299: Florida#10, Indiana, Georgia, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Kentucky, Connecticut, Minnesota, Tennessee, Washington, Missouri, Utah, Arizona
50 – 99: Colorado, West Virginia, South Carolina</p>
<p>[Quick</a> facts](<a href=“Quick facts - The Ohio State University”>Quick facts - The Ohio State University)</p>
<p>Scholarships</p>
<p>[Scholarships[/url</a>]</p>
<p>Ohio State Campus (winter)</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.bfhstudios.com/blog/tag/william-oxley-thompson-memorial-library/[/url]”>http://www.bfhstudios.com/blog/tag/william-oxley-thompson-memorial-library/](<a href=“Merit-based scholarships - The Ohio State University”>Merit-based scholarships - The Ohio State University)</a></p>
<p>
</p>
<p>This is false. You are probably looking at collegeboard data. Its old. </p>
<p>Only 75% of students at UIUC are from Illinois. Rest OOS.
<a href=“http://www.dmi.illinois.edu/stuenr/abstracts/fa12Freshman_ten.htm[/url]”>http://www.dmi.illinois.edu/stuenr/abstracts/fa12Freshman_ten.htm</a></p>
<p>I could not find any info about Ohio State on OOS%. If you have one, please provide. Then we can compare the facts.</p>
<p>^^
</p>
<p>@XtremePower,</p>
<p>With all due respect, I can’t be 100% correct all the time. Nonetheless, I am not wrong on this one however. </p>
<p>Based on your source for 2012 Autumn</p>
<p>ILLINOIS</p>
<p>IS 76%
OOS 24%
**
OHIO STATE**</p>
<p>Based on school’s official published numbers</p>
<p>IS 75.5%
OOS 24.5% (16.3% Domestic OOS; 8.2% International)</p>
<p>[Quick</a> facts](<a href=“Quick facts - The Ohio State University”>Quick facts - The Ohio State University)</p>
<p>OSU looking out of state for more students</p>
<p>[OSU</a> out-of-state students becoming greater share of student body - Columbus - Business First](<a href=“http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2013/05/17/enrollment-patterns-in-flux-as-high.html]OSU”>http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2013/05/17/enrollment-patterns-in-flux-as-high.html)</p>
<p>I doubt UIUC is looking forward to add more OOS student population like tOSU. I had read that Ohio State’s ultimate goal based on its strategic plan to be around 33% or roughly 1/3 of the overall student population coming from OOS, I doubt that will happen in Illinois case pending on the current state legislature.</p>
<p>P.S. For whatever is worth also that “Urbana-Champaign” is certainly nowhere as diverse as Columbus - The 15th largest city in the nation by population.</p>
<p>Thanks again guys!
& Thanks for clearing that up Magnetron, I was a bit worried because everyone on here seems to have a 4.0 and a 34+, but I guess I should put it in perspective and realize that’s not the norm, people here are just exceptional.
ucbalumnus - Is there any chance I would even receive a competitive scholarship, with the amount of applicants fighting for them? Or should I lean more towards the automatic ones, and of those, which schools would offer the best opportunities? thanks!</p>
<p>Look at the automatic ones for safety school candidates. Look at the competitive ones as match or reach candidates (reach or super-reach for schools that are highly selective to begin with).</p>
<p>Lol where are you getting 76% from ?</p>
<p>UIUC: 75.3% instate
Ohio State: 75.5% instate</p>
<p>SO, UIUC is more diverse than Ohio State in terms of % of OOS students. Yeah, by 0.2 %.
[Quick</a> facts](<a href=“Quick facts - The Ohio State University”>Quick facts - The Ohio State University)
<a href=“http://www.dmi.illinois.edu/stuenr/abstracts/fa12Freshman_ten.htm[/url]”>http://www.dmi.illinois.edu/stuenr/abstracts/fa12Freshman_ten.htm</a></p>
<p>Hence, Proved.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Of course.</p>
<p>How many schools in total should I be looking to apply to? How many safety/match/reach?</p>
<p>Safety: at least one. Make sure that you are certain to be admitted, certain to be able to afford it, and would be happy to go there. Many suggest having two, because sometimes the assessment of a school as a safety is incorrect, or you may change your mind about the desirability of a school.</p>
<p>The rest of your application list can be any number of other schools, limited only by the amount of time and money (application fees) you want to put into the applications. Of course, there is no point to applying to any school you would not choose over your safety under any circumstances, or any school which is unaffordable under any circumstances.</p>