Unweighted GPA 3.3 in MCPS magnet program, weighted 3.9, 7 APs, SATs 2100 - help id'ing schools?

[Anonymous]

Not a lot of extracurriculars but some awards for filmmaking, work on school website, camp counselor ...

DS is very personable but also tends to be a bit of an introvert. Interested in economics, government, communications, history. Grades started out meh but he is finishing high school with much better grades.

He is gravitating towards larger state schools, I am biased towards SLACS and smaller private universities that aren't rural -- I think he would get depressed at a place like Middlebury or Kenyon that is very isolated.

Thoughts on places to apply?

[Anonymous]

Tulane might be a good compromise

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not a lot of extracurriculars but some awards for filmmaking, work on school website, camp counselor ...

DS is very personable but also tends to be a bit of an introvert. Interested in economics, government, communications, history. Grades started out meh but he is finishing high school with much better grades.

He is gravitating towards larger state schools, I am biased towards SLACS and smaller private universities that aren't rural -- I think he would get depressed at a place like Middlebury or Kenyon that is very isolated.

Thoughts on places to apply?

Washington University in St. Louis
University of Chicago
Pomona
Scripps
Macalester or University or Minnesota
University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
University of Illinois Chicago Circle

[Anonymous]

^ first 4, I'd say no chance.

last 3, maybe.

[Anonymous]

Assuming money is no factor...
Choose a few public flagships that are appealing to him: think UT Austin, Penn State, University of Florida, Ohio State, Chapel Hill
Choose some mid-sized solid privates that aren't in the middle of nowhere: Tulane, Rice, Syracuse
My guess with his stats is that you just apply where he is interested and pick a place based on fit. He may well benefit from going out of the DMV where the numbers could take him further.

[Anonymous]

UF takes 3% OOS students. Forget about it. My child got into Tulane And U of Miami, but not UF (which is ironically right in between those 2 in rankings). I dont even know why we bothered applying.

[Anonymous]

Not Scripps. It takes only women.

[Anonymous]

His stats are not high enough to get significant or any merit aid. I'd focus IS schools - UMBC, St. Mary's, Towson... UMCP will be tough. What is sub-scores for his SAT?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:His stats are not high enough to get significant or any merit aid. I'd focus IS schools - UMBC, St. Mary's, Towson... UMCP will be tough. What is sub-scores for his SAT?

OP didn't mention financial aid or merit aid. Not everyone is looking for that, cost did not factor in to our decisions.

OP the scores/grades are on the low end for the top 20 (my DC was higher on both, more APs, and didn't get admitted to schools like UVA, Vanderbilt, etc.). What about Colgate, Wake Forest, Elon?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:His stats are not high enough to get significant or any merit aid. I'd focus IS schools - UMBC, St. Mary's, Towson... UMCP will be tough. What is sub-scores for his SAT?

OP, this person has no idea what she is talking about.

Those stats are absolutely high enough for significant merit aid at many "second tier" schools. If money is a factor, look outside the top ~30 USNWR colleges/universities for many schools that would give him merit aid. Some to consider:

Larger schools: Tulane, Wisconsin, Pitt, American, UVM, UConn, Marquette, Clemson, Fordham. If his SAT M+CR = 1400, with that weighted GPA he could get a full tuition scholarship at Alabama; with SAT M+CR = 1330-1390, he qualifies for two-thirds off tuition there.

Smaller schools: Denver, Clark, Richmond, Lafayette, Skidmore, Dickinson, Gettysburg, Rhodes, Denison, Lawrence, Wooster, Kalamazoo, Wheaton (MA), Muhlenberg, Puget Sound, Willamette, Whitman. If you are interested in smaller schools, read the book Colleges that Change Lives--lots of good suggestions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:His stats are not high enough to get significant or any merit aid. I'd focus IS schools - UMBC, St. Mary's, Towson... UMCP will be tough. What is sub-scores for his SAT?

OP, this person has no idea what she is talking about.

