What college can I go to?

College Search & Selection
1

Hi, this is my first post, I’m just wondering what colleges would be a good fit for me that I have a good chance of getting accepted.
I’m interested in math, music, and theatre, but I don’t have much experience with the last two, and I’m looking for good colleges that will still accept me. I’ve only recently just gotten interested and am trying to get some experience in it now by joining a university chorus next sem and auditioning for plays at a local theatre.

I have a 4.0 unweighted GPA. I’ve taken about 10 classes in college (dual enrollment). I don’t have a lot of extracurriculars, just a member of NHS and a vice president at a new club at my school.

So yeah, what are some colleges that are good and will still accept me if I’m interested in those things? Thank you!

Roma

2

What state do you live in, and how much are your parents willing and able to pay? Have you taken the SAT or ACT, and if so, what were your scores? You’re a senior?

3

Yes, a little more info would be helpful. If you are in CA and planning to stay West Coast, it wouldn’t help to recommend WPI (Worcester, Massachusetts), which is a great STEM school and also has a great music program too.

Same with the financial side. Answers will be different if your annual contribution is $10k, $20k, or $70k.

In general, look at in-state publics first. They are often likely to be among your most affordable choices. Sometimes a school with a very high “sticker price” can be as affordable, or even more so, but much, much depends on test scores, financial side, etc.

Anyway, disregarding all that, WPI and Case Western Reserve (Cleveland) would be great choices if your test scores are also high. CWRU (“Crew”) has a relationship with Cleveland Institute of Music, a top music school, and a world-class concert hall (Severance Hall) immediately adjacent to campus, which students can attend free or subsidized. Both schools are extremely competitive, not insanely competitive, like MIT/Harvard/etc., but very competitive. These have $60k+ annual sticker prices, though they can both be fairly generous with merit/financial aid. Again, depends on the applicant.

Also, you can find both great math and great music at lots of schools. I’m most familiar with William & Mary. Top-notch academics, and I know several current students very involved in music groups and music theatre, one who lives in a house with others in their music group. So lots of opportunities out there.

Good luck! (And provide a little basic info on the financial side, location (regional preference, if any), large/medium/small, urban v. smaller town.)

Oh, and also try to get all of this done early over the holiday break. Applicants often do better with financial aid the earlier they apply.

4

St. Olaf is a great choice for a math/music combination.

5

Start with a community college. If youre still unsure what you want to do, it doesnt make sense for you so spend a ton of money while your figuring it out. Community college is a great way to take quality classes, save some money, and figure out where you want to go in life.

6

^ Community college quality really depends on state and area; in addition, a student with a strong high school record is better off applying as a freshman where that record is worth money, v.as a transfer who get lousy aid; finally, the vast majority of students start at their 4-year without a clear idea of a major or switch quickly.

Can you list state, stats, and budget?

7

Hello again, more info:

I live in Georgia, and yes I’m a senior, and my Math SAT is 690 and Reading is 720. As for budget, my parents say they aren’t willing to pay that much and are counting on scholarships and aid, for which I have not applied.

As for regional preferences, I’d to be in a good place to learn many things, about the world, and where things are happening, but not overwhelming. Like, there’s a bit of busy city life but also nature and peace. I don’t know where that would be, but that would be nice.

I don’t really like the vibe of a community college, at least the one in this town, and I’ve taken most classes in there already.

So, any good schools that will likely accept me given my stats?

8

Do you qualify for Zell Miller or HOPE? Which one?

Ask them how much they will pay $5k per year? $10k per year? More ? Less?

Is your family low income?

Which Georgia schools have you applied?

9

Have you applied to any colleges yet and/or have you spoken with your guidance counselor? If not, deadlines will be here very soon so it’s important to choose at least a couple of safeties/matches asap so you know you have options.

I suggest you look at your in state public options first, esp. if you have guaranteed scholarships through state financial aid. UGA is obvious choice and great school. Georgia State has a a great rising reputation.

Are you an URM, from a rural area, or a first-generation college student? That can help with admissions.

The other thing to do right away, if you haven’t already, is complete the FAFSA with your parents to see how much your family is expected to contribute toward college. The second part of this is whether they can afford the amount (EFC) they are expected to pay.

There’s a lot of folks who can help with suggestions once we learn some of these answers!

