Chance / Match 3.95 UW 1280 SAT 8 APs [MI resident, <$35k]

Chance Me / Match Me
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For Daughter. 1st Child Clueless Parent.

Demographics

US Citizen
MI Resident
Public HS
Parents UM grads, 1 Northwestern grad
Prefer lower cost

Undecided on Major- Interest in Film, business, advertising

3.95 UW GPA, no rank provided but top 5% most likely
Weighted GPA: 4.2 or something
1280 SAT, retaking in August and October
8APs once graduated, (two 5’s two 3’s on tests this year)
4 years+ of match, science, english, social studies

HOSA 4 years, Senior Class secretary, Softball 3 years, a few other clubs, Film and TV class, NHS

Applying: UM, MSU, Kzoo, Hope, GVSU, WMU, Vanderbilt, possibly U Wisconsin

Looking for advice on: 1) chances at UM (I believe likely at all but Vanderbilt and Wisconsin, which are likely under 5% at Vanderbilt and 20% at Wisconsin; 2) one more reach school; 3) Other strong OOS schools (big or small) where child would be competitive for merit aid.

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I think your school GC will have the best sense of how competitive your daughter will be at UM - a look at SCOIR/Naviance should tell you how kids with her stats typically do at UM (and other schools). Other than UM, Vanderbilt and U Wisconsin, the rest of the schools on the list look likely - does your daughter like them? I assume they are affordable. Do you have a preferred budget? That will help in terms of making recommendations. Many reaches, including Vanderbilt, don’t provide much, if any, merit. If you don’t qualify for need-based aid at those schools that means a bill upwards of $90k per year.

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Thanks for your help.

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How many years of a foreign language?

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Finished through 4 years of language but that includes credits from middle school

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Why is Michigan likely?

I’m asking because is there something based on the GPA or rank that makes auto admit? Last year 70% submitted a test so I assume it gives an advantage and the 25th percentile was 1350. So either the SAT comes up a lot or you go TO - and I’m not saying it’s not likely as maybe there’s an in state bias - but it doesn’t feel likely.

Wisconsin should be an easier admit than Michigan but has a higher 25th percentile but lower participation. But instead of Wisconsin, you might look at ranked film school Wisconsin Milwaukee.

Vandy - not sure of the film interest - definitely TO. Is the film interest study or production? Vandy a reach.

MSU, GVSU, Kalamazoo (very different), Hope (religious), WMU are all safe and likely low cost.

You list is interesting and you have more than enough safeties.

Where would they be competitive at “strong” schools. Define strong - most flagships are strong.

And merit alone doesn’t matter - for example, FSU full pay or UF full pay are going to be cheaper than Colorado - with merit.

What you should really say is - I have a budget of X $$ - find me a school at that amount.

You might consider Miami Ohio because their merit is GPA based. U of Arizona is another. Ohio U would be another and strong in media arts. Right now the student would be $20K off at Arizona (an amount reduced from past years but still strong). Mizzou and Kansas are two others - that have strong merit.

If you go south, there’s a big film industry in Louisiana and LSU might fit.

As you have K on your list, other schools where you are likely to get merit are a plenty - from a Depauw to an Allegheny (has a film making minor) to a Muhlenberg to a Wooster to Juniata to - just many - you can go to US News top LACs, probably start at #50 down (excluding a few like Reed and Franklin and Marshall) - but look and see who has film and the curriculum that you want. It’s harder to find but not impossible suburban or urban LACs - seems that’s what’s common in the rest of your list (vs. rural) which many LACs (like Depauw) are. SUNY Geneseo would be a good choice for a larger LAC (and a solid cost public).

The school that attracts close to the most OOS if not the most on a volume basis is Alabama. Why? They buy kids in. If you can get the SAT up to 1360…or take the ACT and get a 30 - you’d get $24K off - so you’d be low to mid 20s all in. You have til May 1 - so keep on the back burner in case the scores really launch. To show you that you won’t be alone, there are over 400 Michiganders on campus and 1500 Illinioisans - in the undergrad ranks. You won’t have big merit at 1280…it’s just a low cost option if you go higher.

Lots of opportunities for your student out there- and you already have lots of schools on your list.

Tell us your budget - not that you want merit - and maybe we can narrow in on some more.

Best of luck.

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I do not think UM is likely. 40% in state admit rate v. a much lower OOS. I can’t imagine it is in her interest to submit SAT scores to them with her current score. I don’t think she would have a chance at all if it wasn’t for being in state. I have no idea what the in state numbers are, how they view applicants without a submitted score, whether she should submit her AP scores, and what else can improve her chances there. There is certainly no cut-off.

My preferred budget is to keep it close to the UM all in of 35, but there is some flexibility.

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OK - so at $35K, and I’m looking at tuition, room and board (not extras) is $40K.

U of Kansas

At 3.95, she gets $16K a year. At 3.94, she gets $14K per year.

I have to start recommending this school more. Great college town. Fantastic Honors program - no idea if she qualifies. The state has access to reproductive rights in the constitution - you didn’t bring that up - but many do - and given the cost - it seems a home run.

You have great in state choices already - but this would be a safety at your price. Journalism is strong there and I Imagine film too.

Mississippi State is $41K all in. Your student would get at least $16K off, perhaps higher if the UW by their calc is over 4.1. So that will be well under budget too. It’s a well thought of school here in the South with a beautiful campus. I didn’t look but guessing Ole Miss is this way too.

That’s just a few more options.

Good luck

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Is the first school you are talking about Alabama? Thank you very much for all of your thoughtful assistance. This is invaluable and you have a lot of knowledge.

