Some good safeties for me?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hello all, my name is Giorgio. I posted on here a few months ago asking for help with safeties and other things. A few months later, I've finally been able to drum up a list of colleges I want to apply to. I have picked 6 colleges and I've already gotten started with the applications. I've got my recs and the only thing I have left are tests and half of the essays. I want to major in computer science and minor in music (piano) so I've looked at schools with both good science/engineering programs and music departments. My main goal is to work at a computer graphics and animation studio so I really want a college that has at least two classes on graphics or animation. I'm looking to add one or two more safeties/matches to this list so I'm not college-less come April.</p>

<p>University of Tennessee: Knoxville
Lawrence University
Boston University
Oberlin College
Vanderbilt University
Cornell University</p>

<p>First off, I'd like to say that I fully understand my chances are slim at some of these colleges, mainly Vanderbilt and Cornell. But, even a 0.001% chance of acceptance is better than no chance if I don't apply at all. I'd also like to say I'm not applying to Cornell simply because it's an Ivy League. There's obvious prestige in attending Cornell, but I'm applying there because they have literally everything I want in a college. They've got a load of computer graphics and animation classes, a music school in which I can minor, piano club, computer animation club (they actually use the same program I've used for a few years, blender, which I thought was pretty cool) and countless other things that I just love about the school. Again, I understand my chances are probably slim, but I'd like to give it my all anyway. </p>

<p>My info:</p>

<p>Military dependent living overseas. I go to a DoDDS high school in Italy. I'm a Tennessee resident. I'm half-hispanic and a first-gen college student (I think; my mom went to a flight attendant trade school type thing and my Dad didn't finish college although he is trying to get started again). </p>

<p>EFC around 9500 so I need in-state tuition or lots of aid. we're working on getting the GI bill transferred to me just in case we need to use it</p>

<p>4.093W Cumulative GPA - 3.95UW </p>

<p>^^ Quarter one just finished so this will probably change. It looks like I got a 4.428W this quarter if my grades are correct online. </p>

<p>SAT - 1860 composite (2nd time, up from 1760, will be taking again) - 600 reading, 640 math, 620 writing - I want to reach the 2000 mark which shouldn't be overly difficult if I study a bit every other day or so. It's not very far either, only 140 pts. </p>

<p>SAT Subject Test - Taking Math Lv. 2 and Physics on Nov. 7. I'm pretty much panicking for the physics one because I got a 2 on the physics C ap exams and I dont know a lot of the material. I'm studying though so I'm going to have to wing it. I can't change to chem or bio because my bio foundation is awful (our teacher passed away before school started so it wasn't until like december that we got our final teacher and she started us all over) and this is the first year I'm taking chemistry. I should do well on the Math one though, considering I'm in Calculus BC and I got a 4 on the AB test. Just need to do some review before next week.</p>

<p>ACT+Writing - Waiting for October scores. I feel I did well on this, except the stupid science section for which I was scrambling to finish and barely had time to read the passages. -.- </p>

<p>As of the end of junior year, I'm ranked 4 out of about 60.</p>

<p>Rigorous/Honors/AP courses I’ve taken:</p>

<p>Freshman Year:</p>

<p>I moved in the middle of my freshman year so I got put in regular classes because honors do a year long project here. Also, honors classes do not get weighted credit at my school, only AP classes do.</p>

<p>Earth and Space Science - Honors >> changed to Physics Applications
English I - Honors >> changed to regular English
Spanish III - Honors >> stayed Spanish III but wasn’t honors anymore
L/S/N Gov’t - Honors >> switched me to world history 9 so my social studies/history credits got all messed up but the credits ended up working in my favor
Algebra II - not honors but most people seem to put this in the rigorous course category</p>

<p>Sophomore Year: </p>

<p>World History 10 - “Honors”
Literature 10 - “Honors”
Pre-Calculus
Geometry
Biology</p>

<p>Junior Year:</p>

<p>Italian IV (took Italian I sophomore year and placed out of II and III)
AP English Language (did horrible on the exam (2). my old teacher is recommending I self study and take it again, apparently she's only done this for one other person in her 10+ years as a teacher)
AP Calculus AB (4 on exam :D)
AP Physics C (2s on each exam... we had a rough year. the senior class valedictorian was in that class and she got a 3 in mech and 1 in EM)</p>

<p>Senior Year:</p>

<p>AP Italian (skipped Italian V)
AP Calculus BC
AP Chemistry
AP Literature
Career Practicum - Not honors or AP but it’s pretty cool. Basically a job shadowing class but a bit more involved. Currently shadowing my school's music teacher. I teach the class and conduct. I got to pick a piece to teach the class and they'll play it at the mid-year concert which I'll be conducting. </p>

<p>ECs: Italian Club 2013-2015 (Treasurer last year; ran for president this year but lost), Jazz Band (2012-2015; pianist), 2014 DoDDS Europe Language Institute (week-long intensive language course in three critical languages at the DoD Language Institute in Germany), Academic Team (2012-2013), volunteer fundraising for Italian Club, had a part-time job at the “mall” on the military base here (August 2013-October 2013), National Honor Society (2014-2015), ~8 years of piano lessons; currently with an Italian teacher who doesn’t speak English</p>

<p>I wanted to found a computer animation club, but we would've only had two members (including me) and the teacher. Plus, the teacher who would've sponsored us likes to leave school at 2:30 everyday so he would've said no on the spot...</p>

