I’ve already been accepted to one of my safeties and they gave me a generous scholarship, but as I examine my list more I’m nervous that I need a couple more safeties and matches. I’ll list the schools already on my list and my stats below.
Safeties: Siena College (accepted and received Presidential Scholarship)
Matches: Fordham, Union College
Reaches: Villanova, Boston College, Boston University, NYU, Barnard
I’m homeschooled and have taken almost all of my classes either at a homeschool co-op and Union College (my dad works there).
GPA: 3.91 UW (calculated using grades from classes taken at home and at co-op), 4.0 (At Union College)
SAT: 1400 (770 ERW, 630 math)
ECs: Play the trumpet- practice for 2+ hrs a day, volunteer teaching kids music at my local Salvation Army, volunteer teaching a character building class to elementary school girls in community, member of various community/state brass bands, have won music competitions and attended competitive and intense music weekends/camps, take ballet classes and assisted with pre-K ballet class last year, taught Sunday school for 2 years, babysit 7+ hours a week for my 4 younger siblings and for various families in my community, spent last summer traveling around the Eastern Territory of the US teaching music and dance to kids at various community centers and music camps, have read 100 books each summer and read a book a day last year (so 365 books).
I think my common app essay is pretty good, and I have good rec letters from a college professor and 2 teachers (Physics and English) from my co-op.
I don’t really want to go more than 5 hours from home (I live in upstate NY), and I’m looking to major in English or Elementary Education with a possible minor in Psychology. I’m mostly looking for schools that have generous financial aid/meet full need, but I’m open to considering others.
Three schools that I think would (largely) meet your criteria and might provide generous financial/merit aid: Denison University, College of Wooster, and Clark University (in Worcester, MA). Denison and Wooster are a little farther, but the midwestern schools tend to be a little more generous with aid. Maybe also Kalamazoo College, which is also a nice LAC. Denison, in particular, has a very nice campus. Google says Wooster is 5 hours from Rochester (as a stand-in for upstate NY), Denison 6 hours, and Kalamazoo 7.5 hours, so close to your outer boundary. Good luck!
Has your dad checked with what Universities Union has a Tuition Exchange benefit?
Seconding St Lawrence.
Hobart/William Smith.
Vassar or Colgate would have excellent financial aid.
@MYOS1634 yes, he has. Union will give me half of it’s tuition for any school I go to- so I’d end up getting about 25K from them. My big obstacle is paying for room and board. I’d also love to further downstate NY rather than further upstate- so Vassar would be great, but I don’t think I have much of a chance of getting in
With a 3.9 UW and a 4.0 from college courses, it sounds possible. it’s a reach for everyone, so obviously odds are against you, but… you do have a shot. And their FA is excellent.
Check the fine print on how other schools treat tuition benefits – the LACs we looked at (including many mentioned here) use the family’s tuition benefit to reduce financial need. For example, if the NPC says you are eligible for about $25,000 in financial aid – well, when you have employer tuition benefits, that reduces your need and now you are eligible for 0 financial aid – ie. full pay.
Since you seem interested in some of the Catholic colleges, you may want to add College of the Holy Cross. Should be a match. It’s need blind, meets 100% of need, has the majors you want, and is especially strong for English majors.
@bookmama22 Its in my hometown and if I attend there I’d live at home because that makes the most financial sense, but especially with being homeschooled my whole life I want to go a little further away for college. Of course I’m prepared to live at home and attend Siena if nothing else pans out, but I’d really like to have some other options before I resort to that
yes, for a homeschooled student your reasoning makes a lot of sense. Anyway you don’t have to reply till May First.
Apply to Vassar, St Lawrence, HWS, etc, as listed above.