<p>Hi Everybody,
As I began to finish up my first semester of junior year I have realized that I need some more safeties.
My current stats are...
- 3.85 uw 4.2 w (rank is 13 of 120)
- Hardest classes possible at school, by time of graduation I will have taken 11 honors classes, three honors/AP classes and three AP classes, as well as one duel enrollment class and five years of a language outside of school for credit.
- 179 PSAT (61M, 59CR, 59W), I know it is low, I am working to get it past 2000 and am waiting on my ACT score from December
- Strong ECs (several leadership positions, around 400 hours community service by time of application, consistent ECs and a few awards). Also coming from a competitive magnet school where I am majoring in visual art (I spend three hours every day in art classes at my school). I will be submitting an art supplement.
- I am assuming I will have at least decent essays and recommendations, my teachers like my writing, though honestly that is not saying a lot...</p>
<p>So my dream school is Swarthmore, but I know it is very hard to get in, so I have been unsuccessfully trying to find similar schools that could be considered safeties or low matches. I am looking for LACs with a nerdy feel, that have a high medical school acceptance rate and have a student body that is extremely passionate about learning. I would prefer that they are in around an 8 hour radius of Pittsburgh, but am open to anywhere on the East coast.</p>
<p>Thanks in advance! Sorry that this is sort of long...</p>
<p>Here are a few LACs that come to mind (assuming your rank stays between top 10 and 15% and SAT (ACT equivalent) is around 2000: at the high end, think about Kenyon, Colgate, Skidmore, and Bucknell and some others might include Denison, Ohio Wesleyan, Ursinus, and Allegheny. Also, if you are willing to commit to EA, Davidson has a very high admit rate for EA.</p>
<p>@muchdogs07 I am not willing to commit to EA (I am applying to Swarthmore ED), but I will look into Davidson and the others for RD, thanks so much!</p>
<p>@happymomof1 Basically nothing, I live in a single parent household with a mother who works at a nonprofit. According to the Net Price Calculator Swarthmore would give me almost the full tuition and room/board. The only financial/academic safety I currently have is Juniata, where I am basically guaranteed a lot of merit due to my GPA/projected test scores. Also if I stay in Pennsylvania I will automatically get $7500 a year through the Pittsburgh Promise…</p>
<p>Thank you so much everybody! I will look into all the schools you guys have mentioned.</p>
<p>In PA what about Seton Hill? They seem to have quite a bit of merit aid to offer top students. I believe they also have strong Arts programming.</p>
<p>I cannot remember if you mentioned Pitt? Not a LAC, but strong school with merit aid for top students. If you live in Pittsburgh it could be commutable from home.</p>
<p>*@happymomof1 Basically nothing, I live in a single parent household with a mother who works at a nonprofit. *</p>
<p>If your father is alive, then his family’s income and assets will also get considered. He’d have to fill out the paperwork and he’d be expected to contribute.</p>
<p>Until you have ACT and SAT scores, it’s hard to recommend safeties for you. Safeties don’t “meet need” so you’d need HUGE merit from them. </p>
<p>Seton Hall requires very high test scores to get HUGE merit, so right now, that would be an unknown.</p>
<p>You’d need at least “free tuition” merit so that your room, board and books could be covered by other aid.</p>
<p>Is your mom low income? If not, then she will be expected to contribute.</p>
<p>Have you looked at Chatham? You’d get Pittsburgh Promise money. You could cross-register with Pitt and CMU. You’d get personal attention for premed classes and could get to build relationships with professors. You probably could commute to save money. Alumnae network (including my cousin, now retired) should be strong and welcoming to students looking for internships or jobs.</p>
<p>@mom2collegekids Yes, my father is alive. Though I have been told that we don’t need to mention his financials since he has not had custody since I was eight/have not seen or spoken to him since. Most schools consider us low income, we are in the $40,000-50,000 income bracket.</p>
<p>@Wordworker Are you familiar with Chatham’s medical acceptance rate/pre-med program, I have been trying to find information about it. I have been sort of already looking at the school (I am doing dual enrollment at Chatham next semester).</p>
<p>Thank you again everybody, I will look at the schools mentioned!</p>
<p>Artsygirl, you will have to mention him, and get a NCP waiver from each school that requires his financials. I would not presume that each school will grant it until you get teh waiver. Schools have been very strict about it and more so these years.</p>
<p>Take a look at the all female schools like Smith, Holyoke and Bryn Mawr, as well.</p>
<p>I don’t know anything about it. You might try asking some students as well as administrators. And please read the premed major section here if you haven’t already. Apparently schools can manipulate the med school acceptance rate in a few ways; be aware of that for any school you’re considering.</p>
<p>Though I have been told that we don’t need to mention his financials since he has not had custody since I was eight/have not seen or spoken to him since. Most schools consider us low income, we are in the $40,000-50,000 income bracket.</p>
<p>You were given wrong info. While you won’t use his info on FAFSA, schools that use CSS Profile that give the best aid, will want his info. You would have to apply for a NCP waiver…which may or may not be granted.</p>
<p>In case Seton Hall was mentioned because of my post… Just to clarify, I suggested Seton Hill in PA as a PA school where possibly Pittsburgh Promise could be used, and that often will offer merit for high stats. Not Seton Hall in NJ. :-)</p>
<p>Keep in mind that a safety has to be affordable. That means that you have to know FOR SURE that you’ll get enough aid to cover all costs. Schools that will admit you but not “meet need” or give you enough aid are not safeties.</p>
<p>As for getting merit… You need LARGE merit, HUGE merit (like full tuition or more). It sounds like your mom’s income may be too high for a Pell Grant (or much of one), so that will make covering remaining costs after merit very difficult.</p>
<p>How big is your family? If it’s just you and your mom, then an income of $50k will likely have an EFC beyond Pell. </p>
<p>Consider Loyola Maryland. Supposedly they “meet need.” Also consider DePauw…good merit and good aid.</p>
<p>Artsy, What happened with Swarthmore ED? If you didn’t get the answer you wanted, I’d suggest the following for good studio art and art history (in more or less declining order of selectivity) Williams, Wesleyan, Hamilton, Haverford, Vassar, Kenyon, Conn College, Skidmore, Smith.</p>
<p>If you qualify for enough need based aid from Swarthmore, then you could expect about the same from the others.</p>