<p>I’ve done a fair bit of traveling in Europe and I’ve been to Peru a few times to visit family so I guess I’m culturally diverse. I speak a bit of Spanish (my mother is Peruvian) and my Italian is pretty good (it has to be or I wouldn’t understand my piano teacher).</p>

<p>So, if you kind people could recommend some good safeties/matches to me I'd be really grateful. I've been looking but I haven't been able to find any that have the computer graphics/animation classes and such that I'm looking for. Maybe I wasn't looking hard enough....</p>

<p>Thanks in advance! :)</p>

2

<p>Sorry I realized I should probably say I’m looking for colleges in Tennessee, and the northern half of the US. Please help me. :)</p>

3

<p>SJSU has a computer graphics/animation major but it’s the hardest one to get into (they select by major). And it’s not in the northern half of the US.
If you like Lawrence, check out St Olaf (harder to get into). Schools like Luther or Gustavus Adolphus have pretty good music programs even for non majors. </p>

4

<p>SJSU wouldn’t be affordable for this student.</p>

<br>

<br>

<p>Apply to all of the Tenn publics that have Computer Science.</p>

<p>Do you qualify for HOPE in Tenn? Look into that since you are a Tenn resident living overseas due to parent’s military commitment. Hopefully, someone here can help direct you in that regards. Anyone??? </p>

<p>Right now, your M+CR score is good, but not likely high enough to get into the schools with CS and top aid. Maybe you should apply to some test optional schools that give top aid? </p>

<p>Hopefully, someone here knows which test optional schools have CS. The rest of your app would be very good, so a TO school may be the best choice.</p>

<p>How many years will your GI bill benefits be good for? All four years? Will you qualify for Yellow Ribbon schools?</p>

5

<p>I’d rather major in computer science than computer graphics or animation because it offers more flexibility, although I do want to work in computer graphics. There’s a trade school called Animation Mentor that I want to attend after college, but that’s further down the road. </p>

<p>@mom2collegekids‌ Yes I’m applying to UTenn and the University of Memphis. I’ll look at the others. </p>

<p>I qualify academically for the HOPE scholarship and then for residence it says “members of the Armed Forces or TN National Guard must have Tennessee as the Home of Record at the time of entry into military service.” so yes we do qualify. </p>

<p>I am taking the SAT again in December and I have subject tests this weekend. Hopefully I do well! I also took the ACT in October so we’ll see how that went in a few days.</p>

<p>And yes the GI bill would cover all 4 years, but only 4 years. So if for some reason I end up not graduating after 4 years, we will have to pay. For private schools, the GI bill covers “up to $20,235.02 per academic year” and at public schools it covers “in-state tuition & fee rate” I’m not worried that much about the cap for the private school tuition because need-based aid comes before the GI bill. </p>

<p>Revised List (took BU off):</p>

<p>University of Tennessee: Knoxville
Lawrence University
University of Memphis
Oberlin College
Vanderbilt University
Cornell University</p>

<p>Thank you for your suggestions @MYOS1634‌ and @mom2collegekids‌ </p>

6

<p>I think you need to add some test-optional schools. </p>

<p>Right now, Vandy and Cornell are too big of reaches.</p>

<p>Do you qualify for Yellow Ribbon? If so, that opens up a lot more schools.</p>

<p>Do you have a non-custodial parent?</p>

7

<p>I think I might qualify, looking at the requirements, but I’ll have to talk to my father to be sure. </p>

8

<p>And no I do not have a non-custodial parent. I live with both of my parents. </p>

9

<p><a href=“http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/”>http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/&lt;/a&gt; indicates that your stats would pick up automatic big scholarships at Tuskegee, Howard, Florida A&M, and Prairie View A&M, although only Howard is north of Tennessee. That list can also show you SAT and ACT targets for other schools’ big scholarships.</p>

10

<p>Are you familiar with East Tennessee State’s Digital Media program? They have a concentration in Digital Animation. It’s right up your alley, and in-state as well.
I can probably answer questions about the school if you have any. </p>

<p><a href=“http://etsudigitalmedia.com”>http://etsudigitalmedia.com</a></p>

11

<p>Try to get into your safeties’ honors programs, too (especially at large universities). If they’re true safeties, you should qualify. Then you’ll compare not just the universities, but also the Honors offerings. If your matches don’t come through, or end up being too expensive, you’ll have those choices still.
I guess I’ll repeat St Olaf (CS is very strong and getting stronger- I know a student who’s collaborating on a project with Stanford- and very strong for music, with lots of ensembles, open to all majors); Luther, Gustavus Adolphus , plus Pacific Lutheran - these last 3 would be easy to get into and have excellent music opportunities/scholarships; I’d throw in Macalester as a reach since you’re well-travelled and obviously gifted at Italian, and I have a feeling based on your posts that you’d like the cosmopolitan feel of the neighborhood that college is in. Note that most of these are “free to apply”. :slight_smile: Other safeties/matches you could check out: Ithaca, Illinois Wesleyan, Susquehanna, Skidmore, Denison. </p>

12

<p>I’m going to look at Macalester because they’ve been sending me a lot of mail. I know that’s not an indication if I’ll get accepted but they obviously had some reason to send me mail. I’ll take a look at the Honors Programs for the other universities I’m applying to. Thanks! </p>

13

<p>Take a look at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). They are expensive, but I’ve heard they have extremely good merit aid that you would certainly be eligible for. THere are several scholarships that you would be considered for automatically, and some other (really good ones) that require an additional scholarship application by December 1, so take a look soon.</p>