So for a background I live in Maryland and I am a rising senior. My weighted GPA is currently a 4.0 but at the end of the semester will rise to a 4.1. I have always only taken all honors or AP classes in high school but my gpa is weighed down by my freshman year classes but my grades have drastically improved over the years. Im currently taken hon. calc, ap world history, ap language and comp, ap psychology, and hon. chem. I am in multiple clubs and honor societies. I have only taken the sat once and got a 1710 but I am doing lots of tutoring/studying and hoping to raise it to a 1900. I have really only been looking at southern schools and my favorites so far were University of South Carolina, Auburn, Elon, and Clemson. I am trying to broaden my horizons and look at some smaller schools and possibly some northern schools for example Miami of Ohio or Indiana University. I want sports to be big; not specifically football; greek life, some sort of medical major; thinking of nursing; not a huge school no more than about 20,000 preferably. If you have any suggestions please let me know!!
Syracuse University? Very far from the south, as its in the middle of New York, but it has big sports, and vibrant greek life. Traditionally good basketball, but they are in NCAA trouble, so that may be down. They do play their football in a dome which is pretty cool.
Have you tried the ACT? Your coursework is challenging and your grades are strong. As you know the SAT is a weak point that is a bit surprising. Do you have a budget from your parents?
My undergraduate degree is from Auburn and my masters is from Indiana University. Basketball is huge at IU. So is greek life. However, it is well over 20,000 (over 40,000 total, and over 30,000 undergrads). On the other hand IU actually feels smaller than Auburn. So, I suggest keeping it on your list. The biggest difference between Auburn and IU is that the students at IU are considerably more liberal than those at Auburn (mainly because Auburn students are so conservative, not because IU is so liberal). Some people who live in Indiana will tell you that the liberals go to IU, and the conservatives go to Purdue. There appears to be some truth to this, but personally I don’t think it is a big deal.
Miami of Ohio might very well be the northern school which is most like a southern school. Definitely on the preppy and conservative side. Greek life is huge, but sports less so.
Ohio University in Athens reminds me a lot of Auburn – at least in the appearance of the campus (except OU is kind of hilly). It is almost exactly the same size as Auburn, with slightly more students.
What is wrong with University of Maryland? Why would you consider OOS especially several schools of lower reputation.
UM-CP with UMBC as a backup … your SATs are too low compared to honors and AP classes, try the ACT and keep studying for the SAT as well
Maryland is below the mason-dixon line … but as far north as you can be in the south …
Getting any type of scholarship in an OOS public university is almost impossible, so if you don’t look at Maryland, you will be spending 20K more a year without much improvement in quality of education. Private universities much higher, up to 40K more. If you qualify for financial aid, privates may give you better offers as OOS students really are meant to bring in $$$ not requests for aid.
If you get the SATs up you might get some merit money from Alabama which is very south.
@warnme1 I have a brother who goes to Elon it is amazing and he loves it there. Everyone who goes there loves it. However, if you want to look at Northern schools that have that appeal, I definitely second Miami of Ohio. It is THE Elon of the north. In terms of the other big school comparisons, I cannot think of any off the top of my head so I will stick with what I know.
Princeton’s reputation ages ago was “The Northern School for Southern Gentlemen.” Some still feel that way.
It isn’t “up north” but Washington College in Chesterstown is a fantastic LAC that fits your needs. It is not particularly selective and they have a good track record with professional program placement including medicine.
Actually, there are some publics in the south that offer large merit scholarships for OOS students.
Northwestern seems to meet your criteria if you can raise your SAT or try the ACT, as has been suggested.
I second the Washington College reccomendation. I have a friend who goes there and loves it. D3 sports, but I think the school spirit is still high. Also, Greek life is pretty big there.
Tulane maybe but I don’t think they have a nursing degree. Tulane has a high percentage of students from the East Coast but has all the southern charm.
Have you talked to your parents about how much they’ll pay each year? Your stats aren’t high enough for merit at the schools you mention. Even if you got a 1900, that’s not high enough for much/any merit.
Ask your parents how much they’ll pay. They may not agree with paying MORE for something you already have for less money instate.
@warnme1 first, having taken SAT only once, how about taking ACT and again taking SAT. Maybe not too late to sign up for June testing. Many students can raise their score/do better on one or the other. Both my DDs were able to raise ACT score into very good/excellent scholarship levels - but it took work. Lots of practice testing, tutoring, prep classes. First semester HS senior year was intense prep with ACT as the priority - one DD just needed to raise ACT one point and she did it. Other raised her score to Presidential Scholarship level, and achieved that on the last test date her school accepted (took ACT Sept, Oct, Dec of senior year). Look at what your parents can and are willing to pay (some ‘overlook’ room and board, but that is a significant cost). The scholarship level at colleges is often first looking at your numbers, GPA plus ACT/SAT.
If you are serious about nursing, look at the programs in your area, in-state public first. Can google state nursing board and they should have all the programs listed. Some nursing programs have a ‘scholars’ program, where you are guaranteed a seat in clinicals (most starting junior year) if you are accepted into that school’s program, and meet the academic criteria along the way.
You can find out a lot about various programs and schools with on-line information. Also check to see if there are programs where you can pay in-state for another state (where there is ‘reciprocity’). For example WI has this with MN, so my niece, who went to a small time HS (which did have pretty strong science preparation, which served her well) went to a state nursing program in MN, Winona State (a smaller college, which was a good fit for her first two years of college). Winona has clinical program in two places, and she was in Rochester MN to finish her last two years. She now works for the Mayo affiliated hospital system.
Be advised that some states have their BSN program as 4.5 years (often with the summer term between junior and senior year). This is the case in AL. So if looking at OOS public or private programs, be aware of that additional expense.
For example UAB, a very large nursing program (they begin students in clinical rotations FA, SP, and SU), has a scholars program (have to apply by HS senior year, maybe Dec 1 deadline…need to check for current). I am told by another parent (whose DD just finished sophomore year and was hoping to win a seat at AU nursing) that AU has nursing at AU and AU-Montgomery. Is kind of deflating to have gone the first two years at AU and then getting the degree at AU-M.
Both AU and UA’s nursing programs are very competitive to advance into clinicals - more students than the clinical slots, so high GPAs during college FR/SO years needed.
DD has Golden Excellence Scholarship at UAB (for hers, as an in-state student, it was paying $7,000/year - 8 terms, which almost covered her tuition costs) - and is in the summer classes, will graduate BSN May 2016. Over 2/3rd of her nursing clinical class last fall were scholars students; many academically strong students decide nursing during college and really drive the GPA up for those remaining seats. In AL, there are very good nursing programs at schools like UNA, UAH, USA, etc - so some students may start at a larger university and finish nursing at one of these other schools.
Have your parents help you explore and plan a college budget. You don’t want to start at a school, then find it is un-affordable or you can’t complete your degree there due to other factors (change of major, unable to get into the academic program desired, etc).
You should look into Notre Dame and Boston College.
Are you aware of the academic common market where students who qualify for UMD but can’t find their major are allowed to attend the state schools in a number of other states at ‘in-state tuition rates’? We have two guys in our MD neighborhood who are attending college in Alabama and Tennessee.
http://www.mhec.state.md.us/highered/acadaff/academiccommonmarket/commonmarket.asp