Chance a rising senior looking for scholarships [PA resident, 4.10 GPA with A+=4.33, 1430 SAT, finance major]

Chance Me / Match Me
1

Top Choice Schools: Villanova, SJU

Demographics

US Domestic, Pennsylvania, Public School

Unsure of exact budget but I will not be able to afford expensive tuition but do not qualify for much aid so merit based scholarships are ideal.

Intended Major: Finance

  • Unweighted HS GPA: 4.10/4.33
  • Weighted HS GPA: 7.06/7.83
  • Class Rank: N/A
  • ACT/SAT Scores: 1430 SAT (790 RW/640 Math)

List your HS coursework

7 APs (Calc BC, Stat, Pysch, Lang, Micro, Macro, French), 13 Honors, Accelerated Linear Algebra

Awards
2nd place regionals FBLA (state qualifier) (10th grade)

Medaille Bronze Grand Concours (11th grade)

6th place National History Day States (11th grade)

Accelerated French II Contest (1st place)

AP Scholar

Extracurriculars
Indoor Track

Outdoor Track

National Honor Society

FBLA

Summer Job

National History Day Team

SAT Tutoring

Wharton Youth Investment Competition

Healthy Kids Running Series Volunteer

Honor Societies (Rho Kappa, World Language)

Essay/LORs/Other
US History/National History Day (8/10)
AP Lang (9/10)
Guidance Counselor (8/10)

Essay (9/10)

Schools

  • Assured: Saint Joseph’s University (EA) Scranton (EA) Loyola Maryland (EA)

  • Extremely Likely:

  • Likely: Penn State-University Park (EA)

  • Toss-up: Lehigh (RD), Villanova (EA), Richmond (EA)

  • Lower Probability:

  • Low Probability: Penn (RD)

2

Penn gives no merit aid. Villanova and Penn State give little, but at least you are instate for Penn State. Lehigh and Richmond do offer merit aid to some top applicants. SJU, Scranton, and Loyola Maryland are much more likely to give you merit aid. Have you run the net price calculators on these schools’ websites to make sure you don’t qualify for any need-based aid? How much is your family able to contribute per year?

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I’m not sure about any of these details yet. Do you think I have a chance to qualify as a “top applicant” at Lehigh or Richmond?

4

I don’t really know what criteria Lehigh and Richmond use to determine who gets merit aid. Are you planning to take the SAT again (or the ACT)? I think you may want to try to improve your math score if you’re hoping for merit.

5

No, my first time taking it I got a 620 in math and I got a 640 upon retaking it. I don’t know why I score so low on SAT math when I typically excel in math. I took Calc BC as a sophomore and am taking linear algebra this year.

6

You need a budget. Being unsure doesn’t help you build a list.

Sounds like you don’t believe you’ll get need aid anywhere.

PSU is currently $35k in state.

So if you can’t afford that you shouldn’t apply.

That’s why you need to narrow the budget b4 picking schools.

Unless you have need you last four will be far costlier than Penn State. If you can’t afford Penn state, then you need others.

So please find the budget.

Also please calculate your gpa out of 4.

Yours has + and - Just use whole #a - any A = 4, any B = 3.

I’m guessing a 3.8-ish but want to be sure.

Admission wise I think your first three are ins. Can you afford them.

I don’t think you get into PSU Smeal at UP, Nova, Lehigh, Richmond or Penn.

Btw there are colleges out there at $20k and up (tuition, room, and board). Talk you your folks. Is $35k ok ? If so $50k? $75k?

When you say this but then say don’t qualify for aid, I’m guessing you’ll need a list re-do.

Thx

“Unsure of exact budget but I will not be able to afford expensive tuition”

How about have your parents fill out a net price calculator for need aid. Here’s Richmond.

In the end, you built a list without a budget. That’s a no no. So have that chat now/soon. Then come back.

7

Penn State is fine- I just know I can’t afford any of the other schools if paying full tuition.
I know based on other people who have gotten in I would likely get big scholarship packages at the three safeties, so those are fine too. Also my GPA would be about a 3.95 on the 4.0 scale.

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I will try and figure out the money situation soon. I just don’t have all that information available so I need to find time to sit down with my parents.

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9

Big doesn’t mean affordable. They still will have a cost. Scranton is $71k. They don’t show aid in their common data set but you’d need $35k to equal PSU.

Theyr website shows $26-$32k with possibility of full tuition.

If PSU is too high, you can look at schools like WVU or go South - Bama - you’d be low 20s. Ole Miss/ Miss State would be less. Louisville may be lower than PSU. I suspect you’d be branched at PSU but hopefully I’m wrong. How about Pitt or Temple ?

For private and closer, York might get you lower. I hear SJU goes low too.

But yep, the budget is what drives all. Good luck. Glad you will talk to your folks. Go over the Richmond NPC I linked above. Perhaps you will qualify for aid.

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10

My 3.95 34 act 9 AP daughter got into Villanova honors with $0 merit, was offered a good amount from Scranton bringing it own to about $35,000 6 years ago. My 3.95 33 act 7 AP daughter was accepted to Lehigh, had a brief chuckle looking at her financial award and said that’s off the table, 4 years ago.

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11

Did you happen to have taken the PSAT, and if so, does your selection index predict you might be a national merit Semifinalist? If so, let us know because this does open up some earmarked scholarships.

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12

Merit scholarships can be hard to chance to begin with, and even harder if you do not have a target net price that you need to reach for affordability.

With that, you may want to check if colleges that take weighted GPA at face value from your high school are of interest and have scholarships that will make them affordable for you.

13

I almost regret that I will be showing these schools to my daughter, but my son opened up options taking a great deal from Stonehill. Scranton was his second choice and also offered good money. Really nice campus in a great walkable location for a college.

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14

Your three assureds are all strong in Business and all known for being generous with merit aid for good students. If money is an issue there are numerous state schools in Pennsylvania that you can also check out. Someone already mentioned Pitt and Temple, but you also have West Chester, Slippery Rock, Shippensburg, etc. Susquehanna is private but is very generous with merit aid. The College of New Jersey and Delaware will be in the 40s out of state, but are close drives. You can also look at SUNY-Binghamton, out of state price generous but business school difficult to get in.

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15

Have you tried to take the ACT instead of the SAT?

I would consider Pitt and Temple. Pitt’s business school is direct admission. Penn State isn’t and Finance has a higher hurdle for entry.

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16

Scranton was on my daughter’s short list for DPT, but she chose UDel.

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Note Smeal’s change to direct admission. I believe most seats will be filled this way. @myos1634?

https://undergrad.smeal.psu.edu/smeal-direct-faq

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Yes, now most Smeal seats will be filled with freshmen admitted directly to Smeal Pre Majors. DUS students will still have a shot at some Smeal majors of they complete the required courses and reach the required grades, based on what’s left after the Premajors had their picks.

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