Chance me: FGLI in top schools? Help! [AZ Resident, 3.7 UW, 1420 SAT, Finance]

[richamiri]

@ChoatieMom

If you are admitted to Barrett, you can forget everything else in your list. Barrett is a top honors college, and the undergraduate business offerings through the W. P. Carey School of Business

Alright, I am already thinking of applying Barrett in ASU, and I been to W.P Carey one time and I love the campus, so if all else fails at least I got ASU in the bag.
and thank you for your help!

[richamiri]

@tsbna44

How will they afford $40k making $50-60k. Abd the $40k plus you were quoted includes loans.

My relatives. That’s how we bought the house, and loans too.

[richamiri]

@tsbna44

ASU is solid for finance and has the IBIS program

Yes, I am thinking of applying barerett at ASU. Thanks, much appreciated!

[tsbna44]

So then what’s your true budget?

You need to figure out how much you have to spend.

But both Barrett and U of A Honors is excellent - and WPC and Eller are both strong too.

[richamiri]

@tsbna44

So then what’s your true budget?

My parents says around a bit more then 100k, they said we can sell our old house if we need to.

and, yes, Barrett at ASU is indeed a great school, if all else fails I just have to get accepted into barrett if not then it won’t matter at least I still have a college to go to.
Thanks for your help!

[tsbna44]

If you don’t get in, it’s still a great school - sans Barrett. Honors is for experience of the school - not for jobs - they don’t even ask about Honors on applications.

Don’t forget, Barrett has a fee that adds to tuition.

Best of luck.

[richamiri]

@tsbna44

Honors is for experience of the school - not for jobs - they don’t even ask about Honors on applications.

Don’t forget, Barrett has a fee that adds to tuition.

yeah, fee or no fee, I will pay, it’s also a great personal experience for me. Thanks

[AustenNut]

@richamiri

Size: Doesn’t matter
Geographic: East or West, it doesn’t matter as long as the weather is not too hot or too cold, like Arizona (it’s so hot).
School Spirit: I really want to be social throughout college, so I want like a really good social school where students actually engage with each other and participate in school events.

Below are some schools you may want to investigate, sorted by my guesses as to your chances of admission. They’re mostly mid-sized schools, and ones from which you would be well set up with a degree in finance. I veered away from big public schools as you already have a great in-state option.

Extremely Likely (80-99+%)

• Elon (NC): About 6400 undergrads

• Saint Joseph’s (PA ): About 4800 undergrads

Likely (60-79%)

• Bentley (MA): About 4400 undergrads

• Providence (RI): About 4200 undergrads

• Wofford (SC): About 1900 undergrads

Toss-Up (40-59%)

• Fairfield (CT): About 5k undergrads

• Fordham (NY): About 10k undergrads

• Santa Clara (CA): About 6200 undergrads

• U. of San Diego (CA): About 5700 undergrads

Lower Probability (20-39%)

• Lehigh (PA ): About 5800 undergrads

• Wake Forest (NC): About 5500 undergrads

Low Probability (less than 20%)

• Select some of your favorites from your original list

If you could let us know what appeals or repels from schools that folks suggest, that can help us provide better suggestions.

[richamiri]

@AustenNut

Below are some schools you may want to investigate, sorted by my guesses as to your chances of admission. They’re mostly mid-sized schools, and ones from which you would be well set up with a degree in finance. I veered away from big public schools as you already have a great in-state option.

Thanks so much for your help! I would look into these schools.

@AustenNut

U. of San Diego

I been thinking about this one since some of my friends are attending right now.

This is much appreciated. Thanks!

[MYOS1634]

U San Diego doesn’t meet need so it’s likely to require a lot of debt. Run the NPC on each of the above colleges and keep the affordable ones only.

When you say top 25% is that a broad personal estimate or what’s on your transcript? For most highly selective universities you need to be in the top 10% as stated on your transcript.

Many top colleges are fine with a 1400 for FGLI applicants so the issue is ranking and curriculum rigor. Will be thinking about ways you can increase that rigor and will return.

You didn’t answer the question about whether you’re interested in Finance as a subject to study or as a field you’d want to enter - many of the top finance hires never studied finance. (There are some fields with a direct link: Engineering, Nursing, Teaching… But often students craft their professional path through internships.)

Run the NPC on each of Bowdoin, St Olaf, Washington&Lee, and Davidson, then write down what appears as the net price for each. These 4 (above) are top schools with strong quantitative subjects that can lead to well-paid jobs (including in finance) even though they don’t have a finance major. Run the NPC on Lehigh, Babson, and Wake Forest.

[MYOS1634]

Sorry, saw your reply upthread, missed it

I would retake the SAT, seeking to improve that Reading score specifically. Use Khan Academy.

An issue I’d you want to study is that top colleges for finance placement do not offer finance majors (they use broad liberal arts+quantitative courses but mostly alumni network&reputation to “place” students). I was specifically thinking NESCAC because they have fewer students from AZ and geographical diversity would give your application a boost. These colleges really want FGLI applicants with 700s, though top colleges also want them top-ranked in their class so the point may be moot, unless you’re top-ranked among lower income kids at your high ranking HS or the “top 25%” mention is an estimate.

