<p>I am worried about being certain that there is a safety. Skidmore has really been blossoming; might they reject a candidate that they believe views them as only a safety? Would UMass@Amherst, with its access to the five-college consortium, be a good safety for this applicant? I don't know very much about the school.</p>
<p>Whatever your safeties are, be sure they are places you want to attend and that you court them with diligence and genuine affection.</p>
<p>Trust the system and trust yourself!</p>
<p>Obviously, you have done everything right so far. Set aside the deception of the non-acceptance by Yale in the early round. Many students who were REJECTED by Yale ended up at schools that fit them better, and in a few cases at schools more prestigious than Yale is.</p>
<p>However, this is not the time to completely reinvent yourself and embark on a wild goose chase. You DO have a good idea of the schools you like. Invest a few hours and read the catalogs our online brochures ONE MORE time. Be merciless as you eliminate the schools you are not 100% sure of wanting to attend. At the end, you shouls have a prety good list. </p>
<p>From this list, spend every minute polishing your application. Forget about all that NON-SENSE of showing interest as you are starting the RD round. Also, please do NOT worry about the value of interviews: interviews rarely if EVER add anything to a candidate's file. While interviewers might uncover something negative during an interview, they have NO SAY in the acceptance decision, as your example clearly demonstrated --not to mention, hundreds of other similar accounts. </p>
<p>There is really very little time left, and it is important to use it judiciously. Spend the time on your applications and make sure they are as polished as feasible. Start with your preferred schools and finish the applications one by one. This way you'll see progress. Resist the urge to tackle too much at once.</p>
<p>Good practical advice from xiggi!</p>
<p>I am concerned about what some people are calling matches and safeties here. Middlebury and Vassar accept fewer than 30 percent of their applications -- those are not safeties or matches for anyone. Skidmore is becoming much more competitive and very sensitive about being a safety -- I wouldn't call it a safety either. I would add a state school -- like UMass, Delaware, UVM -- just to play it safe. Those applications won't take long at all to complete.</p>
<p>Then, when all your applications are in, go back to Yale. Send Yale a letter saying how much you still want to go. Write from the heart.</p>
<p>Can't Vassar be a safety (90% safe not 100% safe) for some applicants? Looking at the scattergrams for our highschool 100% of kids with unweighted averages over 97 and 100% of SAT scores over 1450 got in last year. I'd consider Vassar pretty darn safe for the top kids in our school.</p>
<p>I hope no one is trying to make a stellar student that her only safety is her own state school. </p>
<p>
[quote]
Trust the system and trust yourself!
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I wholeheartedly endorse Xiggi's advice.</p>
<p>thykingdomcome,</p>
<p>I am sorry you are so upset about your deferred status with Yale. I have to ask... Did you attend an information session at Yale? Our infomation session was given by Chris Hansen. He is a Yale grad and young by most standards. I recall him stating that in 2005-2006 they rejected 4,000 valedictorians. They also rejected another 4,000 applicants with perfect SAT scores. Based on what I got from the information session: Applicants who were not in the top 5% of their class and had average to above average SAT scores who were unique and passionate about things such as music, community service, sports, or any subject matter had a better chance of being accepted at Yale than those with perfect scores! I am not telling you this to make you feel worse, but rather to let you know that your chances of getting rejected/deferred are greater than those who are simply "above average". </p>
<p>How were your essays? HUGE amount of emphasis placed on essays and teacher recommendations by Mr. Hansen. Also, did you have an interview? Did #15? That could be a factor as well..... They really love the people want who interview. I WISH I could find my notes from his info session! He was by far THE BEST info session I have ever witnessed. He had ME believing that <em>I</em> could get into Yale! </p>
<p>My son ended up not applying to any Ivys after looking at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, PA. He calls it "Yale on a smaller scale" It has everything he wanted in a college (including a lab with live monkeys.... he will be majoring in behavioral science and psychology) but smaller. The President of the college came to F&M from Penn and is bringing alot of that Ivy feeling to the campus! </p>
<p>I wish you well wherever you decide to attend. You will be successful wherever you attend, thykingdomcome. Remember that!</p>
<p>Your statistics is fine. I would have someone look my essays over and I would also apply many top schools to increase the odd. You shall get into a good one.</p>
<p>I know this may not help but my son (prez of his state's JCL) and the prez of another state's JCL were both accepted early to Yale. It may have been a glut of Classics kids this year. Usually, they all apply to Harvard, but this year Yale was the big draw. I bet you'll have an easier time getting into Harvard since they missed out on a lot of the top Latin students and you sound like one of the strongest. Another factor for my son, his school usually sends about a dozen to Yale every year (you said your school doesn't). Hang in there -- trust me, the Ivies do drool over the Classics students, there just were too many applying to the same school this year.</p>
<p>I know it hurts, but..</p>
<p>It sounds as if the reason you applied early to Yale is that it your high school has a good record for getting kids into it...not because you really honestly love it. Maybe that came through in your application. </p>
