Suggestions For Colleges?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hi!
I'm a student with a fairly uncommon case; I performed terribly in my Freshman Year, but since then I've improved phenomenally. I'm a little clueless about what tiers of schools I should be looking at, so please suggest some safety, match, and reach schools for me. I know that I want to attend a Coed, four year private university that offers PhDs in physics. I also want the school to have a total of less than 15,000 undergrads. Thanks!</p>

<p>Area of Interest: Physics
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
High-School: Public school in top 1% of the USA</p>

<p>SAT Scores:
Critical Reading: 670
Math: 800
Writing: 710</p>

<p>SAT II Scores:
Physics: 800
Math: 800
Latin: 740</p>

<p>Freshman Year GPA: 2.8 Class Rank: 172/212</p>

<p>Sophomore Year Classes: US History I (CP1) A, English 10 (CP1) A, Algebra II (Honors) B+, Algebra III (Honors) A-, Physics (Honors) A+, Chemistry I (CP1) A+, Latin II (Honors) A+
Sophomore Year GPA: 3.9 Class Rank: 70/212 (13th without Freshman Year)</p>

<p>Junior Year Classes: Environmental Science (AP) A+, Statistics (AP) A+, Latin III (Honors) A+, American Literature (CP1) A, Pre-Calculus (Honors) A, Physics B (AP) A+, Physics C (AP) A+, US History II (CP1) A+
Junior Year GPA: 4.1 Class Rank: 33/212 (1st without Freshman and Sophomore Year)</p>

<p>Senior Year Classes: Calculus BC (AP), Chemistry II (Honors), Chemistry (AP), Latin IV (Honors), Latin V (AP), Senior English (CP1), Independent Study on Particle Physics</p>

<p>Extra-Curriculars:
Boy Scouts (working towards Eagle)
Varsity Ski Team (From Freshman Year) Captain and made states Junior and Senior Year
Varsity Track (From Freshman Year) Made states for pole vaulting and high jump Junior and Senior Year, Captain Senior Year
Pole Vaulting club (From fall of Sophomore Year)
Self-Taught Piano (From sixth grade)
Academic Team (From Junior Year)
Math Team (From Freshman Year) Captain Senior Year
2nd place at statewide math competition Sophomore Year
Latin Club (From Junior Year)
Organized my school's participation in the USAPhO in my Junior Year</p>

2

<p>Is the location important?
(N/S/E/W, urban/rural, climate)</p>

<p>How will you finance your education?
Can your family cover the full cost of any 4 year college (which can be up to $60K/year or a little more)? If not, can they cover the “Expected Family Contribution” at an expensive private school? What’s your budget? What state are you in?</p>

<p>Schools with strong physics programs where you might have a shot (assuming you can afford the EFC):</p>

<p>Chicago (high reach)
Cornell (reach)
Johns Hopkins (reach)
Rice (reach)</p>

<p>Carnegie Mellon (high match)
University of Rochester (match)
Brandeis (match)
Case Western (low match)</p>

<p>These are all private universities. Many public universities have strong physics departments, but most are above the size limits you specify, and tend not to have good need-based aid for OOS students. If you those aren’t important issues, consider Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Maryland.</p>

<p>Good luck, and get crackin’ (it’s almost November).</p>

3

<p>Location: Further North than Virginia, and further east than Illinois. I would prefer a rural location more than urban, but it’s not too big of an issue.
As for cost, my family is willing and able to cover whatever isn’t covered by scholarships, assuming it’s a good school.
Thanks for your input!</p>

4

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<p>O.K., but just be sure you’re clear about what that means. Many of the most selective colleges do not offer merit scholarships (or, if they do, they are extremely hard to get). At those schools, much of the financial aid is need-based. Depending on your circumstances, you may or may not qualify. But if your family is able and willing to cover up to about $60K/year out of pocket, great.</p>

<p>Of the schools I mentioned, only Rice and Chicago are out of the area you specify.</p>

<p>You could try for some of the other Ivies (besides Cornell), but your class rank might make it tough. At Princeton, for example, 98% of students were in the top 10% of their HS classes. Many of those would have been among the top several students. Your CR score would be a little low, too. But they might like the jet engine project you mention in another post.</p>