Congrats on your hard work and success in high school1

10

IMMEDIATELY and I do mean RIGHT THIS MINUTE apply to ALL GA universities you haven’t applied to yet - you’ve already missed scholarship deadlines! (Most scholarships come from the colleges themselves).
Check that you qualify for HOPE and Zell Miller – I think you do – and complete the paperwork ASAP.
https://www.gafutures.org/hope-state-aid-programs/hope-zell-miller-scholarships/
1° UGA
You’ll be in the second round for Honors after the EA admissions
https://honors.uga.edu/p_s/apply.html
https://www.admissions.uga.edu/prospective-students/first-year/regular-decision
Deadlines: Jan 1st
2° Georgia College
http://www.gcsu.edu/honors/applications
http://www.gcsu.edu/admissions/apply
Deadlines (EA): December 15!
3° Georgia State
You missed the priority deadline for Honors but still have a shot if you get things in by Dec 15
https://honors.gsu.edu/requirements/
4° Georgia Southern
You missed the deadline for their best scholarship but can still apply for Honors and its scholarships
https://academics.georgiasouthern.edu/honors/apply/incoming-freshmen/
https://admissions.georgiasouthern.edu/apply/

Outside of Georgia, scholarships will be primarily awarded by the colleges themselves - and many had deadlines of Dec 1st or November 15.
So, as soon as you’re done with the Georgia applications, you should figure out 1° what your EFC is and 2° how much exactly your parents can pay. Your EFC is the minimum colleges will expect your parents to pay.
https://fafsa.ed.gov/FAFSA/app/f4cForm?execution=e1s1

Some colleges award need based aid so you need to know whether you’d qualify for some or a lot of need based aid and whether it’d be sufficient, in which case you’d apply to “full need” colleges, the deadlines of which tend to be Jan 1 or 2. Most people here know these colleges but before we start throwing names around we need to know what your EFC is and whether your parents can afford it.
Then you can run the NPC on them and see if they’d be affordable to your parents.

To start, run the NPC for these:
https://www.macalester.edu/financialaid/estimate/
https://npc.collegeboard.org/student/app/northeastern
https://www.lakeforest.edu/admissions/finaid/price/
http://www.studentaid.emory.edu/
https://www.fordham.edu/info/21250/financing_your_fordham_education/2961/net_price_calculator/1
https://beloit.studentaidcalculator.com/survey.aspx

St Olaf is an excellent combination for math&music and your stats.
https://wp.stolaf.edu/financialaid/net-price-calculator/
https://wp.stolaf.edu/admissions/apply/

11

Hi @mom2collegekids , I’m not sure, I’ll ask my counselor. And my dad says probably around 8k a year. No we’re not low-income.
@AlmostThere2018 , I googled what URM means and it seems I am. I’m Filipino. Not a first-generation college student and I don’t know if the place I live in is considered rural or not.

@MYOS1634 thank you for all these links and info.

Will it be bad if I didn’t go to college next fall? As in will it hurt scholarship chances and admissions? I haven’t applied to any colleges yet and I don’t really want to go to Georgia even though I know there’s a better chance of getting in there.

12

What’s your EFC?

It’s ok if you don’t go to college in the Fall, but you need to check whether Zell Miller/HOPE is still available if you don’t go to college immediately after HS graduation.
If you’re indeed not low income and your dad can pay 8K but your EFC is well above that, you need HUGE scholarships and it’s quite possible your only possibility is a college in GA, so calculate that EFC (links provided).

13

I don’t see what delaying a year would do for you.

Apply to all of the GA publics. With Zell Miller or HOPE, your dad’s contribution, and a student loan, and summer earnings, you may have nearly all costs covered. A lower GA school may offer you some merit.

14

^ delaying a year could mean meeting scholarship deadlines (Nov 15 or Dec1) at OOS public universities.
It might impact Zell Miller which would be bad if it’s this student’s only hence at a 4year college.

I wouldn’t impact this student’s RD round at meet-need schools though so s/he MUST calculate EFC and run NPC then post the information here so we can list relevant colleges.

15

That may mean you won’t qualify for sufficient need-based financial aid.
Run the online net price calculators for any schools that interest you (keeping deadlines in mind).

If you have not applied for merit scholarships (or to schools that consider all applicants for them automatically), then some of the deadlines already have passed (or will pass soon).
http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/

At this point, you can’t afford to be too picky about factors like “vibe”.
If you take a gap year, then more merit scholarship opportunities … the ones with Nov/Dec deadlines … should be available (assuming you apply on time). Your eligibility for n-b aid won’t change (unless your family’s circumstances do), but you’ll have a chance to work and save a little money.

If you don’t want a gap year, follow the good advice in #12.

16

@MYOS1634 normally I would agree with you, except…

Taking a gap year to meet other states/privates merit deadlines will probably ultimately fail for her because parents won’t cover the rest.

Her best bet is to quickly apply to ALL GA publics, then use Zell/HOPE and whatever merit is offered along with student loan and small parent input to cover the rest.

17

A 1410 would yield merit results - not automatic but good odds at UTDallas, UHouston, FIU; perhaps at GMU, JMU, College of Charleston, App State, UNC Asheville. If wants to leave South and depending on major, Truman State, Ohio University, YSU, Temple, UMN, UIowa. But merit deadlines have passed at most.
Definitely would result in merit at most Colleges that change lives (RD).
The problem is that we don’t know whether the EFC is 10k or 40k…

18

Hello @MYOS1634 , I ran those things and the EFC is about 20k.