Where do I belong?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I want to start weening down my list of colleges that I'm interested in now that I'm basically a senior, but it's quite difficult.</p>

<p>I live in Washington state.
GPA: 3.76 (It'll go up a little if I passed my AP stats exam because my grade from the class will be changed to an A from a B if I got at least a 3.)
SAT scores:
CR: 540
Math: 590
Writing: 610
Score: 1760
I didn't study for my SAT at all the first time as a little personal experiment, so I am confident that my scores should increase the second time. I feel as if I should be able to up my essay score from an 8 to at least a 10, and my CR should definitely go up. My math may go up a little too.</p>

<p>AP Statistics and AP English (my school only has like 6 AP classes in total)
3 years of student government (2 years as an executive)
1 year of environmental club
3 years of photo club (2 years as an executive)
2 years of national honor society (not doing it my senior year though)
Red cross volunteer
Music Saves Lives volunteer
I also do a ton of volunteer street teaming for bands/record labels but I don't know if that matters.
I plan on doing as much volunteer work as possible this summer and school year. I have some other extra curriculars too, but I cannot think of them all at the moment. I definitely need more though, so I'm working on that. I'm going to join more clubs during the school year. (Suggestions for good E.Cs. would be good too). </p>

<p>I'm going to need some intense financial aid. I'd also like to know what kinds of areas these places are in. I've never been to the east coast before. Any types of pros and cons are very welcomed, whether it's safety, reputation, etc. </p>

<p>My choices for majors are ones that I don't think require an audition, nor do they require calculus, because I just don't want to deal with those things.</p>

<p>-USC (yeah, probably would never get in but one can dream right?)
-Emerson College (Boston) - BS marketing communication w/ specialization in entertainment marketing and a minor in business studies
-Northeastern University (Boston) - BS in music industry and minor in business administration
-NYU (probably won't get in there either but...)
-University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA) - BA in music w/ emphasis in music management OR BS in Business administration w/ concentration in arts & entertainment management </p>

<p>Schools that I'm pretty sure I could get into:
-University of Hartford - BA in Performing Arts Management, minor in Marketing
-University of New Haven - BA in Music Industry, minor in Business Management
-Marist College (Poughkeepsie, NY) - BA in Communications w/ a concentration in Advertising w/ specialization in Advertising Management and a minor in Fashion Merchandising or Business
-SUNY Purchase - B.A. in Arts Management and a minor in Media, Society, and the Arts, or Journalism, or Economics</p>

<p>Places that I may consider even though they're not near the major cities (which is a major downfall) (** = Confident that I may be accepted):
-<strong>UMass Amherst - BBA in Marketing
-</strong>Skidmore College (Saratoga Springs, NY) - B.S. in Management and Business and a minior in Arts Administration
-**Ithaca College - B.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications with a minor in Audio Production, Business, or Management
-Penn State University Park - B.A. in Media Studies OR B.A. in Advertising and a minor in Business, Business Administration, Entrepreneurship, Music Technology, Marketing</p>

<p>Any kind of information/advice/comments/whatever is very, very welcomed. Please help me narrow down this list!</p>

2

<p>

Do you realize you won’t get any FA beyond federal loans for the OOS publics? You should drop Penn St. NYU gives lousy aid so you should drop that. SUNY Purchase has the advantage of being less expensive for OOS students than many other schools. Where is the in-state school as a safety?</p>

3

<p>I have no problem dropping Penn and NYU, that just makes things easier haha. Yeah about the whole in state thing… I hate all of the schools in Washington (with the exception of UofW but I’m not a math/science person so that’s out). I’ll be applying to WSU just in case, though I really don’t want to go there.</p>

4

<p>you dont stand a chance in hell at getting into NYU, sorry. My school sends about 10 students there every year and none of them had below a 2100 or below a 4.0 and they are always all honors and all AP students with tons of extra curriculars. Not trying to be harsh, just realistic.</p>

<p>Look into Rutgers. I know they are 95% NJ students, but its a good school and by the sounds of it, it should be a high target school for you.</p>

