What are some safety schools for me? (4.0UW, 34 ACT, weak EC's, pre-med bound)

College Search & Lists
1

Thank you for taking the time to help me out! :slight_smile: I am currently a junior.

[Stats]

  • ~4.65W, 4.0UW
  • 34 ACT (35E 36R 34M 32S), currently waiting on new score reports
  • 1500/1520 PSAT, currently waiting on SAT score reports
  • SAT II: Will take them in the summer, Math II and probably Bio and/or Lit

[Classes]

  • Have taken the most difficult class each year
  • Freshman: honors everything, study hall
  • Sophomore: AP US Gov (5), honors everything else, study hall
  • Right now/junior: AP Calc BC, APUSH, APLAC, AP Physics 1, AP Comparative Government & Politics, honors French
  • Senior: AP Psych, AP Bio, AP Macro, AP Micro, AP Lit, AP French 4, honors calculus 3

[Basics]

  • Contribution per year: 5k? I’m not sure, that’s a complete guess.
  • Household: 70k, single parent household, only child. Other parent has remarried but I don’t know their income.
  • Personal contribution: I don’t know, but I’ll be working in college.
  • State of residence: Illinois
  • Will need both merit- and need-based aid.

[Extracurriculars] - These are weak, I know, but I hope that I can show consistency/passion/dedication in the few EC’s I do have.

  • Officer of school cultural club for past 2 years, currently VP
  • Student Council, officer sophomore year & next year
  • National French Honor Society (French tutoring every week)
  • National Honor Society
  • Babysitting 3-4 days a week from when I get home to 7/8pm ever since freshman year
  • College preparatory program

[Preferences]

  • Co-ed*
  • Small student-faculty ratio*
  • Private liberal arts college (The college prep program limits me to PLAC. However, since I am looking at safeties, I will look at public/state schools.)
  • Good support for pre-med students
  • Possible major: neuroscience, economics, mathematics…?
  • Medium sized school
  • Located in Illinois (my parent wants me to be close to home), West Coast, East Coast, or Mid-Atlantic

[Me… things? Lol]

  • Minority
  • Introverted
  • Liberal
  • Pre-med bound, but I don’t want to look at my undergraduate as just a stepping stone to med school
  • I did a summer program at Carleton this past summer. I feel like Carleton didn’t really fit me, and I did not like that it felt like it was in the middle of nowhere.
  • I’ve visited a few PA colleges and I enjoyed the vibe of Gettysburg, Franklin & Marshall, Lehigh, and Swarthmore.
  • ^ I’m not sure how I felt about UPenn. I think I may be biased because the admissions officer/presenter/??? didn’t do a great job and because of my outside perspective on Wharton (it seemed so pretentious lol but it’s probably just ambition). I loved the campus though! It definitely confirmed that I want an urban school. All of the people were really nice.

Thank you again!!! Also, if you want any other information, please tell me! And if you have match/reach suggestions that would be super helpful too. (:

2

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  • Household: 70k, single parent household, only child. Other parent has remarried but I don’t know their income.
  • Personal contribution: I don’t know, but I’ll be working in college.

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How much will each parent contribute? PLEASE ask them. You need to know this.


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Contribution per year: 5k? I'

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Do you mean for your custodial parent?? What about your other parent and spouse??? They will be expected to contribute based on their income/assets at the better schools. You won’t get aid if they don’t submit their income/asset info.

Some of the schools that you’ve mentioned will look at BOTH parents’ incomes…AND…the step-parents’ income (yes, all 3 incomes and assets).

You may work while in college, but as a premed, you may not be able to work a LOT, and your income will likely go to daily/personal expenses…not direct school costs.

If your non-custodial remarried parent will not be contributing much, then that probably will mean that schools like Carleton, UPenn, Lehigh, and Swat will not work out. They will base aid on all parents/step’s income. Your custodial parent doesn’t earn enough to pay THEIR share, too…right?

3

With your stats you would fall into the top 25% for the following schools which have good pre-med advising and non rural location. They could be considered safety/match
F&M
College of the Holy Cross
Macalaster
Muhlenberg

For match/reach look at
Tufts
Hopkins

4

Thank you for the help so far! I am really unsure of the parents’ financial role and everything, so hopefully I’ll be able to talk with them and have solid figures soon.

I would appreciate any other suggestions for safety schools! (:

5

The schools that @wisteria100 lists are in no way safeties. Your state flagship may be a safety.

6

You are in a tough spot. You won’t be able to afford a lot of schools in the list if your non-custodial parent makes decent money and/or their spouse does. You need to go have the financial conversation with both parents, then come back. You probably also need to ask both parents to fill out net price calculators at both schools – they aren’t really meant for divorced parents, but if you take both results and assume loans for one parent’s results would be actual money you have to pay, you might get an idea of your costs.

Your challenge isn’t safeties – it is finding ANY affordable school. If your non-custodial parent and spouse are low income, your picture looks better.

7

Non-custodial parent & spouse are definitely low income.

For my state flagship, would there be a difference between the three University of Illinois’? I know UIUC is the main but I’d prefer UIC.

8

Illinois publics are not that great with in-state financial aid. Check their net price calculators.

http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/ may be worth a look (but check school web sites to verify). Also http://nmfscholarships.yolasite.com/ if you make National Merit (again check school web sites to verify).

9

Hey everyone, do you guys have any other safety suggestions? I know my financial info isn’t very thorough right now to be of help to you, sorry! But I am just trying to put some safety schools on the list right now, and worry about the financial part later.

10

“- Private liberal arts college (The college prep program limits me to PLAC. However, since I am looking at safeties, I will look at public/state schools.)”

What does that ^^ mean?

As a minority with those stats, you will have lots of doors open for you. You should look at some of the tippy top schools that meet full need and offer the best financial aid.

As for safeties, are you likely to be a NMSF/F? If so, there are many schools where you would get a full-ride or at least full tuition. I will look for the links for those.

It’s hard to suggest safeties and matches without knowing your EFC and what your parents can contribute.

ETA: look these over. Be sure to double-check with each school you are interested in, as the scholarships can change from year to year.

http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com
http://competitivefulltuition.yolasite.com
http://nmfscholarships.yolasite.com