What colleges will I get into?

College Search & Selection
1

Hi guys! I’m new to CC and am at the end of my junior year at a public high school in Massachusetts. I’m looking into colleges and was wondering what I should aim for regarding safeties, reaches, etc. Here’s some of my statistics:

Ranked 43/958 students in my class
Not sure of my UW GPA, W is 4.217
Taking my SATs 6/6
Freshman year–all honors courses (highest available to a freshman) which were Geometry, Biology, World History, Freshman English, and Chinese II
Sophomore–all maximum level courses which were Algebra II, Chemistry, AP US History (only AP course sophomores can take), Sophomroe English, and Chinese III
Junior–Honors Precalculus, Honors Oceanography (was failing Physics due to some personal problems at home and it was too much for me), IB History: Communism in Crisis HL, IB Literature A1 HL, and IB Chinese SL
Senior year I plan to take–AP Statistics, Honors Ecology (or maybe Honors Physics if I feel that I can), IB History, IB English, IB Chinese, and Honors Business/Personal Law

Treasurer of National Honor Society
Sing at mass weekly
Altar server
Teacher of first grade religious ed
Teacher’s asst. for ninth and tenth grade religious ed
Was awarded the St. Timothy Award by the Archdiocese of Boston for exemplary service and character, highest award conferred to high school students

There’s a program at my school that I am in that allows typically-developing students to mentor and befriend atypically-developing students, been involved all four years of HS

I’ve been nominated to be a Posse Scholar as well

Puerto Rican
In foster care (ward of the state)

I want to study Econ and Chinese in college for a future either in law or something similar or a business career.

Although many schools don’t offer Chinese, UMass Amherst does and is my number one choice as of now, and I’m hoping to be selected for their Honors program

I’ve also looked at Stonehill College (no Chinese though), College of the Holy Cross, Florida State, and UHawaii at Manoa

I’m hoping that I will not only be admitted but be given aid to attend these schools as I will not be able to afford them because I have no parents that are able to support college. I’m very stressed out and hope that you guys can help me! What colleges should I look at? What ones am I missing? Should I not apply to any of the ones I listed? Let me know and thank you SO much

  • Gabby C.
2

You’re OOS for FSU and UHawaii, so take those off your list. They won’t give you the aid you need.

You need to have “full need” schools on your list.

You will be considered “independent” for FA, but many schools do not give great aid. I don’t think Stonehill does, but run their net price calculator and see.

What will you be facing during summers? Will you have relatives that you can stay with? If not, then you might need to identify schools that will give great aid, but will let you live in some kind of housing that would be year round.

3

I would be able to live with my grandmother during the summers! But I totally understand what you’re saying, the OOS factor is really tough. :frowning:

4

First off, congrats on your Posse nomination! If you end up being a finalist, your school list should of course include the Posse schools–I did a quick search of two of the Posse Boston schools (Bucknell & Bryn Mawr), which don’t have Chinese, but perhaps one of the others does.

I’m not super familiar with your list of schools in terms of the financial aid they offer, but given your situation you’ll definitely need to look at schools known for meeting full need/being generous. Once you have your SAT scores, we’ll be able to help you even more in putting together a nice list. It would be helpful to know your UW GPA, as well–can you ask your guidance counselor?

But in terms of Boston-area schools… depending on your SAT, you might want to look at BU. They have Chinese and you might just have the right hooks to get money from them. (in fact, they’re not a Posse school for Boston, but they are for Posse Atlanta, so clearly Posse means something to them!) There are other Boston area schools that meet full need that might work well for you, as well, if you want to stay local.

If your SAT score is good, Alabama might be a great fit. They have automatic merit scholarships, and a Chinese minor available.

(and as a ward of the state, you should be able to get all your application fees waived, so I say put together a nice list and apply widely! Ask your guidance counselor to help you w/ fee waivers–I think you just need some documentation of your status to get them.)

5

What SAT score should I aim for? And would BU even be an option for me? I often feel that I’m not in the ranks of those students and it’s making me feel like I shouldn’t even apply :frowning:

6

“would BU even be an option for me?”

BU is slightly less selective than Holy Cross. If HC is appropriate for you academically, then BU should be as well.

7

@masscatholicgirl, you might look at Notre Dame. They have a strong Chinese program (http://eastasian.nd.edu/chinese-program/), that includes study abroad, they guarantee to meet 100% of financial need, and they will value your Catholic commitment. It is also a school that works to build a strong sense of family and support.

8

A nice SAT score to aim for would be 2050+.

Not sure if Boston College is full need but BC is a nice Catholic school in MA. They don’t have Chinese though.

9

I think that you need to prepare a list of schools that are both need blind and meet full need. Without SAT scores, it’s difficult to come up with an appropriate list, but your grades and rigor are strong and being a URM is helpful. I would look at some of the all-women’s colleges, including Wellesley (great Chinese program), Bryn Mawr and possibly Mt. Holyoke (only offers a Chinese minor, but you could take classes at UMass-Amherst as well). In addition, College of the Holy Cross is a good choice and depending on your scores and your willingness to go to a college farther away, you could look at University of Rochester, St. Olaf and Kenyon. And on a slightly less competitive track, you might look at College of Wooster - great school, seems to have decent Chinese and I think you’d be a very attractive candidate.

In terms of SAT score, you should just try to get the best scores you can. If, for some reason, your test scores are low, there are a number of schools that are test optional that you could consider (for example, even on the schools above, Holy Cross, Mt. Holyoke and Bryn Mawr are test optional and there are many others you might consider).

