Which schools can I cross off my list? (Mostly LACs)

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hi! As you'll soon see, I'm a bit neurotic and have 17 schools that I want to apply to. I really need some help crossing a few off. Every time I try, I remember something that I like about each one and can't bring myself to delete it :( Here's some info about me: I'm really into science, but I might also want to pursue a major in economics. Random, I know... I'm fairly conservative politically, but I come from a liberal high school so a liberal environment doesn't really bother me. I'd like to go to a school where I won't feel extremely stressed out. Somewhere like Rice. I've worked so hard in high school and have come to realize that happiness/sanity is more important than a 4.0. Thus, I'd like a school that doesn't put extreme pressure on it's students. I'd also like to go to a school with fairly cute college town, and a beautiful campus is a must. Lastly, I like to party and "have fun", so I don't want a school that is completely dead. Thanks for your help guys!</p>

<p>LIST:
Bucknell
Lehigh
Northwestern
Penn
Stanford
University of Michigan
University of Virginia
University of Wisconsin
Yale
University of Minnesota
Brown
Pomona
Dartmouth
Bowdoin
Colgate
Washington University
Rice</p>

2

<p>Well, you have OOS publics on your list.</p>

<p>How much will your parents pay each year? If they won’t apy all costs of those OOS publics, then take them off your list.</p>

<p>Also, which school is your safety? This is the school that you know that you can get into AND you know for sure that you have ALL costs covered.</p>

<p>What are your stats?</p>

3

<p>Have you had a chance to visit any of these schools? Many times a visit can start to prioritize places. There’s a huge difference in environment between Bucknell and Yale. (I could have used several other examples too.)</p>

4

<p>Be realistic money-wise & for admissions. </p>

<p>Talk with your parents about what they can afford!
If you got accepted to Michigan could your family afford the 50k plus price tag for OOS?</p>

<p>There is no sense in applying to a bunch of highly competitive schools & ending up with a bunch of rejections. Have you looked at the acceptance rates for these schools?</p>

5

<p>You do need to improve this list. Too many Reach schools and out of state publics. Where are your targets and safeties?Your GPA and test scores? And then there are the financial considerations…</p>

6

<p>BeanTownGirl is right, without knowing your stats it’s impossible to make even vaguely useful guesses. The only potential safeties on your list are Minnesota and Wisconsin. Of course, depending on your financial situation they may not be feasible either.</p>

<p>Organize your list by Safety-Match Reach then start cutting. My recommendation is 2 Safeties, 5 Matches, 2 Reaches, 1 Lottery Ticket. Without knowing your stats I see a lot of potential reaches and lottery ticket schools and very few matches.</p>

7

<p>Remove Brown, Bowdoin, Pomona, Stanford, WashU and Yale (and add some safeties)</p>

8

<p>Thanks for your help everybody, I really appreciate it. </p>

<p>As for stats, I’m in the top 0.7% percent of my class at a large public high school. I’m involved in various social justice clubs, am head of the “research” club, hold a research position at a prestigious university near my town, have held a part-time job since sophomore year, won a fourth place Grand Award at ISEF last year, have been a state finalist for science fair 4/4 years, accepted to a college prep program at a prestigious university, Nationals runner-up for National History Day, in my school’s top orchestra, a member of Spanish NHS (as soon as NHS results come out, I’m sure I’ll be in that too), did sports freshman/sophomore year… what else. I was a state qualifier for DECA and won this Bausch and Lomb Award for being an “outstanding junior science student”. I also do some community service, but not much since I’m pretty busy with school. I got a 32 composite on my ACT and my senior course-load is pretty rigorous (5APs). My sister got a full ride to college, albeit a not-so-selective OOS, because we have a single mother and are hispanic. So far, I haven’t really considered school prices because I know most of the schools I’m applying to offer great financial aid! This may be dumb, but oh well. Wrt safeties, I have Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin. I also plan on applying to some other safeties with free, easy applications! Hope that helps.</p>

9

<p>Wait what, why remove Pomona? It’s like a perfect fit for OP.

  • Amazing science and economics programs, among the best of any LAC
  • Liberal atmosphere isn’t shoved in your face
  • HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY NURTURING DESTRESSING
  • Pressure comes in the form of seeking your full potential, not competition.
  • Gorgeous college town
  • Jawdropping campus
  • Good balanced social scene</p>

<p>Your test score seems a bit low for Pomona, but you sound like an amazing candidate.</p>

10

<p>Sorry for being annoying, bump :)</p>

11

<p>Yeah, you seriously need some safeties.</p>

12

<p>I think you might find Northwestern stressful :wink:
Your choices are kinda all over the place. Do you want a large university or a small LAC?</p>

13

<p>SgtDonut, haha I realize that. I have about 4 safeties though (Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin) and might even apply to Illinois if I have time. </p>

<p>I don’t really know what I want in terms of school size. I’ve visited Iowa and Wisconsin and have absolutely loved the vibe of such big schools. However, I feel that I would get a more individualized education at a small LAC. The only concerns I have re: small schools are the social life and research opportunities. I don’t want things to get monotonous and I’d like to walk around without seeing people I know. Also, I’d need a school that has great science facilities and provides the opportunity for independent research. However, since I don’t have the time/money to visit all the small schools I’ve listed, I’d like your input as to which ones would be a good fit for me. That way, if I get admitted, I can visit and feel out the vibe for myself!</p>

14

<p>*. My sister got a full ride to college, albeit a not-so-selective OOS, because we have a single mother and are hispanic. </p>

<p>So far, I haven’t really considered school prices because I know most of the schools I’m applying to offer great financial aid! This may be dumb, but oh well. *</p>

