URM 2.5 GPA 2100 SAT and We're Going For It

Parents Forum
201

<p>Slymlady, </p>

<p>Perhaps you should simply consider adding some matches. The problem with the ‘go broke’ attitude is that the kid may have been able to get in somewhere that was better than his safety school but, by having a polarized (safety and all reach) list, if he ends up with rejections at the top level, ends up going to the safety and not the best school he could have been accepted to. The list I included were schools where my kid with a very similar profile (African-American, 30 ACT, 3.0 gpa unweighted, 3.6 weighted gpa, well-known suburban public school) was accepted with substantial $ when his interests included a possible engineering major. If engineering were off the table and you were looking at liberal arts colleges where there are few African-American students, he could probably apply a bit higher with confidence. </p>

<p>Please be aware that the social scene at those liberal arts colleges can be stifling for minority kids. There is a reason those schools have to give some sort of incentive to get minority kids to attend. I was going to send this to you privately but I will include it here just in case it helps someone down the road. One of my kids (much higher stats) really wanted a top lac and, with the help of cc’ers, we made a great list. Kiddo was accepted at a number of them and now has graduated from a top lac with few African-American kids… but if kiddo and I knew then what we know now, I don’t know if we would have chosen the same path. Kiddo got a great education and graduated with no debt (full need met without loans), but kiddo was very isolated. The kids who were most like my kid were middle-class white kids and most of them did not even think of including a minority kid in their circle of friends. The African-American kids were primarily very poor (no Cornell stepdads) and were hostile to kiddo because of middle-class taste in music, activities, etc. The administration itself was remarkably <em>un</em>supportive although there were specific faculty and staff who were very nice and, yes, my kid eventually made friends. I think it may be easier for boys than girls and I think it would have been easier if my kid had been an introvert but, if you are considering a small lac, please look carefully at the social scene and level of integration in light of your own kid’s personality and need for social activities.</p>

202

<p>UC are really looking to admit black males. I am pretty sure that OP’s son would be accepted to UC. Especially, since his SAT is very reasonable. Could he provide good recommendation letters? Community projects? </p>

<p>I bet that OP’s son would be accepted into some UC campus.</p>

203

<p>thanks all (really)</p>

204

<p>*The problem with the ‘go broke’ attitude is that the kid may have been able to get in somewhere that was better than his safety school but, by having a polarized (safety and all reach) list, if he ends up with rejections at the top level, ends up going to the safety and not the best school he could have been accepted to. *</p>

<p>I agree. And the problem with only having a bunch of reaches (which may all reject him), is that he may end up feeling railroaded into the only school that works out.</p>

<p>What is your budget? Is FA a big concern? If so, then apply to at least 3 financial safeties so he has a choice if the other schools don’t work out.</p>

205

<p>Riverside had a strong reputation a few years back as an especially supportive place for AA students. Dunno if that’s still true. I do remember reading about one AA kid who was accepted to UCLA but matriculated to Riverside for just that reason. </p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Not really. Average SAT for all of California in 2010 was just over 1500 for all three parts.</p>

206

<p>SlitheyTove ,</p>

<p>Please consider UC Merced. It is very similar to Riverside.</p>

207

<p>I don’t know what majors Merced has, but if I were a Calif student, qualified for Blue and Gold, and wanting a small school experience, I think Merced would be a nice choice.</p>

208

<p>UC eligibility is 3.0 GPA. </p>

<p>[Admission</a> requirements | UC Admissions](<a href=“http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/freshman/requirements/]Admission”>http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/freshman/requirements/)</p>

209

<p>I think OP’s son has a UC GPA of 3.1.</p>

<p>“UC are really looking to admit black males. I am pretty sure that OP’s son would be accepted to UC. Especially, since his SAT is very reasonable. Could he provide good recommendation letters? Community projects? …”</p>

<p>Really? It sure is evident in the class profiles I’ve seen. I think they are fair, but I don’t think the fudge the rules. They DO seem to make make allowances for adversity. Also, UCs don’t accept recommendation letters.</p>