<p>Also look into Penn State, James Mason, James Madison, University of Rhode Island, Boston University, University of Pittsburg, and Loyola Chicago. Maybe University of Florida too. I didnt look into majors or anything but your grades and SAT’s are similar to my sisters and these are some of the schools she applied to.</p>

5

<p>And all of those are too expensive for the OP if s/he really needs FA.</p>

6

<p>I’m sure I have no chance at NYU or USC, they’re just mainly on there for an idea of the kind of school I like, I guess. But as has been mentioned, NYU has crappy aid anyway. I’m not too interested in being in NJ, FL, or VA to be honest. I looked into Boston Uni before, but there wasn’t really much I was too interested in majoring in there. Loyola Chicago is a Catholic institution. As someone who is atheist, I am trying to avoid religious schools. I don’t have a problem with RI, but it is another OOS public school where I apparently will not receive aid. Thanks anyway, though.</p>

7

<p>Chill, it was merely a typo, I can add just fine. Critical reading should be a 560, not 540.</p>

8

<p>Question: Would it be a bad idea to consider OOS colleges where only around 5% are OOS students? I originally felt as if I would be really out of place, but I don’t know. My reason for asking is that CUNY Baruch looks appealing due to the majors they have, especially with their low OOS tuition, but around only 4-5% are OOS students.</p>

9

<p>Well you are considering out of state schools from one side of the ocean, Pacific ( where you live) to the Atlantic. If you plan to go home during breaks that can easily cost you 3k.
I don’t think the percentage of out of state students will affect you but should make one question why does this school not attract students from other states.</p>

10

<p>"I plan on doing as much volunteer work as possible this summer and school year. I have some other extra curriculars too, but I cannot think of them all at the moment. I definitely need more though, so I’m working on that. I’m going to join more clubs during the school year. (Suggestions for good E.Cs. would be good too). "</p>

<p>The fact that you can’t think of them all probably means that they aren’t a good use of your time. On ECs, it’s quality not quantity that count. Do not add more ECs or do more volunteer hours than you already have. Instead, pick 2-3 ECs at most, that you are already interested in and increase you level of depth and commitment to them. Sounds like music matters to you, so invest your time and effort there perhaps.</p>

<p>“I also do a ton of volunteer street teaming for bands/record labels but I don’t know if that matters.”</p>

<p>It matter is you are doing something unique and creative that showcases your leadership skills, marketing savvy and ‘insider’ insight into the industry. If you are just handing out flyers, then not really.</p>

11

<p>One of the main impediments to OOS students at Baruch is finding (and affording) housing in NYC.</p>

12

<p>Have you ever visited the University of New Haven? The campus itself isn’t bad, but the surrounding areas of West Haven (to the south) can be a little dodgy. And if you’re choosing it because it’s near a big city, while New Haven is technically a city, if you go there to visit New Haven while an undergrad at UNH, keep in mind that you will never be stepping more than a block or two off the Yale campus (if you value your personal safety).</p>

13

<p>I’m going to need some intense financial aid.</p>

<p>that is the number one factor that is going to largely influence where you should apply.</p>

<p>You need to find out what aid you might qualify for based on family income.</p>

<p>You need to identify which schools would accept your stats AND give you the aid you need (that will be hard).</p>

<p>You need to protect yourself and apply to some instate schools …especially if you’re low-income - because your state gives good aid to its low-income students who go to their state schools.</p>

<p>I hate all of the schools in Washington (with the exception of UofW but I’m not a math/science person so that’s out). I’ll be applying to WSU just in case, though I really don’t want to go there.</p>

<p>Have you REALLY investigated all the Wash publics? You need to look at Western Washington. It’s not a school for just math/science kids and many LOVE it there. I’ve had 2 nieces graduate from there…and another niece attending in the fall.</p>

14

<p>Coolbrezze: I plan to limit my visits home as much as possible. I have a very small family and none of us are THAT close. My parents may not be happy about it, but I’m pretty sure I’ll be fine, so I’m not too worried. </p>

