1st look - Match/Reach/Safe

<p>I'm just glad someone agrees with me. Too many of you are too caught up in this stuff. You dont just pick a school and get in. Qualifications need to be met, of which the OP doesnt meet. No disrespect, it's just facts. Thanks WBDX.</p>

<p>WorldbandDX... i was referring to davidson (not any of the schools you listed)</p>

<p>He has no chance at Davidson....</p>

<p>Keep in mind, again, that when you look at the stats for a school, they are average - meaning that depending on the range, the OP may or may not have a decent shot. If the OP is only slightly under the average, that's within range, especially if other stats are slightly above average. And legacy will count some at NW.</p>

<p>To the OP - take a look at the Princeton Review's website - they have a Counselor-o-matic that's pretty useful. Plug in your stats, etc., and it gives you a list of M/R/S. You still have to look at each one - I found the "what students say" part particularly useful - but it;ll give youa good starting point.</p>

<p>Thanks, DespSeekPhd and others, for your insights and ideas.</p>

<p>As the OP, I reiterate I'm "she" and not "he." Sorry, not a big deal for purpose for the guidance, but it feels weird to me to continue to be referred to as "he."</p>

<p>N.B. - As a new person to this site, I'm amazed at the vituperous tone taken by many commentators. I realize it's intended as "the cold, hard truth so get used to it, baby," but I think in life there's a way to communicate that succeeds without the edge. Perhaps some people don't realize they're communicating that way, or don't have the ability or interest to communicate with a better tone.</p>

<p>That said, it certainly helps to know which schools are above "reach" so I'm not wasting my time or that of others in the application process.</p>

<p>Sorry. Didn't realize you were female. If I came off with a 'Vituperrious' tone, i'm sorry. In all honesty, I envy your stats. I do have the same GPA, but not stats. You certainly have achieved alot, but Davidson is a very difficult school to get into. I'm not discouraging you, but just letting you know that youd probably have to show alot of interest in the school to get in with a 3.4.</p>

<p>Thanks. I really value your input. I'm not discouraged - just the opposite, but with a dose of reality! I got off to a slow start, but I've picked it up and am really excited looking forward - both about what I might be able to do to improve my profile in applying and just generally what I want my college experience to be once I'm there (altho it still seems a way off). Thanks again!</p>

<p>You should also try Syracuse. Your stats fit.</p>

<p>Has anyone seen a thread for Princeton Review's Counselor-O-Matic? It seems way simplistic. When I input my data, it responded with Good Matches that I'm sure are actually Big Reaches for me. I don't know whether to spend any more time on it, as I'm afraid it will create hope where there shouldn't be (and cause me to take time exploring options that aren't realistic possibilities).</p>

<p>When I used the Princeton Counselor-O-MAtic i figured out that for me the Reaches it listed were meajor reaches, the matches were reaches, and the safeties were matches. If you keep that in mind, it can still probably give you some good schools to look at that meet your criteria.</p>

<p>Of course it's somewhat simplistic. It doesn't know you and can't analyze you the way adcoms can. But as I said, it's a good starting point. There are far too many people looking for an easy way to choose good colleges that they can be (apparently) guaranteed admission to. It's not gonna happen. You are all going to have to put in tons of research time, regardless - and you can't know whether options are feasible for you, anyway, unless you explore them. There is no magic list or calculator.</p>

<p>My feel is similar to that of sarah_mc, i.e., that many of the match schools I get on Counselor-O-Matic are clear reaches for me. I just can't get a feel for whether that might mean, e.g., a 10%, 20% or 25% chance. A lot of research is ahead. I wonder whether, after I've done a lot more research, I'll have any better sense of a % for getting into a particular school. I suppose I'll then feel like I do ... even though I might not!</p>