Fordham and American could be possible admits with finance but neither meets need.

I wrote upthread I’d come back with ideas wrt schedule and ways to improve rigor.
9th&10th are objectively very rigorous. The level of rigor drops a lot in 11th grade: is that because you didn’t do well in 10th? Because you didn’t know what you were supposed to take?

Rigorous/core classes

@richamiri

• 11th Grade: AP Research, Marketing 1, Pre-Calc, APUSH, Culinary 2, AP Lang
• 12th Grade (Projected): AP Lit, AP Psychology, AP Govt/Econ (does this count as 2 or 1?), AP Calc BC (big jump :(, nervous), 0.5 yr Health (req. for graduation at my school), 0.5 yr Teacher Assistant, Ceramics.

Keeping in mind AP Seminar/AP Research seem to stand in for the most rigorous “English” option at your school: what project did you do? Did you talk to people, read up on previous studies, write a 10-page paper, draw conclusions? If so, highlight it. Can your teacher say good things about your ability to work independently and rigorously, gather data, be creative, etc.?

For 11th grade, the lack of a science is glaring. For top colleges stopping in 10th with AP Mandarin is not ok if that’s a language spoken at home, because it’s not foreign to you (you get a little leeway if your parents didn’t attend college because the AP class helps you formalize informal learning ..but it’s still not foreign to you).
Is there a way for you to take summer school classes, specifically Spanish 1 (or another language, level 1) and Physics?
Then in 12th grade take AP Environmental Science instead of AP Psych (same difficulty but instead of 2 social science classes you have 1 science, 1 social science) and Spanish (or other foreign language) 2?
With this 12th grade schedule
AP Lit
AP Calc AB (probably more reasonable if you took regular precalc) or (if your precalculus class is a good preparation and you’re getting an A) AP Calc BC
AP Gov/Econ
AP Environmental Science (or, if not taken over the summer, Physics Honors - this may actually be more rigorous than AP Environmental)
Spanish 2
Ceramics
Health/TA
That makes for a decent schedule wrt rigor and top colleges.

[richamiri]

@MYOS1634

I would retake the SAT, seeking to improve that Reading score specifically. Use Khan Academy.

If my ACT were good like 33+, would I have to retake the SAT? I studied on Khan academy specifically for reading for 3 whole months only for my reading score to jump 10 points.

@MYOS1634

unless you’re top-ranked among lower income kids at your high ranking HS or the “top 25%” mention is an estimate.

My school doesn’t do ranks, it’s just an estimate, but my school is actually full of rich people, some smart others not so. I maybe higher, but again I have no clue.

@MYOS1634

I wrote upthread I’d come back with ideas wrt schedule and ways to improve rigor.

Alright, thanks!

@MYOS1634

The level of rigor drops a lot in 11th grade: is that because you didn’t do well in 10th

Yeah, I didn’t do well in math because I had to self study since my teacher didn’t really “teach” and so I chose an easier math class cause I didn’t feel ready to advance into higher math classes. Also, I didn’t want to do science this year cause I already fulfilled my 3 science credits to graduate, and most schools I looked at only require 3 years, so I don’t know whether I should do science or not, I might have to do physics over summer.

@MYOS1634

Keeping in mind AP Seminar/AP Research seem to stand in for the most rigorous “English” option at your school: what project did you do

For AP Sem (10ish page), I wrote about how we should integrate nuclear power into our energy mix, in the economic lens, AP Research (currently have 15-16 pages, not including bib) I am writing about utilizing social media for business, basically using quantitative/qualitative data, case studies and observations.

@MYOS1634

Can your teacher say good things about your ability to work independently and rigorously, gather data, be creative, etc.?

My APUSH, my AP Research teachers may be able to, both my ELA teachers may not as I often slack off in their classes but I still have A’s and high B’s, my AP Mandarin teacher will offer great feedback as I participated often in her class and get high scores too.

@MYOS1634

Is there a way for you to take summer school classes, specifically Spanish 1 (or another language, level 1) and Physics?

I may be able to take Physics over summer, I just have to talk to my counselor. But for language if my passed AP Mandarin with a 5, doesn’t that make it more of an accomplishment? I jumped from Mandarin 2 to 4, skipping 3 due to testing to skip it.

@MYOS1634

Then in 12th grade take AP Environmental Science instead of AP Psych (same difficulty but instead of 2 social science classes you have 1 science, 1 social science) and Spanish (or other foreign language) 2?
With this 12th grade schedule
AP Lit
AP Calc AB (probably more reasonable if you took regular precalc) or (if your precalculus class is a good preparation and you’re getting an A) AP Calc BC
AP Gov/Econ
AP Environmental Science (or, if not taken over the summer, Physics Honors - this may actually be more rigorous than AP Environmental)
Spanish 2
Ceramics
Health/TA

I may not be able to do Spanish 2, as my school only offer 6 classes, but I might change AP Psch to APES, the only thing I am worried about is all my friends and my sister says the APES teacher is really strict so I don’t know if I’ll be able to pass.

