Rural High School Senior Aiming for Mid-High Schools In Cooler Climates [MT resident, 4.0 GPA, 35E/35R/36M/36S/9W ACT, <$15k, CS or math]

Chance Me / Match Me
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Demographics

  • US domestic (US citizen or permanent resident)
  • State/Location of residency: Montana
  • Type of high school (or current college for transfers): Rural Public School (~400 Students)
  • Other special factors: Not first generation.

Cost Constraints / Budget:

Looking to minimize cost, hoping to land after scholarships at less than 15,000/year.

Intended Major(s):

I am not super confident on my major but as of now I’m thinking Computer Science ro Mathematics with some sort of education opportunities.

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Unweighted HS GPA: 4.0
  • Weighted HS GPA: School does not use Weighted GPA
  • Class Rank: 1/79 (As my HS does not use weighted GPA I am not the only 1/79)
  • ACT/SAT Scores: ACT: 35 English, 36 Math, 35 Reading, 36 Science, 9 Writing

List your HS coursework

(Indicate advanced level, such as AP, IB, AICE, A-level, or college, courses as well as specifics in each subject)

  • English: Standard Level, slightly over half of the credits are transferred from homeschool (Basically I do well enough in school and did well on the ACT so I’m getting homeschool credits from when I was part-time)
  • Math: Alg 1 Through Calculus AB (Calc and Pre-Calc are AP) as well as computer programing.
  • Science: Earth Sci, Bio, Chem, Physics. All normal level.
  • History and social studies: 3 years of standard level
  • Language other than English: No foreign language, my HS is counting my Computer Programing and Cyber Security classes as language classes.
  • Visual or performing arts: One semester standard level.
  • Other academic courses: One year of college level Cyber Security (Possibly an additional semester next semester), College level accounting (1 Sem).

Awards:

College Board Rural and Small Town Recognition Award

College Board School Recognition Award

Two State level Math contest gold awards (Top 10% I think)

One Regional Level Math Contest Gold Award.

Extracurriculars
One year of kitchen work, One year local theater internship, Intermittent Volunteer work at different local theater. Participation in local teen theater productions including as an actor, director, and writer.

Essays/LORs/Other
Given my ACT writing score I would guess my essays are slightly above average. LOR’s are in decent shape, I have several different teachers and at least one non-school affiliated recommender.

Schools

Looking for Small-Medium sized schools of Med-High academic rigor/Selectiveness. Ideally in a cool climate (Currently I’m looking mostly at New England Schools). I’ll put the ones I am looking into below.

  • Assured (100% chance of admission and affordability): University of Montana.
  • Extremely Likely: Portland State University, Willamette University, Cal Poly Humboldt.
  • Likely: Hamilton, Reed College, Tufts.
  • Toss-up: Bowdoin, Swarthmore, Colby.
  • Lower Probability: Columbia.
  • Low Probability: MIT.

Thanks for your time!

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What is the approximate income on which your family pays income tax?

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So the first thing I’d say is - have you run the Net price Calculators for the schools that have no merit scholarships?

From your list, those are your likelies on down.

They will tell you up front what they cost.

If your cost as determined by them is under $15,000, they may turn you down for that reason - at the need aware schools - Hamilton, Colby, etc. So that’s the first thing - run those NPCs. Here’s one.

Secondly, I’d add W&L - which is in the mountains of VA - not as cool but cool much of the school year. Why? 10% get the Johnson Scholarship - a full ride - and if you don’t get it, they meet need and are need blind (so you having so much need won’t be held against you).

The rest I worry about Montana, Portland State, Willamette, Cal Poly -because often Room & Board alone are $15,000.

So Humboldt’s tuition for WUE is $9126 - so you’ll be well above with room and board. U of Wyoming would be cheaper - but still $20K +. Portland State is near $15K for tuition alone. What I don’t know is - can you get merit on top of WUE or to exceed the WUE cost (meaning cheaper).

U Montana - for tuition, room and board is $24K and you’d get up to a $4K scholarship - so $20K ish best case.

So yes, you can get a small loan (not desired) or perhaps your parents can afford more?

With your list, the first thing is to find out - is it even worthy. So I put one NPC below but your family should run for each school.

Let us know what it says.

Good luck.

Welcome | Net Price Calculator

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Your test scores, the 4.0 GPA and being from rural Montana are going to be in your favor.
However there are issues:

15k budget - from financial aid or merit?
What does the Hamilton NPC say?

Computer programming is not a foreign language - Hamilton, Reed College, Tufts, Bowdoin, Swarthmore, Colby,Columbia, MIT would all expect HS Level 4 in a foreign language (or through level 2 since you’re at a rural high school where they may not offer more than 2 levels but if the school offers level 3 then you would be expected to take it).
You can try and catch that up by taking a college Level 1&2 language.

I assume your school doesn’t offer Honors classes and you’ve taken all the APs available to you.

Most of these universities are highly selective, ie., reaches for everyone - anything sub 25% can only be a reach, a low reach due to being from Montana but a reach anyway.

Do you get an automatic full tuition scholarship to UMontana?

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The good news is that your Montana home will make you someone whom schools want if they like to say that they have students from all 50 states.

The following colleges in northern states all have full scholarships for which you should be competitive:

Denison in Ohio
Lafayette in PA
St. Lawrence in upstate New York

I thought that you might find the list below helpful:

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Congratulations on your achievements! Your grades, scores, class rank, and residence in an under-represented state will work to your advantage.