210

<p>Slymlady, what GPA will be reported on your son’s transcript? I’ve been culling 3.0-3.3 threads seeking schools for your DS, and I found a student from California that was accepted to a fantastic slate of schools with a 3.4 weighted UC GPA. <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/14714940-post321.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/14714940-post321.html&lt;/a&gt;
Here is the whole thread—begin reading at page 21 and move forward, as that provide acceptances since the 2012 cycle. <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/767966-where-did-your-3-0-3-3-gpa-child-get-21.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/767966-where-did-your-3-0-3-3-gpa-child-get-21.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Also, if your son is good at math, you may want to rethink his major. Do a search on jobs for math majors and how much they make-- It might be why there is a shortage of math teachers in the US–wink. He may wish to major in math (needs minor in physics) or even physics then attain his engineering degree at the graduate level</p>

<p>And before I go any further, I am African-American and my Ex-H is Caucasian, so I am coming from the POV of a parent with URM children. My high stats son had no problems in his admission season, and ended up with only one rejection to an IVY his father forced him to apply to; however, my HS class of 2015 daughter is lopsided like your son, low GPA 3.28-3.32 UW, and an extremely high ACT score for an AA. </p>

<p>She, with our assistance, is building her list from the BOTTOM up, as we want her to at least have choices among even her safety schools that she will be happy to attend. Yes, she will file well above the norm number of applications (12-14), but needs to do so to guarantee a decent pool of acceptances. We did not and will not allow her to fill her list with a bunch of reaches that there is no way in h3ll she has a chance of gaining acceptance. We will not waste our money when the funds could pay for a plane ride home and back to school. She does, however, have a few reach schools just to see, but none are IVYs, and are considered reaches based on her current stats—not institutions that are lottery schools even for top applicants. Just because she is African-American does not mean schools are just going to accept her and throw money at her feet because she has a high test score. That is fiction and myth. The same holds true for your son. Do not listen to or believe the pipe dreams that others will tell you about your son getting into X, Y or Z school just because he is male, Black, and has a high test score. You will fail at the college acceptance game. Oh, and those free applications from high ranked schools need to hit the recycling bin the moment they arrive in via email or in the mailbox. The schools send those out to tons of students to beef up their rejection percentile to become more selective for the US News rankings. Again, save your money unless an application is coming from what many on CC term “Pundock U or Bundock C” or some other similar term.</p>

<p>You need to research acceptance rates for males with your son’s stats. Period. WHy throw away $1000 applying to schools he has not chance of gaining admissions to?</p>

<p>Next, do not focus on engineering alone as his major. Research schools that he can transfer to other majors of interest to your son with ease. Don’t allow him to chose his major based on a misconceived notion that becoming an engineer means he’s going to earn oodles of money. I would read this thread <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/engineering-majors/1236038-job-security-engineers.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/engineering-majors/1236038-job-security-engineers.html&lt;/a&gt; regarding engineering job security because in a few years there may be a lot of engineers in the job market.</p>

211

<p>Go to the library and check out the following books and read them cover to cover:</p>

<p>50 Best College Majors for a Secure Future (job stability)</p>

<p>8 First Choices</p>

<p>Getting into College with Julia Ross: FInding the Right Fit and Making it happen (really good at showing how to determine safeties, matches, and reaches using a spreadsheet and a little bit of math)</p>

<p>AdMission Possible- <a href=“http://www.admissionpossible.com/[/url]”>http://www.admissionpossible.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>The College Solution- [The</a> College Solution |](<a href=“http://www.thecollegesolution.com/]The”>http://www.thecollegesolution.com/)</p>

<p>Fiske’s Guide </p>

<p>College Board Book of Colleges (this lists every 4-year institution in the country and includes all kinds of statistics for minorities on campus, acceptances based on GPA, breakdown of board scores for SAT & ACT, acceptance percentage as a whole, how much need is met, percentage of need in grant/scholarships, percentage of need in loans/work study, all majors offered by the institution, and much more.)</p>

<p>Colleges That Change Lives- [Colleges</a> That Change Lives | Changing Lives. One Student at a Time.](<a href=“http://www.ctcl.org/]Colleges”>http://www.ctcl.org/)</p>

<p>America’s Best Colleges for B Students ( not my favorite for B students, but worth every listing for B- to C students)</p>

<p>You need to use all the college search and information links provided within this thread along with College Data dot com. </p>

