Coursework (AP/IB/Dual Enrollment classes, AP/IB scores for high school; also include level of math and foreign language reached and any unusual academic electives; for transfers, describe your college courses and preparation for your intended major(s))-
Taking 5 AP classes next year. Already have 3 years of Math and Foreign Language.
Awards
Annual School Pride award Freshman year (Only 2 per grade are awarded), did not have awards Sophomore & Junior due to COVID)
Regional&State Science Olympiad Awards
1st place State in Piano
AP Scholar
Honor Roll
Extracurriculars (Include leadership, summer activities, competitions, volunteering, and work experience)
Piano(been playing for over a decade)competed and won 1st place in state competition a couple of times. Won a few hundred dollars in prize money overall.
Varsity Tennis: won few medals in tournaments
Science Olympiad: Won many regional/state medals, competed in the Science Olympiad National Tournament not long ago, placed Top 17/60 in one event.
Eagle Scout
French Horn player in my school’s top band (Grade 10-12), competitive marching band
Played Keyboard for my school’s musical the last two years
Private Piano Tutor (2 times a week)
I’m involved in a few Honors Society including NHS, CSHS, NEHS. However no leadership positions there.
Essays/LORs/Other (Optionally, guess how strong these are and include any other relevant information or circumstances.)
I haven’t written my essay yet but I’m planning to write about Jazz improvisation and how it shapes my life. (not sure if it’ll be good tho)
Cost Constraints / Budget (High school students: please get a budget from your parents and use the Net Price Calculators on the web sites of colleges of interest.)
Combined Income ~ 100k
Schools (List of colleges by your initial chance estimate; designate if applying ED/EA/RD; if a scholarship is necessary for affordability, indicate that you are aiming for a scholarship and use the scholarship chance to estimate it into the appropriate group below)
Safety (certain admission and affordability) : University of Kansas
Likely (would be possible, but very unlikely or surprising, for it not to admit or be affordable)
Match: Texas Christian University/ Southern Methodist University
Reach: University of Miami, Boston University, Northeastern, Villanova, Wake Forest, UNC-Chapel Hill, USC
All Would be EA, besides Boston University and USC (those would be RD)
(It would be a dream of me just to get into at least one of my reach schools)
Also if there are other colleges I would be interested in, please let me know!
Thank you!
Have you run the Net Price Calculators for all of your schools? (I’m especially wondering whether Villanova would be affordable… but even the full-need-met schools can vary a lot in terms of your cost of attendance.)
I think you’ve got a strong chance at U of Miami, and it could be a great school in terms of combining music opportunities with a business major. (Are you hoping to do marching band in college? Miami is good for this!) They meet full need according to their formula - does the NPC make it look affordable?
Maybe also consider U of Denver? (Daniels College of Business and Lamont School of Music are its two greatest strengths; there’s a minor and a secondary major in music available by audition.) DU doesn’t meet full need but does give merit - could end up being affordable. https://www.jazzatlamont.com/
The Business Honors Academy program at U of Nebraska Lincoln could be worth a look too. It’s a highly competitive cohort program with great opportunities. Nebraska Business Honors Academy | Academics | Business | Nebraska Between the MSEP discount and merit, it could be affordable. The music school is pretty good too.
If you like Wake Forest, consider U of Richmond as well - they also meet full need, and are strong in performing arts including music, and there are additional jazz opportunities through cross-registration at VCUArts.
I want to suggest IU Kelley (and the music minor in Jacobs) but not sure if there’s a route to affordability - I don’t know much about OOS merit (or lack thereof) there. Could be great if the $ worked.
Overall I think you have a balanced list and will get more acceptances than rejections. Coming from a middle-income family, filtering for affordability will be important unless you have substantial college savings. You should have good options, though!
I didn’t see where you listed majors but I saw how @aquapt listed music and business - so it’s there somewhere.
