Super excited to hear where you end up @HKimPOSSIBLE
Wouldn’t it be wise to maybe have one more true saftey… Just in case? Seems like everyone from Illinois is going to Alabama for their full ride or close to full ride.
My daughter only ranked 2 schools because they were the ones she could fully embrace and commit to.
Amherst isn’t really rural or isolated as it has several small villages nearby - and UMass with more than 30k students in the same town.
UIUC did accept HKim last year, but as a DACA student he wasn’t eligible for Illinois Promise, which is a true full ride (tuition, room and board, books and fees). So UIUC, although not auto admit, is close to a safety AND affordable.
At Alabama, HKim would qualify for $26K merit, leaving him to cover about $4K tuition, all room and board, as well as books and fees…so probably close to $20K all in…this is NOT affordable with an EFC of $0.
Lastly although I am an Alabama fan, and I understand why students are leaving Illinois to get that merit, when a student qualifies for Illinois Promise there is little reason to not choose UIUC, which is also a better school (IMO) than Alabama on several dimensions, including pre-med (Hkim’s goal as of right now).
@Mwfan1921. No question and total agreement on all fronts. Just forgot some of his details. But I still like having a back up to the back up. He’s already been through enough and he is such a positive influence to many here. Just want to make sure he’s going to college next year. I am sure he might even get into one of his top picks. I wish him well.
Agreed, I expect hkim is open to other affordable safety suggestions, but UA doesn’t fit the bill.
I agree with @Knowsstuff. I would add one more safety - just in case something goes awry with UIUC.
I just like controlling my own destination as much as possible
Well, no need to sweat additional safeties before December 2nd, at any rate. If he matches through Questbridge, he’s done. If not there’s still time for the super-safety debate.
UIC as a super safety?
Since the point of QB is to provide a realistic chance for kids like you, smart but disadvantaged, a realistic shot at these very selective colleges, than course all the QB partners that interest you should be on your ranking list. That being said, I was thinking that perhaps you should replace one of those with a slightly less selective QB partner, like Macalester, Vassar, or Grinnell.
Again, good luck!!
@MYOS1634 UIC is a college I will be applying to along with UIUC. I will be applying to the UIC GPPA program as well since I need to apply early in order to qualify for that.
I’ll put in a good word for WashU since my kid goes there.
There are several interesting paths for premed besides straight Biology. There is a program called Medicine in Society which is for Anthropology majors thinking about pre-med. Psychology and Neuroscience are also highly rated.
WashU is looking to diversify enrollment and SES is considered, so low income students with good grades/test scores (like @HKimPOSSIBLE) are highly sought after.
Yes, to above re: WashU. They were identified by the NYT a few years back as having among the lowest number of Pell students of any selective college so I think they’re trying to improve their numbers cuz they realize it’s not a good look.
Thank you, everyone, for the information. I have been researching Amherst, and honestly, I am getting cold feet with this school. I had more of an Emory/Case Western institution vibe from Amherst when I was ranking this, that’ll offer some great Pre-Med counseling, but it seems like the more I look into it, the more it resembles the small LAC’s that I’d never picture myself going to - a wasted ranking spot. Obviously there’s nothing I can do now, but if I really can’t see myself binding to this school, would it be worth considering setting Amherst aside for regular decision? I’m falling into this dilemma between “beggars can’t be choosers” and deciding a school I’d fit right into.
@HKimPOSSIBLE If you can’t really see yourself attending Amherst, replace it with a college you would prefer attending. It really does look different than the rest, and you could not really seem to articulate a good reason to choose it. You’re also not a “beggar” - you earned your spot as a finalist.
Have you thought which college you prefer?
@HKimPOSSIBLE I just read through this thread, and I just wanted to wish you luck on getting into the college of your dreams. Also, UIUC is a fantastic safety!
Godspeed from Taiwan!!!
Thank you @MWolf . The issue is really that after becoming finalist, I can only rearrange or remove schools, but not add.
If you absolutely can’t see yourself at Amherst, you probably should remove it.
If you kept it on the list, say 12th position, and you matched there (and believe me they are looking for Asian male high achievers with low EFCs), how would you feel about that? Would you prefer to go to UIUC over Amherst (which would be a perfectly reasonable decision)?