Suggestions for schools?

solstice21 · 11-20-2009, 08:16 PM

so im a junior and im currently in the process of looking at my school options for college... the thing is, i don't have exceptional stats, so all the big name schools probably won't work for me but i also don't have average grades, so my local state university (university of washington) and other universities along the same lines are considered my safety schools. now im stuck in a panic phase where i have my reaches and my safety, but i just don't know of any schools that might be a match for me, so i'd like to ask if anyone has suggestions for schools that would meet my interests and grades in which i have a good chance at getting into but would also be of a challenge for me (like a school with very solid academics even if not ivy level)

SAT: 2150 (math: 800 writing: 660 reading: 790) <--haven't actually taken it yet, but this is my projected score based on my average on practice tests. my ultimate aim is 2200 but idk if i can do it.
SAT II: planning to take math level 2 and some other undecided test
GPA (UW): 3.8 (class rank hoping top 10% but i fear there is a possibility that i'll fall short of that mark...)
GPA (W): we don't do weighted at our school, but i tried figuring it out myself once and it's like 4.33 or something (maybe lower, i don't know what constitutes a weighted class)
I take the hardest possible combination of classes that my school offers, with honors english and social studies classes in freshman and sophomore year and full IB classes junior and (planning on) senior year. I'm aiming for the IB diploma, and will have taken 7 IB exams by the end of senior year. our school doesn't offer AP.
My ECs aren't very exceptional at all. I barely do anything except be part of a few clubs like JSA, NHS, Amnesty, and bio club... and i only joined those clubs this year. but i do dance semi-professionally with up to 14 hours of dance every week the whole year (not just school year) and won several regional dance awards and one national award (this is the reason why i can't do a lot of other ECs, because dance takes up too much of my time). i played piano for 7 years before quitting earlier this year and violin for 5 years, mostly during my middle school days though. i also played drums for one year...

on my list so far are UW, UCLA, and NYU, but UW is the only one i know i will get into almost for sure... (but of course, i don't want to say that so confidently just in case i jinx myself :x ) but does anyone have any suggestions for match schools? i do prefer the west coast over the east coast and the east coast over the midwest, but really if it's good i won't mind. im undecided on major at this point but im stuck between media/design and marketing (advertising if possible).

Erin's Dad · 11-21-2009, 08:00 AM

Do you need financial aid? Can your parents afford to pay full freight at an OOS school?

solstice21 · 11-22-2009, 01:14 AM

financial aid would be nice, but generally speaking, cost isn't something that concerns me and my family. if it's a good school, it's worth it and we can handle the cost for the most part.

i feel kind of limited on my in-state schools because other than UW, schools in washington aren't all that great. even UW, supposedly one of the best in the state, is kind of a safety school for me, so i'm really just looking for other options and if that means going out of state, then OOS it is.

LasMa · 11-22-2009, 01:28 AM

Don't sell yourself short about your ECs. My understanding is that adcoms would rather see one high-quality EC that demonstrates commitment and passion (which yours certainly does), than half a dozen club memberships which require nothing more than attending meetings occasionally.

Erin's Dad · 11-22-2009, 01:19 PM

FA is not something that is nice to have but something you might be eligible for based on your family income. If your family can afford an OOS school you will probably not be eligible for FA. Most public Us don't care about ECs. You can look at Oregon, Arizona, etc to see how they fit your school ideas.

mom2collegekids · 11-22-2009, 02:44 PM

Erin's Dad is right, if your family can afford to send you where you want, it's doubtful that you would qualify for financial aid.

However, many merit scholarships don't look at "need" - they're awarded because of your stats.

Since you are a junior, you have time. Did you take the PSAT? Take the ACT and SAT starting next year. Work on any weaknesses, then take them again. Many kids score "high" at home, but much lower on the "real tests" - so projections don't really count.

Take both...some kids do better on one than the other.

solstice21 · 11-23-2009, 06:32 PM

ooh yeah i guess 'it would be nice' if i could get scholarships but if i think that we can afford most of the schools that i'm thinking about.

i already took the psats, but still waiting for the score to come back in december. i'm also taking into account the lower scores that i'll most likely get in the actual test, since my practice tests usually approach or are at around 2200. but i'm also keeping in mind that i still have time to practice to improve my score, since that 2200 was from the summer. my official sat test is scheduled for january 23... so i'm going to use winter break to study. i've also tried some ACT practice tests but i personally find i like the sat better.

but aahh i don't know. i just came home from a bad day at school and now i feel very doubtful about my GPA and whether i can maintain that... so financial stuff and preparations for testing aside, are there any suggestions for middle ground schools that i should look into at all?

mom2collegekids · 11-23-2009, 08:03 PM

on my list so far are UW, UCLA, and NYU, but UW is the only one i know i will get into almost for sure...

im undecided on major at this point but im stuck between media/design and marketing (advertising if possible).

