Posted in the collegesearch thread but I need the help of you knowledgable persons

Parents Forum
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<p>Hope this is “legal” that I posted here…
Holding my breath about replies to this post…I’ve been reading A LOT of posts but just never posted anything</p>

<p>Female
African-American
From Louisiana…
Public school that sends some graduates to top schools</p>

<p>ACT: 26 (reading score 29, so I KNOW I can do better on the retake…)
SAT: just took it…crossing fingers until Oct.25</p>

<p>Marching Band-9th grade year (could have been first chair the next year but I realized band wasn’t a passion
Cheerleading-varsity squad (I think I was pretty good and it was a lot of fun but I didn’t really love it…
Dance studio training – 11th and 12th grade years – contemporary, ballet, lyrical, jazz (I LOVE DANCING and it is my PASSION; I felt like I hit the jackpot when I started to take it seriously)
Oh yeah…I also volunteer with an org called VolunTEENS and I’m a member of the Youth Advisory Board…this is my second year with that organization and I LOVE IT also…not for resume building, it just always gives me a sense of fufillment</p>

<p>APs</p>

<p>Currently taking English IV AP – I have an A and I LOVE IT…would’ve taken more but it would’ve conflicted with my Talented Art class.</p>

<p>Did rather lackluster in school until 11th grade when I realized daydreaming wouldn’t get me anywhere and that I had to actually APPLY myself…
Have a significant upward trend because of that (3.2 to about a 3.75 junior year, I now have all A’s, weird right? After averaging my current grades with those, I’ve come up to a 3.6 from a 3.2 cum avg.)</p>

<p>WILL NEED FINANCIAL AID!</p>

<p>Here is the tough stuff… The only schools I am dedicated to applying to are Tulane University (Consumer Behavior/Marketing) and Simmons College (retail management)…just did a campus visit to Tulane and it was GREAT…I’m drawn to urban locations, mild weather, DIVERSITY, small to medium sized schools, doesn’t have to be on rankings lists, other than Marketing I’m interested in Dance, Sociology, and a slight interest in Economics… Can ANYONE help me, LOL, but really…chance me, recommend me I just really need help…if confused my sporadic nature just let me know…THANKS in advance!</p>

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<p>Start looking at this great website, <a href=“http://www.AdmissionsAdvice.com%5B/url%5D”>www.AdmissionsAdvice.com</a>
put out by Carolyn, an admissions counselor who often posts here. She’s in her busy season, but I recommend you read the article (see left menu) Bottom Up College Planning to get yourself started. She has lots of other great links to help you figure this out. </p>

<p>Bottom Up basically means you pick 2 safe schools and then layer on some others you’d like to be your match and reach schools. </p>

<p>Can you get to a bookstore to look at Ruggs’ Recommendations? See your major, then find some colleges. Go back to your computer and check the website of these colleges. Find out if your ACT is in their 25-75% Median Range for admissions. Then you’ll know if you have a “shot” at them. THAT’s how to figure out your “chances” not by asking around! </p>

<p>Build up starting with 2 that you’d have a good shot of getting IN. Those are your safeties. After you know those, you can begin to layer on top some match and reach schools, maybe 2 of each.</p>

<p>It’s okay if a Safety is a state college, a community college, whatever is a SURE BET for your stats at present. Everyone who comes by these sites hears this wisdom:
Love Thy Safety. Once that’s in place, you can consider others you’d rather attend, but be sure to find two that you’d be satisfied with and ready to attend, even if they’re not “dreamy.” I hope you can apply to at least 6 colleges. </p>

<p>Ask your school Guidance Counselor if you’re eligible for Fee Waiver for the Application Fees from the colleges.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, by bumping your thread up, I hope another parent who can picture this candidate might make other suggestions! You sound very cheerful and pleasant and we want you to find your way!</p>

<p>Unlike the student sites or the “Chances” the parents prefer to give some advice to get you to good resources so you can develop a sound plan. You need a good list and if you’re a senior, here it’s mid-October so you need to really focus on this list a lot.</p>

<p>If your Guidance Counselor hasn’t already met with you, make an appointment NOW to find out all you can. You’ll want to organize your timeline so you can meet all the deadlines this fall for the applications. It sounds like a lot to juggle 6-8 places, but you can do it if you set up a calendar NOW with all the deadlines from the different colleges on your list.</p>

<p>SInce finances are so important, when you think of a Safety you might also need one or two that are also Financial Safeties, which might overlap with your academic safeties or not. </p>

<p>Good luck! I don’t have any specific colleges to recommend right now but want to first see that you get this process going. It’s about more than just “chances.” Make it logical and it will work for you so you can go to a school you like next fall.</p>

<p>For this vibrant African American young lady – any parents have specific schools to recommend?</p>

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<p>Passion - - sent you a PM (pvt message)</p>

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<p>Hi nyc-</p>

<p>I didn’t get the pm :frowning: don’t know what happened…</p>

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<p>I encourage you to check out QUESTBRIDGE: <a href=“http://www.questbridge.org/[/url]”>http://www.questbridge.org/&lt;/a&gt;
It may give you the help you are seeking. G’Luck!</p>

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<p>Well, you won’t find exclusively mild weather at Simmons College! :)</p>

<p>(But Simmons and Boston are worth looking into anyways.)</p>

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<p>Emory in Atlanta is large but has many other attributes you named (it IS ranked, tho):</p>

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