Since you are open to going around the country, I’d love to see you add other safeties that interest you. If KU is for you and you’re 100% ok going there, then go for it. But you could go, if business and music are for you, to Indiana and get some $. Miami of Ohio. You’ll get a ton at Arizona - $30K of $37K tuition.
You do need to check on affordability - if a school like Miami, that meets need, says you get no $$, then why apply? With your stats, you’d likely get a $25K scholarship so you’d be at $50K or so.
When I look at your list, I thing you can move TCU up to safety. SMU is a low reach - I think you’re in.
I would move Miami to target - like SMU. BU is surprisingly hard to get into and Northeastern brutall hard - so they are in the right place. Nova is much smaller - so why are they in there? Just curious. Great school. Chapel Hill OOS is near impossible.
You needn’t dream - I think you get into two or three reach schools!!
But figure out the finances - that’s more important!!!
Thank you for your reply,
I am not planning to pursue a music education in college, but I do appreciate the colleges you have recommend to me. I do want to look more into U of Nebraska and U of Richmond; it looks like they do have a good business program. I haven’t checked the Net Price Calculator for my schools but, I did assume that Villanova would most likely be unaffordable, considering that it is not guaranteed full need. But I do appreciate your comment. Thank you once again!
My apologies, I should have stated my intended Major, but I am planning to major something business related, primarily Finance. I have considered applying to Arizona, I’ve had friends that have received a considerable amount of aid, so I might think about it once again. It looked like SMU’s business program was pretty competitive, which was why I put it in my Target schools. Villanova has always been a possibility for a long time, especially since I have older friends who went their and they recommended the school to me. But I agree with everything else you have said. Thank you for your reply. I will definitely figure out the finances with my parents.
U of Denver is another program if budget works - with scholarship would be about $45K. . I guess I would look at weather - what do you want weather wise? Arizona is gorgeous. KU, Nebraska are freezing.
You’d get the OOS waiver at FSU (it’s cheap)- and it’s a very good finance school - and the other Miami (Ohio) is another worth looking at. If you’d like smaller, Drake in Des Moines is close and solid. Not sure about merit.
You have a great set up - you’ve done solid work but look at these few extra.
Yes - with your ACT and GPA, you will likely receive it.
ASU is another to look at - not as generous as U of A. Both have great Honors Colleges with ASU nationally known. U of SC is another with a top Honors College and great merit - although not as good as U of A.
It’s small - but you may also look at W&L which is a great b school - and has the Johnson Scholarship which is full ride. Get on their email list and they’ll send you an app waiver. Check them out.
My impression is that you would get into Miami, BU, Northeastern, Villanova or Wake Forest, if you choose one of them and apply early decision. If you do not take that approach, you may not get into any of them. I do not expect you will be admitted to UNC.
As @Publisher suggests, you might look into the other Miami, i.e., Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. The Farmer School of Business there is well regarded, and your GPA/test scores likely would result in an award of merit scholarship money, seeScholarships | Costs and Financial Aid | Miami University.
Further, with regard to UNC-Chapel Hill, admission as an OOS student is always problematic, due in significant part to a mandate that out-of-state students make up no more than 18% of the incoming freshman class (there are financial penalties to the university if the number of OOS freshman students exceed that percentage). Also, getting into Kenan-Flagler as a sophomore is a hard row to hoe even if you are admitted to UNC-CH.
I’m not saying that you shouldn’t apply to Carolina; but your expectations of admission there as an OOS student should be tempered.
Yes, I am aware about that for UNC. I have no expectations of getting in, but I might just as well apply there, possibly for a different major.
Thank you for the insight though.
You have a great list and great attitude. You’ve gotten some additional solid suggestions like IU, FSU, and Miami.
You’ll likely be a no at UNC and a few others. But no pain, no gain. I personally think everyone should get turned down somewhere, unless of course they only apply to a safety bcuz they know up front it’s where they are going. If you don’t get shot down, maybe you didn’t reach high enough !!
So hit your top schools because you have wonderful backups that you are excited about as well. You’ve created a smart list!! Or should I say AWESOME list.