Match (or chance) a slightly panicked Midwest Senior - 4.37W, 4.0UW, Mid ECs and Honors, English or Communications major

Chance Me / Match Me
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Hey everyone, I’ve generally been more of a lurker than a contributor but over half of the schools I’m applying to are T20 major reaches and the fear of not getting in anywhere is starting to get me… so i’m looking for any input on other schools that I might have better chances at/have similarities to the ones I’m already applying to.

I’m including a ton of info (maybe overboard idk) so if in addition to matching anyone has any insight on chancing for the ones i’m already applying to, that would be appreciated! :slight_smile:

Gen info:
Mixed Asian/Caucasian Female
4.37 W, 4.0UW
School doesn’t rank but unofficially, top 30 of ~840 class.
1480 superscore: 770 reading, 710 math
At a large, highly diverse Midwest public high school: made up of 1/3 mega rich kids and privileged, 1/3 semi-normal, 1/3 stereotyped as farmers.
Legacy to Umich but they couldn’t care less, no 1st gen, no other hooks

NPCs I’ve already run are ranging from 20k-50k, but a school with good enough financial aid to land somewhere around 30-40k is optimal for me.

Applied as english, communications, or undecided major to every school (with linguistics as an additional interest where applicable). Interested in spanish minor but minimally included on apps. Don’t really know what I want to do with my life.

Past classes:

9 - English H, Geometry Acc, Biology H, AP World (only AP available as a freshman, got a 4), Spanish 1, 2D Art/gym requirement, midlevel Orchestra

10 - English H, Algebra 2 Acc, Chem H, AP Human Geo (got a 5), Spanish 2, prereq Music theory/comp for AP level, Highest level Orch

11th - AP Lang (4), DE Precalc/Trig, AP Env Science (5), APUSH (4), DE Spanish 3, AP Music Theory (5), orch, peer tutoring (essentially study hall)

12 - AP Lit, AP Calc AB, AP Stats, AP micro/macro, DE Spanish 4, Orch, peer tutoring x2 (leadership position now)

Honors (i already know these highkey stink)

3X orchestra solo gold rating

AP Scholar w/ Distinction

Collegeboard school award thing idk

National Merit Commended Scholar

NHS 11, 12 (no officer)

ECs

Spell Bowl: 4 years, team placed 1st or runner-up in state past 3 years, 1 of only 10 spellers

Job: barista/making food/register at a small coffee shop, only senior year

School bible study: 4 years, major leadership position this year and minor last year, talked about a semi-controversial situation in Additional Info (and i really hope it helps and not hurts lol)

cultural club: 3 years on leadership (club has only existed those 3 years), we learn about a specific country each month

Music honor society: all 4 years, leadership this year, some service

Church volunteering (split into 2 activities): kids sunday school volunteer and worship team volunteer in a variety of capacities. Self-taught bass guitar for this.

4H: listed various awards i’ve received for crafts (highest was a state level photograph)

Student government (11, 12): description is pretty vague

Service club: all 4 years, writing cards

Commonapp essay is maybe an 8/10 linking my hatred of driving with indecisiveness and how it’s hurt me (but also how it’s been an asset), supplementals are decent

LORs: one from Spanish teacher (9/10), one from math teacher where required (6.5/10). probably very generic but haven’t read either one. Counselor letter has good content but she used AI to write it and fully admitted that to me :confused:

Already applying to:

EA-
Indiana University Bloomington
SUNY Binghamton
UNC Chapel Hill
Northeastern
Berklee (one and only music school just for fun)
UMich

RD-
Rice
Yale
Brown
Vanderbilt
Wake Forest
Notre Dame
Northwestern
Stanford (highkey annoyed at supplementals so might not actually apply, plus no way i get in)

As you can see, highly unbalanced list. The main criteria I’m looking for in a school:

  • Quality academics/generally intelligent student body
  • Midsize (ideally 4k-10k students)
  • I really love the idea of residential colleges (hence rice, yale, binghamton, vandy, ND, wake) but if I end somewhere without them I’ll survive
  • Decent orchestra program, I want to continue playing as a non-music major
  • Geographically, Midwest or Northeast (or Texas or Cali since I have family there). Was considering UT Austin, UCSD, and UCI but ultimately crossed off because of OOS tuition
  • Good study abroad
  • Not Christian or Catholic school ideally, but has a political/religious climate that is generally moderate and accepting

Thanks in advance to anyone who responds!