<p>M’s Mom: Thank you for the advice, I’ll plan on doing that. As far as street teaming goes, there are some teams where I just hand out flyers, but there are other teams that require a lot of promotion per show. One record label’s team that I’m on require pre-show, during-show, and post-show tasks for each mission that include anything from running around town putting up posters, making giant banners, signing up people for a mailing list at shows, filling up bags and organizing things in the trailer at the shows, etc. There is also a team that I do photography for during one day of Warped tour, though they give me $50, so I guess that definitely would not count as volunteering. I just found an offer to work on an up-and-coming media site writing, interviewing, and doing photography (all un-paid), so if that works out, hopefully that could possibly count somewhere.</p>

<p>BigAarst: I have never visited any of these east coast colleges. I have never even visited any states other than WA, OR, CA, TX, and then BC in Canada. Besides the majors, what I didn’t mind about it is that it’s only 2 hours from NYC and 2.5 hours from Boston, which would be cool. If it’s in an unsafe area though, I’m not sure how I feel about that…</p>

<p>mom2collegekids: I suppose hate was the wrong word to choose, but more so, I’m not particularly interested in the schools I’ve looked at in Washington. WWU is nice, but there aren’t really any majors that I’d be interested in there. The closest school to home that I’m semi-interested in would be Oregon State University. There is a program that I heard about at my school where the northwestern states have an agreement that makes tuition cheaper if you’re going OOS from one NW state to another. The only downside to OSU that I know of is that it’s 90 miles from Portland, and as someone who has attends 15-20 concerts a year, being that far from a city where concerts happen will be kind of depressing.</p>

15

<p>Follow-up: Getting to Boston from New Haven is a bit of a hassle unless you have a car, but NYC is an easy train ride away. If one of the reasons you want to go to UNH is so you can go to NYC on the weekends, that’s as good a reason as any. I’ve been on the UNH campus a few times and always felt safe. I just wanted to warn you that I wouldn’t go to UNH expecting to spend any time in the city of New Haven, except maybe to visit the museums and bars/clubs huddled close to Yale.</p>

<p>I know you’re trying to narrow your list, but if the location of New Haven appeals to you, and the cost of UNH doesn’t scare you away - maybe look at Quinnipiac University, which is in Hamden on the north side of New Haven. It’s a lot better all-around than UNH (location, reputation, etc.), but I don’t know if they have what you’re looking for in a major or not.</p>

16

<p>Emerson College has a reputation of not meeting need & is over 50K/year.
For someone who needs “intense financial aid”, you should not consider it.</p>

17

<p>Bummer, Emerson was one of my favorites.</p>

18

<p>Questions for anyone:
-University of the Pacific is spendy but the amount of aid they give looks to be somewhat decent? I’m not sure what’s considered good or bad though. [College</a> Search - University of the Pacific - Cost & Financial Aid](<a href=“College Search - BigFuture | College Board”>College Search - BigFuture | College Board)</p>

<p>-Also about Uni of the Pacific, I heard Stockton, CA isn’t an area you want to be in… is this true or false, and would it be bad enough to where I should stop considering it because it’s unsafe?</p>

<p>-Northeastern University costs more and has a smaller average financial aid package at about 23k. Is NEU known for not having the best aid?
-University of Hartford looks to have decent aid; Any information about the school or area?</p>

<p>-Any information at all about Marist College?</p>

<p>-SUNY Purchase has relatively cheap tuition for OOS students, but it’s public, so would I really get absolutely no aid or anything at all? Also, info on the area and such would be nice too.</p>

<p>-Do any of these schools have good school spirit at all?</p>

19

<p>I have a question for the op. Why aren’t you doing National Honor Society next year? How I understand NHS, is that you get nominated, apply and are chosen by school faculty based upon Gpa, essay and leadership qualities. My D was inducted this past spring as a Junior. At her school you have to be a Jr or Sr to get in. And it isn’t something you can quit easily like foreign language club, etc…</p>

<p>So, I am curious about how you were in NHS and won’t be in your Sr year. I think this is a poor decision. From what I understand, colleges look very favorably upon NHS. </p>

