Chance + Match Me; Delaware student looking to major in international relations at good college [4.0 UW, 1580 SAT]

Chance Me / Match Me
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Thank you so much for helping me with this!!!

Demographics

  • US citizen
  • State/Location of residency: Delaware
  • Type of high school (or current college for transfers): Private
  • Other special factors: None really; legacy to Notre Dame

Cost Constraints / Budget

~15k parent contribution

Intended Major(s)

International relations/affairs; want to study Arabic, French, and one other language potentially

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Unweighted HS GPA: 4
  • Weighted HS GPA: 4.31; scale goes up to 4.4
  • Class Rank: not official, but 1 or 2
  • ACT/SAT Scores: 1580 on SAT (780 split)

List your HS coursework

(Indicate advanced level, such as AP, IB, AICE, A-level, or college, courses as well as specifics in each subject)

  • English: AP Seminar (5), AP Lang (5), AP Lit
  • Math: AP Calc AB (5), AP Calc BC (5), Multivariable
  • Science: AP Physics C: Mechanics (3), not submitting, A-/A in class though), A
  • History and social studies: AP Human Geo (5), AP US History (4), AP US Gov (5), AP World History
  • Language other than English: (including highest level completed)
  • Visual or performing arts: AP Music Theory (5), 4 years of Wind Ensemble
  • Other academic courses: AP Computer Science (4)

Awards

I don’t really know what to put here, but the substantial awards are in the descriptions of my ECs

Extracurriculars (copy-pasted from Common App)

  1. Music - Composer

    1. Authored 6 commissioned works (classical & jazz); recognized as National YCC finalist, All-Eastern showcase feature, and 2x state contest winner.

  2. Debate/Speech - Mock Trial

    1. Captained team to state competition win & “Best Attorney” gavel; earned “Best Defense Attorney” 2x at nationals; recognized by state legislature.

  3. Community Service (volunteer) - Co-founder of IYCSY

    1. Directed 501(c)(3) nonprofit; provided composition resources to 170+ youth in 14 countries & 5 languages; collaborated w/ professional composers.

  4. Foreign Exchange - NSLI-Y

    1. Selected for US State Dept. scholarship for intensive Arabic study in Rabat, Morocco; presented on US culture to ~40 Moroccan high school students.

  5. Music - Clarinetist

    1. Led All-State Band & Orchestra as 1st chair; mentored younger clarinetists as 1st chair in school ensembles; performed to 1000+ people as a soloist.

  6. Debate/Speech - Model UN

    1. Chaired 35-person crisis committee; won 3x Honorable Mention, 1x Best Delegate awards; won UPenn MUN essay contest with original music composition.

  7. Job - Jazz Pianist

    1. Lead pianist & business manager in 3-piece trio; performed jazz music at events with 200+ attendees; handled client bookings and salary negotiations.

  8. Other Club/Activity - Culinary Club, President & President Emeritus

    1. Organized bimonthly meetings for 40-member club; doubled club membership as President; donated food to bereaved families; partnered with Wegmans.

  9. Media/Journalism - WSAL commentator

    1. Served as lead play-by-play commentator for nationally-ranked varsity soccer team; broadcasted (live) 14 home games to 500-2.5k viewers per game.

  10. I have a law firm job as a courier so I might add that

Essays/LORs/Other

Supplementals will be good, AI description of personal statement: An Italian-Moroccan composer overcomes creative block by writing a piece that blends their two cultural worlds, bringing their family together and discovering that harmony lies not in erasing dissonance, but in making it sing.

LORs should be, at a minimum, good, if not great/excellent.

Schools

Safeties:

American, Fordham, IU Bloomington, UD (hoping full ride scholarships at the latter three; planning to EA to all of these?)