I really love this advice, thank you so much for taking your time to write this for me!

[MYOS1634]

@richamiri

If my ACT were good like 33+, would I have to retake the SAT?

No. A 33 would be more than enough indeed!
What tripped you in the SAT verbal?
Because the ACT is different but in a certain way requires even more reading, although the questions are straightforward.

@richamiri

My school doesn’t do ranks

That’s important. Because it means you COULD be in the top 10%.
You can ask your GC whether THEY provide a decile on CommonApp, % at each GPA level, or check “school doesn’t rank” on the CommonApp Counselor recommendation. If they submit sth, roughly would you be Top decile?

@richamiri

we should integrate nuclear power into our energy mix … utilizing social media for business

Is there anything actionable in either one - sth you can bring to a business, a town council, and defend sth publicly etc? (It would be a tall order but if it’s within the realm of possibility…)

@richamiri

if my passed AP Mandarin with a 5, doesn’t that make it more of an accomplishment?

Absolutely .. if Mandarin is a foreign language to you. If so, you should make it clear. Jumping one level like that would be very difficult it no one speaks the language around you and you had to self teach all the ideograms.
You’re right: Completing Spanish1-2 is much less difficult than completing AP Mandarin.. unless Mandarin wasn’t a language foreign to you. (Only top schools will split hairs).

Physics is more important than APES, so if you can’t take Physics over the summer, make sure to take it during your senior year.

[richamiri]

@MYOS1634

What tripped you in the SAT verbal?

Craft and Structure, and Standard English Conventions.

@MYOS1634

You can ask your GC whether THEY provide a decile on CommonApp, % at each GPA level, or check “school doesn’t rank” on the CommonApp Counselor recommendation. If they submit sth, roughly would you be Top decile?

I’ll ask

@MYOS1634

Is there anything actionable in either one - sth you can bring to a business, a town council, and defend sth publicly etc? (

I don’t think so, my research on nuclear power could be brought to policy makers regarding energy mix, as it contains reason why it should be integrated it, my research paper on social media could be used for understanding which social media app can be best utilized in marketing. I don’t know if this answers your question.

@MYOS1634

Absolutely .. if Mandarin is a foreign language to you. If so, you should make it clear. Jumping one level like that would be very difficult it no one speaks the language around you and you had to self teach all the ideograms.

The thing for this one is I take paid Mandarin tutoring online once every week/

@MYOS1634

Physics is more important than APES, so if you can’t take Physics over the summer, make sure to take it during your senior year.

Alright.

Thanks!

[MYOS1634]

@richamiri

The thing for this one is I take paid Mandarin tutoring online once every week/

That’s fine if it is foreign to you, ie., not spoken at home. In that case I’d add a line in “additional information” at the end of CommonApp: “In order to go from Mandarin 2 to AP Mandarin, not being a native/heritage speaker, I took lessons every week over the summer and as support throughout the year. By working on my own as well as in class, I managed to get a 5 on the test.”
Indeed, MANY students who do this are students who speak the language at home, which gives them an advantage.

[richamiri]

Thank you! This is really helpful! I will make sure to write this on my application.

[coolguy40]

@richamiri

First-Generation, Low-Income (FGLI)

@richamiri

(Need based scholarships takes care of most of it right?)

You definitely have cost constraints. And you really can’t depend on need based financial aid. It varies widely from school to school.

First off, do you have any full ride scholarships? If you do, go there. This is a win-win for any low income family. Let your parents save for retirement. ASU or U of AZ are not schools to be “stuck at.” Those are highly reputable schools with excellent business programs. Graduating from an honor’s program is a tangible accomplishment you can put on a resume.

Second, the list is WAY too big. Any out of state public university on the list needs to be scratched off. Financial aid is for state residents. You’re wasting your time and money on those schools.

Third, for the private schools, go to each school’s website and use the net price calculator. This will give you a more realistic idea of how much you’re REALLY going to pay. You’ll find that it varies widely. The more prestigious, the more aid they tend to give…but good luck getting in.

Again, my advice is to toss the list in the garbage and go for a scholarship. You can’t lose with that scenario. It’s guaranteed money in writing for 4 years. And it looks VERY good on a resume.

[richamiri]

Thanks for your advice! I’ll look into scholarships!

[MYOS1634]

The best scholarships come from the colleges themselves. Some are named scholarships (like STAMPS) others are called Provost or Presidential scholarships.
Then you have financial aid, which should be good for you if you’re FGLI.
Run the NPC on these colleges that “meet need” located around the country: Whitman, St Olaf, Grinnell, Lafayette, Davidson, Bowdoin.
(Each college calculates differently. Some may not even package federal loans!)

[richamiri]

Alright, thanks! I already ran checks for USC, NYU, and Cornell, it’s just getting in is the hard part, I just need to rack up more ECs and improve my GPA. Thanks !