<p>I do agree with other posters that you need to explore your instate publics. Try looking at private lacs ranked 50 and up as you will probably have a good chance at merit aid. We are in a similar situation regarding needing financial aid and we are focusing on lacs where my D stats will put her in the top 25%- 50%. Our focus has shifted away from what is the most prestigious school she can get into to what is the best college she can go to that will give good financial aid. </p>

<p>Some schools we have considered and that may work for you: Ohio Wesleyan, College of Wooster, Wittenberg, Hiram, Denison…all Ohio schools as that is where we are from.:slight_smile:
Also, excuse me if I am wrong but have you tried the act? My D just had a completely different and positive outcome with the act compared to the sat. Let’s just say she is in a comfortable position and hopefully more so when she takes it in the fall. She struggled horribly with sat math but not on the act. </p>

<p>Good luck and don’t drop out of NHS! That is this mom’s advice.;)</p>

20

<p>At my school, you don’t need to be nominated to get into it. You just have to apply. As long as your GPA is above a 3.5, you basically get in. My school’s NHS is rather unorganized. They also changed the rules for next year, where no matter what, you cannot miss more than 3 meetings the whole year, or you will be kicked out. In the past, you didn’t have to show up to any meetings as long as your excuse was approved. The time that they’re holding NHS meetings conflicts with other clubs and prior involvements that I already have committed to, so I would not be able to attend enough meetings to be considered a member. I got into NHS at the end of my freshman year; typically they do not let rising sophomores in, but I knew the adviser pretty well, and she was the one who told me to join in the first place. If you don’t show up to meetings, then you quit and it’s no big deal. It’s definitely not taken as seriously at my school as it is else where. It is too late for me to apply now anyway. After two years of missing so many meetings, I’m sure the adviser may be weary of letting me in for next year now that the rules have changed anyway. Hopefully I can find something to come close to replacing it.</p>

<p>We have only four private LACs in Washington; two are religiously-affiliated (which I’m trying to avoid), the other two are in undesirable locations and do not have any majors that I find that appealing. </p>

<p>I just live in a really unfortunate state college-wise. We have six, public, four-year unis. Central WU, Eastern WU, UofW, WSU, Western WU, and Evergreen State. None of them have majors that I’m too interested in. </p>

<p>Non-religious, private, four-years that we have are The Art Institute of Seattle, Bastyr University, City University of Seattle, Cornish College of the Arts, DeVry University, Heritage University, and DigiPen Institute of Technology. I’ve heard terrible things about the Art Institute and DeVry. Bastyr is a medical school. City U is a college primarily for non-traditional students as far as I know. Cornish is a great art school, but they have very few majors. The only interesting one is photography, and I feel like that’s probably a bigger waste of money than a music industry degree haha. DigiPen is all about digital design and has a whopping 5 different majors. Heritage is on an Indian reservation and doesn’t have many majors anyway. </p>

<p>All in all, we have less than 20 non-religious colleges and universities in the entire state. That’s why all of my choices are out of state. If all else fails, I was told I should be able to get close to in-state tuition at public universities in Oregon due to an agreement with the northwestern states (which is good, because I live only 20 minutes from Oregon). Ignoring the location, I like Oregon State University. University of Oregon is alright too I suppose, but I prefer OSU. If this isn’t true, I’ll just suffer miserably at WSU like everyone else from my school, perhaps.</p>

<p>As far as the ACT goes, I was considering trying it. I was worried about the fact that it includes science though. Science is probably my worst subject. We weren’t really taught science my middle school to begin with, so I had no base, and now I haven’t learned much in high school either about it. I’ll probably try the ACT anyway though. Rather than taking the SAT three times, I’ll probably just do the SAT once more and the ACT once.</p>

<p>I would guarantee that I would have higher test scores on any test if I had longer to do the tests though. I’ve always been a slow test taker, ever since kindergarten. I take forever even on the easiest of tests. It’s suspected that I have minor test anxiety, but I’m not quite sure how to prove that in order to get extended testing time.</p>