Chance Me / Match Me Please: Female, Security Studies, 3.96 UW, 1300 SAT, East Coast / SE, <45K

Chance Me / Match Me
1

Senior at a large, suburban public school in Maryland
No special factors
Max budget 45k/year
Major interest: Security Studies / Risk Management (not housed in the Business School) usually in Arts & Sciences and sometimes under Criminal Justice

3.96UW
4.81W
School doesn’t rank
SAT: 1300
AP Gov: 5
AP World: 5
AP Environmental Science: 4
Coursework: 5 APs (two senior year), rest all honors, 2 dual enrollment (senior year)
English: all honors/AP
Science: all honors/AP
Math: all college prep grade level (Geometry, PreCalc, AP Stat), no Calculus
Social Studies/Sciences: AP Gov, AP World, AP Comparative
Spanish - all Honors up to 4
Electives: Journalism, Newspaper, Ceramics through Advanced 3
Awards: International Award for community service, AP Scholar, National & Spanish Honor Society, School Specific Pillar Honors
EC’s:
Founded local chapter of national charity - over 300 hours, multiple recognitions
4 year, 3 sport athlete JV captain of all, Varsity captain of 1
4 year newspaper writer then editor
Consistent part time job from 10th grade, promoted twice
Internship 11 and 12 with local police dept
Multiple school clubs

Schools:
Clemson (reach)
NC State (reach)
University of Tennessee, Knoxville (reach)
Pitt Honors (school target, Honors reach)
Elon Fellows (target)
James Madison Honors (school target, Honors reach)
Coastal Carolina Honors (school safety, Honors target)
East Carolina Honors (school safety, Honors reach)
UNC Charlotte Honors (safety)
Ohio University (safety)

Applying EA to all. Open to suggestions, especially for reaches or targets. My preference is Honors College to make a bigger school feel smaller - looking for mid to large, great school spirit, D1 football, ability to customize major. Thank you!

9

What state do you live in? Clemson oos is $63,000 a year, Pitt probably around the same.

11

Congrats on your record.

So you’ve done what many have done - you built a list of schools you’d like but not schools based on the budget you have.

Clemson is out - as noted. If you get in, it has direct costs (meaning tuition, room and board only) of $56,602 (for next year). Some majors have up to a $2500 fee - but likely not yours. Merit aid isn’t happening.

NC State is the same - $48,734 - and that’s just tuition, room and board - not books, personal, transport, fun…

UTK = $46,850 next year. I don’t believe you’ll get merit - which requires a 31 ACT or 1390 SAT.

Pitt - Honors is unknown - but you can’t afford the school. You won’t get merit with a 1300 - I don’t believe. It’s $59,160 for tuition, room and board. If you apply early you’d get in.

Elon - is an in - but the cost is $65,663 and the Fellows gets $8K.

JMU - $46,118. I don’t see auto merit but there’s a good chance you can get under $45K. Did you check the Intelligence Analysis Curriculum? It requires a minor (great) but that might mean the career prospects are not great. Also, it’s not direct admit - you need to pass four classes plus a math class. IThe major is housed in the College of Integrated Science and Engineering.

Coastal Works and there’s possible merit. It appears direct admit - can’t tell though.

ECU - works - if they have the right major.

UNCC - works if have the major.

Ohio U - works if have major. They have the Tutorials too - which you might like.

So - I wouldn’t worry about reach vs. match - you just need a school - with the curriculum you like.

If I were to look at others and admittedly it’s hard to find the major, but others that work (within the area you seem to be looking), are:

U South Florida - has a minor in Homeland Security - perhaps it groups into Criminology - it will crush the budget. It’s a target or slight reach.

UCF as well - similar odds to USF - call it a target +.

SUNY Albany - is a bit over but should have merit. Safety.

Outside shot - admission safety but too expensive - but have been known to give half tuition - is Embry Riddle - might be more focused in the major.

UMBC has a certificate in the poli sci department - safety/likely. And that’ll crush the budget.

Hope that helps.

Certificates – Department of Political Science – UMBC

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13

Look into FSU.

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14

I assume your interest in Security Studies/Conflict is closer to International Relations than the Tech field?
To highlight the differences and give you examples from a university I know (/that am ‘forum mod’ for on cc but dont work for and it’s out of budget so just for an example), you have

→ National Security Studies
OR

Which may be coupled with strategic languages or a technical certificate such as

OR

(You’ve already said you’re not interested in the business side of risk assessment).

