Hi,
I’m wondering what schools I could get into with a 3.5-3.6 uw gpa, 3.9-4.0 weighted. I’m currently a junior. I haven’t taken the new SAT yet, but I’ve taken ~6 practice tests and I think I’ll get a 1500 or above. I have taken one SAT II, Math 2, and I’ve gotten a 780. I go to a competitive HS in California, ranked top 20-30, we used to be top 10. Both my parents went to USC, so I have legacy there.
I like UNC Chapel Hill, USC, and UMich, but I know those are reaches 
(if not please let me know :P)
Can someone suggest me some colleges that would be considered matches or safeties? I’m considering business or aero/mech engineering.
Thanks!
If you get your expected SAT score then they are still reaches due to your GPA. Also UNC expects more from OOS students.
@TomSrOfBoston is right here. I’d cut off UNC. Your stats and being OOS make it beyond a reach. Plus if you decided to with engineering, you’d be out of luck. I don’t recommend any OOS school to anyone due to costs so I’d cut UMich. Your GPA isn’t that high for USC so I don’t think you’d get a scholarship (granted I’m not very familiar with USC so take my word for what you will). I’d apply UC Davis, Irvine, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, and some of the upper CSUs like SDSU, CSULB, or CSUF.
Your unweighted GPA may limit you. Work on getting your SAT practice.
@“aunt bea” @TomSrOfBoston could you suggest some possible safety/match schools? Thanks!
I don’t know what to suggest without that SAT score.
Apply to USC because you just don’t know if you don’t try. Other than that, get cracking on those practice tests for the SAT.
Georgia Tech, Purdue, Alabama
@ClarinetDad16 You think its possible to get into Georgia Tech? 
Probably not GT. Clarinet Dad may have overlooked your UW GPA.
What are your parents saying about how much they’ll pay each year? Ask them.
Being a legacy at USC doesn’t mean much these days since so many Calif students have parents who went there. Your GPA would be a problem there.
UNC would be a poor choice for eng’g. I don’t think they have eng’g or much of a dept. NCState is that state’s eng’g school. UNC would be a high reach anyway as an OOS.
Safeties have to be FOR SURE affordable…meaning that you have to be CERTAIN that all costs are covered by assure aid/merit or family funds. So, until you tell us how much your parents will pay, safeties would be TBD.
Op is a junior. Time to shine and up your grades.
It depends on what you can afford. But not taking cost into account, here are some options – assuming you maximize GPA this year and do very well on the SAT:
Reach/Low Reach: Harvey Mudd, USC, Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD
High Match/Match: Lafayette, Lehigh, Bucknell, Boston U, UCD, UCSB, UCI, Cal Poly, UCSC, RPI
Low Match/Safety: UCR, UCM, multiple Cal-States