Im a senior in Pennsylvania. I have a 3.35 uw/3.60 w (both of which are on a 4.0 scale). My school submits everything at the end of junior year and my course load is 5 aps and 9 honors (apush, apbio, ap us gov, ap lang, ap csa). I had a gpa dip sophomore year because my mom moved out of state to find work again (we moved recently because of covid, where she was laid off, and after the pandemic, she had to move back to find work). My SAT is 1410 710 r/700 m and my school average is 1239. (Many of the kids get prep, should I mention in my additional info that I didn’t have outside help?) Here is the list of ecs:
Volunteer intern for state senator (6hr/w, 6/7w)
Community organization intern (5hr/w, 25w)
Rec basketball ref (same community org) (3 hr/w, 7 w)
overnight business camp
youth leadership org (monthly meetings to learn more about local/national businesses and develop soft business skills)
cs club
Awards: ap scholar, tsa essays on technology (regional): 5th (2023), 3rd (2024)
Yeah I meant elite schools, but schools I also have a chance of getting into. Like I know I’m not getting into Harvard or any Ivies. Right now I have Babson and maybe Villanova? My ceiling is UMich Ross. I know thats far out my range, but I already accidentally sent my transcripts and everything to them
The max you can borrow is $27K over the 4 years of undergrad. Anything else would be on your parents, either directly or as co-signers. Typically, it’s not recommended to take out anything above the $27K.
I don’t understand. Did you complete the application to Ross or just send transcripts and LoRs?
Both reaches for you, so that could be enough reaches, especially if you sent in the entire app to Michigan.
Have you applied to at least one affordable (defined as not needing more than $27K in loans) highly likely school? What other schools have you already applied to?
I second SMU. Maybe also look at Lehigh and Bucknell, but run the NPCs to see if they are affordable. Other ideas: Bentley, IU Kelley (you won’t have direct admit, but you could petition and if still not accepted could do the standard admit after freshman year…you would be accepted to IU), U Dayton, Marist.
A 1500 SAT is not going to compensate for your lower grades. Colleges will look at extenuating circumstances like the move, but that’s not going to entirely compensate for the grades either.
Have you considered Lehigh? That would be a reach for your stats, but not a moonshot super-elite reach, and finance is a strength. Probably comparable to Villanova in terms of admissions odds for your stats… which is to say, both are unlikely but possible. Bucknell is more likely - probably a toss-up. Gettysburg is launching a new finance major this year; it’s a little reachier than Bucknell but not as reachy as 'Nova and Lehigh. Of course, affordability is the question with all of these.
U of Delaware could be worth a look too. And maybe Providence College, particularly if basketball fandom is a draw for you. Another great bball+business school that might be an attainable reach is Syracuse (looks like a toss-up in terms of overall admissions stats, but I think business is a bit more selective).
i was thinking of lehigh, but i heard they dont give you much need based aid or aid at all so thats why im leaning towards villanova. i heard of bucknell so i might research that. im kinda set for targets so im primarily focused on elite schools i can get into with decent aid
Have you run the Net Price Calculators for all of the schools you’re interested in? That will give you a much clearer idea of what aid you’re eligible for than going by what you heard about them in general. Lehigh has no-loan aid and meets need.
are you talking about the direct admit request? ill do that right away. i was wondering if you think id have a good chance at penn state (smeal) in-state, if not fordham (gabelli). if i get into penn state or fordham (not as much for fordham), i could care less about my reaches.
i did it for some like penn state and bc. ill do it lehigh and all the other recommended reaches. the problem is im bias into what schools i think i can get into so thats why im trying to get a gauge on the schools first and then narrow it down by cost
Smeal is not direct admit. I can’t chance you for PSU or Fordham, but would defer to your HS counselor and Naviance/scoir/et al (if your HS uses a program like that where you can see scattergrams of past applicants form your HS and their results.
To be clear, you ran the NPC at Fordham and it would be affordable (not require greater than the $27K max student loans?)