idk yet… how many reaches/safeties/matches do u guys have.
I have like 2 safeties, like 5ish reaches, and so far 3 matches.
Is 10 a solid number of schools? 2 less or 2 much?
It depends on a lot of things. It depends on whether your safeties can be classified as such truly, and whether you’d be happy going to one of them if you got rejected from everywhere else. It depends on whether adding more matches and reaches would just be tacking on more schools to the list rather than adding schools that you would like. It depends on how many moonshots you want to go for. 10 seems like a solid number. I don’t know the schools or your standing within the potential admit pool, but that’s a good number.
UCR seems like a really solid safety for me and maybe Alabama.
For reaches i have UCLA, UCB, maybe UT austin and maybe another
I have low reaches too like UCSD and UCSB
so is this solid
I have a 4.08 UC gpa and 4.1 W and 3.7ish UW
Also have 1460 SAT and okay ECs
Here’s my question: if, heaven forbid, you were to make only one school, would you be financially able to attend every school on that list? Would you be happy going there?
It seems to me that, if your safeties are real safeties, you have plenty.
i am happy going to any school on my list even UCR
I picked schools I would want to go to, but some maybe more than others
OK, that’s fair.
And you can afford to attend each of them?
If so, then you’re done.
If you’re not fishing for merit or needing to compare FA offers, you’re good to go. If you are chasing merit, you probably need to cast a wider net.
It sounds like you’re mostly looking at the UCs, with a couple of other reaches thrown in. What’s your intended major?
ye i can afford
my major will be Biochem or ChemE or something related
Consider whether your desired majors (particularly chemical engineering) are more difficult to get into than the school overall, or would be difficult to change into after enrolling. That may change the reach/match/safety assessment, or the desirability of the schools.
I would also add Cal Poly SLO to your list - probably a low reach for you. As good as your top UC’s for engineering.
ye however I see that ChemE isn’t offered.
shud i still apply?
If you are reasonably sure that you want to do chemical engineering, there is no point in applying to a school that does not offer it.
ok how bout Cal Poly Pomona?
how wud u chance me for that?
CPP would be a Low Match or Safety in you are local
ok im an instate so shud i just keep UCR as only safety or add others like pomona?
@SREE33: I really cannot say how many safeties you should have on your list. My son’s both applied to 10 schools. They had 2 Safeties, 5-6 Match schools and 2-3 Reach schools. They both had UCR and CPP on their lists and used them as Safety/Match schools.
@Gumbymom
what were ur sons stats and watelse schools did he have
Older son had a 4.17 UC GPA, 26 ACT composite (29 Math/31 Science), very good EC’s and great essays, 7 AP’s and 2 Honors.
Applied for Environmental Science 5 years ago so take results with a grain of salt since UC’s have become more competitive. Accepted: Cal Poly Pomona (local/Honors college), SLO, UC Davis (graduated this year), UC Irvine, UC Santa Cruz, UC Riverside, UC Merced. Denied: UC Santa Barbara and San Diego. He got free applications from University of the Pacific and NAU so applied anyways.
Younger son had a 3.73 UC GPA, 31 ACT composite (Math 30/Science 35), average EC’s and essays. 10 AP’s and 2 Honors.
Applied for Computer Science 4 years ago so again the competitiveness continues to increase for all schools.
Accepted: Cal Poly Pomona (local/Honors college), UC Riverside, San Jose State (SE instead of CS), Long Beach state, San Diego State (currently attending), CSU Fullerton. Denied: UC Santa Barbara, Davis, SLO and UCLA.
Much has changed in the 4-5 years since my son’s applied to the UC’s and CSU’s and I am sure that their results would be a lot different if they applied today. Only you can determine which schools you think will be the best fit in academics/social life and financially. Both son’s wanted several options from which to choose, so they did have several safety and solid match schools on their list.
You are a competitive applicant for many schools on your list, but UC’s can be unpredictable so it is up to you how many Reach vs. Match vs. Safety schools you want on your list. My older son’s best friend was a top student at his HS and only applied to 2 CSU’s due to financial cost restraints and was perfectly happy attending his top choice CSU (SDSU).
My advice is always the same, apply widely so you do have some good choices come spring and as long as you are happy attending your safety school, then everything should be fine.
Best of luck.
shud i still apply to CSU’s tho?
If you like some of the CSU’s and their Chem E programs, have the money to apply and feel that you would happily attend if accepted, sure why not… I always advocate to apply to many types of schools, since admissions are difficult to predict. Everything is in your hands. CC posters can only give you advice and it is up to you to decide what is best for your situation.