<p>Not getting into any of the schools I'm applying to is a HUGE fear of mine but I also don't want to settle. I'm applying to MIT, Harvard, Princeton, UChicago, Cornell, and RPI. I know most of these schools are pretty much long shots but i can't see myself anywhere else, and I'm hoping at least RPI is a safety. Am I over-reaching?</p>
<p>Here are my stats</p>
<p>Albanian Immigrant
103.7 Weighted at the end of Junior Year (Our school uses percents not 4.0)
Not sure what my unweighted was.
94.2 UW and 106.4 W so far this year.
2/251 at the end of last year and probably 1 right now but they don't get updated till halfway through the year.</p>
<p>Sat's
2210/2400
1550/1600
Just took SAT II's Physics, Math II, and Literature. no score yet.
Taking Act's in 2 weeks.
Considering on retaking Sat I's and taking 1 or 2 more Sat II's</p>
<p>Took AP Physics B and AP Chemistry last year, 5's on both.
Taking AP Calculus AB, AP Biology, AP Spanish, and AP Literature this year
and self studying to take the BC test (our school doesn't offer the class) and taking the Physics C test (again our school doesn't offer the class)</p>
<p>Play 4 instruments. Have played in every school band.
President of Marching Band this year, and trumpet section leader and 1st trumpet since junior year and learned to play trumpet after only knowing guitar just to help the marching band when they needed new trumpet players.
I've arranged a song for the band this year.
Also have had my own band outside of school since January of 2007. All original songs and we've played about 60 shows in CT and MA between then and now.
President of Science National Honor Society.
In Spanish National Honor Society
Tri-M Music Honor Society (currently running for president).
A few community service things (Volunteered at the Wolcott Special Games, went down to the middle schools and elementary schools to do special spanish lessons for kids a few times, have performed for several community activities, tutored a boy in algebra for a few months)
Designed my independent study in physics class this year since there are no more classes in it to take and that's what i want to do. I'm recreating famous experiments discussing their impact on society and their historical setting.</p>
<p>It's not clear from your post whether or not you are a U.S. citizen. If you are not, your chances go down, especially if you need aid in some cases.
Your profile is quite strong, so I'd be surprised if you didn't get into RPI and Cornell. Admission to Chicago will depend on the quality of your essays. You're a good candidate for the others, too, but their admissions rates are so low you can never be confident about them.</p>
<p>RPI's a safety. Tons of people who have stats not even comparable to yours have all considered it a safety and gotten big merit money. It's quite easy to get into.</p>
<p>Mabye apply to one more 'in case', but RPI's a good safety.</p>
<p>I think youll definately get into one or more of the schools you mentioned above but including one solid safety (some kind of state school) wouldnt be a bad idea</p>
<p>Mhm. I'm applying EA to MIT, but not Chicago and probably no time to change that at this point with all the essays I need to write. And Im going to try to get every other one for RD done by Dec 1st. Giving my teachers the rec forms for my rd schools within the end of the week.</p>
<p>Last year looking at my college list (MIT, CALTECH, H,P,S,D) would have elicted the
remark that it was risky but in reality the risk got diluted due to the app order
and the fallback options post-DEC 15th when I had safeties lined up to go.</p>
<p>Line up all your common app colleges with staggered dates and
then go after them if required after Dec 15th. In my case I had lined
up 6 additional colleges but ended up not applying to any since I was
admitted EA to MIT and Caltech. So in total I applied to 6 colleges.</p>
<p>I had applied to Stanford RD+Art supp (11/15 deadline) and H,P by
their priority deadline (12/1) and Duke by its interview deadline
(12/7, I think). Transcripts and scores went to 12 schools. But
app fee and reccs went only to 6.</p>
<p>Not having a safety initially does not become a problem if you have
scheduled yourself well in advance to complete your application
online after Dec 15th.</p>
<p>I didn't really think about the order (other than MIT EA) until you guys started mentioning that. So I guess I should be fine long as i get all my common app schools done by Dec. 1st.</p>
<p>Yes. But I wasn't sure about it since I didn't know too much. Still not a definite no, just felt like i should narrow my list more and decided the ones i did know a lot about. But if i do as MIT 012 suggested this doesn't necessarily have to be my final list.</p>
<p>One thing that you haven't mentioned is just exactly how much money you have available to pay for your education. This may end up becoming a deciding factor for you next April. Since UCONN is your home-state public university, you should gather whatever paperwork is necessary to apply there ASAP to put yourself in line for any merit money that they may have floating around. No safety can be considered a "true" safety if you can get in, but can't pay for it.</p>
<p>I haven't paid too much attention to money since that would be a problem without aid wherever I go, and if I at least get into schools I can compare which will give the better financial package. I'm 90% sure that any state public school valedictorians and salutatorians automatically get at least some sort of scholarship at UConn though I should probably check that with my counselor again, but I've mainly been betting on the fact that the top schools I'm looking at (HPM) are able to offer me way more than the safeties if i can get in and so the cost would even out. </p>
<p>If you haven't paid much attention to money, you should take the time to read through the sticky threads in the Financial Aid forum, and you should run some FAFSA and PROFILE calculators (start with the FAFSA calculator at FinAid</a>! Financial Aid, College Scholarships and Student Loans). Depending on your stats, there may well be some good financial offers for you out there at decent schools that aren't so ridiculously hard to get into as HPM. </p>
<p>Please do the research on this. There were a lot of really, really, really sad kids posting here at CC last April when they couldn't afford to go to the schools that they had their hearts set on, and hadn't taken the time to find places that they could have afforded to attend. You don't want to be in that situation in April 2009.</p>