Any Safety Suggestions?

College Search & Selection
1

I’m looking for some more safety schools to apply to this fall, but I can’t come up with any. I’m already applying to Tufts, WashU, Vassar, Bowdoin, Skidmore and Carnegie Mellon as reaches and targets, My one for sure safety is Providence College, but I’m looking for more to have a safety net to fall back on.
applying with a 3.8 w gpa
31 composite ACT
3 honors classes
2 arts (creative writing, ceramics)
years of publications
4 years of varsity sports (soccer)
ample community service

Any suggestions?

2

Unless you have a major hook, right now only Skidmore is match-range, while the rest are reaches. (aside from
Providence)

So maybe look for a couple more match-range schools first: universities like SMU, GWU, Pepperdine, Villanova, Miami(FL), maybe your state flagship (depending on the state)… or LACs like Union, Dickinson, Lawrence, F&M, Trinity, Conn College, Gettysburg.

For safeties, look at less selective LACs or in-state public schools where your stats are at or above the 75th percentile and the school’s admit rate is at least 45% – safer if it’s at least 50%, and that round figure is easier to remember anyway.

PC could be a low match for you, I think, so you’re on the right track.

For all apps, make sure you like and can afford the school, and that they at least – in terms of fit – offer majors you are interested in.

3

What’s your parents’ budget?
What’s your EFC?
Have you run the NPC on these and shown the results to your parents?
What’s your unweighted GPA (3.65?)
Have you reached level 4 or AP in a foreign language, precalculus or calculus in math, all three from bio, chem, physics plus one more science, plus 4 years each of English and history/social science?
With 3.8 weighted and 3 honors no AP, unless you attend a lower performing school where few students go to college and almost no honors/AP are offered, Providence is a low match and everything else is a reach.
The schools listed above would likely be low reaches too and only the LACs meet need.
Colleges that socio economic diversity (if you attend a lower performing school) include Colby and Franklin and Marshall.

4

Unless you know that your parents will pay most or all of providence costs, it may not be a safety

5

St. Lawrence, Connecticut College, Trinity (CT), Wheaton (MA) and Denison might be some excellent matches or safeties for you.

I’d also suggest that you consider more pure matches, in that Skidmore seems to be the only one from your current list.

6

in terms of cost, I am looking for merit scholarships and scholarships based on community service (i work with a nonprofit benefitting homeless youth in LA and I have been for four years), and I have a 3.74 UW GPA. Thoughts on Manhattan College as a safety? They have already offered me merit

7

What is your price limit? Have you run the net price calculator for each school on your list?

If you are a California resident, will you be applying to UCs and CSUs?

8

Assumption, Wheaton, Emmanuel, Ithaca, St. Michaels are a few I would look at.

9

Hiram and Drew have scholarships based on community service. Centre also does but it wouldn’t be a safety.

10

Many good suggestions above.
Adding: Clark, Muhlenberg, Sarah Lawrence.