Chance Me: Lehigh ED1 (and other schools), CS major [PA resident, 3.8 UW GPA, 1400 SAT]

Chance Me / Match Me
1

Demographics

  • US Citizen
  • State/Location of residency: PA
  • Type of high school (or current college for transfers): public school, ~2500 students total, relatively competitive
  • Other special factors:
  • Low income
  • Single-parent household
  • Father passed away

Cost Constraints / Budget
Did a few net price calculators and estimates with financial aid counselors, so as of now i have it pretty sorted out

Intended Major(s)

CS with Data Science minor

OR

Data Science major with CS minor

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Unweighted HS GPA: 3.86
  • Weighted HS GPA: 4.36 (on 4.0 scale, AP classes are weighted at 1.5, honors are 1.25)
  • Class Rank: school doesn’t provide
  • ACT/SAT Scores: 1400 SAT (superscored) 700 math and 700 reading

List your HS coursework

  • English: Honors English 9, Honors English 10, Honors English 11/12
  • Math: Honors Algebra II, Honors Geometry, Honors Trig/Pre-Calc, AP Statistics, AP Calc AB, AP Calc BC
  • Science: Science 9, Honors Bio, Honors Chem, Honors Physics
  • History and social studies: Honors US History 9, AP European History, AP US History, AP Psychology
  • Language other than English: Spanish I, Spanish II
  • Visual or performing arts: Clay Studio I, Clay Studio II
  • Other academic courses: AP CSA, Computer Programming 1, 2, and 3, CHAOS (Computer Hardware & Operating Systems)

College Coursework (Transfer Applicants)

  • General education course work: ECO 110 (economics), ENG 101, ENG 102, ESW 206 (nutrition), public speaking course
  • Major preparation course work:

Awards

don’t really have much:

NHS (don’t know if this is considered an award)

CPR & Lifeguarding Cert

Extracurriculars
(Include leadership, summer activities, competitions, volunteering, and work experience)

President Of Coders Cave, teaching students how to code and building projects (CS Club) (10,11,12)

President Of Data Analytix, teaching students how to use tableau and preparing for a data sci. competition (Data Sci. Club) (12)

Co-President of Link Crew, 100+ members, helping freshman transition into high school (10,11,12)

Weightlifting 1.5 hours a day ~6 days a week

Representative of Inter Club Committee, helping boost club engagement (12)

Volunteer at thrift shop ~ 75 hours so far (10,11,12)

Lifeguard at YMCA ~ 20 hours a week (11,12)

Soccer (JV 9, 10 Varsity 11)

Essays/LORs/Other
LORs are very strong, written by alumnus from some of the schools I am applying to

Personal Essay is relatively strong, I spent lots of time on it, and my Honors English 11/12 teacher thought it was a very intricate idea

Schools
Lehigh - ED1 (this is my top pick, hoping I get in)

Lafayette - RD

URochester - RD

F&M - RD

UDelaware - EA

William & Mary - RD

UVA - EA

Drexel - EA

2

Sorry to hear about your dad. You’ve got a great record.

Lehigh is not need blind although they try to make it appear that they sort of are:

“For the vast majority of applicants we do not consider whether they are applying for financial aid or how much FA they might need to attend Lehigh. For a very small portion those financial considerations may become one factor among many in an admission decision. In all cases our review will remain holistic and in no cases will the ability or inability to pay become the only or primary factor.”

So while statistically, you are strong, if you need too much, that can factor into your admission decission. Your other issue is that you didn’t take enough language. It looks like you took CS classes instead but you don’t need CS classes to major in CS but that’s whatever under the bridge. And they only require two.

Your SAT is below the 25th percentile but less than 40% submitted. You might go TO. On the other hand, if your score is well above your school average, it might be worth submitting.

I think you can get in but you also might not given the SAT, only two years of Spanish and money.

Only 690 of 1501 got need aid - so they are a school for the wealthy in that sense.

My fear is the same at Lafayette, Rochester and F&M and they note this.

I don’t know your budget - but I would be surprised if Drexel would be as inexpensive for a low income kids as the others.

Delaware will be high 50s - so it seems an odd choice vs. in state schools like the PASSHE schools. W&M doesn’t meet need outside while UVA does. UVA wants four years of foreign language, as an example.

The only sure fires I see are UDEL and Drexel.

What is your budget? There may be some OOS publics to meet it. If Drexel or UDel can, great - but unless it’s over $50K, I don’t see how UDEL can.

You’re a great candidate and you might get in to some on the list - but you might not - and it very well might be that you are low income that holds you up.

So I’d want a back up plan. With your stats, there will be schools under $25K ($19-25K) but further away.

Best of luck.

3

That’s almost 50% of the students who received need based aid.

I’ll keep my fingers crossed for Lehigh for you.

Please let us know how it goes!

4

The student is certainly worthy of Lehigh but in dealing with need aware schools, there is always a risk. I’d ensure, in case, they have a plan for an assured budget friendly admission, just in case.

I don’t know the budget but I can’t imagine UDEL or Drexel will be a no. But if a student is low income and they might define that differently than I would but I’d be concerned with their affordability.

So I believe more planning is warranted, just in case, so the student doesn’t have to scramble. But I do think Lehigh and others, except maybe UVA and W&M, hit academically but finances may often play a part as Lafayette acknowledged in a magazine article.

I hope things work out for OP.

5

Budget is not very high (SAI of 1500). So apart from finances, do you think I have what it takes academically for Lehigh?

6

Yes. But I don’t see why UDel, W&M and Drexel.

But with only a quarter getting in, I could see it not happening.

I’m a planner -so even if you get into any of these, I would be happier now to have a backup rather than figure out later in case you do need another.

7

You already applied ED to Lehigh…so at this point, it’s a wait and see. And you have a couple of EA applications submitted as well (right?) so if Lehigh doesn’t work out, those decisions will be shortly thereafter.

As long as you have a sure thing that is affordable, that you would be happy to attend…where you have a great chance of admission, you are fine…but what IS that sure thing college?

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8

Most likely Penn State branch campus, there are a few other colleges that I applied to and got into that I didn’t mention here.

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