OP needs to look at naviance/scoir data…I had a 3.79 and was in the top 10% of my ~120 person class. Naviance indicated Colgate (12%) was a likely when from the outside it seemed like a reach (I got in).
3.7 GPA is not a red flag depending on class ranking/school type….I think this is a conversation OP needs to have with GC.
Has your family figured out a budget yet? If so, have they run the Net Price Calculators at these schools to see if the schools will come in as affordable (as nearly all the ones you’re visiting do not offer merit aid)?
True but it’s beyond. Colgate is a school for the wealthy. By that I simply mean they are need aware and their data shows they take advantage of that statement. That’s not a knock on you but someone similar with need may have been denied.
Most on OPs list seem need blind and we don’t know the need situation anyway.
Fair enough. But my statement still stands- admissions data from schools in relation to GPA is much more helpful than just looking at the middle 50 for such selective schools where GPA is subjective.
A girl in my grade got into Oberlin with a 3.4uw and got 20k/year in merit (unhooked).
Some schools are just feeders…public or private.
AP Calc - got B grade in; got 1 on exam (didn’t submit)
AP Bio - received B; got 2 on exam
I know these because I went to a college webinar where students who got admitted into the Top 25 schools talked about their stats, experiences, etc. in great detail and she went over basically her entire profile and application.
In the context of rigor, all my classes were the highest level possible (except for math - 2nd level out of 4). I did also have an upward trend so I hope that will help a bit. I think my LoRs will be stellar, since I’m getting them from teachers I am super close with and have done tons of work in and out of school with. I read one of my teachers’ rec letters for a scholarship (one of the teachers I’m asking) and it was really amazing. I’ll definitely EA to UMich, Rutgers, UVA, etc. so I might be able to have some more choices.
Forgetting the ‘rank’ your list is all mid sizes so UM doesn’t really fit (other than in state Rutgers which is large). From a match to your other schools it seems W&M would fit better although it’s a bit isolated. Pitt you already know about. I get it. You are all about rank but the minute you step on campus, it doesn’t matter. You are there four years - day after day. I hope you apply to the right campus - not the highest ranked (UM).
UM/UVA. Two really really pricey publics.
I sure hope you get the 7 year financial plan handled.
They did not fail the AP class, but did badly on the AP test and didn’t submit. Thanks for clarifying.
Just visited UVA today. 10/10 for sure; I really like it. They also have a perfect major (Political Philosophy, Policy, and Law) with Econ and English programs I could do at the same time.
I asked the admissions officer and they said GPA isn’t as huge a part of UVA admissions as people think it is. They said what they really want to see is the student challenging themselves with hard classes, regardless of the grade the student may have received in them. Beyond that, they also said they really look for student leadership, club involvement, etc. since “student self governance” is a key principle of UVA. Cost is ~$70k a year. I’m OOS so that may present an obstacle but I’m more hopeful after the tour today! The campus is gorgeous, food great, social life vibrant, and the students seemed very sweet.
As you’re visiting a number of campuses, it might be helpful to post your impressions on this thread, as a lot more eyes are likely to see them:
So it’s great you visited - and the Virginia Colleges are known for food. And it’s good you noted - it’s an underrated metric I think. Bad food = kids not eating well = low blood sugar.
I’m not a UVA food expert - visited twice but don’t recall eating there. Niche gives their food a C- vs. Va Tech which is one of the top 3 in the country, etc.
But if you liked the food - that’s great.
Not sure I ever heard GPA doesn’t matter - I have heard rigor matters. In the CDS, UVA states that rigor, class rank, gpa, character, and state of residence are “Most important”.
I would say this to you:
You can look wherever - and UVA is another reach but again no reason you can’t get in - but and you note here - budget is most important.
I would stop visiting super reach schools with no merit aid until you do the net price calculator on each. I put down UVAs. They are one of two public schools - UNC being the other - that promises to meet need for all students.
So see if you have need. You should do this before EVERY VISIT at every school - because if you can afford X but school is going to cost why, save your time.
UVAs NPC is under construction unfortunately. It appears My Intuition - not as good is up. So I put that for now.
But in the College of Arts & Sciences - just to level set, for this year - is estimated at $78,214 to $79,574 and they note 3% increase a year.
I’m not trying to be a downer - but you’re chasing things that may - or may not be possible financially (as you note above where you estimated a much lower price than they publish).
You should figure that out before you take trips.
But if for example, you like UVA but it’s way too expensive - then what’s a similar size, great school, and tons of merit aid so you can be $40K or less (more like a big W&M than a UVA but) - Miami of Ohio. although likely too rural for you.
