<p>I have a 2180 SAT (730/740/710) and a pretty low GPA. I had a 3.7 unweighted cumulative the past 3 years but for 1st quarter of senior year, I have about a 2.5. I’ve already applied to UConn (instate), Drexel, WPI, Northeastern, UNC-Chapel Hill (OOS), and Stevens Inst. of Tech… I don’t think my chances are high for any of these schools, so are there any other schools that I could apply to as safeties?</p>
<p>I know that going to a CC and then transferring is always an option. Also, for paying, my dad is currently unemployed (been so for almost a year), but said that he can pay up to $30k a year. This is all money that he’s saved up in the bank though so I’d feel terrible making him pay that.</p>
<p>Only on CC would a 3.7 UW/2180 applicant think they have a weak application!!!</p>
<p>Okay, reality check: you’re better than 95% students out there. Uconn, Stevens, Drexel, and WPI are all safeties for you. Northeastern is a match. Only UNC -CH is a reach, because they only take 18% OOS students max and the competition is almost Ivy-like. </p>
<p>If your dad is unemployed, you should apply to 100% need schools (or almost-100% need schools). Please, do yourself a favor and apply to Bucknell, Gettysburg, Lehigh, Lafayette, and add Union and Clarkson.
This way, you’re sure your dad won’t have to deplete his entire savings for your first year of education. (BTW these savings should be in his retirement fund, somewhere where he can take them out without penalty.)</p>
<p>And get that first semester senior GPA back up to where it used to be if you don’t want colleges to think you’ve got a bad case of senioritis! ;)</p>
<p>I had 3 70’s first quarter so I figured that would really affect my chances… And thanks MYOS1634! I’ve thought about applying to Lehigh before, but didn’t actually give it much of a chance. Now that you’ve told me that it’s a 100% need school, I’ll seriously think about applying there.</p>
<p>Colleges won’t see your 1st quarter grades, they’ll your first term grades (first 2 quarters together) so hurry and salvage those 3 70’s. Yes it would affect your chances if you stayed stuck at 70 in all three subjects, but hopefully you can bring that back up.
Apply to Lehigh but before you do so, fill out the “request info” form AND ask a couple questions about their engineering program and their financial aid policy, indicating SAT score, your 3.7 GPA, and that your dad is unemployed so cost is paramount for you. Lehigh takes “interest” into account, they don’t want to be anyone’s safety, so stay in touch with them.</p>
<p>With your stats you qualify for an automatic 4 yr. full tuition scholarship at UAlabama. If your dad is unemployed, you might want to apply there (by 12/15 to be eligible for scholarship consideration.) . I agree, you need to get those grades up 2nd quarter so you can send in reasonable 1st term grades to your schools.</p>
<p>Here is the deal with the full-need places: They get to determine what your need is.</p>
<p>So, this year with your dad unemployed, a full-need place that costs 55k might determine that your need is 25k. Since your dad can pay 30k from his savings, you will be fine. But next year after he gets a job, that same full-need place might decide that you don’t have any need at all because of how much money he is earning, and if your dad can’t come up with 25k out of his new income, you will be 25k short.</p>
<p>You don’t know when your dad will get a new job, or what that will pay. Do both of yourselves a big favor, and read through the thread that celesteroberts linked above, and take a long hard look at your own in-state public Us that cost no more than what your dad has available for you from your college fund. You don’t want any ugly surprises down the line.</p>