Sometimes it appears as a certificate to complement any major
Security Studies | Dickinson College.

What appeals to you wrt this major?

Typically a strategic foreign language or a combination of two languages is necessary, or tech skills.

Think about the geographical areas that interest you and look into Critical Language flagships: these combine a high level of proficiency in a critical, strategic language with any major of your choice.
Ole Miss, Western Kentucky, University of Hawaii, Portland State, University of North Georgia, UGA, U Arizona, UMinnesota.. all have critical language flagships. The challenge will be to find some within budget (all offer merit scholarships but may not meet your price point even with merit aid ).

If you want a liberal arts major, it’s usually but not always found as a concentration in Political Science or International Relations.
As a result, finding it is not straightforward.

Are you eligible for need based aid (ie , what’s your SAI.. and how far is it from your parents’ budget?)

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15

Have you considered George Mason?

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16

Thank you so much!! From what I researched, and maybe I’m wrong but

UTK: I qualify for the out of state volunteer scholarship with a 1300 and that’s 8,000 per year for 4 years

Pitt: I applied right on August 1 and test optional, my friends that graduated last year got between 10,000-15,000 per year out of state merit so maybe my gpa will help me there.

Elon: Presidential with over 4.5 weighted is 10,000, then fellows is $7500 then scholars is 5,000. I know all that’s a long shot.

JMU: If honors is possible I can get 3,000. I didn’t know about the major restrictions.

I will remove Clemson and nc state and I will look at your others. Thank you.

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Maryland. Pitt has been known to give good merit from my high school.

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Thank you this gives me a lot to look at. Not interested in the international/language side, more like the crime analysis side (which isn’t tech really either.)

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Thx for correction on UTK. You are correct. As for Pitt, I think merit is rare it not impossible. 389 first year got last year of 4600 first years, on average $8k. When my daughter applied, they said 33 ACT or no shot. You applied so all good. Best of luck.

Have you looked at WVU International Studies. They have a concentration in security and diplomacy. There may be others where it’s hidden.

It’s about $44k minus $17k.

There are likely others but hidden like this behind another major. And many Interbstional Relations/ Affairs/Studies will have this as a track.

WVU is a safety.

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One more - I ran Seton Hall - as it’s got a Diplomacy School. I put in your stats and this is what I got for tuition, room and board. Others on CC have labeled them a leader in the area.

  • Estimated Total Direct Cost: $60978.00
    • Estimated Tuition and Fees: $45610.00
    • Estimated Room and Board: $15368.00
  • Estimated Total Grant Amount: $19000.00
    (Includes both merit and need based aid from all sources - federal, state and institutional)
  • Estimated net price: $41978.00
    (Direct Cost minus grant aid)

School of Diplomacy and International Relations - Seton Hall University

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21

Good luck, mine got $8000 from Pitt and $3000 from UMD.

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22

UMD is not even on my list in state as I don’t think I’ll get in.

23

It’s ok to get turned down somewhere.

If UMD has your program (UMBC does) - but if UMD does and you have interest, take your shot.

You have a 3.96…a little light on the SAT and math rigor but. Are you taking the SAT again…or ACT to try and get it up?

You had Clemson and NC State and neither was affordable - UMD is - so if you’re going to take a reach shot - then maybe it’s worth a try.

Yes, you’re unlikely…but you can also apply test optional - they still take it.

So if they have your major and you have interest in the school, I’d encourage you to apply.

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They don’t have my exact program but I can pair information science with criminal justice. And I really want to go out of state but you’re right no harm in applying. Thank you.

25

If you don’t want to apply, then don’t apply. You can find schools for less. Like WVU.

If you like more an LAC experience, check out Christopher Newport - which has a minor that you can pair with Poli Sci or something like that.

Someone mentioned Ole Miss earlier - and its Croft Institute for International Studies is renowned - and they have a minor in Security Studies you can pair with a major in Croft.

And you’d be well under budget if it’s not too far.

Center for Intelligence and Security Studies | Ole Miss

About Us | The Croft Institute for International Studies | Ole Miss

U.S. National Security Studies | Christopher Newport University

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