Reaches:

Columbia + Sciences Po Dual Degree, Georgetown (EA?), Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Northeastern, Princeton, Stanford, Swarthmore, Notre Dame, Williams, Yale

I would appreciate knowing whether or not I need to “tone down” my list. I would also like to know if there are any financially safe schools that I haven’t thought of yet that could be a good fit. Finally, I would like to know whether my current EA strategy (to American, Fordham, Georgetown, IU, and UD) is a good idea or not. Be honest with everything, no sugarcoating needed. I appreciate you all so much!!! Thanks :slight_smile:

(Random but I’m thinking of applying to NSLI-Y (a State Department exchange program) as a gap year before I enter college. Not sure if this matters)

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The answer to this will largely depend on if you are eligible for financial aid or not. You mentioned a ~15k parental contribution. Is this what your parents are willing to contribute or have you run the Net Price Calculators and that is what the results have been? If you’re not eligible for financial aid, most of your entire list will have to change.

Can you please provide us with more information about your budget/financial need situation?

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Thank you so much for your reply! I have done the NPCs for all colleges mentioned, and they all theoretically should work (based on the NPCs). My family makes about 110k total but a) sends a fair amount of that to family in another country, or b) spends it directly on that family in another country (valid reasons, not like TVs). It’s hard to convey this in traditional financial aid from what I’ve found, but I also know that top schools would still make it work. I say 15k PARENT contribution since I’m willing to work enough to pay the rest off (confirmed by the NPCs). I am eligible for, and plan to apply for, financial aid. Hopefully that helps, thank you :slight_smile:

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Thanks for the explanation. You have a wonderful profile so congrats on that. You have some solid safeties so you should aim high for your reaches. I think you will have a lot of great schools to choose from in the spring!

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Sounds great, thank you so much for taking time to help! Have a great day :slight_smile:

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Make sure you show a lot of interest in American (open and read emails and links, get on their mailing list and meet with any representatives it may send to your town or school etc). It places a high value on demonstrated interest and has been known to reject or waitlist high stats students who don’t show interest.

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Do they know how long I spend on an email? Very random question; I do always open and click links, and I’m potentially going down to have a visit there on Friday. Thanks for your advice!!

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Define “good” college - for IR/IS, there’s many a great school.

So - you have an issue - a money issue.

I don’t think you need to tone down your list - from an admission point of view.

Your safeties are all strong in the area. But IU is mid 50s so how would you attend? AU will be similar. UD - cheaper as you’re a resident and maybe you win the full ride.

Since you are looking for a full ride, you might add Wash & Lee. Additionally, College of Charleston and apply to Honors. If you’re lucky, you’d get invited to the Charleston Fellows and International Scholars. This was my daughter - we had free tuition (they actually paid her $1250 a semester) - had multiple mentors including in DC and our state during the summer, interned in DC at a top think tank while attending the the U of SC DC Semester (Charleston kids go through U of SC), small classes, meeting with diplomats and more. It’s a diamond in the rough. But can you get down to $15K, I don’t know.

You note that your reach schools will get to cost - so that’s good.

You need to look at schools that have full rides - in addition to W&L (Johnson), you have SMU, and a few more. W&L meets need if you don’t win the Johnson so you’d still get a good deal.

Additionally, you’d qualify for a full ride at Troy U and then other schools - like U of Alabama, you’d be low 20s - maybe you can work for the difference. Ms State - a little less. And check Ole Miss - the Croft Institute is renowned. Their scholarship is blocked on the screen but if it’s like the past, you’d get down to $15Kish I think. That can replace IU Hamilton Lugar which you can’t afford.

You are a stud - but you are budget constrained - and that matters more. So an Ole Miss gives you a home - and then take your shots.

Best of luck.

About Us | The Croft Institute for International Studies | Ole Miss

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Thank you so much for your response! Clear you put effort into it so thank you :slight_smile:

The reason I’m applying for IU (and Fordham as well) is because I am hoping that I can get their full ride scholarship, found here: Wells Scholars

I had considered W&L; however, someone from my school last year got the full ride and I’m not convinced that our school could pull off two years in a row :joy:

I have not heard about Charleston or SMU, so thank you for those recommendations!

