Easy Apps and Less Selective Admit Standards; Beyond the Ivies

Free Advice Friday! Here are a couple of suggestions for "fun and spirited" schools for the B/C student with relatively easy admission requirements and without the endless supplemental questions. (Coincidentally, the tiger is both LSU and Auburn University's mascot).

1) LSU -   Lousianna State University, located in historic Baton Rouge, offers an incomparable guaranteed admission program for the B/C student ready for the challenges of a big-school experience in a classic southern community. Here’s the deal: to claim automatic admission a student must have A GPA of 3.0 or higher (weighted or unweighted) ACT/SAT scores of 22/1030 (minimum Eng/CR 18/450 and M 19/460) 18 specific core high school credit units (American Sign Language fulfills the 2 units of foreign language) For as long as space remains in the class, the admissions office will provide a decision within 48 hours of application. No strings. No binding clauses.

• Out-of-state Scholarships Galore! Students with SAT’s totaling 1250 and 3.0 GPA qualify for full exemption from nonresident fees; those nonresidents with SAT’s totaling 1330 and 3.0 GPA qualify for full exemption from all tuition and fees. And, those are just the beginning of the scholarships available at LSU!
• The LSU campus is alive with school spirit and friendly faces. Anyone familiar with the college sports scene will recognize the LSU Tigers as perennial contenders. Team mascot Mike VI lion rules his den! Similiar to Baylor's "Lady" and "Joy" bears that live on campus, Mike VI lives in a tiger habitat right beside an over-sized football stadium that positively rocks the Richter scale on Saturdays during the fall months (Nancy Griesemer, College Explorations).
• In addition to sports, LSU has plenty to offer in the way of academics and student life. Students major in everything from Cajun French to Petroleum Engineering. And, each year, LSU conducts more than 2,500 sponsored research projects funded by more than $140 million in external grants from an amazing assortment of funding sources including NIH, NASA, and the National Endowment for the Humanities, to name a few. The large but easy-to-navigate campus is beautifully landscaped with towering live oaks insured for millions gracing the walkways. Make no mistake. This is a big school. The largest classroom holds 1000 students and clickers are among the tools routinely used by professors to keep up with the numbers. For the right student, however, the welcome and value are there.
• If you are a stellar high school student and find out that LSU is your dream college, there is also an honors college program for you to consider. Please note, the admission selection process is separate from your overall admission to LSU. You will not get the 48 hour admit or deny turn around time. 

Admission Requirements
1) Freshmen entering Louisiana State University are eligible to apply to the Honors College if they meet the following recommended admission criteria:
2) Academic high school GPA: 3.50 (weighted by LSU)
3) Recommended ACT: 30 Composite with 30 English, or 29 Composite with 31 English
or
4) Recommended SAT: 1320 Critical Reading + Mathematics (combined) with 660 Critical Reading
Completed SAT or ACT essay

LSU Honors College admission is very competitive. Selection for incoming first-year students is based on high school GPA, ACT or SAT scores, and the writing test of the ACT or SAT. The writing sample is weighed on an even scale with GPA and standardized exam scores, so special consideration should be given to this component of the application. The strength of courses taken in high school will be considered and is factored into the calculation of the high school GPA by the Office of Undergraduate Admission and Student Aid.

2) AU- Auburn University is located in Auburn, Alabama. It is a great spirit school, ranked 88th in the nation (out of 1800 college/university). They have more than ten different engineering programs and will admit students that may have had a rocky first year in high school. They reach out to the schools in the community and have a program called Engineering Outreach.  The technologies and workforce that are developed on Auburn's campus help fuel the engine that keeps our economy vital. Each year, Auburn has an entering class of about 4000 college/university students. Admission: 17,068 applied; 12,085 admitted; 3,984 enrolled. Average high school GPA: 3.69. This is an extremely skewed number however, because this takes into account weighted GPAs. The admit rate is close to 71%.

• Test Scores -- 25th / 75th Percentile
  
  
  • SAT Critical Reading: 520 / 620
  • SAT Math: 550 / 650
  • SAT Writing: 520 / 620
    
    
    • (SEC SAT score comparison chart)
    
    
    
  • ACT Composite: 22 / 27
  • ACT English: 23 / 30
  • ACT Math: 22 / 28
    
    
    • (SEC ACT Comparison Chart)
    
    
  
  

Admission Requirements: You need three things, plus the application fee of course. No long essay is required.

• Activities and Interests Form (Short Answer Essays)
  
• Official ACT and/or SAT scores (including the writing score)
  
• Official High School Transcript
  

Students may begin applying for admission August 1, 2009 at www.auburn.edu/apply.  Applicants with excellent academic credentials can be admitted by Early Action beginning in October.  Early Action decisions are strictly academic, based on a combination of high school GPA and the ACT or SAT score of the applicant; other factors are not considered.  Students who meet the Early Action criteria will be accepted on a weekly basis from October 15 to February 15.  Decisions are made by October 15 for students who have completed an application by October 1. 

The information provided was written by Lauren Kahn, CEO of Lone Star Ed Consulting. If you would like more information about Lone Star Ed Consulting's college planning services, please e-mail Lauren Kahn or call her at 512-294-6608. 
 

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