Are these colleges I am applying to enough? Should I have more safety schools?

SAT Composite-2330
GPA-3.95
AP Microeconomics-5

Lots of projects and sports teams, choir state champions (2A)

Lots of practical application, did a english teachers workshop over summer, taught english at an orphan school, interned at a startup company, volunteered for 120 hours at a charity store.

Here are the colleges I am applying to:

Early Decision: Stanford

Regular Decision: Harvard, Yale, Pennsylvania, Columbia, Brown, Northwestern (father is alumni).

Are these schools enough? Should I apply to more?

Thank you!

Define ‘normal’

Sorry, I meant regular decision

Yes because you have no safeties or even matches on your list.

Could you elaborate?

You need a few more, as all of these schools have acceptance rates below 15%.

Have a look at the schools that are between 20 and 50 in the USNews rankings and find ones that you like (based on geography, size, major, etc) and where your 2330 is higher than the 75th percentile and apply to 3 or 4 of those.

You also might want to drop one of the Ivys as those schools are very different. Pick the 3 or 4 that you prefer. Good luck
Londondad

Thank you. I might look at more safety schools. Do you have any in mind that might fit me?

Also, what do you mean by “those schools are very different”?

He means that you are applying to schools for the prestige factor only. They have totally different academic and social environments.

You say “more safeties”. All you have are reach schools except Northwestern which is a match given the legacy.

I see, thank you.

Will definitely consider it again!

Definitely need to apply to more safety schools. It is totally plausible that you could get rejected by every single one of those schools and then come March you’d just have to go to wherever is still accepting applications.

It doesn’t matter how great your stats are, if you don’t have a Wikipedia page dedicated to you there’s a very good chance of rejection at the top schools.

Haha, thank you!

I am thinking of including a few safety schools with lesser selectivity now.

Darude

Don’t think about it, do it. What are you looking for in a college? The University of Miami seems like it would be of interest although I can think of quite a few other less selective institutions which might also work well for you.

I am looking for a college with a strong psychology program, albeit I would also like it to have a strong all around program. I am thinking of UCSD but I really don’t want to apply to a UC school.

Thankfully, cost is a non-factor (60k year is ok)

Darude

There are no safeties on your list. You need to talk to your GC about safety/match recommendations. Go to your schools Naviance and look up the acceptance stats of students from your school that were accepted by these colleges.

Have you spoken with your parents about what they can contribute /afford?

It’s getting late to develop a strong list. I’m assuming you are a senior?

Oh, just saw that you are high income. Some schools may be over $60,000 for you once you include everything.

Yeah, money isn’t that big a problem. Probably gonna shell out the big moneys all four years.

I guess I do need to look into more safety colleges.

Thank you @goingnutsmom

Darude

There are a number of places that would flat-out guarantee you admission based on your GPA and SAT scores. Some of them would also offer you significant merit-based aid. For dead-on safeties, read through these threads and take a look at what the various institutions offer. You might find something that you like:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/1562918-updated-list-of-schools-with-auto-admit-guaranteed-admission-criteria-p1.html
http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/

Just remember that even your rock-bottom safety has to be a place that you are willing to attend if all else goes wrong in the application process. If you cannot come up with at least one safety option in that category, do devote a bit of time to thinking about what you could do during a Gap Year if you aren’t admitted anywhere that you do like.

I don’t think that I have any flat-out guarantee schools because I am a foreign student going to a private boarding school in the US.

And yes, I do need to look into some rock-bottom safeties! I am thankful that I made this thread.

Also, the scores that are on here are largely 1600 based SATs. Can I assume that my SATs are enough? @happymomof1

Darude

A SAT 2330 is a knock out score. What is your CR + M? You are applying as an international applicant? Then you will be competing with the international pool. Please realize that this is usually a more competitive pool of students than the domestic pool.

I think that you are a strong applicant but still safeties are very important. I saw one domestic applicant get shut out of everything except her state school because her list was too reach heavy.

Private boarding school and only 1 AP? Are you a Junior?