Help me define safety/target/ reach schools!

proudterrier
Sun, 09 Oct 2016 07:07:17 +0000

I’m not familiar with the CUNY/SUNY schools, re: what’s a match/safety for stats, but I wouldn’t consider Oberlin or Bard safeties–with your GPA + SAT I wouldn’t count anything with a 30-ish% admit rate a safety. Oberlin says it meets need, but Bard doesn’t–with your low income status, a safety for you will have to basically give you a full ride. Have you run EFCs for both schools? I would make sure all your safeties will meet your full need.

BU is not quite a match. They do NOT promise to meet financial need and routinely gap low income students. Your stats are iffy for them–you have some downward trends in certain subjects and your SAT is low for them. I do think you’ll get some consideration for your circumstances, but they may track you to CGS, the junior college within BU (after two years, you transfer into another college at BU and graduate with the same degree as everyone else). Now, if you demonstrate your (very legit, incredibly compelling) extenuating circumstances, write well, and BU decides they really want you on campus (possible!) they may be generous. But it means I would move BU into the reach category, especially financially. I do have friends who were low income and got very-close-to-full-rides from BU for CGS (all but about 5K per year covered).

Financially I worry about U-Mass Amherst: you’re out of state and so you won’t get any financial aid. I would concentrate your match schools on schools that promise to meet full need, or are known for being generous with low income/first generation students (see below for my ideas).

What kind of school do you really want? Small liberal arts or large university? The variance on your list interesting. I don’t see a student who loves Oberlin loving BU… You might actually do VERY well to apply to some of the mid-tier LACs, including women’s colleges. I would look at the Colleges that Change Lives (there’s a website with a list!)… that might be your sweet spot, re: getting in and getting full aid. One I recommend looking at is Agnes Scott in Atlanta. They have a full ride scholarship specifically for Hispanic students. It requires an additional essay but if you get it it’s a full ride. There are others, but that one comes to mind.

Re: work. They’re not going to confirm that you worked (colleges don’t call to check up on that stuff) and I don’t think it matters whether it was under the table or not. In fact, don’t tell them it was! It’s really not their business.

Good luck! I’m sure if you tell your story and apply to a nice spread of schools (that meet need!), you’ll do well.