Those stats are absolutely high enough for significant merit aid at many "second tier" schools. If money is a factor, look outside the top ~30 USNWR colleges/universities for many schools that would give him merit aid. Some to consider:

Larger schools: Tulane, Wisconsin, Pitt, American, UVM, UConn, Marquette, Clemson, Fordham. If his SAT M+CR = 1400, with that weighted GPA he could get a full tuition scholarship at Alabama; with SAT M+CR = 1330-1390, he qualifies for two-thirds off tuition there.

Smaller schools: Denver, Clark, Richmond, Lafayette, Skidmore, Dickinson, Gettysburg, Rhodes, Denison, Lawrence, Wooster, Kalamazoo, Wheaton (MA), Muhlenberg, Puget Sound, Willamette, Whitman. If you are interested in smaller schools, read the book Colleges that Change Lives--lots of good suggestions.

Thank you, this is very helpful. We don't necessarily need aid, although it would be good! SAT M + CR did equal 1400.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:His stats are not high enough to get significant or any merit aid. I'd focus IS schools - UMBC, St. Mary's, Towson... UMCP will be tough. What is sub-scores for his SAT?

OP, this person has no idea what she is talking about.

Those stats are absolutely high enough for significant merit aid at many "second tier" schools. If money is a factor, look outside the top ~30 USNWR colleges/universities for many schools that would give him merit aid. Some to consider:

Larger schools: Tulane, Wisconsin, Pitt, American, UVM, UConn, Marquette, Clemson, Fordham. If his SAT M+CR = 1400, with that weighted GPA he could get a full tuition scholarship at Alabama; with SAT M+CR = 1330-1390, he qualifies for two-thirds off tuition there.

Smaller schools: Denver, Clark, Richmond, Lafayette, Skidmore, Dickinson, Gettysburg, Rhodes, Denison, Lawrence, Wooster, Kalamazoo, Wheaton (MA), Muhlenberg, Puget Sound, Willamette, Whitman. If you are interested in smaller schools, read the book Colleges that Change Lives--lots of good suggestions.

Ouch! I'd like to think I know what I'm talking about... My three kids came out MCPS magnet just like OP's DC. We have recently gone thru the college process 3 times including some of the schools on your post. I'd like to think my data points are pretty good and pretty up to date but whatever... Good luck OP.

[Anonymous]

USC or NYU; both good in film. They would be reaches. Maybe University if Illinois, Florida State, Penn State

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:His stats are not high enough to get significant or any merit aid. I'd focus IS schools - UMBC, St. Mary's, Towson... UMCP will be tough. What is sub-scores for his SAT?

Not true. My DC has the same profile and got significant merit aid at several schools. DC also got into UMCP.

OP, consider

UMCP
Case Western
U. Of Rochester
Clark University

If your child will look at SLACs, consider

Allegheny
Denison
College of Wooster
Ohio Wesleyan

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:His stats are not high enough to get significant or any merit aid. I'd focus IS schools - UMBC, St. Mary's, Towson... UMCP will be tough. What is sub-scores for his SAT?

OP, this person has no idea what she is talking about.

Those stats are absolutely high enough for significant merit aid at many "second tier" schools. If money is a factor, look outside the top ~30 USNWR colleges/universities for many schools that would give him merit aid. Some to consider:

Larger schools: Tulane, Wisconsin, Pitt, American, UVM, UConn, Marquette, Clemson, Fordham. If his SAT M+CR = 1400, with that weighted GPA he could get a full tuition scholarship at Alabama; with SAT M+CR = 1330-1390, he qualifies for two-thirds off tuition there.

Smaller schools: Denver, Clark, Richmond, Lafayette, Skidmore, Dickinson, Gettysburg, Rhodes, Denison, Lawrence, Wooster, Kalamazoo, Wheaton (MA), Muhlenberg, Puget Sound, Willamette, Whitman. If you are interested in smaller schools, read the book Colleges that Change Lives--lots of good suggestions.

Thank you, this is very helpful. We don't necessarily need aid, although it would be good! SAT M + CR did equal 1400.

OP, with that profile he will get merit aid at many if not most or all of the above schools. The fact that he is male will help.

If he does want a large school, Pitt is very nice. My DC was big on Pitt until realizing that a SLAC is a better fit.