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Sorry. No. She doesn’t have good merit at Bama til the SAT comes up

U of Kansas

I’ll edit

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Welcome!

Since you used the term “first” I assume you have more than one child. I just want to put on your radar that you should think about how much money you want to spend on college expenses for all of your kids. There have been examples where parents have gone all out for the first kid financially and then had to pull way back for subsequent kids, and that situation can cause familial strife. So, I just want to put that out there.

I agree about checking with your school counselor about the chances at UM. At most I would probably put it in the lower probability category (20-39%), but your school counselor would probably know best.

In terms of additional suggestions, below are some schools that your daughter may want to check out. Three of the schools have sticker prices that should meet budget (I’m including Oglethorpe because of the Flagship 50). The others are questionable, but I definitely think that there’s the possibility of getting enough merit aid, though there’s obviously no guarantee.

Extremely Likely (80-99+%)

  • SUNY Oswego (NY): About 6k undergrads. This school’s sticker price would come in under budget, and I suspect some merit aid might be forthcoming as well. Cinema and film studies here is a fairly popular major, but she’d have access to many other areas of interest here, too.

Likely (60-79%)

  • DePaul (IL): About 14k undergrads. It has both a BA and BFA in Film and Television if she’s wanting to produce films, but there are also majors in Lighting Design, Costume Technology, Costume Design, Comedy Arts, Acting, Scene Design, Sound Design, and Wig and Makeup Design & Technology. The Art, Media and Design degree (BA or BFA) also seems like it might be of interest to your kid. The College of Communication has various majors that might suit your kid’s interests, and there’s also the Driehaus College of Business.

  • Georgia State: About 29k undergrads. This has the reputation of a commuter college, but I have heard that reputation is changing. About 57% of first-year students live on-campus, meaning that there are nearly 2600 first-year students living in the dorms. Not only does it have all the majors of interest (with a very popular film program), but there is also the Georgia Film Academy minor with various tracks (production, post-production, etc) because the state is in such need of additional employees with these skills.

  • Ithaca (NY): About 4600 undergrads. Its Park School of Communications is very well-respected and can be a good option for film and advertising, among other possibilities. Its business school also is available for that side of your kid’s interests.

  • Oglethorpe (GA): About 1500 undergrads at this Atlanta school. Your daughter would qualify for the Flagship 50 program, meaning that you would pay the same amount in tuition as you would at Ann Arbor. Some of the majors of interest here would be various tracks within Communications, the BA in Film & Media Studies which also combines hands-on practice, or the major in studio art with a concentration in Filmmaking, Video and Photography. Atlanta is a HUGE city for film and the Atlanta schools also have a consortium whereby students can take classes at other schools like Georgia Tech, Georgia State, Emory, Spelman, SCAD, etc.

  • U. of North Carolina – Wilmington: About 14k undergrads here. I believe she would need to send in a separate application for the film program, and that is probably not a likely admit for anyone. But it’s well known for film and the NC publics are strong overall. Sticker would just come in at budget.

Toss-Up (40-59%)

Lower Probability (20-39%)

Low Probability (less than 20%)

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Thanks for all of this information. It’s really helpful.

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Any more help appreciated!

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You have a great list in state and a few out of state already.

W Carolina is $20K-ish. They have film.

S Illinois does not have OOS tuition. So it will work.

WVU will work.

Mizzou - if she gets her SAT up to 1300 (merit would increase by $13,500 and you’d hit budget)

Some LACs could work.

Really many schools out there but you already have many that will work, including in state - like GVSU, Michigan State…is there a worry there.

Is she taking the SAT again - that could open a few more schools up (like Mizzou, Alabama) if it goes up a bit. Bama doesn’t super score but Mizzou does.

There will be other schools - Wyoming, the Dakotas, etc. that work…

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Thank you so much! Keep em coming everyone!

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Is the student looking to leave the state?

U Nebraska likely works - they don’t give the criteria to earn but have merit to easily get to price.

Some Florida schools work (FSU (reach), UCF, FAU, USF and others but others will be more region)

Solid regionals like Truman State will work but your schools seem more urban.

UA Huntsville works

Millersville and W Chester in PA work

How granular do you want to get?

Christopher Newport - a regional large LAC type in Virginia

But schools like Millersville, W Chester, CNU will be mostly in state or close regional students.

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Thanks!!! Appreciate the help! Hope more is to come everyone!

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One more. Just did the NPC. With merit UMN is about $32.5k for tuition, room and board. Fabulous school. You can’t afford Wis but you can UMN. But in Wisc, if film is a real interest, the Milwaukee campus should be the focus.

Really you have so many already. What are you seeking vs just random names.

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For those interests, my immediate thought was to check out some LA-area colleges like Chapman or Loyola Marymount. No idea if they would offer enough aid to get on budget, however.

I also have a tendency to mention Rochester Institute of Technology just because they have so much cool stuff going on in cutting edge film, animation, digital media, and so on. Like they have this cool New Media Design BFA:

Again, though, not sure it would get on budget, but they do have robust merit.

Another idea is Allegheny College. They are also set up to combine interesting things. Like they have a Communication and Media major, but I gather people will do like a Business major, then a minor in Film Making, or another major or minor in what they call Art, Science, and Innovation:

Again, not sure where they would land on costs, but I know they have a very robust need + merit program.

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Edited. I had recommended checking out Elon’s Cinema and TV program within its School of Communications but just noticed the cinema program is sadly being discontinued. You still might want to check out the school of communications, though, which is said to be strong, if there are still specific film courses being offered to address her interests. Probably no need to, though, if there are stronger options elsewhere.

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