Match My Child: NY, 3.6 UW, average rank, 1140 SAT, major in communications, Girl Scout, NHS, lots of art electives, ADHD [<$30k]

[TJBonnet]

Demographics

• US citizen
• New York State resident
• Public HS in rural-ish NYC suburb
• Other special factors: ADHD, has 504

Budget: Hoping to stay under $30k, which SUNYs will definitely do. Interested in some privates and OOS publics (New England, maybe PA & NJ).

Intended Major: Communications, nonprofits or political comms if those are options. May minor in Spanish; planned to attend art school till about a year ago and loves art history. As of now, plans to pursue a master’s in Library Science/Media Studies

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

• Unweighted HS GPA: 3.6 ?
• Weighted HS GPA: 3.9 (94.7 on 100-point scale)
• Class Rank: Third quintile (40%-60%)
• ACT/SAT Scores: No ACT. SAT 1140- 470 Math, 670 English-taken without accommodations (time and a half and separate location; no plans to retake)

List your HS coursework

• English: Regents/Honors in 9 & 10, AP Language (4), DE College Writing
• Math: Regents (a NY thing) Algebra I, non-regents Quantitative Geometry, non-regents Algebra II Trig (math is a huge challenge)
• Science: Living Environment (Regents), Earth Science (Regents), Physical Science, Environmental Science
• Social studies: Regents World History, AP World (5), APUSH (3), taking DE Public Policy and Economics
• Language other than English: Spanish 5, which is a DE class
• Visual or performing arts: Intro Studio Art, Drawing and Paining, Advanced Art Workshop, AP Art (test later this year), Ceramics 1 and Ceramics 2

Awards
Girl Scout Service to Scouts award
Girl Scout Community Service Award
High Honor Roll Scholar grades 9, 10, 11
AP Scholar
Hoping to earn NYS Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish in the spring

Extracurriculars

• Girl Scout since kindergarten, is helping run a Brownie troop for the second year.
• National Art Honor Society (NAHS)-member, co-VP and now co-president
• Music columnist for newpaper
• Contributing artist/photographer for literary magazine
• National Honor Society
• Summer library volunteer, now employed there after school

Essays/LORs/Other
Still working on essay, main LOR is from Ceramics 1 & 2 teacher who also runs NAHS

Schools
So far she has: 5 SUNYs-New Paltz, Oswego, Geneseo, UBuff, Stony Brook.
5 private schools: Drew, Quinnipiac, Salve Regina, Fordham, Syracuse
Of these 10, I think she may get into 4?

She will be applying for tuition exchange through TEP and CIC (Council of Independent Colleges). All five are part of at least one program. However, we don’t expect her to receive any as schools tend to give them to about 10% of students who apply, and all her schools are reaches or high targets, I think. SUNY overall is excellent, but in looking at the CDS for those schools, it seems maybe Oswego is the only solid bet.

I am grateful for any other possible matches!

[worriedmomucb]

@TJBonnet

Budget: Hoping to stay under $30k,

Have you run the Net Price Calculators on the privates? Fordham, for example, is pricey and if she is accepted, is unlikely to get merit. It would be hard to get that within your budget. I would check what NPC says.

[tsbna44]

Budget will often depend on if you have need. For example, if you apply to a private but they say you are a full pay family, you’re not getting to $30K.

So run the net price calculators.

Drew seems realistic - but I don’t think the others are unless you have need.

New Paltz is a match, Geneseo a match, Oswego a likely, Buffalo a match, and Stony Brook a reach in my opinion. I might add an Albany and/or Plattsburgh - an easier admit.

You might focus on a school like Millersville PA or W Carolina that will make budget.

Private school wise - some will get aggressive - but not sure if $30K aggressive - especially given the student isn’t tops. Still schools need butts in seats so find schools like Allegheny, Kalamazoo, Beloit, DePauw - see if they can work. I hear Marist is good for kids with ADHD, etc - but - will it be affordable. Likely not.

For privates, you need to do the NPCs. If they don’t say that you’re $30K and that’s a hard #, I wouldn’t bother applying.

