Currently helping my younger brother who is going through the college application cycle this fall, he is not super proactive and I am a few years removed from the process so I thought I would post here to see if there are any issues with what we’ve come up with so far. Here is some relevant info:
IL Resident
3.3 UW / 3.55 W
7 APs total
1240 SAT (test-optional for most schools)
Strong and well-rounded extracurriculars, no “spike” but emphasis on service. Few noteworthy awards. I am confident his essays are excellent however.
Budget: ~$30k
College List:
Catholic Schools - I’m about to gradate from BC, had a very positive experience and strongly believe he will fit well in a similar culture. Marquette, Loyola Chicago, Fordham, Providence College, Holy Cross are all on the list.
Big State Schools - UIowa, MSU, Wisconsin, UIUC, Ohio State, UMass, Penn State, Rutgers, UIC; all strong business schools and great fun (except the last couple)
Texas - SMU, TCU, A&M; we have family down there + warm weather and low taxes. These schools have loyal and well connected alumni. Planning on applying Early Decision to SMU.
Is this too ambitious or too conservative? Too wide of a net? Is his ED choice wise or should we wait it out till the regular round if not 200% sure? Are there any other colleges outside this list worth considering that are strong in business?
Jesuits do like service.
Does he want urban or more suburban is the question?
Jesuits: He might get money from Marquette and Loyola Chicago. I do not see Fordham or HC being affordable if goal is under 30k/yr. Consider adding Creighton or LeMoyne.
Big State schools: Drop Wisconsin-low prob of getting in and will be too expensive. Drop Ohio, UMass, Penn, and Rutgers for the same reasons. I just toured Central Michigan U last weekend and was impressed with the school spirit and campus food. It would be affordable as tuition is same for instate and out of state.
Texas:
SMU. Run the NPC (or net price calculator) on the colleges website first. If the number doesn’t come out affordable, do NOT ED!!
Misc: Doubt if either Drexel or Pepperdine would be affordable.
Want warm weather and D1 sports with affordability? Consider U of Louisiana Lafayette. He would get instate tuition plus extra merit.
Worth noting that our FAFSA EFC is under $10k and I’ve received a substantial amount of need-based aid from BC in the past. I did not think he had the stats to snag the major merit scholarships public universities typically offer so have been leaning towards private schools known for generous need based aid, since they are likely cheaper than paying full out-of-state tuition.
I would eliminate all of the out-of-state public schools on your list as I don’t think they’re going to hit a $30k budget for your brother.
Has your family run the Net Price Calculator on all of the private schools to see if they look affordable? If not, that is definitely the next step. No use applying to a school that will be unaffordable.
Below are my guesses for your brother’s chances of admission at the other schools (I excluded the publics that will not hit an unaffordable price).
Extremely Likely (80-99%)
Loyola Chicago
U. of Illinois – Chicago
Likely (60-79%)
Drexel
Marquette
Toss-Up (40-59%)
Southern Methodist (but low probability for Cox)
Texas Christian
Lower Probability (20-39%)
Fordham
Pepperdine
Providence
Texas A & M (and low probability for Mays)
U. of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign (and probably low probability to get into Gies)
Low Probability (less than 20%)
College of the Holy Cross
He does not need to ED, but if he does ED he needs to be 100% clear that it’s his first choice and that he doesn’t care what other options become available. Additionally, he should find out whether ED is still binding if he does not get into Cox.
I’ll second the suggestions of Creighton and of U. of Dayton and add Xavier. He may also want to consider Loyola New Orleans since he likes southern schools. Loyola is literally adjacent to Tulane and students can take classes (and maybe eat?) there as well.
In terms of Texas publics, I’d have him look at U. of Houston. He’d get the big sports there and he’d be likelier to qualify for a scholarship that could come with a waiver of out-of-state fees, making this an affordable option.
Another option for big sports is U. of Arkansas (Walton). Illinois is considered a surrounding state, and with a 3.2 GPA your brother would get 70% off of the out-of-state difference in price, meaning that I think this school would just come within budget (source).
These schools do look like more reaches and your brother should also have some schools that will be targets or safeties. Some good schools to consider include would be ASU or UofA. They are big schools but have very good business programs and are rolling admission. We know many who have attended the University of Portland. Good school in the Northwest. Although 70% acceptance rate, one of the top schools in Oregon and a solid business program with a small cohort. Its also a Holy Cross school.
Agree with the suggestion to consider business-oriented majors located in Colleges of Agriculture etc. This approach worked out very well for a relative of mine. Typically lower stats requirements for admission, but excellent job opportunities upon graduation.
Another Catholic school with a great business program is University of St. Thomas in the Twin Cities. Gorgeous campus in a cute residential neighborhood in St. Paul. Strong alumni network and excellent internship possibilities. The Twin Cities are home to a number of Fortune 500 companies, and host major branches of others, so a college internship here can turn into a permanent position in locations across the country.
Reported household income was a lot lower the past few years due to unemployment etc, which deflates the EFC quite a bit. But we do still have some money earmarked for college so $25k out of pocket + ~$15k / year in federal and PLUS loans should be manageable.
Applying to Ag colleges is a great idea. I will definitely look into replacing the more expensive publics with cheaper ones (eg. Arkansas was a great find). I am a bit hesitant to push for some of the very small and less selective private colleges recommended, mostly because of concerns about their financial stability and whether they will still exist 10-20 years down the road. Not a good look to graduate from a defunct college.
Schools like this with access to a major city / metro area (<1hr away) are ideal for easy access to the job pool and networking opportunities. At the same time, he definitely wants a well-defined campus and cohesive school spirit so likely a suburban setting (NOT urban commuter schools).
A school like Hendrix is financially sound and will match Illinois tuition. Has Econ and accounting. SIU and Central Michigan are wins for your brother.
If you spend less than saved it’s a win.
He’s not you - he’s not going to get big need aid bcuz most need blind schools are out of reach and need aware schools won’t want to spend so much on a student with these stats.
Yes, St. Thomas is just minutes from the airport, the Capitol, and many business internships, yet the neighborhood has a cute residential vibe. I believe the technical term is “streetcar suburb.” The campus is well defined and cohesive, with all the buildings made of the same stone. St. Thomas recently made the switch from D3 to D1, so they are not yet a sports powerhouse, but the teams are well supported and there is lots of school spirit. Definitely not a “urban commuter school” vibe. More upscale, preprofessional, a bit preppy (as preppy as the Midwest can be )
As an Illinois resident, perhaps the Parkland Pathway to UIUC would be of interest. Two years at Parkland Community college and then transfer to UIUC. He could even live on campus at UIUC and also take some classes there. It’s a very popular programs for kids who want UIUC but don’t quite have the grades to be admitted as afreshman.
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