Hi! I really love UMDCP - I think the mid-large size is great, the diversity, the suburban location close to DC is perfect, and the campus is beautiful. Also, their journalism/communications school is one of the best, which is important to me. The acceptance is around 50%, which would be a target for me. However it is pretty expensive. I live in MA fir reference. Any suggestions of schools that are similar would be great!! Thank you!
What is your budget?
Not completely sure, but it would be hard to do more than $30k a year
What are your stats? Have you looked at UMass?
Check out:
UConn ( would you qualify for their highest merit award? It’s not guaranteed.)
SUNY Buffalo
Ohio State ( would you qualify for merit? It’s not guaranteed)
Use the NPC for Syracuse
I have considered UMass Amherst, but literally 1/2 my class goes there. That’s not a deal breaker, but I would not prefer that. I believe UConn gives in-state tuition to MA students, so that’s a plus, but Storrs is kind of in the middle of nowhere. I have a 3.8 GPA, 1250 on SAT.
The SUNY schools may be affordable for you. Use the net price calculators and show the cost of all schools mentioned to your parents. Also remember that UMass is big… there will be lots of new students to meet.
You will need merit for most OOS schools… this means going down the list in selectivity. I don’t know if the schools I mentioned would give you merit. UMass is a very good school… in my opinion it would be silly to attend a school that gives you enough merit to bring the cost down… and give up what might be the better school ( UMass) just because your HS peers attend.
Are you a junior? Can you retake the SAT and try the ACT?
Yes, planning on retaking them
Thats good- it may open up some merit for you. You will need at least $15,000 a year for state schools and more for privates. SUNY will come in closer to your preferred cost. You should also have the money talk with your parents… to make sure you are all on the same page. You can also check out Michigan State.
Thank you so much!
While it’s further away from Massachusetts, I would definitely suggest the University of Missouri for journalism/communications. Their J-School is one of the top in the country, they offer out-of-state tuition waivers for qualified students, and they also have a Missouri residency program where you can become a Missouri resident (and pay in-state tuition) after your first year at the school. While Columbia, MO is about 2 hours outside of St. Louis and 6 hours away from Chicago, graduates of the J-School there go all over: New York, California, and Texas are consistently ranked in the top five most popular states for new-hires from Mizzou. Definitely check it out!