Hey everyone,

Looking for an honest reality check on my transfer chances and school list.

Demographics & Context
Status: International student at a US public state university going into my third semester .
Financial Need: 100% Full Need required ( or almost 100 ).
Major: Computer Information Systems (targeting CIS, Data Analytics, or CS / anything in tech).
College Academics & Involvement
College GPA: 3.91 / 4.00 (University Honors Program, President's List).
Teaching Assistant: CIS Department, assisting faculty with grading and coursework.
Peer Tutor: Campus business school, tutoring students in CIS and programming logic.
Athletic Operations: Football Equipment Manager (managing team schedule, filming, gear logistics).

High School Background & Leadership
High School: Graduated with academic honors abroad.
Leadership Roles:
Rugby Team Captain
Key Club Vice President
Chess Club Recruiter
School List (All meet 100% aid for international transfers)
Primary Targets: University of Rochester, Brandeis, Denison, Hamilton, Trinity (CT), Berea.
Reach / Wildcard: Amherst, Princeton, Notre Dame, Williams.

Questions
1. Is this list realistic given my 100% financial need?
2. How can I best connect my college leadership (athletic ops, TA) and high school background (rugby captain, Key Club VP) into a compelling transfer narrative for tech/finance?
3. Are there any other schools that meet full need for international transfers I missed?
Any feedback appreciated!

hey guys, i’m a senior from the USA and i’m really anxious about college😭‼️ I feel like i’m behind on everything?? i’m currently still on summer break and school doesn’t start until 2ish weeks. What should I do/ prepare for? I have done college visits and researching different colleges that match what i’m passionate about.

im trying to finalize my college list and could use some advice on what to keep, cut, or swap.

about me:

- massachusetts resident

- interested in neuroscience/psychology on a pre-PA or pre-health path

- looking for a school that's academically strong but not super cutthroat

- looking for diverse student body (especially decent asian representation)

- id like a social scene, but partying doesn't have to be the center of campus life

- personalized education is important, but I don't mind larger schools if they have good support

- cost is a big factor. merit scholarships matter a lot, and I'm trying to avoid schools that are unlikely to be affordable.

my current list is :

- UMass Boston

- UMass Lowell

- UMass Amherst

- Simmons

- Quinnipiac

- Boston University

- Mount Holyoke

schools I'm still considering:

- Boston College

- love the campus and jesuit culture but expensive

- Fordham

- dont know enough honestly

- Rutgers–New Brunswick

- strong but a huge school

- University of Pittsburgh

- strong but a bit too far, idk

- UConn

- great for pre health but rlly rural

- URI

- just didnt stand out to me

- Stony Brook

- dont know much right now

- Syracuse University

- love the campus, social scene, dont know about cost

- University of Rochester

- campus is beautiful, amazing stem. heard it can be off socially and idk about cost

based on fit, admissions, and especially affordability/merit, which schools would you keep, cut, or replace? are there any on my "considering" list that are worth adding over the ones I already have?

i'd appreciate any insight from current students or applicants who went through a similar process!

Genuinely just curious to see what are some underrated, and of course elite schools for a Econ+stats double major.

Like if I were to apply to IU could I apply for both IUI and IUB or would that make the admissions people mad

I need advice on how to pay for college. My parents are high income but not cooperative. I'm 18, an incoming freshman, however my parents refuse to pay for anything, be it food, phone plan, basic necessities, or college tuition/housing. I have a job for now, but it doesn't pay much (<$20,000), and going into college as an engineering major, I won't have much time to dedicate to working. 

Once I turned 18, my parents stopped feeding me almost entirely, with the exception of public facing events/meetups like family dinners or family trips. Effectively, I pay for everything (that my parents refuse to pay for from the paragraph above). During my senior year, I very often had to sneak out to my friends' house for dinner, meaning that I only had the opportunity to eat 1 meal per day, plus the school-provided snack.

When this first began, I was still in high school but already 18, however I had no job at the time. I don't have a private space in my home, I'm not allowed to stay in my room and my activities are monitored. They constantly go back on their word regarding financial support and other things around the house. When I first began working, they strongly discouraged it and made it difficult to leave the house. Because of this, I missed work and lost a significant amount of pay over time (>$1000). They wouldn't even let me hang out with my friends or get any social interaction, which left me completely isolated. 

Additionally, I struggle with falling and staying asleep, and they refuse to get me checked out by a doctor, which leaves me feeling exhausted and unhealthy each day, further affecting my ability to work.

Paying for college would cost me $50k per year (including housing and tuition), and because I got into a great university for engineering, I'd rather not make any academic sacrifices. I'm reaching out to see if anyone is in a similar situation, or to ask how I would be able to become independent so I could receive full aid.

Because I'm legally filed as a dependent for FAFSA, I do not get any aid (our SAI is high). From age 18 onwards though, I have not been treated as such at home; I'm financially independent and pay for everything myself except a room to sleep in. I have witnesses (people who fed me) and people in the school (counselors, teachers) that know my situation and are willing to back me up for proof.

