<p>My rising junior is just beginning the search process. She has a big list of match and reach schools, but almost no safeties. Her GPA is 3.7, not weighted, and taking all honors or AP this year. Her pre-ACT was the top score. She has reasonable e.c's. She is aware she needs a couple of safety choices. I am thinking that state universities such as SUNY Binghamton are a good bet for safety schools, but what other places should she think about? Thanks!</p>
<p>it’s good that you’re concerned about the safeties. often they’re the hardest ones for students to identify, and often students overestimate their chances at reaches and matches, making the safeties that much more important.</p>
<p>safeties must be absolutely affordable, absolutely some place she will get into, absolutely some place she will attend if all else fails, and, of course, have her major. often a safety can be a state flagship. </p>
<p>you haven’t given us enough info to help you. what state is she a resident of? have you run the net price calculators to confirm that your family can afford Binghamton and the other schools? what other schools has she selected and is Binghamton likely to be a school at which she will balk?</p>
<p>get back to us, OP.</p>
<p>Any other preferences, in terms of size, programs, campus setting, etc.? I would also make use of the College SuperMatch to start to compare a few potential schools side by side, if you weren’t planning to already. Boston. Fordham, American would all be good low match/safeties (depending on final testing scores, etc.) Also VIllanova, Bryn Mawr, NYU, or SUNYs would all me matches/safeties. Are you in NY? Let me know if you know you are already opposed to one of these schools. </p>
<p>We live in NY. Not too worried about finances.
Reaches and matches (according to College Data and Princeton Review) are Brown, Wesleyan, Tufts, RISD, McGill, GWU, Johns Hopkins, carnegie Mellon, College of William and Mary…
She isn’t sure at all what she wants to study
She would prefer not to be in a huge university. However, that may be a good choice for safeties. Advice welcome.</p>
<p>if you’re suggesting you can afford it, then Binghamton is a fine safety for the undetermined major if she will go there if all else fails.</p>
<p>without an ACT or ECs, it’s very hard to determine your D’s chances at any of the schools you name. The 3.7 is a concern at some of them, but it can be compensated for by the ACT or ECs or choice of major (if D wants compsci at CMU for instance). RISD is not the place for students who’ve no idea in what to major. You would like to see your D attend a school at which she can succeed and where she won’t be overwhelmed, so maybe check into JHU more once you get her ACT back.</p>
<p>Run the net price calculators now unless your family can spill out a quarter million dollars over the next four years. No one I know has not been surprised by how expensive college is and how hard it is to figure out where to apply without the knowledge the npcs can give parents.</p>
<p>Jkeill, thanks for your sensible advice. She isn’t sure what she wants to study, but she loves art and therefore is interested in RISD. Her weighted GPA is something like 4.29. Our school doesn’t give SAT or ACT until junior year, but she got,the highest score on the pre ACT with no studying at all, so I imagine she will do well on actual ACT. </p>
<p>when you say she loves art, are you saying that she’s an accomplished visual artist? what medium? has she a portfolio of work? has she had a showing?</p>
<p>I ask because these are the kinds of things AOs want to hear about in essays and ECs, even if or especially if your D is applying as an engineering major, say. btw, I just came from a lovely visit to the Asheville, NC, area and found in the town a vibrant artistic community in which the school, UNC-Asheville, plays a large part.</p>
<p>McGill is a bad choice for an undecided student since students apply for a specific major, which is final (if they want to switch, they have to apply for a transfer within the college and they may well have to start over from scratch.)
I agree that RISD isn’t for the undecided student either, since it assumes students who have pretty much devoted all waking hours to their art :).
In addition to SUNY Bing, I would suggest SUNY Geneseo (the State’s honors college).
I second UNC-Asheville as a good safety. The town’s revival was actually the object of a research paper - it’s exemplary in terms of lively small towns (sort of the opposite of the “walmartized” town or the typical suburbs).
In my opinion, a student interested in RISD or W&M is unlikely to like the “fit” of Villanova.
