I posted a match me a few months ago (and got some great advice!), now I’m just curious about my chances.
Demographics
US Citizen, California
Small Bay Area alternative/independent study public HS, transferred Junior year from larger public HS.
Cost Constraints / Budget
W/ loans, max is 20k/year. W/o loans ~15k/year.
Intended Major(s)
Biochem, Psychology. Currently I want to go to med school, but that could very well change. The only thing I know for sure is that I want to help people feel better (as childish as that might sound). Hoping to minor in Spanish.
GPA, Rank, and Test Scores
4.0 UW/4.04 W
Applying test optional, haven’t taken the SAT or ACT (it’s a long story)
HS doesn’t rank but top 10% of ~50 kids.
HS coursework
Edited to add: School does not offer APs or Honors
English: 4 years - English 1, English 2, American Lit, European Lit
Math: 3 years completed, 2 in progress* - Alg. 1, Alg. 2, Geo, Prob & Stats* and College Precalculus (Dual Enrollment)*
Science: 3 years - Bio, Physics, Chem (School doesn’t offer a 4th)
History and social studies: 4 years - World History, US History, American Democracy/Econ, College Psychology (Dual Enrollment)
Language other than English: Spanish 1 & 2 (school doesn’t offer 3)
Visual or performing arts: 4 years - Band, Photography, Art 1, Art 1 (school doesn’t have “Art 2” but Art 1 encompasses a changing roster of classes)
Other academic courses: Ethnic Studies
Awards
Honor roll 9th & 10th grade
Extracurriculars
Paid internship in school wellness center (12th, in progress). Educating peers about mental health assistance + resources.
Interscholastic Equestrian Association (9th & 10th). Participated until team disbanded. Competed and helped host horse shows.
General horseback riding (All 4 years). I take lessons once a week and exercise horses on weekends.
Various school clubs (D&D, Book club, Activism, GSA - all for 11th & 12th).
Was first ever Editor-in-Chief of prior school’s newspaper (10th & 11th, I continued for a year after leaving).
I spend summers up at my Grandmother’s ranch helping her out due to her medical/mobility issues. Feeding animals/cleaning pens/riding horses/tending to garden/etc. She lives too far away for me to be there during school.
Essays/LORs/Other
Personal essay: A solid 8/10 I think. Focuses on how I was raised to be ashamed of being a girl, and my thoughts on modern feminism. I’m a decent writer and got my essay reviewed, mainly by my dad’s girlfriend who’s a college professor and has been on admissions committees. Less of a narrative and more opinionated, but that’s what I’m best at.
Supplementals: Range in quality. My best is certainly my Mount Holyoke supp, I was so excited to write it and it feels very “me.”
LoRs: I haven’t been able to read the ones from my core-subject teachers, but I asked my principal to write me one because she knows me well and we get along, and it’s so sweet. 8/10.
Schools
Safety:
-Knox College (admitted)
-Ohio Wesleyan Uni. (admitted)
-Gustavus Adolphus College (admitted)
-UC Merced (admitted early through ELC)
Target:
-Mount Holyoke College RD (interviewed w/ student)
-St. Olaf College RD (interviewed w/ my regional AO!)
Hard Target:
-Bryn Mawr College RD (interviewed w/ student)
-Macalester College RD
Reach:
-Wellesley College RD
-Case Western Reserve University RD
-Carleton RD
Adding a note just so that it’s out there: I would have loved to applied to more targets, but every other one I looked at just wasn’t feasible. My dad and I are very much a “donut hole” family, which is why other targets, including UCs and even CSUs, just aren’t affordable. For better or for worse, I’m banking on large endowments.
Are the schools that admitted you affordable? If not, move them to “out of reach”.
For the pending ones, do their net price calculators indicate affordability? If not, recategorize them based on the chance of getting a large enough merit scholarship.
I think your chances will be good for your targets, and possibly a reach, you just never know with those. You have some good admits already- so congrats on those! I have several friends who are currently college professors who attended Knox and Gustavus, and they all had great experiences at those two schools, so wherever you land, you’ll be fine!
That your weighted is the same as unweighted, does that mean you have little rigor - APs ,Honors, etc.?
You got into four great ones already - but are all four affordable (including Merced)? You have a budget but does your need as determined by the schools match your budget?
It’s hard to tell your odds but if you have an affordable acceptance, you’re already in good shape.
Pending ones are definitely affordable, and the ones I’ve been accepted to range from “no way in hell” to “totally”. I put together a whole spreadsheet for college costs. Knox, which is the safety I like the most, is the most affordable by a decent margin.
According to the UC cost calculator there’s no way I’d be able to afford Merced, I applied to it as my very last resort as I was guaranteed admission. Maybe I’ll get aid, but even if I don’t I have at least one school that’s affordable so I’m not worried.
Affordable with some loans but not the max 5,500. I know I don’t lose out on anything, but the other schools seem great and I’d like to at least try to get in.
Gustavus and OWU are both just out of reach, even with loans. Were I to choose either (which I won’t), my dad would have to take out a loan which I don’t want happening. OWU’s more expensive, but they didn’t include work-study in my financial aid offer, so I’m not sure if it’s because I don’t qualify for it there or something else.
Work study is basically a subsidy of your pay at an on campus job or one at an eligible non-profit, causing those employers to prefer work study students (but often only to the amount of the subsidized pay). However, a work study student can find a non work study job, like any other student.
Honor roll freshman and sophomore years, but a 4.0 which indicates straight A’s. Does your current school just not have an honor role? Does your current school offer honors/AP classes?
Both Holyoke and BMC give big merit aid to high achieving students, but I’m not sure they will make your budget even if you get the top aid. Mine got $30K/year at BMC and $40K/year at Holyoke - 4 years ago and I’ve heard they’ve upped the aid over the past few years (although also upped the tuition). Both fantastic schools btw, I’m a big fan of HWCs. And Holyoke has horses - so seems like a great fit, if the finances are right.
Wellesley doesn’t offer any merit aid, so if you don’t qualify for fin aid I’m not sure it should be on your list.
Oh and Case Western also offers a lot of merit aid to high achieving students. My engineering boy got offered $32,500 off tuition last year, and I know others got more. Again, not sure it puts the cost within budget, but just another data point.
If you’re a CA student, I would think that the UCs or CSUs would come the closest to your budget? Are any within driving distance from your home?