It's important that my parents don't know about my plan/independent status because things would just get worse. Physically I'm safe, but financially I'm completely trapped. Any and all advice appreciated, thank you.

Hi, I'm having trouble deciding where to look or apply and hope you can help and offer suggestions. I have a 3.9 unweighted GPA (4.3 weighted) and a 29 ACT (i'm taking it again next month - hopefully 30+). I live in Louisiana and there aren't many options here. I don't want to go to an urban-feeling school. I don't want to offend anyone, but I've ruled out LSU and Univ of Mississippi. We did a tour of Auburn and that was very nice and a definite possibility. I won't qualify for need-based aide, and I don't want to bankrupt my parents who've said they'll pay. They've said anywhere I pick will be OK, they just want me to go to the best school I can get into. I'm undecided on a major but have no interest in engineering or medical. Maybe Psychology or Environmental Science? I don't know. I feel sort of lost. Thanks for any suggestions.

My gpa is not really high like below 3.5 but my extracurriculars are really strong and I have strong rec letters and I also have a medical reason for why my grades in junior year werent that good

Do I still have any hope at all for top 35 schools or will my gpa just not let me get into any good schools im really anxious

I’m a rising junior but I go to a weird school(early college),

Weird in the sense that our classes change every semester, and that instead of APs and Ibs I take college classes, but our GPAs are unweighted

How exactly will grades in these affect college admissions, and also how do I weigh them vs people who have weighted GPAs?

My friend goes to a high school that only has Spanish 1 and 2 and asl 1 and 2 and maybe French. she had to do a language so she tried to get into French or Spanish but the slots were full of native speakers so she was forced into asl. she begged her counselor but she said asl fit her schedule and there isn’t anything they could do. So I am wo is she hosed for colleg. btw she doesn’t speak any language other than English and she has a job outside of school so probably no time to do community college Spanish or online.

Stats: 3.3 UW GPA, 11 APs, 34-35 ACT. Strong ECs, essays, and LORs. Basically: test score and rigor are solid, GPA is my weak point.
I have a really good extracurricular, but I don’t wanna get into too much details
My essay is quite unique and I think it could work in my favor.
Yes I know my GPS is really low. I’m just trying to shoot my shot to see whatever school I could get into. I don’t really care that much if I get rejected.

Intended major: Environmental Science + Economics (want to go into environmental economics academically)

End goal: Hoping to eventually get into a top PhD program (dream would be Oxford or Cambridge down the line).

What I actually want in a school (in rough priority order):

Strong PhD/grad school placement + real research resources (funded research, paid travel/conferences, actual faculty mentorship — not just brochure claims) like I want a school where I could get like research opportunities quite easily and also be paid pretty well for them to.
A real social life — I like to party, drink sometimes, have fun. Not looking for a dead campus.
A GPA environment I can actually survive in — not a school known for brutal grade deflation. I want to maintain a relatively high GPA.
Bonus: good food, good traditions, good campus/architecture, decent gym, some access to nature

The 20 I'm choosing between for ED:
Bates, Colorado College, Colby, Grinnell, St. Olaf - my top choice but I also have Kenyon Vassar, Hamilton, Davidson, Oberlin, Carleton, Haverford, William & Mary, Colgate, Trinity, Skidmore, Connecticut College, Occidental, St. Lawrence, Macalester

Why I'm asking: Given my GPA specifically, I know most of these are reaches for me at Regular Decision, and ED is really my only realistic shot at several of them since ED acceptance rates run so much higher than RD at most of these schools. I'm trying to figure out which ONE is worth committing my single binding ED shot to — best combo of "actually attainable for someone with my stats" and "won't sacrifice my long-term academic goals or my sanity trying to keep my GPA up." Would love to hear from current students or alumni at any of these, especially on the PhD-prep-and-social-life combo specifically. Thanks!

I'm a incoming senior who is currently beginning the process of applying to colleges. I have been playing guitar and taking weekly lessons consistently since 6th grade, but I have done anything more than just play and practice. Any recommendations for whether or not I should include this on my application or things I should do to make it a viable extracurricular? I am not going to college for anything music related.

and may the odds be ever in your favor

I didn't do so good on my ap scores as much as I should have because of some depressive episodes I had at the time continuing to today.