I’ll be honest—I don’t really want to go to school in the South. However, you are right—I do need to think about finances more than anything, so I’ll give Ole Miss and others a shot, thanks.

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So W&L rewards 10% of the class the Johnson. No one does that…

Additionally, they have other full tuition, for Jewish or for kids from certain areas - not Delaware though. They also have the Bonner Scholarship for Service.

If all else fails, they meet 100% of need and are need blind.

So you can take a chance at an IU with a few winners, etc. an/or you can apply to a school that gives 40+ full rides, 10+ full tuition and meets need - don’t try to guess who will and won’t win.

But Ole Miss (great program) should make cost and like I said Troy is a full ride. Charleston, you’d have to win the Fellows and International Scholars but I’m sure you’d get inviited to the interview weekend. There are other schools with full rides too and lots that meet need - check out Sewanee. When I spoke to one of the main profs at W&L, he told me they were #2 in placement per capita in DC. #1 - Sewanee - who meets need.

You have to think outside the box….you could easily hit a reach but you could also easily strike out.

Given your financial constraints, you need to be flexible. A school like Bama (where you’d get at least $28K off) is geographically diverse with 2k kids from NY/NJ/CT and more than 1500 from CA and Illiniois - they buy kids in. Ole Miss won’t be as diverse but the Croft program is renowned.

I’m trying to think in the NE where you could go for $15K full pay and nothing rings a bell. Sorry. The South is far more generous.

Best of luck.

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Great statistic! I will massively reconsider my formerly nonexistent approach to W&L based on that!

I’ll make sure to check out all the other schools you recommended though—have to head to bed now—but thank you so, so much for your help! It means a lot!

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OP has indicated that they are eligible for financial aid and the $15k is what the NPCs are indicating. So there are plenty of private schools in the NE that could work.

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If you send money to family overseas, you may have to ask for professional judgment when you get your FA packages, as some schools will probably see that as a choice, and money available to be used for college. If there is a compelling reason that the money is sent to family overseas (essential for caretaking/healthcare/etc) that might be considered/explainable.

As for schools with IR majors that may offer good scholarships, consider Goucher (with potential DC internship or January term opportunities)

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How will you pay for these if you don’t get full ride scholarships? Those are competitive at these colleges. I would move these to the reach category if getting a full ride scholarship is necessary to attend.

A true safety is one where you are very sure you will be accepted, that you like, and that will be affordable. What is yours?

have you run the net price calculators for these colleges?

Apply as soon as possible to Delaware. The school, I believe, has rolling admissions and you should hear within 8-12 weeks max. But is it affordable?

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Post #3.

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Of course this varies by college, but most will view this as a financial choice your family is making. Yes, it’s a worthy thing to do, but most colleges will not increase your need based aid based on sending money abroad to family. This same money could be used to fund your college costs.

How much in loans do you anticipate needing? How much do you need to earn by working to make the finances work?

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Yes, but they are not assured - by my comment, I meant an assured and affordable school.

In the end, they need to find that assured school so they have somewhere to go - and then from there, they can take their shots. Their list, while I hope one happens, is not assured.

So in the end, they need to find that school where they can 100% be next Fall…and that’s not on their high end private list. Those are love to have and I hope they happen but if they don’t, where will the student be? Likely not the Northeast….short of significant loans.

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Maybe run the NPCs on Lafayette and Franklin & Marshall? Both of those schools would be closer to home too!

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What I’m saying is that there are many private schools in the NE that meet need and would be less reachy. UDel appears to be the affordable safety school. Your post mentioned full pay and OP says they are eligible for financial aid. I think OP needs some assistance finding some match schools that would meet need.

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Here are some schools for you to consider:

Colgate

Rice

Here are some other LACs which have full merit scholarships available:

Denison
Lafayette
Richmond
St. Lawrence
Washington & Lee

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