Anxious Senior's 20-School Plan

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

White Male
from Virginia but Non-Northern Virginia
-SAT: 750 Reading / 770 Math (Superscore) (1520)
-SAT2: 740 Biology M, 680 Math 2
-AP Scores: Bio: 5, Language: 5, World History: 5, US History: 5.
-GPA: 4.319 (weighted system, with 5s for APs and Dual Enrolled Classes, 4.5s for Honors, and 4 for regular classes)
-GPA: 3.77 (all B’s freshman year from boarding school, and some B’s sophomore year there too)
-Rank: 24/350
(but both GPA and rank include grades from classes at a more rigorous preparatory boarding school, one of the most competitive in the country, from when I attended as a Freshman/Sophmore, as well as the 9 high school Honors courses I took in middle school that was an extremely rare occurrence.)

Attends Local Public High School + STEM Governor’s Magnet School
Attended a top two boarding school in the country (left for family health reasons) and took a semester abroad term in the Bahamas.
Intended Major: Biology

Listed Extracurriculars:
Student Director and Baritone Section Leader, Acapella Group, 2017-Present
Run weekly meeting for an all-male acapella group, teach pieces to other members of the group, take attendance, and was appointed to the position by the Choral Department Director.

President and Founder, Environmental Action Club, 2018-Present
Run monthly meetings for a group of about a dozen students, plan club events, create awareness posters, advocated for and obtained recycling bins for our cafeteria, and assisted the Climate Change Lobby at local events.

Lead Roles, Theater Productions, Age 9-Present
I have acted in over a dozen shows in high school, and another dozen before high school. I have been cast as lead roles numerous times, and in my most current show I played the male lead.

Tour Guide and Ambassador, 2015-Present
I gave weekly tours to prospective students at my boarding school, and continue to give tours now at my governor’s school.

Impromptu Speaker, Forensics, 2017-Present
Impromptu competitive speech-giving. I won 2nd place at Virginia High School League Regionals & Super Regionals, and placed in the top six at States. I also won 1st at the first SWVFL tournament in 2018.

National Honor Society Member, 2017-Present
I tutor students in AP World and AP US History, volunteer at the local soup kitchen, and volunteer at school events.

Gender Sexuality Alliance
Fanfiction Author
Hospital Internship

Essays:
I consider my common app essay to be very good, and overall my essays to be good, fun, and quirky.

PLEASE, chance me for any school you are familiar with, overall, or however you would like.
I’m just full of stress during these final days before early notification.

The Schools I Have Applied To:
University of Pennsylvania, Early Decision
University of Chicago, Early Action
MIT, Early Action
CalTech, Early Action
UVA (in-state, legacy), Early Action
Georgia Tech, Early Action
Illinois Tech (rolling)
Tulane, Early Action
George Mason (in-state), Early Action
University of Southern California, Regular Decision
Boston University, Regular Decision

Schools I Plan on Applying To Regular Decision:
Georgetown
Harvard
Stanford
Columbia
Pomona College
Northwestern
Haverford
Swarthmore
William and Mary (in-state)

2

You know that you are a credible candidate. You know that many of the places that you are applying to are ferociously competitive, and that they turn down 90+% of their applicants.

And now the die is cast, and it’s time to distract yourself more constructively than asking for people to guess your chances. As long as you have a genuine ‘safety’ in the mix (a school that is certain to accept you, that you can genuinely afford and that you won’t cry if that’s your only choice) you don’t need to be anxious.

But: human nature says that anxiety is inevitable, so pick something that you will go do whenever you feel anxious while you count down the last few days and weeks. Bake something for the holidays. Go rake an older neighbor’s leaves (or shovel their walk). Go for a run. Do yoga. Write a letter to somebody serving in the military. Volunteer at the animal shelter. Work at a food kitchen. Practice a musical instrument.

Anything- as long as it requires you to do something (doing something physical will help more, but that’s not everybody’s cup of tea), and ideally requires either concentration and/or does something for somebody else.

I promise: it will help reduce your anxiety more than 100 cheering posts from other students who are just as anxious- and just as uninformed- as you are.

Good luck- and come back with updates as they happen!

3

This is a super reach heavy list of schools. Your UW GPA and math II scores are on the low side, especially for a STEM major. I think you’ll see acceptances at UVA, Ill Tech, and George Mason but the others are all reaches.

