Hello! This is my first post on College Confidential, so I hope I’m posting in the right place (and that I provide all relevant information.
I’m a junior in California with pretty decent ECs and test scores, but a low GPA. I feel like that may kill my already-slim chances at a really selective school, but I still want to go to the best school I can reasonably get into.
-Hispanic female from Peru, living in California (business, marketing, and/or econ. major)
-GPA: 3.5 weighted
-SAT: 2280 (770M, 760CR, 750W)
-PSAT: 1490/1520
-Predicted AP tests taken through end of senior year: AP World History (5), AP US History, AP English Language, AP Spanish Literature, AP Spanish Language, AP Macro, AP Gov., AP Stat, AP Calc BC.
-National Hispanic Scholar (not official yet, but most likely)
-/possible/ National Merit Scholar?
-Ethics Club cofounder, Mock Trial president, two-time editor-in-chief of Journalism class
-national JEA write-off Honorable Mention as a freshman
-first-degree black belt
-numerous county and state awards for DECA, martial arts, FBLA, Mock Trial.
-interning this summer at a San Francisco law firm
-volunteered about 80 hours in summer 2014 as a summer school assistant teacher
If you do make National Merit Finalist, there are many schools that will offer large amounts of scholarship money: http://nmfscholarships.yolasite.com/
There should also be some UCs and CSUs that will admit you.
However, you need to talk to your parents about how much they will contribute, and check the net price calculators at various colleges’ web sites.
My unweighted GPA should be at around a 3.33 (upward trend, and expected to get to 3.5 by end of junior year).
My UC GPA is at around a 3.4 (I haven’t calculated it in a while; I’ll do that now).
I’m a citizen, and my parents are willing to pay up to 20k a year, but I’m hoping to get some external scholarships (with NHRP and NMS and all) and take out loans if needed.
With a parental contribution of $20,000, most CSUs should be in range even at list price with either federal direct loan or some work earnings. UCs at list price would need both federal direct loan and some work earnings. But you should check net price calculators at each campus to see if you can get financial aid.
Thank you! I’ll take a look at that website. Looks like there’s lots of opportunities, so I hope that’s an option! Do you happen to know of any out-of-state options for which I could be a good match?
Location-wise, I don’t want to rule out anything, but I feel like it makes the most sense (financially) to stay in California/the West coast. (It’s been my dream to go to college in the Northeast, though.)
If you want an actual business major, UCR, UCI, and UCB as well as nearly all CSUs offer it. Economics is a very common major available at nearly all UCs and CSUs; if you want a more mathematical treatment, UCSC, UCI, UCSD, and UCB offer that.
Both business and economics are commonly offered at other schools, although math-heavy economics courses are less common.
Look at colleges that change lives: ctcl.org if you want to expand your academic range. Many of these would offer significant merit-based scholarships (some have good need-based aid as well) for somebody with your academic profile.
You can also check out the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) for schools throughout the west that have reciprocal agreements (generally 1.5x in state tuition and sometimes funds are limited, so if you are interested apply early)
Are there any more competitive colleges that tend to give less weight to a lower GPA? I’m thinking I can bring it up to a 3.7 by the end of senior year if I work my butt off.