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So the first thing is - stop worrying!! You’re a straight A student with a 1480.

But your list may not be built properly. When you build a list, you build based on cost, not desire. So for example, U of Alabama (top comm school) will be $25K for you with auto merit ($28K off). Ole Miss is a great school for English and you’d crush it. I know, you want to be in the NE and MW - so tell me where you live and I’ll give you “assured” to hit cost ideas. That’s what you’re missing.

Your race doesn’t matter - and you applied for typically unselective majors, you have solid rigor and great ECs.

So IU and Bing are a given - but can they meet $40K. Bing maybe but not assuredly. IU - only if you live in Indiana.

What if you get into Berklee - why apply?

So you need more schools - but I need to know where you’re from before giving you ideas.

In the Northeast, a UNH is a “likely” but not assured to hit cost. A U Maine has a flagship match - if they match your state will hit cost. It’s free SUNY app week through tomorrow and you might hit 5 - you applied to Bing so add Buffalo, Albany, New Paltz, etc. - whatever floats your boat.

For mid size, TCNJ will hit/beat your $40K as will Salisbury, Mary Washington, Christopher Newport, and PASSHE schools - like Lock Haven, Millersville, and more. Some directionals, like Eastern CT will.

When I see your budget, I think schools as noted - Bama and Miss State. But in the Midwest, you also have Mizzou and Kansas/Kansas State which will assuredly hit and top 10 and universally recognized as a leader - U of Iowa as likely (not definitely) to hit. A Miami of Ohio is likely high 30s - might even be assured with auto merit this year but that’s getting closer to $40K. A Central Michigan will be low 20s (in or out of state - no OOS tuition). U KY is really in the midwest as one could argue WVU is - and they are two other large flagships that will certainly hit. I think schools like UMN, Purdue, or Ohio State have a small chance of hitting $40K but are unlikely

You have no LACs but if you were interested in small, Beloit College, a well respected LAC, has fixed cost at no more than $30K all in - so it might not be the environment you’d want, but it would be safe for you.

Texas is a big state - Texas Tech would crush costs. You could try a school like Trinity U or some small LACs like Southwestern but you don’t have LACs. U Tulsa (not far from Texas) is another you can try - they go deep.

In California, it’d be tough.

The midwest has a shared school exchange so more might open up if I knew where.

So IU and Bing are definite for admissions - but not definite from a budget POV (unless you live in Indiana).

School lists need to be built around a budget as much as or more so than desire.

Good luck.

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Thank you for the input!! I’m from Indiana.

Can definitely admit my list is pretty badly structured. It seems like financially, some southern schools would be better… tried to come up with a “but” and all i can think of is that I’m generally anti-hot weather. LOL.

Up until the end of junior year, I was confident I wanted to study music composition/songwriting, so that’s why Berklee finagled a spot onto the list. I honestly don’t feel super confident about getting in based on musical talent, but it’s a “what if” I’d wonder about forever if I didn’t apply. If I get in, music school wasn’t meant to be… and if I do, then it’s another option on the list.

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OK - so don’t bother with UM - in my opinion. It’s over $80K. Maybe MSU.

btw - for Michigan, from their website - Legacy Applicants

Legacy status is not considered as part of U-M’s undergraduate admissions holistic review process.

So IU and Purdue. If you want to stay close, Butler is the kind of school that might work.

Yes, South - but UK and WVU aren’t South and they’re assured to hit. People may think they’re South but they’re not. If my calculation is right, Miami will be right at the border of your budget.

Mizzou and KU will definitely hit and Iowa will probably hit and it’s top 10 for English in most ranks.

So yes, get other apps in.

But if you’re good with IU, then you can be done because there’s .00001% chance you wouldn’t get in. And Bing may come through too. But take the 5 free apps through tomorrow and apply to SUNY.

And if you never thought of an LAC but might change your mind, look at $30K all in Beloit. No NPC to run.

Good luck.

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If you are interested in creative writing, Iowa should be on your list. Superb program. Writing

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Ohio LACs, such as Oberlin and Kenyon, are great for English/writing and give merit. Depending on how much need-based aid you get, you might end up in your desired budget range.