<p>Now, look at the NPC of every school you add to the list. Since you must cast a very wide net, you and your son may end up with a list of 30 or more schools at first that you need to quickly narrow down to the 8-14 schools on his final list–this is fine. Oh, and be mindful of need aware schools. Go to College D@ta com , find the school of interest, then select the admissions tab. Within that section you will find information whether a school looks at financial need in the application process, most schools are not need blind in the admissions process. So, if your son has the states to gain acceptance, if his need is to high, he still may be rejected for no other reason than for his high financial aid need. </p>

<p>Since you need cheaper schools and or privates that offer need based aid, you first need to sit down and figure out what YOU can afford right now, today for tuition after the $5500 direct loans. Oh, as a divorcee, you also need to factor in the absent father’s income at schools that require the non-custodial CSS Profile form. Additionally, the step-parent’s income also must be reported since you are still married. </p>

<p>Once you know which GPA or if both GPAs your son’s school reports to colleges, then you will know if you can look at schools with a 3.0 threshold for automatic merit money and or acceptance. It also puts your son in the running for probable merit aid and or scholarships at many of the CTCL colleges. If your son’s school only reports the weighted GPA of 3.2, there is hope because a.) your son has a decent SAT score, b.) your son is a MALE, which is a HOOK at many LACs, and c.) a 3.2 GPA looks far better than a 2.5 GPA.</p>

212

<p>I am not verse in CA public universities or public Universities in the West or mid-South, so I hope those in the know will reorganize this list:</p>

<p>Find Thy FINANCIAL and ACADEMIC Safety schools, first during the college search–make sure to have about 4-5 of them that are sure-ins:</p>

<p>Goucher College (computer science)
UC-Merced
CSU-Chico
CSU-Fresno
CSU-LA
CSU-Sacramento
CSU-Northridge
South Dakota School of the Mines
South Dakota State</p>

<p>University of North Dakota (we have this as a safety for our daughter- offers diversity scholarships that waives an amount = to instate tuition on top of WUE –need to file a separate application—1st come basis) [Undergraduate</a> Scholarships | Financial Aid | Admissions | UND: University of North Dakota](<a href=“Student Financial Aid | University of North Dakota”>Student Financial Aid | University of North Dakota)</p>

<p>North Dakota State University (offers diversity scholarships that waives an amount = to instate tuition on top of WUE –need to file a separate application—1st come basis) [Scholarships</a> & Tuition Assistance - Multicultural Programs (NDSU)](<a href=“http://www.ndsu.edu/multicultural/scholarships_tuition_assistance/]Scholarships”>http://www.ndsu.edu/multicultural/scholarships_tuition_assistance/) </p>

<p>New Mexico State U
University of Nevada-Reno
University of Nevada-Las Vegas
University of New Mexico</p>

<p>Next up, reasonable matches/low reaches—this can be tricky depending on the GPA reported by your son’s high school—pick 4-5 schools—heck apply to 6 or 7 and see where your son gainss acceptance:</p>

<p>UC-Riverside</p>

<p>Pacific University, OR (3/2 programs with Washington U & Oregon Graduate Institute)</p>

<p>Cal Poly Pomona
CSU- San Jose
CSU-Long Beach
UC-Santa Cruz ??
Beloit College, WI (strong in mathematics & hard sciences- has 3/2 programs)</p>

<p>Hope College, MI (has engineering major that is not a 3/2 program)</p>

<p>Louisiana Tech
Louisiana State A & M
U of Louisiana
Hirim, OH (strong in mathematics & hard sciences)</p>

<p>Knox (strong in mathematics & hard sciences)</p>

<p>Juniata (strong in comp sci, mathematics & hard sciences)</p>

<p>Muhlenberg College (strong in math & hard sciences- 4/2 engineering program)</p>

<p>Ohio Wesleyan (3/2 engineering with at least 6 other schools, including CIT)</p>

<p>Reaches—look at 2-3 REASONABLE schools for the list</p>

<p>Cal Poly –San Luis</p>

<p>Wheaton College, MA</p>

<p>Lafayette College, PA (has engineering major that is not a 3/2 program-2012 entering class consisted of 49% of students with a GPA of 3.49 or lower. Acceptance rate is roughly 25% for ALL applicants)</p>