If you would happy with attending one of those schools, I don’t see a big need to apply to more schools. 11 is already a good number.

If you want to cast a wider net, personally I wouldn’t bother with Georgetown (you would need a third SAT II subject test), Harvard, Stanford Columbia, Northwestern, Pomona and Swarthmore. You have enough reaches on your original list! I would apply to Haverford and W&M but find more match schools at the W&M level.

4

Your Math II subject test is quite low percentile wise. The Bs in the competitive boarding school environment don’t look great for the very top schools either.

I don’t see GTech as likely — they turned down some students with very high test scores last year.

But I’d gues you will have at least 5 acceptances from the schools you’ve already applied to.

5

@collegemom3717 Thank you so much for your kind response. You really inspired me and lifted my spirits. I’ve done what I can, and it’s time to stop obsessing and spend some meaningful time this holiday season with family and service (while getting my last apps in). :slight_smile:

@momofsenior1 I plan on applying to Georgetown without the third SAT II, hoping my AP Scores make up for my lack of a third subject test.
I guess I really wasn’t informed of the importance of the SAT Subject tests.

@intparent Thanks for keeping it real.

I’d still love to hear anyone else’s opinion, of course.

6

Agree this list is reachy and adding more matches makes sense (unless you would be happy to attend the matches and safeties on your list, which are probably Illinois Tech (why that school?), GMU and UVA (instate plus legacy)). Although your UW GPA is on the low side for many of these schools, rigor seems fairly high. Most of your ECs, although great, do not support a bio major so that could impact admissions decisions at schools that consider that and/or admit directly into a major/school.

I have the same concern about Georgetown–high reach with GPA and only 2 subject test scores (and one well below average).

Are all of these schools affordable, and have you run the NPCs?

7

This is from Georgetown’s website: “SAT Subject Tests - It is strongly recommended that all candidates, whether they have taken the SAT Reasoning Test or the ACT, submit three SAT Subject Tests scores. The scores from writing portion on the SAT Reasoning Test and the optional writing portion of the ACT will not be used in place of a Subject Test.”

AP scores are not going to be a substitute for SAT II tests either.

You are unnecessarily handicapping your application by not submitting what they are asking for and as noted above, the math SAT II score is already low.

You’ve already applied to 11 schools. IMO, I don’t see the point of another reach application especially if you don’t have everything they are requesting.

8

@Mwfan1921 I haven’t applied to any school that we can’t afford after running the NPCs.
Why Illinois Tech? It’s in Chicago, I ran the NPC and it wasn’t bad, and it has lots of possible scholarships.
I wouldn’t exactly be happy at any in-state school.

@momofsenior1 Whelp! I have already paid for it, so it’s going in. I’ve also already had my interview, so I’m going to follow through. I hope it’s not as much of a handicap as you expect because it was one of the schools I liked the most. We’ll see. I made my bed and have to lie in it.

9

Have you visited Tulane? They are really big on demonstrated interest. What about swapping about a few of the super reach schools for WashU? I understand that they really like high SAT scores. You would also want to visit there.

10

Is it too late to take a third SAT Subject test? At our info session at our Georgetown tour, the Dean strongly emphasized these. He quoted the policy (above) and then said “Now students, do you REALLY think that these tests are optional?” Also he stated that GT has found that success at GT correlates highest with SAT Subject test scores more than any other factor. I would say that GT might place the highest emphasis on SAT Subject tests of any school! If you really like it, can you get a third test in?

11

@pittsburghscribe Sadly, I’m not really in the position to be able to visit many schools far from home. I’ve only toured and done information sessions at Columbia, UPenn, Haverford, Swarthmore, UVA, and Georgetown. I’ve done just an information session for UChicago near home, and one for Georgetown, Harvard, Stanford, and Columbia combined near home. I’ve visited MIT and Harvard.

I didn’t really consider WashU because Saint Louis wasn’t really big enough of a city for my tastes.

12

@TS0104 @momofsenior1 Sadly, the last test date just passed. Thank you guys SO MUCH for trying to help me, though. I would take another one now if I could just based on both of your pieces of advice.
Do you think I should send a letter to my admissions rep, or let it sit?