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I just reread the original post and saw the size and political climate preferences, so I’m taking back my LAC suggestions. But otherwise, LACs tend to be very strong for English, have good orchestras that are usually pretty easy to get in (unless it’s Oberlin Conservatory), and often give generous aid. Just something to think about.

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I’m just going to add - the large publics I gave you are meant to replicate your list - Michigan, UNC, etc. These are schools you will get into and will hit budget as opposed to Michigan or UNC - which you may get into. I’m not saying you won’t.

As for a Butler - it’s not to say you won’t get into Yale/Brown/Vandy, etc. but it’s the one with a chance (not an assurance) to hit your cost that’s mid size. Bradley and Hofstra might be the same and Ithaca is worth a run for mid size. There are mid size publics that would for sure hit $$ wise - from a Salisbury to Mary Washington to TCNJ and perhaps (not assured) some of the SUNYs (like New Paltz and Geneseo - where you can apply free through today). UT Chatt is South but in a city - so shares some resemblance to some of these - and would hit $$.

But my email of where else to imply you didn’t mean you wouldn’t get into the reach places on your list - which is very possible. But it’s just schools that are either assured (or likely where pointed out) to hit. To me, they are the most important so you don’t end up empty handed.

But you always want the assured school - not just admissions but to hit price. In Indiana alone, you have many - because IU is great and is Purdue but for those where it’s too big, you have Ball State which has an excellent rep as well.

Good luck.

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As far as SUNYs, it might make sense to just apply widely since it’s free today. Here’s some random logistics info about a few SUNYs besides Binghamton with linguistics:

New Paltz. It’s considered upstate by city dwellers, but downstate by people who live upstate. I think it’s a really nice campus in a good location, cute town ~2 hours from NYC. About 6k undergrads and fewer than 2k grads. There’s no train right in New Paltz but can easily get into the city from nearby Poughkeepsie. It’s about an hour 45 min drive to LaGuardia airport.

Oswego. It has beautiful location, on the lake in Western NY. It’s a nice size, fewer than 6k undergrads, but it’s imo next-level COLD. It’s less than an hours drive to Syracuse airport.

Stony Brook. Large university like Bing, ~20k undergrads. It looks like linguistics is a very big deal here. Lots of research going on. SB about an hour from JFK & the city. There’s train service.

You’re lucky being from Indiana. It’s such a great university, and a really nice town.

Good luck with everything.

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Indiana has a great music program

You are guaranteed admission at Iowa as you meet the RAI. You can apply online today and get an immediate acceptance. It might calm your nerves to have one in the bag.

Union College is slightly smaller than what you are looking for but, but is a bit more likely than the rest of your list and has the residential structure that interests you. The sticker price is shockingly high, but they meet financial need and offer merit, so it might be worth running the NPC.

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I don’t know if you have considered and ruled out LACs, but I agree they seem like a great fit for your academic interests and possibly also your interest in universities with residential colleges, which are basically sort of trying to duplicate an LAC type of experience. Oberlin and Kenyon are great suggestions, maybe Bard and St Olaf, and if you would consider a women’s college, maybe Bryn Mawr.

For research universities, Indiana and Purdue are actually both really solid options, but I agree about giving Iowa a careful look if you are a writer. And then maybe also Rochester, Case Western, and Brandeis. They are on a similar model to a lot of your Reaches but generally somewhat easier admits, possibly with merit in fact.

Finally, are you sure about not wanting Catholic options, particularly Jesuit options? They can be great colleges for non-Catholics, including non-Christians and non-religious people, with strong traditions in humanities, and often great locations. If it were me, I’d at least consider Fordham (excellent English program and NYC can be an exciting option for certain literature and/or writing types), and maybe also Loyola Marymount (LA), Marquette (Milwaukee), and Loyola Chicago.

ETA: By the way, I am more familiar with academic stuff than music stuff so that was most of my thinking, but I at least have the impression these are all solid options for music people who are non-majors.

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I think Beloit is the easy LAC. Well thought of and they are “guaranteeing” no more than $30K out of pocket.

That takes all the budget risk away.

But alas, OP likely isn’t interested in LACs given their list had none.

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Yes, absolutely (both of my kids were/are very involved with music at two different Midwestern LACs as non-majors).

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