<p>Any schools that you already have on your list of reaches</p>

213

<p>Slymlady: if he isn’t adverse to LACs, look into Colleges that Change Lives. He’s sure to be admitted to some, and would probably receive a good financial aid package. Check out the schools - some are really excellent schools (the schools are all residential liberal arts colleges with a strong focus on being “transformative” for the students, through academics and community. There are about 40 of them, with varying degrees of selectivity. Some meet 100% financial need and have merit also.)
[Colleges</a> That Change Lives | Changing Lives. One Student at a Time.](<a href=“http://www.ctcl.org/]Colleges”>http://www.ctcl.org/)
[CTCL</a> Member Map | Colleges That Change Lives](<a href=“http://www.ctcl.org/colleges/map]CTCL”>http://www.ctcl.org/colleges/map)
Those that I know are good at science include:
Reed (but probably not a good match for your son), Southwestern, Beloit, Lawrence, St Olaf, Earlham, Denison, Juniata, Centre, Hendrix, Eckerd. </p>

<p>A newer group has formed, called “Colleges of Distinction”, defined as “engaged students, great teaching, excellent outcomes, and vibrant community”. Unlike the previous group, which includes mostly national, highly selective to very selective colleges, this group seems to focus on B/B+ students and includes very selective to moderately selective colleges. Those would likely be alternate matches or safeties.
However, some “colleges of distinctions” are also “colleges that change lives”. o_O
[Colleges</a> of Distinction - Learn. Grow. Succeed.](<a href=“http://collegesofdistinction.com/]Colleges”>http://collegesofdistinction.com/)
For computer science, you have schools like Adelphi, Alma, Belmont (TN), Butler, Caldwell, Case Western Reserve, College of Charleston, Creighton, Davis&Elkins, Doane, Fairfield, Quinnipiac, Elmhurst… Too many to name here, some Catholic, some Evangelical, some public, some (much) more selective than others.</p>

<p>UC Merced, UC Riverside, and a CSU may be his safeties,and you already have his reaches. So all you need is a few matches (schools that would be better academically and financially for him than UC’s?) I’d prioritize by looking first at schools that meet 100% need, then others.</p>

214

<p>Im paying attention CC’ers! Really, this is all really great advice. It would certainly be wise to fill out our match section. S would be happy majoring in physics or mathematics, so it definitely opens up the LAC’s and may make admissions chances better at the reaches as well. Im honestly not wedded to him attending some top name brand college. His happiness and success is far more important to me.</p>

215

<p>Slymlady,</p>

<p>BunHeadMom’s advice is great–lots of good schools to consider. One thing that has been nagging me about your son’s situation…even with a bad freshman year, how is it that he only has a 2.5 overall GPA? Let’s say he had a 1.5 freshman year, a 3.0 sophomore and a 3.5 junior…that would be a 2.666. Were his grades worse than that? If so I really think you might want to reset expectations…especially if if he is at a school that is not known for academic rigor. The worst thing would be for him to “scrape by” and get in but then be overwhelmed once he started class.</p>

216

<p>@sally305 - his official unweighted is 2.68. I am a rounder-offer (is that a word?) :)</p>

<p>Because of the way he had to repeat classes, many of them either don’t count as a core class, or the original class must still be counted because he did not repeat the exact same course (i.e. originally failed an honors course, but honors not offered in summer so took a regular course).</p>

217

<p>In addition, due to budget cuts all summer school was cancelled for freshman and sophomores in the district. We had to go outside of the district, to adult school, and to community college to make up the classes he needed. Because of this, the classes he made up counted in the category (i.e. english, math, etc.) but not the exact same title or bonus category (AP, honors, etc.). </p>

<p>Again, at that time the focus was just getting the needed credits to graduate high school.</p>

218

<p>It sounds like he failed quite a few courses. To be honest, this will not bode well for acceptance into highly competitive,schools regardless of his SAT score.</p>

<p>He seems to have some options within the Cal Sate system that would be attainable. I would concentrate on schools with smaller classes, and good student tutorial services just in case he needs them.</p>

219

<p>One more thing I’d like to add… I don’t have the words to describe what its like to face the prospect of your (talented) black male child not even graduating high school. To say I moved heaven and earth is an understatement. </p>

<p>This part is almost easy compared to a couple of years ago. I know it will work out.</p>

220

<p>I am sure it will work out. It’s obvious you have tremendous faith in him. He will likely do well in any environment that is supportive and enables him to thrive.</p>