xariel

I'm currently a senior and, after an laborious day of research yesterday, have finally narrowed my college list down to 12 schools (3* of which I'm definitely applying to). Anyway, I'm hoping you guys can help me narrow that list down further, in part by designating each school on my list as a safety, match, or reach.

My stats:
Class Rank: 2 of 296 (uncompetitive school, unweighted rank)
Cumulative GPA: 3.978 (unweighted)
SAT Reasoning: 2030 - CR: 650, M: 610, W: 770 (one sitting & composite; 1720 1st try)
SAT Subject: Chemistry: 690, Math II: taking December
Intended Major(s): Exercise Science, Neuroscience

I can provide more info. about ECs, coursework, etc. too, if that would be of help.

My college list:
Washington State University* (I already know this one's a safety, lol)
Willamette University*
Skidmore College*
Rice University
Occidental College
Seattle University
Baldwin Wallace University
St. Lawrence University
Wake Forest University
University of Scranton
College of William & Mary
Ithaca College

And thanks in advanced!

snarlatron

To be helpful we need to know much more about what you are looking for in a college such as preferred region, financial need, size, Greek/No Greek, Campus Vibe, etc. A handful of your stats doesn't give us much to go on.

xariel

@snarlatron Most of my research narrowed my list down to colleges with what I'd like in a college, so I didn't even think to include that info. here, but here you go:

Location: no major preference, but most the schools on my list are West or East Coast.
Size: Small to Medium (~2,000-7,000)
Financial Need: great (most likely a very low EFC)
Greeks: low greek presence. no pressure to drink/party/etc.
Campus Vibe: Liberal, open-minded, laid back student body. Student that are big into soccer would be a super-bonus, but it's not a deal breaker (nor very likely anyway )
Other: A school with both men & women's varsity or club soccer, and also intramural. Internships and networking should be great, if not excellent. Study abroad opportunities, even for students with my intended majors. A variety of food options is important, as I don't eat red or dark meat.

happymomof1

What is your budget?

Have you verified that at each of these institutions you have a reasonable possibility of receiving enough aid to make it affordable?

No financially safe institutions on your list? Spend some time in the Financial Aid Forum and read through the threads on Guaranteed Merit-Based Aid. Your stats would get you full-rides at some institutions but the application cut-off dates could be December 1.

xariel

@happymomof1 I'm not really sure how to answer the first question, to be honest. I should probably also mention I'm first generation. As for financially safe schools, WSU & SU are probably those, since I applied for the College Bound WA scholarship in 8th and will likely qualify after submitting my FAFSA. By using CB's "paying" data for each college, most colleges on my list meet ~70-100% of demonstrated need and aid is ~70-80% by scholarships/grants.

happymomof1

How much money is your family truly ready, willing, and able to pay? If they won't be able to pay anything, then google EFC formula 2014, print out the PDF of the formula, and work through it to find out your FAFSA EFC. That is the minimum that the colleges and universities will expect you to pay. Your aid package will probably include the federal loans, so you can't count on using your loans to cover part of your EFC.

Unfortunately, even if the institution meets all of the need that it believes your family has with grant money, that can still leave an unaffordable gap for your family.

I'm not familiar with your state's programs. Find out how close they will come to covering all of your expenses. Remember that tuition, fees, room, board, books & materials are most of it, but you will also have personal expenses for things like laundry, pizza, cell phone, overdue book fines, transportation, etc. But those into your budget too.

zobroward

wake forest is amazing but is frat heavy.
did you look at st olaf or hendrix college?

whenhen

University of Puget Sound is another good one. Many people that consider Willamette also take a look at UPS, and with your stats you'd almost certainly be given their highest merit award. It has a fairly large greek population, but from what I've read and heard from my tour guide, it's a no pressure greek system. The overwhelming majority of students are not involved and the greeks at UPS would get scorned by the stereotypical frat guys you'd probably find at schools like University of Mississippi.

xariel

@zobroward I haven't looked at either of those, so I'll check them out. Would you say Wake Forest's greek life is overbearing? Is it similar to a typical greek system, or is it more laid back and no so imposing?

@whenhen I actually did look at UPS, but my interest faded when I saw the greek stats. But hearing that it's no pressure changes my mind a bit. I might consider giving it a visit to ask current students. Thanks!

Aside from other suggestions, could I get some help with which of these colleges are safety, match, and reach schools? I don't want to rely on myself for deciding that, since I'm less knowledgable about colleges than most CCers.

xariel

Does this seem like an accurate placement of each school? Is there any you would change?

Safety:
Washington State University
Puget Sound University
Ithaca College
Baldwin Wallace University
University of Scranton

Match:
Seattle University
Skidmore College
Willamette University
Occidental College
St. Lawrence University

Reach:
College of William & Mary
St. Olaf College
Wake Forest University
Rice University

Longhaul

Please - do NOT ignore the financial aspect.

W & M give very little aid for OOS

Oxy, even though they meet full need, calculates Need very different than other schools on my son's list. We ran the Net Price Calculator from each school's website. Oxy was $20,000/yr net cost higher for us then some other schools.

There is no sense in applying if the cost can not be paid.

SLU gives merit up to full tuition - That one is certainly worth applying to.

xariel

I understand the financial aspects must be concerned when I ultimately narrow down my list. However, I don't want to narrow my list down to a bunch of reach colleges, with no matches or safeties, or other like scenarios. Hence why I'm asking for help determining which of these schools are safeties, matches, and reaches, so that I can assess which ones are the best fits (financially, academically, etc.).

xariel

Anyone willing to give their two cents on which of these schools are safety/match/reach for me? It would be much appreciated.

Erin's Dad

You might want to look at this thread for some other potential alternatives. Automatic Full Tuition / Full Ride Scholarships

barrk123

Washington State University* (I already know this one's a safety, lol)
Willamette University*- match
Skidmore College* - reach
Rice University- reach
Occidental College- low match
Seattle University- low match
Baldwin Wallace University- safety
St. Lawrence University- match
Wake Forest University- reach (may want to go test optional here?)
University of Scranton- safety
College of William & Mary- high match/low reach
Ithaca College- safety