My potential university options [CO resident, 3.1 GPA, 1250 SAT]

Hi everyone,

I’m Sam, and I graduated high school in 2023. I decided to take a year off to focus on myself and figure out my next steps. I’ve been dealing with some mental health challenges, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and OCD which is primarily why I took time out. Thankfully, I’m in therapy and on medication, which has been helping a lot.

I’m now looking to apply to colleges but have a few criteria and extenuating circumstances. Big cities trigger my anxiety attacks, so I’m hoping to find a small college town or a LAC where I can thrive. Ideally, I’d like to stay in Colorado to be close to my support system.

Here are some details about my background:

  • SAT score: 1250
  • Extracurriculars: Model UN, and I played on the soccer team for the last two years of high school.

Additionally, if anyone has advice on how to address my mental health situation in my application, I would really appreciate it. Thanks in advance!

Can you chance me for:

Colorado College
CU Boulder
CU Colorado Springs

I am unsure of my major. Maybe PolSci?

What was your HS GPA?

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I’m surprise you have CU on your list after what you wrote.

If you’re ok away from home I was thinking something more like Ft Lewis. Westminster in SLC, Augustana in S Dakota or there LACs in Montana, Oregon, Washington - are these too far ?

We don’t know your budget or gpa.

You would qualify for WUE.

But if you want small, don’t trade off for big.

Good luck.

Ps - you took a gap year. What did you do during the year? Mental health wise there’s nothing to address unless you struggled mightily in hs.

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With 8500 undergraduates, U of Wyoming is much smaller CU Boulder and even a little smaller than CU Colorado Springs, and Laramie is only a 2 hr drive from Denver. The campus setting is suburban and hopefully not overwhelming. Their Exploratory Studies program might be a good option. Mental health wise, there’s a peer mentoring program in addition to a range of professional counseling services. Emotional & Mental Health | University of Wyoming

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To clarify the necessary details.

GPA 3.1/4.

I spent my gap year managing a depressive episode but I did work in a sandwich shop. In HS my mental health issues obviously did weigh on me but we carry on as best we can. :+1:t3:

WRT Boulder, it’s an acceptable size city. It is big cities that trigger me but necessarily big schools. I mean I am adept at finding quiet spots and I like the city. On campus, psychologically I feel ok. It’s the whirlwind of people,cars, noise etc that causes panic.

I can manage in-state costs and am not really looking too far afield in any case. Obviously loans/family/savings will come in to play.

With a 3.1 unweighted, CU will likely be tough. I don’t know how CU weights, but they accept 3.1 and if you’ve had Honors or AP, it’s likely higher (your weighted).

Only a third submitted tests there, but I would - while you’re in the lower range, you’re above their 25th percentile - which starts at 1160.

So let’s call it a reach - but a possible reach - maybe in exploratory studies.

As for Colorado College, very different - you know one class at a time is what they take.

You are definitely TO at CC - not close to the 25th percentile - which is 1380 with 37% submitting.

It looks like they show unweighted GPA - and 6% of enrollees are in your range - so that’s a very high reach school for you.

CU Colorado Springs is a safety for you - so if you like it, it’s a fall back.

I’m not really sure of what you want given you requested the smallest of schools (LACs) but note very large ones too. CUCS is in the middle with 11,000 kids.

I think - CU is a big city itself - in the sense there is so much going on - crowds on campus, kids driving in, parking, etc. So you might really think about that. After all you wrote: t’s the whirlwind of people,cars, noise etc that causes panic. I’ve been in Boulder several times - lots of cars as so many don’t live there but commute in given the costs of Boulder.

If you want to be close, while Wyoming is a different vibe, it’s a thought as was mentioned upthread. CSU would be a better chance for you - although not assured - and it’s large too but not CU large (not good for you I don’t think) and have you thought about UNC or Ft. Lewis. You also mentioned LACs so I noted Augustana and Westminster - but there’s lots of them. A CU is obviously very different than an LAC. Now Augustana is Sioux Falls - so sounds maybe too far. So I get that if it’s too far.

So if asked what did I do in my gap year - I worked in a sandwich shop, learned a lot, and saved money for my future.

Your personal struggles or medical struggles are your business - not theirs - but - you want to stay closer to home, will you have access to your therapist? Or - you might check with each school to see what type of mental health services they provide. You can likely find resources online and follow up from them. I will tell you - they’re likely not great at big publics - at least when you are first there and overwhelmed and the demand for services outstrips the supply of counseling. If you have your home therapist it’s ok but if not, you really might consider smaller schools.

Don’t worry about the school name - worry about your mental health as you continue down this journey.

Best of luck in achieving your goals.

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Many thanks for the replies.
I have decided not to attend this academic year. I need time to get my mental health in order. I may hold down a job, maybe travel a bit. Some community college classes to test different subjects out.

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Best of luck to you.

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Hi – I know you’re holding off for another year, and a community college class or two sounds like it might be a good way to stay in the swing of things. I also wanted to suggest looking into picking up a class or two at one of Colorado’s four-year colleges and universities – I’m thinking that Adams State, Ft. Lewis, or Durango might be good places to start, and I think they might still be accepting applications (or you could apply to start in January). I teach at MSU Denver, and while you said that big cities are triggering for you, we do offer online classes, especially intro-level general studies courses that would transfer easily to any in-state college you eventually choose. So that’s another option.

For longer term (say, if you take a few classes at one of these schools but still want to transfer somewhere else), consider CSU Fort Collins, which might be a better fit than CU Boulder.

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