<p>You are NOT a URM. In fact, you are an ORM--overrepresented minority. The percentage of Japanese-Americans in the population as a whole is MUCH lower than the percentage at Yale or any other Ivy. </p>
<p>I interview for another college on your list with a strong classics department. I have interviewed several Asian-American classics major wannabes. You are not unique. Not even close to it. I admit that there are more Asian-Americans applying for pre-med and engineering, but among Asian-Americans who don't excel at math or science, classics seems to be one of the most common prospective majors. I'd hazard a guess that, if anything, Asian-Americans are OVER-represented among prospective classics majors. I'm sure there are FAR more Italian-Americans in that group...but eliminate them and quite seriously, I've interviewed more Asian-Americans who want to be classics majors than Caucasians who want to be classics majors. </p>
<p>The WORST advice you've gotten on this thread is to refuse to waive your right to see your recs. I GUARANTEE you that if you do that, you will NOT be admitted to Yale...and at least 2 other schools on your list. </p>
<p>I wish you a lot of luck. I do know that it HURTS. But, while time is short, add some REAL safeties to your list.</p>
<p>I sat down with my parents and more rationally discussed my options today--what do you know, they've also calmed down a lot since Friday SCEA decisions.</p>
<p>I also showed them all of your posts--and we made some compromises. So here is what I plan on doing:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>The college list is going to be (each with reason)
-Harvard (classics department, love Cambridge, financial aid initiative)
-Princeton (financial aid, undergrad focus, talked to a classics prof. when I visisted)
-Columbia (seems very humanity based b/c Core, NYC not an issue)
-Yale (I was upset and promised that I would never got to Yale, but secretly I know I still love it the most)</p>
<p>-Williams (sports seems great, did an overnight, Winter Study, though not fond of being so rural)
-Middlebury (sports as well, great for languages, location iffy, but at least town is sizeable)
-Swarthmore (to appease the parentals, love the campus and quirkiness, Philly is close)
-Wellesley (don't mind girls school at all, pretty close to home, not too far from Cambridge and other cities)</p>
<p>-Skidmore (Saratoga is wonderful, also seems pretty vibrant campus life, dorms are actually nice)
-Mt. Holyoke (girls school fine by me, Northampton nice, 5-school consortium)</p></li>
</ol>
<p>That's still 10 schools. I'm splitting the application fees w/ my parents so they won't have to bear all the burden.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I asked my guidance counselor if she would call up Yale and she said she would wait a while and then would call them and ask about some things for me, then relay that information to me.</p></li>
<li><p>Start writing my essays. There are several overlaps in what I can use, so I should be physically okay by January 1st :)</p></li>
<li><p>Is it too late to contact a sports coach? I'm definitely not good enough for the ivy league division I, but for the small schools, would that help?</p></li>
<li><p>My summer internship mentor will write me a recommendation. I'm concerned though, that it may focus too much on my non-classics interests. Will that be an issue?</p></li>
<li><p>I'm keeping up my grades and dropping all guarantees. No more dwelling on #15 getting in or whatnot!</p></li>
<li><p>I want to get in touch with an adcom or two, but several of the schools I am applying to do not have emails/telephone numbers listed. Maybe some of the moms on this board have the contact information?</p></li>
<li><p>Someone brought up the issue of safeties rejecting me because they think I'm using them as a last resort (well, truthfully I am). Is this something I can get around at all?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Thank you so much everyone! Glad to see Latin lovers do exist (though perhaps they are my competitors, grrrrr). No one likes Latin at our school.</p>
<p>After some more great advice, I'm adding 1 actual safety. A couple of friends went there last year thinking it would be awful and planning to transfer, but now they like it a lot. So Clark University it is. Would UVM (univ. vermont) be a reasonable safety? I don't know much about it, and it's farther from where I live than I would like my safety to be, but who knows?</p>
<p>So many colleges are getting more and more applicants that they are forced by sheer numbers to become NOT safeties anymore, it seems. Arg.</p>
<p>Glad to see Mount Holyoke on the list...great classics department.</p>
<p>Would you consider Barnard rather than Columbia?</p>
<p>Your stats/EC's are very impressive...and it would be quite a shock not to get into at least one of the schools on your list....but I'm still concerned that your list doesn't have a true safety. I am reminded of Andi's son on the thread"...No Acceptances: One Kid's Story - A year later... "</p>
<p>I really don't want to refer you to that thread to further fuel your current angst...but I think you need at least one school you'd be willing to go to that's a truer safety.</p>
<p>From an Asian parent, </p>
<p>My D went through the same trauma last year. I understand it hurts. Fortunately, she has a parent that was not upset by it. My advice:Channel your energy into the other applications. Remember that there are a lot of good schools in this country, with one no better than the other. Certainly, you will have a great education from any one of the schools that you listed. As pointed out by many here, select the ones that you like but not all so that you will have the time to write a good assay for each application. For many of these schools, the assay tells them a lot whether you are really interested in them. </p>
<p>Do consider that the Ivies you listed as well as Williams, Amherst and Swarthmore are reaches for any applicants, irrespective of their credentials. </p>