<p>Uh, you need to consider school prices because:</p>

<p>1) The schools that give the best aid will require the financial info from your bio dad (and wife, if he has one). If your dad is alive, but won’t fill out the NCP paperwork, then you won’t get your aid. And, if he will fill out the paperwork which causes a “family contribution” but he won’t pay, then that will also be a problem.</p>

<p>2) The OOS publics won’t give you the aid you need.</p>

<p>3) your sister’s aid sounds merit-based and it was likely a FAFSA-only school which only uses mom’s income.</p>

<p>I don’t see any financial safeties on your list. NONE…that is a huge problem.</p>

<p>You may be saying, “Oh well” now, but what the heck will you be saying next spring if those top schools don’t accept you (or you have a NCP issue), and you don’t have ANY affordable choices? What then? </p>

<p>Are you just going to go to the local CC because you stubbornly wouldn’t consider cost for any school and wouldn’t apply to any financial safeties?</p>

<p>Surely you are smarter than that…right???</p>

<p>Don’t you only get a few waivers for apps and CSS Profile??? If so, how are you paying for all those other apps???</p>

15

<p>The combined income of both of my parents (although I don’t know my father’s income), is definitely less than $70,000. However, you’re right, I know that OOS publics usually don’t give any financial aid. </p>

<p>I will get a few waivers for apps, but the point of my post was to narrow down the list so that I wouldn’t have to apply to 17 schools. Wrt to financial safeties, most top schools are extremely expensive. I don’t want to sell myself short and only apply to cheap yet mediocre schools. My plan is to apply, fill out aid forms, see which school offers me the most, and then attend that school.</p>

16

<p>*The combined income of both of my parents (although I don’t know my father’s income), is definitely less than $70,000. However, you’re right, I know that OOS publics usually don’t give any financial aid. </p>

<p>I will get a few waivers for apps, but the point of my post was to narrow down the list so that I wouldn’t have to apply to 17 schools. Wrt to financial safeties, most top schools are extremely expensive. I don’t want to sell myself short and only apply to cheap yet mediocre schools. My plan is to apply, fill out aid forms, see which school offers me the most, and then attend that school.
*</p>

<p>You act as if your ONLY choices are: ONLY apply to top schools…or…ONLY apply to cheap (affordable) schools. </p>

<p>Again, surely you’re smart enough to see that it’s not “all or nothing.” A safer strategy is to apply to…</p>

<p>a few reaches, a few matches, and a couple of schools that you know FOR SURE will be affordable.</p>

<p>Your dad may not earn much, but he will still HAVE to fill out the NCP forms. Will he do that? Is he remarried? If he won’t fill out the forms, then you won’t get aid. The school isn’t going to “just take your word for it,” that your parents combined income is under $70k. They will want hard proof.</p>

17

<p>Thanks for clearing up the info about NCP forms, I honestly hadn’t even considered those. Seeing as I need a few more financial safeties, are you able to recommend any? </p>

<p>My main objective, however, is to narrow down my list of reach schools. If anybody can help me with that, it would be much appreciated!</p>

18

<p>Ok…just for practice…Pick out…</p>

<p>2-3 reaches</p>

<p>2-3 matches</p>

<p>2-3 financial safeties (criteria - must have: your major or something that works as well, near-assured acceptance, all costs covered by some combo of assured grants, assured merit, small fed loans, and/or family funds).</p>

<p>You have a 32 ACT and a 4.0 GPA</p>

<p>Need more info before suggesting a safety…</p>

<p>"I’m really into science, but I might also want to pursue a major in economics. "</p>

<p>What is your likely career? </p>

<p>What is your home state? </p>

<p>BTW…yes you can get some waivers for apps. But isn’t there a limit? If so, you need to find out. I’m thinking that there is a limit of about 4-6 app waivers. Hopefully someone here knows. I don’t think they are unlimited.</p>

19

<p>I’m sure that you’d be a person of interest to many colleges and universities. That said, everyone needs a range of selectivity. And if you require financial aid, you will also need financial safeties.</p>

<p>I’d suggest that you start with the money. You can’t be 100% certain of your eventual aid package but you can get a general idea. Ask your parents to use an online calculator at a few of the schools on your list to determine how much you may be entitled to. If that works, then you can put together an open ended list. If need based aid isn’t sufficient, then you should explore merit aid. This will be a different list.</p>

<p>Is Minnesota your home state? If, for whatever reason, you don’t want to go to Minnesota then it’s not a true safety. Keep looking.</p>

<p>There’s nothing wrong with having large, medium and small colleges on your list but of course that does increase the number of applications. If your objective is to eliminate then you need to focus. But first settle the money question. That may just solve your “too many” problem.</p>

<p>A small LAC can provide an excellent education – including research opportunities and access to excellent graduate and professional programs – but they’re not for everyone. Have you visited any of the LACs on your list? Talked to students? </p>

<p>I know you hardly need more suggestion, but if you’re serious about the LAC option you might investigate some of the academically rigorous schools that have a hard time recruiting hispanics. Bowdoin (and Colgate to a lesser extent) fits this characterization but so does Hamilton, Williams, Grinnell, Carleton. All have excellent sciences and offer good need based aid.</p>

<p>Lastly, I wouldn’t consider Michigan a safety unless it’s your home state, but you could apply early in the process under their rolling admissions policy. That way if you’re accepted early in the year, you could use Michigan as a safety. (Though financially it may be problematic.)</p>

20

<p>4.0 GPA and 32 ACT can get you some big automatic merit scholarships that may provide safety schools for your list, if you like any of them:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;