10

I would definitely look at Holy Cross. It is need blind and SAT optional. You have a really good story and it sounds like it would be a good fit for you. HC is a fully undergraduate, close knit and supportive community with great academics, and of course is Jesuit. Chinese major is available, as well as study abroad, etc. http://academics.holycross.edu/chinese Econ department at HC is very strong.

11

Look into Questbridge schools

12

Let’s see how the scores go. However, based on what you have written, you will probably go free somewhere apart from some small direct loans and work study.

Holy Cross seems like the perfect place for you. You should interview there as soon as you can and speak to your parish priest about a strategy with the Catholic schools.

Don’t get discouraged about financial aid based on some of the comments.

BTW, your story screams Bates College.

13

One thing. Economics is a math intensive major. You sound like you are a bit undecided as far as major which is perfectly fine.

You do have a compelling story and show perseverance and high achievement. The ACT is offered June 13, can you take that test?

Boston College meets full need for students that qualify for need. So does Holy Cross. The women’s colleges will also be interested in you. You might want to start talking to your parish priest, as mentioned above, or lay leadership about scholarships and financial aid at schools like BC and HC. Private schools might make the most sense financially for you, especially the ones that meet full need.

Report back with your SAT scores. Don’t panic if they aren’t where you want them. You can retest in the fall.

14

Take off all OOS publics unless it’s UVA or UNC. They’re not going to give you the aid you need…huge gaps.

Glad to hear that you can live with grandma during summers…but that means you’ll be needing transportation back and forth for summers and maybe Christmas (another reason a school that is far away would be a problem.)

Does your grandma live in Mass? If so, then you probably need to keep your focus in the NE for travel costs purposes. Unless your grandma has a good amount of money and is willing to fund your travel expenses, you will find cross country travel costs out of your budget…even at full need schools…unless you don’t come home for Christmas.

15

If you haven’t taken ACT - you may score higher on it. My kids did. They made time during first semester of HS senior year to make the scores to maximize their scholarships at their in-state school of choice. Your situation is different, but strong ACT or SAT will be a plus.

Make up a college list based on input here and what you want to keep on your list that is affordable. Then do a lot of internet/school web site/school contact to find out where the best opportunities would be for you with your set of circumstances, and academic and financial ‘match’.

You want to be able to be at a school where you are not worried about having the $$ for the current/next school term. That way you can focus on academics and the enriching experiences at your college.

Agree about taking off the OOS publics that won’t give you the aid you need.

Do you have a GC or a mentor that can assist you in this process?

16

I don’t know how to reply to each person individually, but, THANK YOU to you all!!! I am surprised and very excited that I’ve had such a strong response to my first post on here. :slight_smile:

@merc81 - BU is a school that many kids in the grade above me got into who have similar grades as I, so I will look there. It’s a gorgeous school and has a great rep. :slight_smile:
@collegemom3717 - ND is also an awesome school!!! I will keep that on my radar as well.
@midatlmom - I never realized how many options I had. I will definitely look into those, plus Bryn Mawr is on the list of Posse schools!
@TheDidactic - I will try my best for 2050+! Thank you!
@xhaavic HC seems to be a trend and I’ve heard a lot of good things about it. I’ll definitely look there!
@jym626 I will! Thank you!
@BatesParent2019 wow–HC again! I will look into it! I’ve never looked into Bates, should I look there? What’s the biggest positive about it?
@txstella - I will report back. I don’t think I have the money to take the test so soon :frowning: I will look at BC and HC and talk to my priest!
@mom2collegekids yes she lives in MA, but I also have an aunt who lives in VA. So maybe UVA is an option :slight_smile:
@SOSConcern I will definitely take the ACT. I will take those schools off. Thank you

17

You may start doing some summer drafts based on essays for what your college list will be asking for.

Use SAT and ACT prep books/practice tests.

Keep posting further questions. In the fall, watch closely on the specific school applications and scholarship application deadlines. Maybe set up a spread sheet (prioritize so you make sure not to miss detail on important schools) so you don’t mess up. When you narrow things, you will eliminate the detail too. However a certain amount of ‘buck shot’ approach may be necessary.

18

The ACT does offer fee waivers. Talk to your guidance counselor as these are administered through the school.

19

Wow, congrats on Posse! That’s fantastic! Actually, that’s the reason why I’m commenting–I’m attending Bryn Mawr next year, and I’ve been talking with a couple other committed girls who are Posse scholars. From what they’ve said, they’re really excited about attending Bryn Mawr with the other posse girls, and I think the school’s up your alley stats and aid-wise. Like someone else said, BMC doesn’t offer Chinese; it’s actually offered at Haverford (about five minutes away by Blue Bus. Lots of BMC students take classes at Haverford and it’s not a big deal). I believe they offer five years of language study, so if you’re interested, that may be something to look into!
I don’t want to be one of “those people” espousing their school before they even get there, but like I said, I think it’d be a good option for you :slight_smile:

20

Hi @masscatholicgirl,
BatesParent2019 will probably want to answer your question herself, but since I wrote a fairly lengthy post about Bates a year or so ago, I’ll add my perspective as an alumna and parent of a current sophomore and incoming freshman. Here’s a link:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/16437935#Comment_16437935

Bates has a fly-in program for students who are first generation and/or from diverse backgrounds. It would give you a chance to see if the school might be right for you. The school pays for you to come to campus for 3 days. Travel, meals, housing are free.
http://www.bates.edu/admission/prologue/