Good luck.

[TJBonnet]

Thank you! This is her second crop of schools-I did run the NPCs for a few, which she’s since decided not to apply to.

Fordham, in particular, isn’t a concern because I really doubt she’ll get in. I did run the NPC and it seems like our contribution would be about $50k.

Tuition exchange would cover the entire cost of tuition, which would make a huge difference. I think we will need to find more schools that won’t be “squeakers” as far as acceptance goes-she’s more likely to get one at a school where her stats are well above the average, but I think that will be hard with her SAT.

[TJBonnet]

Thanks for the input! I’m glad the SUNYs are more likely than I initially thought. I was surprised she added Stony Brook, but Plattsburgh isn’t as far as I thought. And Albany is less than 2 hours but she wants a more traditional campus.

I have Marist on MY list because it’s also close and I hear lots of good things about it. And it’s also tuition exchange eligible, so maybe I’ll be able to convince her.

I will look at those other suggestions-thanks again!

[BoroDad]

Some thoughts below. I went to NCES College Navigator and looked at colleges with Comms majors where 1100-1200 SAT was the 25th percentile (making your’s a target student in the middle 50%.

These public’s are more affordable

Slippery Rock (PA-Public) Very affordable, total $30k on campus but can be cheaper if OOS and you have a 3.0 in HS (never seen that before). Auto accept > 3.25 HS GPA located 1nhr north of Pittsburgh. Mostly test optional (25% submit SAT). Small/med school with 7,000 UG. Comms, Art, and Info Studies are larger, popular majors. Has smaller Spanish program. Not a very diverse student body.

Montclair (NJ -Public). More expensive - need some aid. $44k total OOS on campus. Medium/large with 17,000 undergrads. Gives aid. Pretty campus with Mission style buildings. Close to NYC with direct Train. Test optional and 1140 SAT is about the middle student of submitted (8%). Comm and Art are popular majors and has Spanish. Also has larger Linguistic programs which might be good for future library/museums graduate studies. Extremely diverse student body.

A similar school to Montclair but smaller is Ramapo with 5,000 UG students.

Rowan (NJ - Public)- also expensive but does have some OOS merit scholarships. $45k total direct cost OOS on campus. Located in South Jersey. 15,000 UG students. Test optional but With more STEM majors at the school an 1140 SAT is closer to 25th percentile for 32% who submitted. Has comms, advertising, PR etc. Has Spanish and art majors and info science which is a part of library science.

A similar school to Rowan is TCNJ near Princeton. Similar to Rowan in price and student body and programs but smaller about 7,000 students.

Some privates below ranging from 2000-7000 students with approx direct cost before aid. The real cost will depend heavily on aid at the school. Run the NPCs.

DeSales ¶ $60k
Johnson & Wales (RI). $60k
Roger Williams (RI) $60k
Allegheny ¶ $65k
Adelphi (NY) $70k
Susquehanna ¶ $70k
Moravian ¶ $70k

[AustenNut]

If you’re indicating a 3.6 unweighted GPA, that appears to be about a 90% for NY schools. Is that about where her unweighted GPA is? Below are my guesses as to what your D’s chances might be. I used this 2024 admissions summary sheet to provide more information on the SUNY chancing.

Extremely Likely (80-99+%)

• SUNY Oswego

Likely (60-79%)

• Drew

• Quinnipiac

• Salve Regina

Toss-Up (40-59%)

• SUNY Geneseo

• SUNY New Paltz

• U. at Buffalo

Lower Probability (20-39%)

• Stony Brook

• Syracuse

Low Probability (less than 20%)

• Fordham

Some other schools that your D may want to consider include, along with my guess as to her chances for admittance, are below. They are in the desired geographic area, seem to have relatively popular communications and arts majors, and the net prices seemed as though they had a decent to extcellent chance of falling within the budget.