These are the kind of exercises you need to do - because chasing a school you may not be able to afford to attend - just because of its name - is not fair to you or your family.
You are taking so many visits - you need to be efficient and realistic.
So start running NPCs - and then develop a list that works for the family budget.
If UVA works, great - but if your parents deem it too expensive, then find suitable alternatives - like Miami which has a DIplomacy and Global Politics major that might interest you. Or Delaware - which is very respected (a certain President is an alum) and has the Public Policy major. Or Charleston - which you had already mentioned - and you’d be awesome in the Politics, Philosophy, and Law Concentration of Poli Sci - and you just might might might get a Charleston Fellows nod - which in addition to merit provides so so much enrichment. One of my daughter’s friends turned down Rice, Penn, and Vandy to attend (I know you love the big names) due to Fellows.
The sooner you have the budget discussion with your parents, the better. If you find out you can’t go to schools like UVA and others, it will cause you sadness - but it’s ok - because then you can get your search going in the direction of the possible.
If you deem that all schools are affordable, then great - keep going - but squeeze in those target / safeties - Pitt, Charleston, etc.
It’s time to face that - and ensure you aren’t wasting time.
Glad you liked the campus - I liked it a lot too. If you have another day, you might check out U of Richmond and W&M - both an hour away (Richmond an hour, then W&M an hour). You could do both - tightly - in one day.
Welcome - University of Virginia - MyinTuition (myintuitionapp.org)
Your thread caught my attention bc my D22 was very keen on the PPE major (and its variants, like BU’s Politics and Philosophy and Wesleyan’s College of Social Studies).
One thing we have learned since she chose UCLA (in-state for us) is that it doesn’t really matter what you study in undergrad if law school is in your plans. She went into UCLA as a political science major, dropped it fast, toyed around with Economics, didn’t like it much. She has really clicked with the History department and has also decided to pick up a double major in Communication.
I see now that we didn’t really need to fixate on PPE as a program. Any major will do for law school. What’s most important is maintaining a high GPA, the opportunity to join relevant clubs or organizations (she joined a pre-law fraternity), and trying to expose herself to classes and internships that give her a taste of different things she could do.
And, what’s most compelling to me—as a parent footing the bill—is that her undergraduate degree was not very expensive, which makes helping her pay for law school (if she does indeed decide to do that) may not be so daunting.
You are right - any major - works for law school. Want to make ceramics - great. They’d love to have you. Same with business.
But one thing I’ve read from so many law school attendees on the board - majors with lots of writing - are fantastic prep.
And it makes sense. I dated a lawyer who had just graduated Gtown - and her firm had her in a law library (maybe it was ASUs as we were in Phornix) every night doing research…tons of writing.
You never know though if someone will follow through to grad school - and OP mentioned yesterday the parents were concerned with job stats from Swarthmore (which were indentical in % working to top choice Yale).
And it always good to attend a school that can cover all bases (which is most) just in case plans do change - as they usually do.
And a lot of reading. I took a lot of reading intensive courses as an undergrad (think Poli Sci, History, Literature). You learned how to read fast and selectively (where to skim, where to scan and where to dig in). This skill is critical in law school, especially 1L.
I agree - I already have way too many on my list. Unfortunately my mom keeps telling me to put Emory, Vanderbilt, etc. on my list which were a bunch of schools I was never interested in anyway. I really don’t want to add more (until I cut some off)…
At least Emory and Vandy both have merit 
Although hard to get.
Tell mom - we need to stop.
We need to understand how much we have to spend for both undregraduate and graduate - and we need to ensure the schools I am applying to can make that cost - either through need or merit.
Hence you need to fill out NPCs.
Your mom (and you) is prestige focused - but last I checked prestige has a cost and not everyone has the money to make the payment!!
Since you’re in VA, ask to visit VCU, URichmond, GMU and VTech.
Visit possible safeties, you want to make sure they’re the right fit and you can imagine yourself there.
And UR (I’d say a match! - has the right major: Philosophy, Politics, Economics and Law (PPEL)
I’m just curious if there is a reason you would leave William & Mary off the list of schools for the OP to visit while in Virginia? Although they do not have an official PPE major,their public policy is interdisciplinary and incorporates economics. It would be very easy to add a double major or minor in philosophy.They also allow students to design their own major. I think both Richmond and William & Mary could be good match schools for this student.
Along these lines, I don’t see the benefit for the OP of a PPE major over one in public policy. Both of these programs are interdisciplinary across similar foundational fields. If I were to make a distinction, however, it might be that public policy may emphasize practical approaches to a greater degree.