Quick background: I am an Engineer who graduated from a top tier university and do tutoring for test prep in under-served communities. I am writing to ask the CC community for their thoughts and advice about how to go about advising a very atypical student I have been working with for a while:
I have a student who is an URM and wants to study finance as an undergraduate.
His unweighted GPA is a 81.50 (~2.7 - 2.8) overall. His ACT Score is a 35 composite (36 E, 32 M, 36 R, 36 S).
He has had a very atypical life - started working in landscaping at a young age, and his circumstances led him to be forced to prioritize work and making enough money to help his parents pay bills rather than doing well in school. In fact, he was advised from an early age that college was not an option for people of his nationality and that he should focus on working to help out the family.
His extra-curricular activities include playing D1 Travel soccer in NY for 6 years, and playing JV/Varsity Soccer at HS for 4 years. (That’s about it - most of his time is spent working).
I am wondering how adcoms look at students like this, and if he has a solid chance at any Tier 1 Universities - honestly, I would appreciate any and all responses, and would love to hear if anyone has any similar stories. Any college suggestions would be highly appreciated - preferably ones that offer a well rounded financial aid package!
Depends what you mean by “tier 1 universities.” If that’s top 50, there’s a chance.
If you’re looking at Ivy Leagues and/or schools like Stanford/MIT/UChicago/Berkeley etc, a URM genocide survivor and recruited athlete might have trouble getting in with that GPA. Not that he doesn’t have a chance, but it’s extremely slim. These schools want to be sure, first and foremost, that their students can handle the work. A 2.7 or 2.8 GPA suggests otherwise. It’s a real shame that his parents prevented him from focusing on school, but it may be that there’s a gap in preparation here which he’ll have trouble overcoming.
2 years at a community college might allow this student to prepare for a college environment, at a relatively low cost, and at the end of those two years he can transfer to a 4-year institution with (hopefully) a far more competitive GPA.
This student really is caught between a rock and a hard place. Acceptance to colleges that meet full need (top 10) is unlikely, while his GPA is a little low to qualify for automatic scholarships on the basis of his ACT score. This is a really tough situation, and I can’t say I know the definitive answers to your questions. Best of luck to this kid, though. He sounds like he’s been through a lot.
I don’t think he needs to start at a CC, but his odds are going to be better at a slightly lower ranked college than the very tippy top ones. Which is perfectly fine. It sounds like he should shoot for colleges that meet need, but not the very top tier. Can you show him how to run net price calculators? Also, I assume he is within regular college freshman age range (say 20 or under), and not an adult non-traditional student. Is that correct? Also, is he a US citizen or permanent resident? That makes a big difference in his eligibility for aid.
He is a US Citizen and is 17 right now, so his eligibility for aid should be okay - his income combined with his parents’ puts him under the poverty line - so I would need to show him schools that offer excellent financial aid. I will run some cost calculations for schools that would be good for him - I’m just not sure if lower tier schools offer great aid (the type he would need).
I would suggest smaller liberal arts colleges, especially ones that seek more diversity, offer generous aid, and practice “holistic” admissions. With those test scores, some highly-selective colleges might take a chance on this kid, but he should cast a wide net. Give a shot at Williams or Haverford, then work down the list through, say Hamilton and Dickinson, with some of the Colleges That Change Lives included. End up with, say, Guilford or Eckerd, as safeties. Those test scores will open a lot of doors, especially when combined with a compelling personal narrative and an obvious work ethic.
Thank you for your suggestions woogzmama, I will definitely take a look at those options with him and speak to him about them! He is also a first generation college student - don’t know how much that will be helping him out in the process - he would prefer not to start at a CC, and personally, I feel his work ethic would allow him to excel anywhere.
Just be aware that of the schools mentioned or referenced in post 4, few, if any, offer a full concentration in finance. However, some, Williams and Hamilton in particular, are very strong in economics, and would be excellent schools for preparation for a career in finance.