This is the issue - best to them = a name they know.
That’s not “best”.
Best is based on size, geography, major quality - things that will impact your day to day.
And the most important thing - that won’t bankrupt them.
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Western WA and WSU are not at all “Seattle-ish”
Bellingham and Pullman are only like Seattle in that they are located in the same state. Otherwise very very different.
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I live pretty close to UW Bothell but have not been on campus, although I know they are building more student housing there, it’s in a pretty suburban location where a car would be a necessity. I can’t speak to UW Tacoma. UPS is supposed to be a beautiful campus according to a friend who attended.
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Sorry - I wasn’t inferring to Pullman being “Seattle-ish” - it’s the sticks.
Just saying it’s an R1 school like a UW, CU, ASU - etc. and even Harvard and I also suggested neighboring Idaho. If I came off as Seattle-ish, my apologies.
Bellingham is indeed nothing like Seattle.
But given it’s less than 90 mins to both Seattle and Vancouver BC and has its own airport - with southwest flying there becoming a bit more “majorish” as a city, it’s within geographic range is what I was trying to say. Pullman, of course, is not.
And it’s frankly, close to being the gateway to the San Juan Islands.
Because the OP had Bothell, Tacoma, and Puget Sound, I was trying to find “close” to Seattle that might be more residential…a real experience and a possible admit and that’s where W Washington came from.
and then easier to get into and some times cost effective publics - hence the Wash State, Idaho, Montana /Montana State, Wyoming suggestions, etc.
That’s where Wash State came from.
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I want to revisit the idea of using the additional information section of the Common App. I’m working through this idea and not telling you to use it definitively, but maybe some others here can give input and you could find some people you trust to ask:
Your application is quite strong in all respects except the one that is generally most important, your GPA. Where do you think your might rank in your class? Have you taken a rigorous course load? Do you have any subject-specific test scores, like AP or IB or any sort of Taiwan-equivalent? US GPAs tend to be inflated, so your rank may not be as low as we would expect from a 3.0 here, and any high subject scores will also help to mitigate the lower grades as they would be evidence of subject mastery.
With high test scores and much lower grades, an admissions officer may deduce that the applicant is underachieving, not working hard, or simply immature. It can be a hard impression to overcome, and none of these seem to be the case with you.
I rarely think that using Additional Information is warranted, but I am turning over the idea of utilizing it for an honest and succinct explanation of your move and results. Something that assumes responsibility, but is also generally a positive statement, along the lines of, “After strong academic performances through grade 9 at bilingual schools, I wanted to challenge myself at a highly competitive and rigorous Mandarin-only school. I have worked hard, learned a lot, and enjoyed the environment. Because I am no longer being assessed in English, my grades have been impacted, but I am grateful for the education and work ethic that I have developed here.”
You may also want to think through LACs a bit more. Although most state schools have holistic admissions now, a LAC or even medium-sized school (I’m on the East Coast, so somewhere like the University of Dayton comes to mind) that can take a little more time to review an application may yield better results, especially for any discretionary merit.
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I agree that this could be a good place to explain but also do not use any of the suggested language here as it may be flagged if run through a plagiarism check.
I was only intending to give an idea of an appropriate tone/vibe, but I could take the example down if it’s a concern.
I just thought it was so well written and pretty much said what needed to be said, that I wanted to put a warning out there not to copy any of it even if it might be tempting.
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Ah I see. These campuses are all really different, as is the student vibe. Is the OP looking for an R1 university? I haven’t read the thread. Bellingham is the gateway to the San Juan islands, kind of, which is nice for an outdoors lover but rural and I’m not sure how that has any bearing on a university experience. Also the gateway to skiing at Mount Baker, which I believe gets more snow than anywhere else in the US and an outdoor lover’s Mecca. These are not really universities I’d recommend for someone coming from overseas however. I think Puget Sound or U of Oregon, or OSU, would have better and closer knit, less commuter school feel. I’ve lived in WA state for 28 years and have spent lots of time in western WA. Western and WSU are both very WA state resident filled and wouldn’t be a draw for me if I were coming tot he US from overseas.
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This from the first post:
- UW Seattle (RD)
- UW Bothell (EA)
- UW Tacoma (EA)
- University of Oregon (EA)
- CU Boulder (EA)
- Seattle U (EA)
- University of Puget Sound (EA)
- Michigan Tech (EA)
- Arizona State University (RD)
- If all else fails, my backup plan is to go to Seattle Central College and see if I have a shot at transferring after one year.
Later, when people said to OP some other names - OP noted her parents would only pay for CU, Oregon, and ASU. With a 35, ASU is auto in - need a 24.
So I guess there’s that but the majority of the schools seem to be in the PNW and the community college back up is as well.
Personally I prefer U of A to ASU. But that’s me and it’s a tad easier. I suspect given its high acceptance rate, Oregon will happen to but it’s hard to tell.
I personally would not “excuse” the GPA with the additional info section but I could see a good common app essay being about taking on and overcoming challenges.
I think most these schools are going to be GPA and in some cases test evaluated (not UW) and I think making “an excuse” wouldn’t look good although it probably wouldn’t even be considered at all one way or another.
I notice Michigan Tech on the list too - that’s an odd choice. Very cold. OP - how did you come to that?
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How are you instate for Texas if you have lived in Taiwan since you were five.
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Sorry, but if youre in state for TX, unless money is no object for your family, you go to TX, unless your SATs qualify you for substantial merit anywhere else, which btw, will probablly be just as socially regressive. Look into comm coll with transfer agreement option for UT austin. If your parents are willing and able to pay rack rate for a less selective school, sure.
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If a student’s parents own property in Texas, the student can be considered in state:
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Michigan Tech is a bit of an outlier for me-- it’s one of the first schools I put on my list and lies within the category of “smaller tech school I would likely get into and would probably enjoy”. Locationwise it’s very different from everywhere else I’m looking, but oddly enough I just think it would be an okay choice if I didn’t have better options.
Just went back and checked with my parents, unfortunately I am no longer in state for TX as they sold their property there a few years ago. So I’m not in state for anywhere at the moment.
First thing to sort out is your safety college. Do you meet all of the course requirements for Arizona State University? Are your parents OK with the price? If so, then you have your safety – apply there and get admitted as soon as you can to lock it down. You may also want to check University of Arizona as well to see if you may prefer it (admission requirements are likely to be similar, though scholarship criteria are different).
Fine choice. Not sure if they have your major but there’s also Missouri Science and Tech (less cold), s Dakota School of Mines, N Mexico School of Mines and there’s likely more in that vein if interested.
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They are building more housing at Bothell and trying to make it less of a commuter school but agree with you.
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Should also be noted that degree from UW Bothell or Tacoma is the same as the one from UW Seattle.
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Take a look at UNT. They are just about open admission and very progressive/artsy (assuming that might be your vibe based on your list…). I know several grads who have had phenomenal outcomes there. PS - you’ll get in to UPS and probably get merit aid too boot.
Oh shoot — just saw you’re no longer in state.