Type of high school (or current college for transfers): Public HS
Other special factors: low performing high school
Cost Constraints / Budget
Looking for opportunities/potential for some of the competitive scholarships at some
Intended Major(s)
International Relations
GPA, Rank, and Test Scores
Unweighted HS GPA: 4.0
Weighted HS GPA: 5.86
Class Rank: 3/230
ACT/SAT Scores: Taken both once SAT 1480, ACT 35
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: GT ELA 2 years, AP English Language (5), AP English Lit (?), AP Seminar (4), AP Research (5)
Math: GT Algebra 2, GT Pre-Calculus, AP Calculus AB (4), AP Statistics (?)
Science: AP Environmental Science (4), GT Chemistry, AP Bio (?)
History and social studies: AP Gov (5), AP World History (5), AP US History (5), AP Microeconomics (5) AP Macroeconomics (5), AP Psychology (5)
Language other than English: AP Spanish (4), Dual Enrollment French
Other academic courses: Dual Enrollment Philosophy
Awards
AP Scholar with Distinction
National Merit Commended
Perfect ACT score award for Reading, English, and Science
National Essay Contest Winner
Regional Model UN 1st place speaker
Regional Model UN 3rd place paper
Multiple sports awards (all-county (since 9th grade on Varsity in 3 sports), all-state (12th-grade fall sport so far), MVP)
Extracurriculars
Transcriber for National Archives
11 Season Varsity Athlete
Model UN
NHS
Founding member of the National Math Honor Society and Vice President
Executive Board National Social Studies Honor Society
Tutoring program for algebra students
Leadership club at school
Seal of Biliteracy
Summer Camp Counselor
Summer program at Georgetown
Essays/LORs/Other
Essay: Counselor said excellent
LORs: Excellent I think?
Other - was recruited for one sport, not interested in playing above club level in college
Schools (have been admitted with merit already to 5 safeties not on this list)
American University EA
Boston College
Boston University
Fordham University EA
Northeastern EA
George Washington
UConn
University of Maryland
UNC Chapel Hill
Villanova
William and Mary
Yale
Yes - we would not receive aid. Ideally, we would like to stay under 60K but we might consider full pay for some of the schools that we know don’t give merit if I got in - Georgetown and Yale. Hoping at a chance for some of the competitive scholarships/merit.
I assume UMD looks like a target for you assuming you applied EA, and we know it would be affordable…if so, that will be hard to beat for IR and price combo. Does your HS have Naviance or Scoir that shows where you fall on the scattergram for UMD?
That’s great. I would encourage you then to apply only to schools you would attend (and pay for) over one of the five you’ve been accepted to and UMD. Again confirming you applied to UMD EA, as that’s not noted in your OP.
do you mean that you forgot to put down that your child had already applied EA to those schools, or that she missed the deadline for EA at those schools?
Really hoping that she did apply EA to U Md, because that is the one that is going to come in under budget, that fits her needs. It’s going to be her best match. But sure, I could understand your being willing to pay rack rate for Yale or Georgetown.
Apply to College of Charleston Honors. You could be a candidate for Charleston Fellows and international Scholars. My daughter gets feee tuition plus $2500 back. They are strong in Intl Studies. She’s had lots of enrichment - meeting ambassadors. Mentors. Did a DC semester at a major think tank. And worked for our state. She chose it over UMD and AU from your list.
If you want cheap, Bama will be $20k. Ole Miss less. It has the Croft Institte. Well thought of.
Seton Hall has merit. It’s a better choice for cost than Fordham. It’s strong in IR.
I don’t know your budget but if you don’t have need, only UMD will be ‘inexpensive.’ The rest are unlikely to get you significant money. Your $60k won’t work or acceptance like at UNC is unlikely.
U of Denver is strong and with merit will meet budget.
In other words, short of a miracle, your list isn’t a good one for low cost. It wasn’t well constructed for cost - sorry.
Yes - the 5 acceptances are under with the merit (all will end up around 30K congrats on these!!
Am I correct that you don’t need any additional affordable colleges since your student has already been accepted to five affordable schools?
Just let us know and we can move on from further suggestions. It sounds like you have this covered.
I will keep my fingers crossed that UMD CP is a yes! It’s really a fine choice and sounds like it checks multiple boxes for your student.
The others…are just wait and see applications. I hope you submitted that great ACT score. This student’s application could go either way with the schools on the list above. There are just so many strong students applying to those schools that it’s very hard to predict the outcome. But he applied…so for some options there…except affordability might be an issue.
And fortunately he has some good options already! He knows he is going to college!
Sorry I missed your note on the 5. So you’re going for the W&M full ride. Got it. Did you apply for w&L Johnson ?
Mine got in but no $$.
It’s late now but would have been good too.
Bcuz you have 5 you deem affordable, the Hail Mary strategy works.
But some like UNC will barely make cost stripping out extras abd then there’s inflation. Don’t know your Seton Hall cost but do you stretch at UNC vs say $30k or $35k elsewhere.
That might be the decision.
But your strategy is sound. Sorry I missed the note on the 5.
Yes -thank you. There are some great choices already. ACT score was submitted to all schools and SAT score was submitted only to Georgetown (with ACT since they require both)
for some options there…except affordability might be an issue.