• Arcadia (PA ): About 1900 undergrads, extremely likely

• Ithaca (NY): About 4600 undergrads, toss-up

• Juniata (PA ): About 1200 undergrads, likely

• Kutztown U. of PA: About 6500 undergrads, extremely likely

• Marywood (PA ): About 1900 undergrads, extremely likely

• Point Park (PA ): About 2400 undergrads, extremely likely

• Shippensburg U. of PA: About 4400 undergrads, extremely likely

• Slippery Rock U. of PA: About 6800 undergrads, extremely likely

• SUNY Fredonia: About 3200 undergrads, extremely likely

• SUNY Purchase: About 3100 undergrads, likely

• SUNY Buffalo State: About 5500 undergrads, extremely likely

• Susquehanna (PA ): About 2200 undergrads, likely

• U. of Hartford (CT): About 4k undergrads, extremely likely

• U. of Maine: About 10k undergrads, extremely likely

• West Chester (PA ): About 14k undergrads, likely

• York (PA ): About 3300 undergrads, extremely likely

[AustenNut]

@TJBonnet

main LOR is from Ceramics 1 & 2 teacher

If the colleges require a recommendation, double check to see what kind of a teacher they want. Many colleges prefer to have a recommendation from a core subject teacher (English, math, science, social studies, or foreign language).

@TJBonnet

I did run the NPC and it seems like our contribution would be about $50k.

If your budget is $30k, then I wouldn’t have your D apply to Fordham if the school won’t be affordable even if she is accepted.

[ali-ice]

I think your best bet is a SUNY school -but Marist sometimes gives good aid - it really depends on your financial numbers. It’s a good school for kids with learning disabilities (at least according to what I read).

I second that Kalamazoo and Beloit MIGHT also work depending on your numbers. Run the NPCs --and don’t be afraid to make a phone call or two if you kid wants to leave the local area. Still though - you have the SUNY system which in general is a really great education and typically affordable.

Also -random comment - since math is a tricky — if you child ends up at a SUNY - -consider taking one of her math requirement(s) at the local community college the summer before she heads off to college (double check it will transfer). It will be a smaller class size, and having only one class will make it easier. I don’t know what SUNY requires for the potential majors – so check that too. She can take the other math requirement (if there is one) the following summer. That way she won’t have to stress about her most difficult subject with a full course load.

[TJBonnet]

So far it seems like the LOR from the ceramics teacher will be adequate-it’s been tricky trying to decide because the counselor said to choose among 11th grade teachers-if she has to she’ll ask her Spanish teacher from last year.

[TJBonnet]

Great list! Thank you. I appreciate it!

[TJBonnet]

Thank you! Great idea regarding the math. Though I have been glad to see that schools have eased up a little on gen ed requirements for non-STEM majors. I was an English major and had to take 3 science and 2 math classes and had a terrible time with all of them. It seems like a few schools we’ve read up on now require one of each. We went to an open house at Mount Holyoke last year and the representative told us they required one of either.

[TJBonnet]

Thanks for the input! It’s interesting how things have changed with the SUNY colleges-I went to Oswego and when I applied, only Geneseo was harder to get into. I had a few classmates who didn’t get into Oswego, but got into New Paltz.

She will be eligible to apply for tuition exchanges for all the schools she’s applying to and I know some of the schools on the list you provided participate in that as well.
Thanks!

[ali-ice]

That’s really good news…and a lot of places will have ‘lighter’ science options…like Biology for non-majors etc
Good to hear about Mount Holyoke. That will probably be on my daughter’s list next year (although she will probably be STEM).

[throwawaystudent89]

Check out Bing!

Great school, free app for residents right now, and great aid in state.

“Public Ivy”

[TJBonnet]

I loved Mount Holyoke! I don’t think she’s going to apply but she liked it too-but she wants something bigger. But I loved the vibe and we sat in on a panel of students and faculty and one of the students had majored in environmental studies and had a great experience. The campus was gorgeous (fall in New England, probably the prettiest time to be there) and the dining hall had tons of options.

[TJBonnet]

Thanks-I think Binghamton might be a reach, but it would be free to apply.

[VAcollegemama]

Ithaca College seems like a good possibility. Strong communications program, lots of art, good disability support, and a chance of merit aid/scholarship.