However – other posters are right that the lack of true foreign language will hurt you, regardless of how your HS counts computer programming (assuming foreign language was an option that you did not take advantage of). I think that having three years of social studies rather than four might hurt (the kinds of schools you’re aiming for expect four years each of core subjects). If honors and/or AP classes were options that you didn’t pursue in English, Science, and Social Studies, that might hurt you, too. If advanced levels were not available, then your counselor should say so in their letter – you’re only responsible for the level of rigor that’s possible in your school.

And you are overestimating your chances many of these schools. Reed is a toss-up at best, not a likely. It might be a low reach. Hamilton, Tufts, Bowdoin, Swarthmore, Colby, and Columbia are all reaches – for everyone, regardless of circumstance or academic record. I’m not sure which of these are need-blind and need-aware, so you should run the NPCs. Need-aware schools will be even more of a reach.

Schools you might consider adding to your list, some of which still might be very reachy, but I’m thinking of schools that might offer aid and might have strengths in math/science and are in cold climates: Grinnell, Macalester, St. Olaf, Carleton, Lawrence University, Union, Bucknell, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Case Western, and Illinois Institute of Technology.

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You are a great candidate, but Hamilton, Reed and Tufts are not “likely” for anyone as they are highly rejective. That’s not to say you can’t get in, it’d just recategorize them. Basically, you have 1 safety, a couple of likelies, and all the rest are reaches. That’s okay as long as you love your safety/likelies and know they can come in on budget.

Budget wise, apply as early as you can to Uof M’s honors program. That will get you another 5K and applying early usually helps.

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Others noted and I missed.

Portland State requires 2 years language for Oregon residents but not non residents so that’s a win - except affordability and you want small which it isn’t.

CSU requires two years so if they hold to rules Humboldt is a rejection.

U Montana will take the two years of CS but tuition, room and board is $24k with an estates $4k scholarship. Not small but not huge.

From U of MT

  • Two years chosen from the following:

    • foreign language (preferably two years), or

    • computer science, or

    • visual and performing arts, or

    • vocational education units.

You still should understand what your need is but any need generous school is unlikely to take you without a foreign language because you may find out you don’t have enough need to get to $15k. Another possibility - community college.

Good luck.

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This can be a problem at some schools. For example, Cal Poly Humboldt, like other CSUs, requires at least level 2 language other than English for frosh admission, and computer courses do not count. CSUs also require a year of high school art or a semester of college art.

The $15k limit can make getting to affordability difficult. Even where WUE tuition discounts apply, living expenses out of state will make the cost greater than $15k.

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Fortunately, some desirable private colleges recommend but do not require foreign language units, based on CDS information.

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Was World Language through 4 years and option at your school? If not, colleges (theoretically) can’t hold it against you.

The good news is, you have great grades and SAT scores. THere WILL be a college out there for you. We just need to help you find it. Remember there is “rigor/selectiveness” and then there is “perceived rigor/selectiveness”. In your price point, you need to be open to the fact that you can get a great education at a school you might not have heard of. Or at a school with a high acceptance rate. There are great schools in the 75%+ category. You need to start with finances and make everything else work. I would take your shot at the ultra selective “meets need” schools on your list if the NPC works out. But we need to find you some more academic/financial possibilities if you don’t think you’d be happy at University of Montana.

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There are some universities that accept CS courses in high school as a “language”… but the ones I have personally heard of are not in northerly cool climates: Georgia Tech and University of Texas. Perhaps someone can suggest others.

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Hopefully OP comes back and defines their need - vs. desire - cost wise.

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Congrats on your accomplishments.

A few comments:

– You need to run net price calculators to determine which schools on your list will be affordable. Take clearly unaffordable options off your list.

– You need to check the HS requirements for each college. As others have noted the lack of a world language (if offered at your HS) in your curriculum will be a negative (or even a disqualifier) at some colleges.

– Your likely, toss up, lower probability schools are reaches for any unhooked applicant.

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There is only one semester of Fine arts.

A number of schools require the full year in the same art. Especially important for any California schools. Figure out core class requirements at the schools where you will apply.

(Painting 1, one semester, Painting 2, semester 2. Graded curriculum.)

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OP, congratulations on such good stats. Other posters have made many of the points I would have, particularly about checking the NPC for each school and the overall reachiness of several of the schools. Having said that, I think you will end up with good options.

The thing I wanted to mention was your comment about the essays and the assumption they’ll be good because your ACT score is good. Yes, they are looking for solid English, but that is mere table stakes. The essays are about showing who you are – it’s the opportunity you have to put a human face to your application and make yourself interesting beyond your stats. Make sure you have done that and aren’t simply providing a well-written essay about a well-worn topic.

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If less than $15k is important you should check out the Utah schools. At Utah State I believe your stats would get you auto-merit to cover tuition. Room and board is cheap. There are some nuances to those scholarships you’d want to research (usually requires establishing residency after year 1, which is straightforward but does have some requirements that might or might not work for you). I know that’s not a small school but it’d give you a solid, affordable backup in a cool climate.

I’d add Montana State and hit whatever deadlines they have for competitive merit. That could add another very low cost option for you.

As far as small private schools, $15k is a tough ask unless you’re eligible for need-based aid. You haven’t shared that info. What does MIT’s NPC return for your net cost? Knowing that might help folks suggest good need-based options.

ETA: Portland State is mostly a commuter school. Is that what you want?

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However, the common thinking is that, for the more selective colleges, “recommended” effectively means “required” unless not reasonably available to you. Note that some of these colleges may not “require” any specific high school courses (foreign language or otherwise), but list what they want to see as “recommended”.

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