What "Safety" college should I apply to - to make sure I get in somewhere? Help?

Applying to College
1

<p>Here's my general info:</p>

<p>I lived in France from age 7-16, so my 9th and 10th year grades don't have Honors or APs since those don't exist in France. Therefore my GPA isn't high when it is cumulative (2.9) but if you look at my Junior year of HS it is 4.1. And my senior grades are looking the same so far.</p>

<p>I took 2 AP exams last year: Psychology and French, and got 5 on both.
I am taking AP European History this year and ALL Honors classes. (And i'll be taking the AP European History AP Test)</p>

<p>My counselor statement explains my lower GPA and grade situation for 9th and 10th grade.</p>

<p>SAT:
Critical Reading: 660
Writing: 720
Math: 520</p>

<p>Subject test:
Literature: 640
French Language: 800</p>

<p>I'm the photographer and web designer of my school newspaper, I babysit and do french tutoring, I do community work for the Salvation Army and Habitat for Humanity, but have only done so since about a month. I play the piano and do portrait photography. I've been in clubs such as FBLA and the French Club and have also been a lead actress in drama class.</p>

<p>The essays I have been writing have info about my living in France (diversity), the culture and traveling experiences I had (I traveled throughout Europe a lot).</p>

<p>I want to major in French or Psychology.</p>

<p>Any opinion? </p>

<p>I want to go to a good school, i'm applying to schools like UW, Penn State, UNC Chapel Hill, NYU, Davidson College, Boston College, SDSU, Vassar College, UMASS Amherst, Rutgers, UNCW, Brown University, Cornell, Syracuse, etc etc.</p>

<p>Should I add any school as a safety school or should I not be worried about getting in somewhere?</p>

2

<p>You need to find a (or multiple) safety school(s). Your GPA alone would make you very unlikely to be admitted to most of the schools on your list. What state are you from? Your in-state public universities are the usual place to start looking for a safety. Good luck!</p>

3

<p>There are also several hundred very good liberal arts colleges where you would be a likely admit. I would look for one with good selections of courses in French and psychology.</p>

4

<p>annasdad: what liberal art colleges would you advice? if any? I don’t know of any other ones than those I listed here.</p>

<p>I live in NC, and i’m applying to 3 colleges in NC already. I know my GPA is low, but i’m hoping that due to my situation living in France my whole life, and how it’s explained in my counselor letter with my transcripts, that might help. My SAT scores aren’t all that terrible either…I dunno :/</p>

<p>I just don’t know which schools to add…</p>

5

<p>A couple I know of that have strong language programs are Beloit and Wittenberg; with your stats, either would be a safety. But hurry; the application deadline for both Beloit and Wittenberg is January 15.</p>

6

<p>Thanks for the suggestions, the locations and sizes don’t really fit what I was looking for, but i’ll look more into them and other LACs as well.</p>

7

<p>Nina, you can go on ■■■■■■■■■■, parchment.com or even the Super Match on CC and find a list of schools that meet your safety criteria. While GPA is a factor in college admissions, there are plenty of schools that look at the whole picture, including your strong SAT scores. An even stronger point for you is your very strong Junior GPA, so I think you have a better shot than others with the same average GPA. Good luck!</p>

8

<p>SnowflakeVT: thanks for the opinion! It helps me feel a bit better, all the schools i’m applying to have insisted that they look at the whole picture, but they still remain highly selective so…</p>

<p>Are you talking about this “Super match” : [College</a> Search - College Confidential](<a href=“http://www.collegeconfidential.com/college_search/]College”>http://www.collegeconfidential.com/college_search/) ? I’m new to CC, i’ll try it out then :)</p>

9

<p>Yes, that’s it. It will at least give you a ball park of colleges that meet your minimum criteria. Don’t select too many criteria at the beginning, but add more one search at a time.</p>

<p>Once you get a few colleges from that search that are of interest, you can then go to each college’s website and search for their “common data set” to look at a detailed report of the average stats for students that were accepted and decide for yourself which ones were actually safeties. Since it is already Jan. 1st, your list will also be shortened because you’ll have to avoid colleges that had a deadline of yesterday or possibly today.</p>

10

<p>Okay thanks…the results weren’t very satisfying, I guess i’m just too picky. All this college stuff sure is bringing me down</p>

11

<p>Would University of Vermont be a good safety school? Or University of Hartford?</p>

12

<p>Your application will be a little different because of your time in France. I’m also thinking French schools are more rigorous than those in the US (I think) so I don’t think your GPA should kill you. (with a grain of salt, cuz what do I know) I’d say don’t factor your GPA in the college search engine. Let the sat carry the weight. Also, is money a factor? Do you have a financial safety?</p>

13

<p>Yes, education in France is very tough and very different. My counselor statement touches base on that, but i’m wondering if I should try to write about it a little bit more in the “additional info” part of the common app? I just want to be sure the colleges i’m applying to know that I didn’t do poor in a US educational system, cause i’m doing very well since I moved here…</p>

<p>Money isn’t much of a factor, my parents will pay depending what the school is and how much they would like me to go there, etc.</p>

14

<p>What about Skidmore? Aside from the low math sat, it seems like a good match, with your arts interests and background. Also look at SUNY Purchase, a very arty school. But if price is no object, Skidmore.
Your list looks a bit generic, but I could be wrong. Are you targeting schools in your areas of interest ( psych, French, the arts). All schools obviously have those, but what about schools that are special for those?</p>

15

<p>I don’t know anything about Skidmore other than there aren’t a lot of students?
I’m not really targeting schools in my areas of interest (since i’m pretty sure i’ll probably change my mind on what i’d like to major in, in the next year or so), I guess I tried to focus mostly on schools in locations I knew would benefit me experience-wise and fit with my personality, i’m mostly attracted to big cities and large campuses, I also wanted to apply to schools with a fairly good reputation and where I knew some people who are applying as well…</p>

16

<p>Sadly GPA does carry a lot of weight in decisions but everything else looks great. But if your looking for safety schools in/around the Boston area I would recommend UMass Boston, Suffolk University, Curry College, Regis College, or several other schools around here. The list is endless in Massachusetts because they have a college here at every corner but always aim for the highest!</p>

17

<p>I’m applying to UMASS Amherst and Boston College, I figured those were my top choices in the area. To be honest I just don’t know enough about any other schools around Mass.</p>

18

<p>Colleges are also looking for, and continually restate, an upper trajectory for grades, so I wouldn’t lower your sights if your jr and sr year GPA is 4.1. Maybe the last comments list aims too low. Your math sat isn’t great for the schools you target, but everything else is on the ball. How are your essays? How do you write about your travels? Which aspects?</p>

19

<p>Yes i’d been thinking that since my Junior and Senior years are good, freshman and sophomore years in a different country shouldn’t hurt me all that much…but everyone stresses how important GPA is so i’m very worried.</p>

<p>In my essays if I talk about my travels and experiences I mostly touch base on just how much they have inspired me and motivated me intellectually. I talk about how my experiences shaped me, how I desire to lead a meaningful life (I include a few quotes by authors such as Thomas Wolfe, Chaim Potok, and a few french authors that relate to what i’m saying…), I try to make a point of how much motivation, diversity, and ambition I would bring to a college, how i’ve been through things most kids my age haven’t and how it’s effected me etc etc.</p>

20

<p>It sounds like you have something that sets you apart from other students, in a good way. I am only concerned that you seem a little vague on why you are selecting certain schools, such as your friends have applied there (that’s probably secondary, I hope). Have you visited?</p>