Bio:
-Citizenship: US
-State of residence: MN
-Race: White
-Gender: Female
School:
-Type (Public/private & size): Public/about 2500 students
-Graduates (How many go to Ivy’s/top 20):Unknown
-AP’s Offered: 10
Academic Profile:
-Unweighted GPA: 3.64
-Weighted GPA:3.93
-AP’s:4 taken, 4 will be taken next year
-ACT:31
-Rank:Top 25%
-Course Rigor:Mostly AP, advanced, or CIS (college in school)
EC (In order of importance/commitment):
-DECA (VP) (9,10,11,12)
-Varsity Dance Team(8,9,10,11,12)
-Speech Team(11,12) Captain (12)
-Stagemanager of musicals and plays(10,11,12)
-Studio Dance(9,10,11,12)
-Leo’s (volunteering club)(9,10,11,12)
Work:
-Coldstone Creamery (shift lead)(10,11,12)
Tutoring a student with ADHD and Anxiety
Here is my current list, feel free to add suggestions as well. Price isn’t an issue.
Baylor
Pepperdine
University of San Diego
Syracuse
Auburn
Tulane
ASU
St. Olaf
Gustavus Adolpus
Carelton
UGA
DePaul
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
University of Wisconsin Madison
University of Michegan Ann Arbor
Lehigh
This seems a pretty good list, just too long. The two clear reaches seem to be Carleton and Michigan. Lehigh and Tulane seem more like high matches to me, though maybe they are low reaches. Most others seem like a match, though you are very likely to get into at least a few of them (ASU pretty much for sure).
Your guidance counselor might know if UM-TC is basically a sure thing, or just likely. If it’s really a safety, you could focus only on schools you like better. If not, adding any other Minnesota state school would give you a definite option.
It’s unusual on this site to see a list that could aim just a little higher. I think if you have 10 matchy-type schools you can get rid of 3 or 4 and add 1 or 2 that might be a little more of a reach.
Reach:
Michigan
Carleton
Syracuse if you are applying for Newhouse
High Match:
Tulane
Lehigh
Match:
St Olaf
MN Twin Cities as long as Arts & Letters, not Engineering or Science
UW if Letters & Science, not Engineering
U GA (but OOS hard to know, my only experience is a high achieving female who was rejected, but that was engineering).
Safety:
Gustavus Adolpus
Depaul
ASU
Auburn
I don’t know enough about Baylor; Pepperdine; University of San Diego – but am guessing safety. You can shrink the safety list, unless you are applying for competitive merit awards at some of them (which would make them not safeties, if you wouldn’t attend without the merit awards).
Apply early to MN and UW so that you hopefully have acceptances in hand by late fall. Check for deadlines for honors and merit awards at schools like ASU, Auburn, Baylor etc. to make sure you meet those deadlines.
I’d agree with above assessments, including qualifiers, like Syracuse a definite match (and nearly a safety), except maybe for Newhouse. I agree UGA might be a little unpredictable given the very large number of applicants in recent years, but you are qualified and competitive. I’d like your chances at Tulane and Lehigh, particularly the latter as a female from the Midwest. I agree Michigan and Carleton are the two real reaches (though you are a very reasonable candidate).
I would think the chances for aid would be relatively low at the OOS public universities (Auburn, ASU, Wisconsin, Georgia, Michigan). I’m not very familiar on any of them in particular, but public schools give relatively little money to OOS students.
A few schools that might be appealing (given your list) and that might offer substantial aid would be Denison, Lafayette (not far from Lehigh), and maybe the University of Richmond. Richmond (RVA) has become a very vibrant city, weather is nice, campus is beautiful, and business school is terrific. I see mixed messages on how generous the school is with aid.
If you want an OOS public where you might get pretty good merit money, I think this chart is very helpful. Note that the school super-scores for admission AND merit aid.
MN and WI have reciprocity, so MN residents attending UW currently pay about $14k tuition a year as compared to WI instate rate of $10.5k (with OOS tuition at about $35k, that’s a bargain). Admissions for MN residents is not quite the same as instate standards, but not nearly as competitive as OOS. So WI should be match, and affordable.
I checked on Newhouse, because we know some kids who attended, and I was curious what the stated standards are. Admissions says average admitted student stats are 3.8 unweighted and a 28-30. So, the OP’s ACT is in the top 25%, at a 31, but unweighted gpa is in the bottom 25%. Other info says they get 4700 direct admit apps for an entering class of 400 Newhouse students, so reachy-sounding.
Is the OP looking for more schools with religious affiliation/conservative social values, with Baylor, Pepperdine and University of San Diego on the list? Boston College may be worth a look, as well as Belmont University in Nashville, though I don’t have a sense how strongly Christian Belmont really is.
The school you’re probably going to get into is the University of Minnesota, or the University of Wisconsin both which are very good schools. Though if you’re really into business I bet you could try for Tulane. One school that I would totally recommend if you’re going above and beyond is Boston College.