The different colleges are all over the place in terms of vibe, though - intellectual at W&M, competitive and preprofessional at JHU. Brown, Wesleyan, and Tufts are all on the same spectrum in terms of vibe. I understand those are all from the “supermatch” automated program but you might want to purchase Insider’s Guide to the Colleges or The Fiske Guide or The Princeton Review’s Best Colleges.</p>
<p>NB: can you afford W&M OOS (49K/year, basically no financial aid beside the $5,500 federal loans?) What’s your budget? Have you calculated your EFC yet and can you pay it? Can you pay more than your EFC (many colleges will expect you to pay more).</p>
<p>SUNY Plattsburgh. Most likely a safety for you, but it is an under appreciated college with some solid programs. Small college-like setting in a small town with character. Plus, it’s a hop, skip and a jump from Montreal.</p>
<p>She is not an accomplished artist. She is mostly self-taught. She is just thinking at this point. MYOS1634, thanks for your advice, you have some good ideas. And Lake Washington, thanks too, will check out Suny Plattsburg. Since I began this thread, we have visited some colleges on the list. She LOVED Tufts, Brown and RISD. Wesleyan, not bad. She is currently doing two weeks at Boston U and is underwhelmed, though she is enjoying the art class… I think it is safe to say that she most certainly wont’ be interested in any big city university. However, I think she will object less to a big university as a safety if it isn’t in the city. She is not a big city person. Any other suggestions welcomed.</p>
<p>Hard to give advice until you get the ACT scores. Given what you said at this point, I’d pick one more somewhat less selective SUNY school as a true safety – perhaps SUNY New Paltz which has a pretty artsy vibe and is in a nice little town. Skidmore and Bard might be good safety schools although they might be too small for her.</p>
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<p>?? </p>
<p>Schools dont give the exam, except in cases where it is state-mandated for juniors (like Illinois does with the ACT). However, that doesnt mean that students cant take the tests earlier if they desire.</p>
<p>Schools do administer the PSAT junior year. </p>
<p>Some high schools are testing sites, but anyone who has signed up on the Collegeboard or ACT websites can test there (tests given on Saturdays)…doesnt matter the students’ grades.</p>
<p>That said…Anyone in ANY state and at any grade can take the SAT or ACT. You just sign up and take it at a testing site. </p>
<p>I appreciate advice from you all, but I don’t want to get sidetracked by ACT and SAT’s right now. As I already said, she got the highest score on the PLAN (pre-ACT) and that was with no studying. She will take the ACT junior year and I am confident she will do well.
MYOS1634, why did you say that a college might expect us to pay more? Can you clarify please? I thought the price of tuition was the price advertised. Do they charge more if students don’t need financial aid? Forgive my ignorance. </p>
<p>^^</p>
<p>If you can pay full advertised price, then that is it. </p>
<p>
I have no idea what you mean by this phrase. Do you mean she scored a 36 on the PLAN? Then Brava, doors will open at many schools. If you mean the highest score in the school that could be damning with faint praise since the whole school may score low. Please do have her at least practice for the PSAT. A top score there as a junior can net National Merit Finalist and another set of schools to be considered.</p>
<p>@Lindagaf I believe @MYOS1634 was saying that many schools are not “100% need met” schools. So for example if FAFSA says your EFC is $40K and the total cost of attendance is $50K, many schools will give you less than $10k in aid, leaving a gap between your EFC and what you have to pay to attend.</p>
<p>Erin’s Dad, I mean she scored 32 on the PLAN. <a href=“http://www.act.org/planstudent/score/whatmean.html”>http://www.act.org/planstudent/score/whatmean.html</a> I don’t know how to say it differently. She will of course study for SAT and ACT. Ormdad. thanks for the explanation.</p>
<p>A few ideas:</p>
<p>Trinity College (CT)
Syracuse
Goucher
Ithaca College
Holy Cross</p>
<p>Thanks, Kaarboer, I will check these schools out.</p>
<p>^Yes I meant if your EFC is 34,000 it doesn’t mean the school will cover the rest - unless it’s one of the 100% needs school (and these require the Profile, which depending on your assets and properties may mean the EFC increases). Most schools only cover need for applicants they really want. State schools may have one price and either you can pay it or get merit or find another way. NYS fortunately has “cheap” universities (in-state) and a good system of state grants.
Tuition and room&board always cost “as listed”. The rest of the cost of attendance (books, transportation, miscellaneous) depends on savviness, frugal or dispendious lifestyle, etc. 
Your daughter may have a shot at NMF, meaning full tuition or full rides at about 70 universities in the country, so she should definitely prepare for the PSAT carefully. She should also plan to take 2-3 subject tests in May or June of Junior Year, plus the ACT as a score of 32-34 would make a big difference in terms of merit options.</p>