Home state: Washington

No matter what your GPA is, you still need to have a variety of schools on your list.

Are you a girl? If so, are you interested in any all-girl colleges like Mt Holyoke?

Do you want a rah rah sports atmosphere like UMich or USC?

OHKID · 11-23-2009, 10:29 PM

Indiana U has a notably excellent business school and your stats would qualify you for $9,000/yr off tuition and admission to Hutton Honors College.

Consolation · 11-23-2009, 11:11 PM

Quote:

SAT: 2150 (math: 800 writing: 660 reading: 790) <--haven't actually taken it yet, but this is my projected score based on my average on practice tests. my ultimate aim is 2200 but idk if i can do it.
SAT II: planning to take math level 2 and some other undecided test
GPA (UW): 3.8 (class rank hoping top 10% but i fear there is a possibility that i'll fall short of that mark...)
GPA (W): we don't do weighted at our school, but i tried figuring it out myself once and it's like 4.33 or something (maybe lower, i don't know what constitutes a weighted class)

Projected scores aren't real scores. Even PSATs can be poor indicators of SATs. Wait until you have actual scores.

If yours school doesn't weight, you don't have a weighted GPA. Don't bother to try to figure one out: every school has its own method, so your efforts are meaningless.

Planning on 2-3 SAT IIs is a good idea, and will give you the maximum range of schools to apply to, since you will have 3 for the couple of schools that require it, and the schools that look at 2 will look at the top two scores.

Your dance EC sounds great. MUCH more significant than belonging to a bunch of school clubs. Don't sell yourself short.

solstice21 · 11-24-2009, 02:36 AM

@mom2collegekids: yes im a girl, but im not too much in for an all-girls school. i feel that i'd enjoy a school with more diversity and such. i wasn't aware that USC had a sports atmosphere? if anything i'd say UCLA is more of a sports-centered school, but i don't really know for sure since it hasn't been long since i started researching. but either way, i don't really have a preference in terms of sports since i don't play any sports or spend a lot of time following up on them... i've thought about UofM, but i never got around to finding out more about them... how is it there academically? i heard its a pretty good school?

@OHKID: interesting, i'll take a look, but im a bit iffy about indiana. i like being in well-known cities and places and in urban areas and indiana strikes me as a bit of a 'random' state, but who knows, maybe it'll be good (:

@consolation: yeah i understand, i guess no matter how much i practice the real score is still hard to say. but gotta increase my mock average so i can prepare for a drop. ooh so i just don't report a weighted GPA? what would they do with the IB classes on my schedule then? because my school weighs the GPA for class rank determining only and the actual GPA is unweighted. so i know that my IB classes are 'worth more' in a sense than normal classes. what would i do in this case?

yabeyabe2 · 11-24-2009, 11:45 AM

If you want a small school, Muhlenberg has strong business and very strong dance and is near Philly, while Goucher is a very good school near Baltimore

mom2collegekids · 11-24-2009, 06:02 PM

i wasn't aware that USC had a sports atmosphere

Tommy Trojan meet Solstice University of Southern California Official Athletic Site - Traditions

Consolation · 11-24-2009, 07:41 PM

Quote:

ooh so i just don't report a weighted GPA? what would they do with the IB classes on my schedule then? because my school weighs the GPA for class rank determining only and the actual GPA is unweighted. so i know that my IB classes are 'worth more' in a sense than normal classes. what would i do in this case?

You don't report your GPA, your school does. They will also report your class rank, if they rank. They will also send a school profile that explains the courses they offer, the grading system, etc. Go to your school's web site, and in the guidance area you will probably find this year's school profile. It should be updated every year.

It's helpful for you to have some idea of your probable rank and how the rigor of your courseload stacks up in order to select colleges to apply to. You should be able to get some idea of that by comparing your stats to the profile.

LasMa · 11-24-2009, 08:36 PM

Muhlenberg has a great dance program, as yabeyabe2 notes, and it also has the ONLY strong tap program that we could find anywhere. That's if you're interested in dance as a minor.

BTW, are you a competitive dancer, or pre-pro ballet, or what?