<p>I think outside of them, all other schools can be considered as safeties. So pick two and visit them, again if you have to. Contact the program chair before you visit. The chair will see you, and you can refer to your visit in a follow-up of your application, if you cannot do so before the deadline.</p>
<p>Your parents will become supportive once they see you working hard on your applications. Get them involved by asking their opinions on some of the essays. One of Amherst's assay prompt is taken from a poem by Richard Wilbur. It talks about how a father feels for his scholarly daughter. Go through the poem with your parents and make them see the point that their blessing is the best possible gift that they can bestow on you now. </p>
<p>Remember that there are a number of great schools out there, and you will love it when you get there this Fall.</p>
<p>"I think outside of them, all other schools can be considered as safeties."</p>
<p>No, Middlebury and Wellesley are not safeties; they are more like matches.</p>
<p>But I actually agree that Skidmore and Mt. Holyoke would be sufficient, even without Clark. </p>
<p>What I would do is add another school or two in more of a match tier than the Ivies and Williams, Swat: someone mentioned Barnard; if you like the Swarthmore location, how about Haverford; or Bowdoin.</p>
<p>"My school regularly sends people to Yale. For as long as I can remember, at least three or four have gotten in EA to Yale (not so much any other colleges, strangely). This year 5 applied, and none got in (2 rejections, 3 deferrals). I was among the deferred.</p>
<p>My first problem is, I feel indignant in addition to feeling upset. "</p>
<p>The word "indignant" jumps out at me. I'm wondering if somehow your application or interview conveyed that you felt entitled to get in.</p>
<p>For instance, I remember interviewing a stellar student whose interview totally lacked any spark. I'd ask a question, and she'd give me one sentence answers. She never seemed particularly interested. She even ended the interview only a half hour into it by asking me if I had any more questions. I was left with the impression that she was going through the motions because she really expected to get in and thought the interview probably didn't count that much.</p>
<p>Is there any possibility that your essays could have reflected that kind of mindset since -- based on what you've said -- as valedictorian from a school that regularly had Yale EA admits, you seem to have expected an acceptance?</p>
<p>You don't have to answer this question here, but it is something to consider.</p>
<p>Your background is outstanding, but based on knowing how difficult it is to get into Ivies, I still wouldn't think you'd be a definite shoo-in.</p>
<p>
[quote]
The word "indignant" jumps out at me. I'm wondering if somehow your application or interview conveyed that you felt entitled to get in.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Several people have mentioned this. Allow me to defend myself--and agree with you. Someone earlier was worried that I didn't really treat Yale as a first choice but rather a guarantee--no worries, it was definitely a college I had better reasons to love.</p>
<p>I definitely didn't show any sign of that in my application or interview (my interviewer knew a lot about Directed Studies at Yale and I wanted to try the program if I could get in to Yale, so that was good).</p>
<p>However, despite not having shown any entitlement sort of attitude, I definitely felt it in my heart. I really thought I was close to a sure thing. That was wrong, and that really cost me. So that, in addition to wanting Yale alone so badly, made the deferral painful.</p>
<p>But Northstarmom, could you comment on my match/safety issue? Harvard, Princeton, Williams, etc. are clearly reaches. I wrote in my above list the colleges I would be happy to attend if I got in, but now I'm not sure if they are appropriate matches/not. I just read Andison's story, despite an above poster kindly not posting the link, and although I know Andi's happy now, I really don't want to end up with no acceptances.</p>
<p>
[quote]
"I think outside of them, all other schools can be considered as safeties."</p>
<p>No, Middlebury and Wellesley are not safeties; they are more like matches.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Isn't the term "safety school" reserved to schools where one has a HIGHLY LIKELY chance to be admitted?</p>
<p>How could the chances for this candidate at Midd and Wellesley be described in any other term than ... extremely likely?</p>
<p>Let me put it this way. If the list ended with Wellesley -- no Skidmore, no Mt. Holyoke, would you really feel comfortable? If so, then fine, call them safeties; it's easy to gamble with the OP's life. </p>
<p>In fact, I think the OP will get into Wellesley (which comes closer to safety) and most likely into Middlebury, too (which has a much lower admit rate); I said they were matches.</p>
<p>" How could the chances for this candidate at Midd and Wellesley be described in any other term than ... extremely likely?"</p>
<p>Two years ago, according to Middlebury's common data set, 661 of the 2984 women who applied to Middlebury were accepted. That's 22 percent. I would imagine that the competition has gotten more intense. I just don't think that a school with such a low acceptance rate can ever be called a safety, and I question whether it can be considered a match, either. Andison thought Oberlin was a safety, and it's acceptance rate is in the 30 percent range. Didn't work for him.</p>
<p>Do I think that thykingdomcome should get into Midd and Vassar and Wellesley? With her background and stats, yes. Is it a sure thing -- no. A safety school is a sure thing, or as close to one as you can get. At least, that's my definition.</p>
<p>I think Clark would be a sure thing -- you might want to pay it a visit, though, if you live close by. UVM would be a sure thing.</p>