<p>I am a senior, and since common app has opened, I have been researching a lot of schools.
I would appreciate some advice on my college list.</p>
<p>SAT 2200 (superscore) breakdown M770 R700 W730
GPA UW 3.6 W 4.1
Average extra curriculars, good recs</p>
<p>pre-med, schools with good research and abroad opportunities.
suburban/urban/city area, nice dorms, co-ed.
financial support, low-income family <70,000
no preference in religious affiliations, sports, or greek life.
Preferably no super hot weather, cold is fine</p>
<p>List so far:
Boston College
Boston University
William & Mary
UVA
Wash U
Cornell
Some in-state safeties</p>
<p>What are your individual test scores on the SAT? Not all schools superscore.</p>
<p>If your in-state options are truly financial and academic safeties, feel free to apply wherever else. WashU is a reach. Keep in mind though summer in Missouri can be atrocious. Also, if you don’t mind having a heat wave and a blizzard in the same week. But, that’s the Midwest for you!</p>
<p>Have you run NPC on your schools? How much / yr can you afford?
WashU, BC, Cornell meet 100% of need as far as I know. WashU has been known to be very generous if you suppose their award is not enough. </p>
<p>Have you looked at U of Rochester? May be more of a match for you, similar to BC and WashU, but less selective.</p>
<p>take a look at UMinnesota-Twin Cities, Muhlenberg, Dickinson, Brandeis, Ohio State, Miami (OH), Allegheny College. Even UMich can be generous to certain households with income below 80K. </p>
<p>another vote for running the net price calculators.</p>
<p>I like your list. Coming from virginia, you have alot of great in-state options. What is your potential major? If interested in going north, Brandeis and Northeastern are two possible choices (and offer some merit) to students and were two I particularly liked as matches. I visited Brandeis, Northeastern, and BC in one day (abeit by skipping some info sessions, which were not that important). The next day BU and Tufts, so Boston is a great area for colleges. Agree with the above about running NP calcutors, could help narrow the choices.</p>
<p>Currently an incoming student at William and Mary so if you have any questions about the school, you could let me know. I start classes in a week or so.</p>
<p>But overall, if you have a good list, you don’t need to obsessively add more. Sometimes less is better, and it means you don’t have to stress yourself out with a million application essays. Good luck.</p>
<p>Holy Cross-top25 LAC 1 hour from Boston. HC HAS GREAT PRE-MED program and nice campus with tremendous alumni network. Also Holy Cross is one of a few schools that meets 100% demonstrated financial need.</p>
<p>Also: OP, your concept of “low income” is a bit skewed. Your family income appears to be higher than the median for both the US and for Virginia. </p>
<p>Thank you for the answers
I do prefer research universities over LACs but there’s no reason to not consider them
I put <70,000 to give me a wider range for financial aid just in case but i believe it is near 60,000
I also have legacy on w&m oops forgot to tell
I decided to apply to Uchicago instead of Wash U
I am also not doing BU but instead Umich or UNC chapel hill
Is this still okay?? </p>
<p>In general, I’m seeing a lot of reaches here for someone with a 3.6/4.1/1470. You say you have safeties; you might want to get a few more matches, unless you’re happy with your safeties and W&M.</p>
<p>You still haven’t responded to our concern about how you’re going to pay for any of these. Have you run the net price calculators?</p>
<p>“low income” typically means about 25-35k yearly income. You wouldn’t qualify for Pell for instance, unless you have lots of brothers and sisters. Still, that income is unlikely to be sufficient for UMich - 55k a year, if your family makes 60k, is clearly impossible
UNC-CHmeets need, I believe, but its mission is to primarily serve North Carolina residents, with only 18% admitted from outside the State, including athletes, legacies, and Ivy-level students. If you’re not one of those, you probably don’t stand a chance right now.
jkeil’s suggestions in #5 are all good, check them out.</p>
<p>^ OP should use the NPC, but the financial aid page does state “While U-M does not have sufficient funds to meet the full demonstrated financial need of many non-resident students, private scholarships and scholarships from U-M schools and colleges may be available (see our Types of Scholarships page). Also consider the Direct PLUS Loan for parents of dependent undergraduates or private loans.” I read that to mean that SOME students (and based on the examples: kids who qualify for Pell) MAY get scholarships.
If OP isn’t among the few who would qualify according to the NPC, it’d probably be a waste of time to apply, unless app fees are waived and/or OP wants another wild card (the “wild card” would be due to the financial situation).</p>
<p>If you are willing to go a little further from home, what about Tulane? They offer plenty merit scholarships that you are automatically considered for. They have a free application and great pre med advisors.</p>