<p>Those are my exact reaches Marilyn.</p>
<p>Interesting :D</p>
<p>haha really? They are all great schools so it’s no surprise they get so many applicants!</p>
<p>
True except UChicago and NU typically attract different type of students. My son applied and was accepted to NU but would never have considered UChicago. If he didn’t get into Yale he would have been a Wildcat.</p>
<p>Very true, in the past 3 years at my hs there have been 3x as many NU applicants than UChi applicants. For me personally, I visited both and would be thrilled to be a student at either, but liked UChi a little better simply based on the beauty of the school. NU has, in my opinion, a better student life though with the Wildcats, Pensa, and Dillo Days.</p>
<p>Looking over your schools in post #10, I noticed something that may (or may not) be of concern. Do you need financial aid? Northwestern, Georgetown, Duke, UPenn and UChicago do not offer as much financial aid to middle class families as Yale. Many students who are accepted to the above schools are disheartened to find out that they cannot afford to attend due to the high cost of attendance.</p>
<p>Right now, I plan on EDing to Penn and my family tried out the net price calculator and it was much better than expected. If I don’t get in there, we’ll have to see what other schools offer. Who knows? If U of I gives me a good deal, I wouldn’t mind going there. Like I said, I can picture myself at every school I plan to apply to, some more than others, but if money became the deciding factor, I would make the best choice for me (I am covering most of it and definitely getting a job in college too).</p>
<p>Ever consider the possibility you’ll end up at UIUC? Your ACT science score of 28 is weak. It indicates you may have trouble as a pre-med especially at Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Duke, Penn or Chicago. Secondly, what are your actual grades? If your school uses numeral grades, you can calculate your true average. Weighted GPA’s are meaningless outside of high school and to admissions officers. If you get a 88 in an AP course or “honors” course that’s a 88 not a 98 - period. Further, the University of Chicago has always been less of place for Midwesterners than NU. Don’t count on being from Chicago as meaning anything at the U of C. UChicago now gets more applicants from California than Illinois. Northwestern now has a 15% admit rate. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch, despite your Catholic prep’s record of success!</p>
<p>Eliminate Yale, Harvard and Stanford from your list and add JHU, WUSTL and Rice instead. Rice is an extremely well-endowed small university that may be more affordable for you than NU.</p>
<p>^^ Did I misread something? OP took ACT twice; first time scored a 33 composite, 2nd time scored a 31 composite. The science section is not science per se, it is more timed science reading/chart reading. And Yale, Harvard and Stanford pay little attention to a student’s intended major, as the vast majority of accepted students end up changing their major at least once during their four years of college. Apply away OP, don’t let the turkey’s get you down. That’s not to say you will be accepted, it’s a challenge (and sometimes a crapshoot) for most everyone.</p>
<p>Hahaha thanks, gibby! I know the admissions process can be grueling, but (for lack of a better phrase) YOLO! Also, the program at Stanford I am going to next week will be a real test for me. It is basically an undergrad for 8 weeks program, so I will see how I feel about the whole experience (TA’s, office hours, timing, not being one of the “smart ones” in my class). I think that after the experience, I will really know whether or not it is worth applying to so many competitive schools.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the feedback, I really mean it!</p>
<p>
While those scores are good, they might be low for Yale. My son was wait listed with a single sitting 35 (36 Science and Reading, 34 English and 33 Math).</p>
<p>Also, I know my science section scores suck, but I’m taking it again in the fall for the third and final time so I really hope I can get it up to a 30, ideally. For now, I’m happy that my math and english scores are competitive because those are the big ones from what I have heard.</p>
<p>@Kdog: [Common</a> Data Set (CDS) | Office of Institutional Research](<a href=“http://oir.yale.edu/common-data-set]Common”>Common Data Set | Office of Institutional Research). According to Yale’s 2011-2012 Common Data Set, page 9: Yale’s 25% percentile ACT = 31, 75% percentile = 35, so OP is within Yale’s range. </p>
<p>@mmarilyn11: My advice is to not take the ACT again, as your 31 and 33 are within Yale’s range – and statistically taking the test more than twice rarely increases your score. I would spend the time writing and editing your essays – as often that is what distinguishes one high performing student from another. Also see: <a href=“http://admissions.yale.edu/what-yale-looks-for[/url]”>What Yale Looks For | Yale College Undergraduate Admissions;
<p>“While there is no hard and fast rule, it is safe to say that performance in school is more important than testing. A very strong performance in a demanding college preparatory program may compensate for modest standardized test scores, but it is unlikely that high standardized test scores will persuade the admissions committee to disregard an undistinguished secondary-school record.”</p>
<p>Regardless, it will be an uphill battle and you will have to have stellar essays. For an idea, peruse the RD acceptance thread to see how many were accepted with around 33 or less composite.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/yale-university/1304717-official-yale-class-2016-rd-results-thread.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/yale-university/1304717-official-yale-class-2016-rd-results-thread.html</a></p>