Safety Schools?

Hi, I am a female from a small Catholic high school. I have a 4.15 weighted gpa and an SAT Score of 1250/1600 (620 reading, 630 math). I do not know my unweighted but it would be around 3.7. My Class Rank is 19/186.

I have taken a fairly challenging course load, taking all honors courses and APUSH in my previous high school years. Next year, my senior year, I am taking Religion (required), AP Psychology, AP English Literature and Composition, AP Calculus AB, Honors Physics, Honors Accounting, and Honors French 4.

I am a member of National Honor Society, Student Concil, Choir, Executive Board, and Drama.

For a major, I am undecided however I plan to do something with math, science, or business.

I am planning on applying to Skidmore, Bentley, Babson, Colgate, Vassar, Quinnipiac, etc.

Looking into acceptance rates and the selectivity of these schools, all of these schools would either be considered match or reach schools. Does anyone have any suggestions as far as safety schools? I am looking into business/liberal arts colleges with less than 5000 students. I looked into state colleges as safeties but most of them were too large. I am looking at colleges in the New England/New York area.

@collegegirl1300 Boston safety- Suffolk university, and I would try for northeastern university if I were you they have a great program, both known for business, suffolk is 5-8k students I think, northeastern has like 12-19k but students go on co op so doesnt feel as big of a school as it sounds. Just some suggestions

Though more selective than Quinnipiac, St. Lawrence would offer you an additional option. St. Lawrence, additionally, is recognized in a Princeton Review sampling, “Great Schools for Mathematics Majors.”

Colgate and Vassar do not offer business majors as far as I know.

If your academic interests extend to economics, this analysis could be helpful: “Economics Departments at Liberal Arts Colleges,” IDEAS.

Also would any of my current schools be considered safety’s? I would think no, because acceptance rates are about 30% for most.

Safety schools also have to be affordable. Are any of the schools listed affordable without significant FA?

@collegegirl1300 a lot of the Boston schools are competitive not impossible, suffolk has an 80% accept rate, and what is your budget that is something to consider, suffolk is nice with aid, northeastern not so much, its hard for me to base the acceptance of your new SAT , so used to the old one, with your AP’s and GPA I see you as a candidate, again cant say for SAT.

The recent acceptance rate for Quinnipiac is 66%.

You may want to review all of your current choices with respect to your interests. Babson, for example, does not offer concentrations in science or math to the best of my knowledge.

Manhattan College?

For a school to be a “safety,” you must be CERTAIN that you have ALL costs covered by ASSURED merit/grants, family funds, and a $5500 student loan. If you’re not sure, then it’s NOT a safety. Safeties MUST be affordable!

What are your parents saying? If they’ll pay for any school, then SUPER!

If not, how much will they spend per year?

Check out Clark University in Worcester, MA. While not 100% safe guaranteed admissions it would likely be pretty safe with your profile. And they give merit money.

Bentley and UNH have decent biz schools, Bentley is smaller while Bug is 10k in size. You’d have a shot at BY too.
UCONN, Bryant.

Fairfield University
Marist
Providence

@Gumbymom @mom2collegekids @raulhumber2 My parents have been saving money for my education for years, so the financial aspect isn’t a huge issue. I am more concerned about an acceptance safety rather than financial. All of the schools would be affordable with minimal loans/financial aid.

@raulhumber2 I have also taken the old SAT and got an 1830/2400

It doesn’t sound like your family would qualify for any FA at safety schools, so please ask your parents how much they’ll spend on a safety school. Parents can be funny. They may say, “We’ll pay full cost of a top school, but we will only pay (much smaller amount) for a lower ranked/safety school.”

You may not be concerned about money now, but you will be next spring if you only get into your safety schools and your parents say, “we won’t pay that much for those schools.”

What is the breakdown of your old SAT Math + CR? It might be considered to be higher than your new score. A 1250 on the Old SAT is higher than a 1250 on the new SAT.

Are you looking at any of the Catholics in the NE, like Fairfield? Stone hill? Providence?

Do you want a quiet school? Or a rah rah school?

@mom2collegekids Old SAT: Reading-620 Math-650 Writing-590 The money is already in a college fund, so my parents will be penalized if they do not use it on my education. As long as I am happy at the school, they will pay for it. I want a school that is more suburban with a campus feel not city. I don’t want a real quiet school that the only thing that happens is studying, however I also don’t want the school where everyone parties all night long everyday. Kind of in between quiet and rah rah.

Bentley is another of your choices with a fairly high acceptance rate, 46%.

Money (Aug 2016 Magazine, should be on news stands or if not now, soon - received my subscription a few days ago) has the cover article “Best Colleges 2016” - ‘find a great school you can truly afford’ - 12 page article is worth a read. They also have a full ranking of what they consider the 705 best-value colleges available online.

The average aid column estimated price (right next to w/o aid estimated price) shows maybe a possibility but not to be taken as for real unless you run the numbers and your situation with the school. Some of the schools discussed may give you information for you to want to look deeper at other sources.

Some of course are highly selective schools - Princeton is ranked #1 and U of MI is ranked #2. The est price of Michigan w/o aid has to be the in-state price tag.

@collegegirl1300 I would recommend applying to Northeastern definetly worth a shot and its a great business school, but I dont know if you’d call it your safety, lot of kids have it as their 1st school, suffolk would definetly be a safety, also I don’t know much but syracuse is also great for business, also another safety, the campus is great sorrounding area can be debated. I would say if you don’t belive to have financial issues on a school id definetly look at those schools if thats an area you’d consider.

I second Fairfield, Marist and Providence. You might also look at Siena College. They have Business. SUNY Albany, while maybe a bit too big, is also good for business. Maybe look at American University? Do you plan on taking SAT again (or ACT)? If your score bumped up a bit it would help with schools like Colgate, Vassar and Skidmore - especially applying as a female.