13

Your qualifications are great, as you must know! You’ve got a very strong GPA at your second high school, outstanding SATs, outstanding APs, impressive artistic accomplishments.

I agree that your list is reach-heavy, but as long as you would be genuinely happy at GMU, UVA, and/or Illinois Tech, I think you are good.

I’m curious, though: what do your high school guidance counselors think about this list? At my child’s high school, students aren’t allowed to apply to more than TWELVE schools, and I know her guidance counselors would be unenthusiastic about someone who has already applied to Penn, MIT, Chicago devoting time to applying to two more Ivies (Harvard, Columbia), several more “little Ivies” (Swarthmore, Haverford, and west coast cousin Pomona), and Stanford.

Your qualifications are outstanding, but why focus on schools which admit a single digit percentage of candidates? Do you assume you will be happier there? If so, why do you assume that? I’m not saying you are wrong. (I obviously don’t know you at all.) I just think it is worth asking the question. You may be making yourself more anxious than you need to be. There are a lot of outstanding colleges in the United States, many of which accept more than 9% of applicants.

14

What would you possibly say in your letter? Unless it was a financial burden to taking the third exam, which it doesn’t sound like is your situation, there really isn’t another reasonable excuse. I would let it sit.

15

@BookLvr I focused on schools that can meet full financial need without loans, or very little loans, that are in big cities. Chicago, Boston, DC, Philly, SoCal, Atlanta. I’m gay and really want to be able to find a community because I come from somewhere I’m basically the only out gay guy, and I did harp on that in my applications.
The only schools that really fit that bill happen to be the highly selective ones.
I’d love any suggestions for schools that I can afford in large metropolitan areas, though.

16

I fully agree. If I confess I wasn’t aware of the strong recommendation, it shows disinterest, apathy, or carelessness. I’ll let it sit.
No, not a financial constraint.
Although, I am not paying for most of my apps. I’ve only paid for two.

17

So you have run the net price calculators on all these school websites, and your parents are okay with them? The calculators aren’t very accurate, though, if you have divorced parents or they own a small business or rental property. Remember that “meets need” is the school’s definition, not yours.

What about Dickinson? Smaller town, but I know gay students who went there and seemed happy with their experience. They meet 99% of need, too.

There are some schools that meet need, but are not need blind. You have good stats, so might have a good shot. How about Macalester, Occidental, or Pitzer? Replace some of your tippy top reaches with those if the calculators look good.

18

Do you know your EFC? I would run NPC’s on the following schools, which fit your in/near big cities criteria, which I think would be more of a match/safety for you:

UMD College Park - just outside DC and an easy train ride into the city.

George Washington U - in DC
Temple - in Philly
Northeastern (low reach/high match) - in Boston

19

@intparent I’ll investigate Occidental. Pitzer was a good tip, considering I’m already applying to Pomona. I’ll look at it too. I just had my interview for Pomona yesterday. It was 3 hours long at a local Starbucks. That’s very abnormal, right?

@momofsenior1 I had run UMD College Park earlier this year and I don’t think it was a good number. I’ll check out the other three, and look at it again, though.

These are all schools I’ve heard of. I guess my strategy was if applied to enough reaches, it was more likely one would take me, so I focused on a bunch of reaches and just a handful of safeties and matches.

Also, in terms of my guidance counselor… My current school rarely ever sends a kid to a school that is more selective than UVA. Last year, one person went to Duke and one to USC, and that was the only matriculations of note. Before that, I think one girl went to Princeton 4 years ago, and a girl to UChicago 5 years ago. It just doesn’t have the experience to handle highly selective admissions counseling, I don’t think. There’s also really high turnover in the guidance department.
So, while I had many conversations with my guidance counselor, she was not of too much help in crafting a list of schools. She told me she would be surprised if I didn’t get into the majority of the schools on my list, for reference.
I know that is unlikely.

20

Remember you have to run the gauntlet of applying for FA to all these schools. That can be a big hassle (process is not as uniform as the college application). Slow down. You don’t need all these schools. You don’t really improve your odds (a soft GPA and low math score follow you to all of them). Your apps and test scores and CSS profiles must be costing you a bundle, too.

Just as an aside, don’t send that Math II score to any school that isn’t recommending SAT II scores.