<p>Kyle013194, you may be right that your finances are fine, but if you are basing that conclusion solely on the fact that your father makes over $100,000 a year – well, I wouldn’t be so sure. If your family also has savings, or if you end up at an inexpensive college, you may be fine. But a lot of private colleges have a total cost of attendance of close to $40,000 or even $50,000, and your father may not be able to spend half his salary on college. Also, with that salary you might not qualify for much in the way of financial aid, and merit aid may also be hard to come by.</p>
<p>Kyle, the website for Michigan State’s Financial Aid Office has some helpful calculators that will let you estimate your costs and financial aid.</p>
<p>Thanks sodium I’ll do that. Does anyone know what it means when colleges say that “they calculate gpa by the number of credits you’ve earned and the number of credits you’ve attempted” can Someone give me an example please</p>
<p>My S got into Pitt with a 3.25 W but high SAT scores last fall. He did not get any merit aid though. Can’t comment on other schools. Apply early and don’t let your grades drop.</p>
<p>Kyle, if you are interested in journalism, also check out Ohio University in Athens, Ohio and also the University of Missouri–both have excellent journalism programs</p>
<p>Kyle I think you should apply to Michigan State. Our GCs say 3.5 UW and a 25 is a sweet spot and you’re close to that. If you only took the ACT once, most kids will score a point or two higher the second time around just from learning the timing of the test. Michigan universities, because for years they utilized unweighted GPAs, are used to looking at a transcript that is unweighted. The IB for you says you attempted a rigorous curriculum. Get your app in early and know that they might make you wait for 1st semester grades but go for it. If your primary interest is J-school and Big 10, University of Minnesota would also be a possibility with your stats. If the midwest/NE isn’t a priority I’ve heard good things about Montana’s J-school also.</p>
<p>Kyle, I think it’s great to apply to any or all of the schools on your list, but it would be smart to put safety schools, that you would be happy to attend, on your list as well. Can I also suggest that you start your own thread for better input and to let this one get back to it’s original premise?</p>
<p>Kyle – any word/expectations on how you’ll do on the SAT or ACT? My son with a 3.3 w. got into Pitt; he got a 2170 SAT (m. 740). i second kathiep’s post – some safeties on your list are a necessity.</p>
<p>I should add he’s not going there. heading to SMU instead.</p>
<p>Kyle, Ball State has a great journalism program although I have no idea how selective it is. Also, Indiana U. is known as a good journalism school although opinion is mixed on the overall quality of that school when compared to some of the other Big 10 schools.
Jackuk</p>
<p>Agree with kathiep, Kyle, start your own thread under “College Search.”
You will probably get a lot of suggestions! :)</p>
<p>I am posting my S’s final tally, mostly for the benefit of next year’s high school class.
Stats: GPA 3.2, ACT 25, varsity sport 2 years; held a job every summer since freshman year; worked 15-20 hr/week during school-year since second semester junior yr.; >120 volunteer hours, URM, great essay, good Lttrs of Rec.</p>
<p>ACCEPTED to:
TCU :merit $$ ATTENDING
Tulane: merit $$
Trinity Univ. San Antonio: Merit $$
Saint Louis Univ:Merit $$
University of the Pacific: Merit $$
LSU: Merit $$
Univ of Tampa: merit $$
Santa Clara Univ: only loans offered
WAITLISTED: Univ. of San Diego</p>
<p>Good luck with applications next year!!!</p>
<p>Bump. How 'bout new postings . . .</p>
<p>Ok, here goes</p>
<p>My 3.19 S with 29 ACT accepted at:</p>
<p>Sewanee-University of the South
Catholic Univ.
Centre College
Loyola Univ., Maryland
Lake Forest College-Merit $$
Ohio Wesleyan-Merit $$
Bellarmine-Merit $$
Drexel
Oglethorpe Univ.-Merit $$
Lynchburg College-Merit $$</p>
<p>He’s Asian, so the strategy in MOST of the cases was to apply where he’s URM. The schools were also chosen from suggestions from College Counsellor, College Confidential, US NEWS A+ Schools for B students, and CTCL. College visits were very limited due to finances and geography.</p>
<p>Hope this helps the next class(s)</p>
<p>Mom0809–would you mind telling us where your S ended up? That’s a good-looking list of schools!</p>
<p>Thanks! But he hasn’t decided yet
He’s HS C’12. He’s waiting to see if/how much in finaid grants he’ll be able to get.
His favorites are Sewanee, Catholic, Lake Forest and Loyola.</p>
<p>I have to make a little plug for my DD’s university. When she first started applying her GPA was about a 3.3. She did exceptionally well her senior year and her GPA ended at a 3.5. She is attending Slippery Rock University in Western Pennsylvania. She has done really well her first semester, now has a 4.0. I have been very pleased with the academics at SRU. It is sucha a little known university, well at least in Ohio. Anyway, it is very inexpensive, about $21,500 per year and that is with the upgraded dorm. They have living/learning communities. My DD is in the Humanities dorm and there is an art studio, music studio and dance studio in the dorm. There are showers in the rooms and they have a built in microwave and refrigerator. You have to keep at 3.0 in order to keep the tuition reduction. Most people think the name is silly but it is a great school and she loves it there. The enrollment is around 8800, perfect size in my opinion.</p>
<p>Mom0809–silly me. Of course. I forgot it’s only January (I had a hs senior last year and will have one next year, so I’m not fixated on the calendar this year!) I’m curious if your son gets any merit aid from Sewanee. We’re from Central Virginia and know many kids there who love it. I think my current hs junior would too, and I think he <em>might</em> squeak by with admission but I doubt he’d get any aid. (My Class of '11’er got into Loyola but no $$. 
)</p>
<p>MyLB: No worries. I posted his stats on another thread and accidentally typed that he was the College class of 2012 (which his sister is). I don’t think S will be getting merit aid from Sewanee. His stats are below their averages. That was a reach school for him. However we’re hoping for enough finaid to make it possible for him to go.
The Loyola you mention is which one? S also loves Loyola Maryland.</p>
<p>I was talking Loyola MD (per your post)–looks like a <em>great</em> little school but pretty pricey with no merit aid.</p>
<p>I don’t think S3 will be going to Loyola if the financial/merit aid isn’t good enough. He visited around the Thanksgiving holidays and liked it. He also visited Catholic during that period and really liked it too. He loved the location of Catholic but thinks the academics at Loyola are probably better.</p>