Thanks for the input, @HRSMom!!
You have a lot of great things going for you and you’ve demonstrated an ability to go beyond the classroom and really excel. I disagree with @ClarinetDad16 and think you should be aiming for the top schools. There’s obviously no guarantees but I think you will have at least a few great schools to decide upon when all is said and done. Best of luck!
Like so many other posters, I’m not seeing “bad” grades here. You obviously can do excellent work at the most competitive schools. Outstanding essays and rec letters could get you a number of top acceptances IMO. Good luck!
@falcon1 “aim for the top schools”? What does that mean???
Should the OP aim for the best fit? The best programs in the proposed major? The best ROI?
Or simply rely on USNews ranking. Gotta say I disagree with you all day on that one.
@ClarinetDad16 - I have a reasonable list of safeties and matches prepared, all of which I love and would be happy at. I’m aiming for having acceptance at a varied selection of schools, all of which I love, come May. To do that, I need to know what a reach is. Is George Washington a reach for me? Great - let me go find similarly selective schools to fill in my ‘reach’ slots. Is Georgetown actually more like where a reach would be? Sure! There are tons of great schools with the same selectivity, and I’m sure I could find a couple that fit. In either case, I wouldn’t apply to an Ivy League schools because, if GW is a reach, then it would be a waste to fill out a Princeton application.
@Falcon1 is trying to tell me that top schools are my ‘reach’ - that it’s fine for me to consider the Ivy League a general marker for selectivity at ‘attainable reach’ schools.
I’m not prestige-mongering, and I think I’m asking a very reasonable question. One you’re not helping me answer very much.
@ClarinetDad16, It’s pretty clear that falcon1 is responding to your comments which seem to be designed to dissuade the OP from applying to an Ivy:
I don’t believe OP is applying only to Ivies. It hurts nothing if s/he shoots a couple apps there if that’s affordable for the family. But you seem intent on convincing the OP to not even try. That’s a different message than, ‘admission to the Ivies is tough so make sure you have a couple safeties.’ If you mean the latter, I think you need to make that more clear. If it’s the former, that’s your preference. Other families are permitted to form their own.
I think that any applicant should aim for a range of schools that are good fits for their interests and personality. This range should include some reaches, matches and safeties. I personally deplore the idea of reaching for “top” schools that aren’t likely to be good fits.
In the case of the OP, I think that she has a record that should probably qualify her for admission to one or more schools which are considered “top”. That’s a probability and not a certainty, so she should certainly have a range of schools, which she apparently does. Beyond that, she should try to pick schools which are good fits, and not just go by rankings, name and reputation. I’ve suggested a few schools not on her list that I think could be good fits, and there are some schools currently on her list which I don’t think necessarily come across as good fits, but ultimately we’re acting on limited information. Hopefully she’ll be mature enough to decide which ones are good fits for her wisely.
Thank you, @rennaissancedad. In my Original Post I’m actually not referring to a ‘list’, as my list right now is comprised entirely of matches and safeties (all of which ranked below GW btw, and not mentioned), and so I’m just trying to get a feel for ‘tiers’ (not specific schools) so that I can pick my reaches.
Thanks for the specific suggestions; they were really helpful!
OP, I’m confused. In some of your other posts you are White, middle eastern. And in others, you are White, African American. Only pointing out the discrepancy because the minority AA is considered a bump in admissions for lots of schools. It’s a hook. Your posts are confusing
I’m URM. Sorry, I have a mixed heritage (Middle Eastern and Black parents both) and I was confused about how they were classified. I’ve since figured out that I’m considered both White and African-American.
That’s odd. I noticed that you were saying in another post that you couldn’t check off AA because even though you are descending from the continent of Africa, you are middle eastern and have to check off white. That would be correct.
Sorry, but there seems to be a rash of posts come application time when students get panicky and suddenly identify as minority status for the hook edge.
Not saying this applies in your case.
Admissions do see through these attempts though.
Good luck in your apps. You are a highly qualified applicant with or without minority hook.
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That’s odd. I noticed that you were saying in another post that you couldn’t check off AA because even though you are descending from the continent of Africa, you are middle eastern and have to check off white. That would be correct.
Sorry, but there seems to be a rash of posts come application time when students get panicky and suddenly identify as minority status for the hook edge.
[/QUOTE]
As I said - confused. Well, regardless, I don’t gain anything by writing it on CC so please do evaluate based on what is written.
Thank you, @goingnutsmom!
I am evaluating on what you’ve written and TBH, it’s confusing. Admissions evaluate too. And if something looks suspect, the
Again, good luck.
Sorry… And if something looks suspect then it throws the totality of the application into question.
Again, good luck.
@goingnutsmom - OK do you have any advice as to how what I’ve written in this post (not old posts) looks suspect? Thanks!
OP, you are playing a game that will backfire on you.
Thanks to those who clarified what I meant by “top”.
I took into account OP’s URM status when I made my comments. Since, it appears that there is some confusion over whether she has Black heritage or not, I would advise OP to be extremely certain that she does before checking off the box. Colleges take this very seriously and I have a seen a few instances of even after having accepted a student the college rescinding its offer. One of those times a fellow HS student wrote the college calling the student out. Best of luck with everything!
Hello: regardless of whether you are URM or not I think you stand an excellent chance at all the schools.
Add Duke to your list. You would stand a good chance at getting a free ride. Lookup Robertson Scholars.
I personally think Duke should be very high on the list of best potential fits for the OP.
If the OP is not racially 50% of sub-Saharan African descent, then the URM tag becomes VERY iffy.
@goingnutsmom I’m so confused lol. I just want to know why you think I am ‘suspect’. I explained my earlier confusion at classification - I had to look up precisely which countries could be considered black. Thank you for your input!