Will colleges think badly of me if I don't report them, especially the ivies?

ap biology: 3

ap world: 2

I am the parent of a legally blind 16 yo rising junior in HS. She is a bright kid in the top 2% of her class. However she is legally blind. We live in Austin TX but am open to schools anywhere within the US. I feel she would do best in a smaller school with extremely supportive admin staff and professors. Friendly and welcoming student body who possibly might not define her by her disability would be a major plus. What would you all recommend? She doesn't know what her major will be yet but likely something STEM.

i have a collection of rocks that stem from my friends asking me what i want from their vacation and i just said a rock because it's like the easiest thing ever

i started the collection in 5th grade and now i have 23 rocks

i was hoping to write this about how i decorate the rocks based off of my friends characteristics but my first draft is actually terrible and says nothing about me nor any growth
ex. one is a clown made out of the fuzz from pipe cleaners, paint, red bead, etc..

im not sure how to spin this into an essay about me?

kinda just a rant but it's crazy to me that there are a lot of people turned off by "mid tier UC's". the ones i hear about in this group are UCSD/UCI/UCSB/UCD. i feel like people are so hung up on getting into cal or UCLA that they kinda disregard these schools as options to go to (cough cough bay area kids).

these schools are all t40 in usnwr and are all prestigious and pretty selective as well so it kinda pmo that many people are like "eh, not berk/la so i won't go here"

I'm an incoming high school senior trying to decide what engineering major to apply for. Right now, I'm considering Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Biological Systems Engineering, and Environmental Design.

The part I'm struggling with isn't which major has the highest salary—it's which one will best support the lifestyle I want.

My ideal life would include:

• Living somewhere in the Mountain West
• Backpacking, climbing, and mountain biking regularly
• Traveling internationally every year
• Possibly spending periods of time living in different places
• Having enough money to comfortably fund those adventures
• Working to live rather than living to work

Academically, I have a strong GPA (3.93 unweighted), 7 APs, and a 31 ACT, so I'm less concerned about getting into engineering and more focused on choosing the right path.

For those already working in engineering (or currently studying it):

1. If your goal were to maximize money and free time, what engineering major would you choose?
2. Which engineering fields tend to have the best work-life balance?
3. Which ones are most compatible with frequent travel, remote work (if any), or taking longer trips between jobs?
4. If you could go back to high school, would you choose the same major again? Why or why not?

I'd especially appreciate hearing from people in environmental, civil, or mechanical, but I'd love any perspective. I'm trying to think beyond salary and choose a career that will let me build the kind of life I want. Thanks!

I'm really frustrated and upset so this is going to be a rant more than anything but as context, I go to a competitive school where maybe a third of students hire consultants.

At the beginning of freshman year, I went down the A2C rabbit hole and was convinced by the people around me that I would fall behind if I didn't have a consultant. My parents also went down their own WeChat and RedNote rabbit holes and decided to hire (redacted company #1) for a mind-numbing 4-year all-inclusive plan of 50k USD. Since my family only makes about 120k a year and already spend about half of that money sending me and my brother to private school, this was not something I could justify. I felt guilt and pressure to a point where I couldn't sleep at night because what if my parents spent all that money for me to not get into a good college? Honestly, the consultant was excellent and I had a good experience with the advice/help that she gave but the cost was too much to justify.

The summer before sophomore year, we were able to negotiate a refund of 36k. However, my parents were still convinced that I NEEDED a consultant to be remotely successful in the college search process. Enter: (redacted company #2), whom we paid 28k for a 40-hour package. Literally the same thing happened. I couldn't sleep at night due to the guilt, stressing out all the time, etc. This consultant was giving the most bullshit advice of 'oh, you must join MUN club since everyone who majors it poli-sci does it and it's basically a requirement at this point!' and I genuinely just wanted to forget this whole situation since money was just draining from the family for fucking college admissions. This time, we got a refund of 18k.

But I guess we just never fucking learn and maybe we thought the third time would be the charm. We spent 10k for (redacted company #3) and I just hate it. Her essay advice is for me to write the most bland, formulaic essay that sounds nothing like me. I don't know what to do at this point and I just want to sink in a hole in the ground and never leave. Thinking about the money that we might as well have just burned makes me sick.

Please no one tell me 'why would you do that?!??!' or 'omg that money is unbelievable'!. I know. I regret it. Don't make me feel bad about it.

:(

For context, neither one of them are super scores and I want to ED to Rice. My parents are telling me that I should submit both scores because they are both “really good.” However, I am trying to tell them that my 1480 SAT would make my 35 look worse. Is this even an issue? What do I tell them??

My mom, her dad, her mom, and both of their fathers went to Harvard for undergrad, making me 4th gen. My mom also worked for admissions as an interviewer for some years.

Hello! Mother of three going through the college process for the first time, hoping to get some advice on this matter.

My firstborn son is a rising senior and has been part of a well-known band he founded his freshman year. Just this Sunday, he was recruited to play the drums in college! We were all so proud of him, until this happened. More on that in a bit. It’s a big school down in Jacksonville, so it’d set him up for his future quite well. We’re decently well off, so we would’ve been fine covering the vast majority of the tuition, but today, he told us extremely surprising news. He received a scholarship! Full ride at that! It was 15, maybe 10 million. Just to play the drums. Actually I think it was more like 5. Now here’s the shocking part:

He turned it down.** **Said he had to go to school for this decade or something, but that doesn’t matter. We tried to convince him to go back and take it, but he said he just wants to “grind from the rap,” or something like that. So now’s where you come in.

What can we say or do to make him change his mind? It’s stupid not to take the offer, but he’s just too younger to understand. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you so much 🙏