Match Me: 97.9% Junior White Hispanic Female Biology/Nursing [NY resident, ~94% unweighted 9th-11th GPA, <$65k]

Fall enrollment and number of degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by control and religious affiliation of institution: Selected years, 1980 through 2021 says that in 2021, 849 (36.7%) of 2,312 private colleges were religiously affiliated. However, this outnumbers the 776 (33.6%) independent non-profit colleges (the remaining 687 (29.7%) are for-profit colleges).

In terms of enrollment, religiously affiliated colleges enrolled 35.4% of students, while independent non-profit colleges enrolled 45.0% of students and for-profit college enrolled 19.6% of students at private colleges.

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The nursing BSN major is usually much more selective than the college overall.

Why some nursing BSN majors are better or worse for the student typically comes down to:

  • Direct admission versus secondary admission.
  • If direct admission, what are the progression / weed-out criteria?
  • If secondary admission, how competitive?
  • NCLEX pass rate.
  • Cost / affordability to the student.
  • Non-academic factors.
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Ranking / prestige of college matters in some fields more than others. It matters much more in management consulting and investment banking than it does in nursing, for example.

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Its not really that, its more that I only get safety schools. With the exception of uroch. Everyone else gets a variety of schools, from safety to reach.

I feel bad asking you guys to build a list for me, but why would everyone else get the full range and I only get safeties? I would not be upset at all if I got a mix of schools and not just safties

Makes sense i guess. That it matters more in some areas then others. Nursing def isn’t a big prestige one?

I used those words because that’s how it was coming across to me. I apologize for that, as now you have provided more context to why you were saying the things that you did.

In a few fields, yes, the prestige of the college matters a lot. For you, in your situation, studying what you want to study? You can go to non-elite places and be happy and successful, for much cheaper. Your personal preference matters, and how you “fit” at a school is really important to your happiness and success.

Some of the people in your environment seem to have given you inaccurate information about what constitutes success, and what it takes to be successful.

Perhaps being in NYC is important to the issues here. In many states in the US, kids go to their public schools and don’t even consider prestigious schools. They go on to be extremely successful in their careers and in the rest of their lives. I hope you can learn more about folks like that and what their trajectories have been.

This is pretty much the truth! You’re right there!

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Okay, im sorry. Wont happen again. I wont be rude about it, but ill still question. I am very grateful for everyones advice

If you want a mid-size private not in the middle of nowhere and you were interested in BU (large and urban), you might also look at BC, which is a reach for all students in all majors and even more of a reach for nursing. And a reach for you.

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Just for your own info, “qualifying” for NM merely means you took the PSAT. It does not mean that you will qualify for National Merit Semifinalist in NY. Qualifying for NMSF in NY seems unlikely with a 1350. Current estimate is a selection index of 220.

However, it’s possible that you could qualify for College Board’s National Hispanic Recognition Program. Demographic checkboxes such as ethnicity are not considered by admissions, though you could still list such an award in the application if you receive it.

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Just as a suggestion


“I am very grateful for the list of safeties that have been suggested. Would you please help me with targets and reaches as well?”

As you can see, everyone is really trying to help you. It is fine for you to redirect the conversation to make it most helpful for you.

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  1. I got the college board notification that I was a finalist of some sorts? I can send you a picture in DMs, its really confusing

  2. im signed up for the hispanic recognition program! Praying for the best

Yeah, you’re right, I kinda just wanna know why I have to ask for non-safeties when everyone else in these kinds of threads automatically gets non-safeties

Safeties are the most important list. Safeties are different based on stats and ability to pay. Someone with a 4.0 1600 has different safeties than a 3.0 1100. Someone with no budget has different safeties than someone with a $20,000 a year budget. A CS major has different safeties than an English major. There are majors, like premed (not really a major) where the selectivity of the college doesn’t matter. It’s actually better to be top at your class at a less selective school than being in the middle of the pack at a more selective school.

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College Board tells everyone that they “qualify.” What they meant was that you are eligible for the contest. It is very unlikely that your score will be enough for NMSF in NY. Those notifications don’t go out until September anyway, so no, they were definitely not saying that you qualified for NMSF.

  1. im signed up for the hispanic recognition program! Praying for the best

Follow up on this award (make sure your counselor does the form) and include this in your application. The award will show up in your Big Futures profile in August and your school might tell you around Aug/Sept.

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I am in genuine shock. I sound sarcastic but im not being sarcastic at all. Call me dramatic but this is life changing

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Yes, it’s important for OP to realize that direct-entry nursing is often a much more difficult admit than some other majors. It really depends on the school.

So a school that would be an overall admissions safety might not be a safety for a nursing major.

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I think because most of our experiences are that kids and guidance counselors seem to easily find reaches and targets. Also, due to uncertainty in admissions the past few years that “safeties” are not guarantees anymore.

(And you listed reaches but no safeties in op so thus getting more safeties and targets).

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Besides what @Mjkacmom shared about the importance of safeties, your OP seemed to be asking for help with safeties. So it seems it is a misunderstanding of what you were requesting. Nothing more than that.

ETA: Cross posted with @2plustrio

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Case Western Reserve deserves a look! Excellent school. Vanderbilt as well.

Applying for nursing makes a big school smaller.

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My issue wasn’t with safeties, it was only being recommended safeties and nothing else.

The bottom part was really helpful and ive been wondering if its better to be top at a small school the middle at a big school. Thanks!