<p>OP, “not really worried about safeties”? You should be. NYU is not a “safety,” it is probably a match. Is your aversion to safeties because you are so supremely confident about your listed choices that safeties are, to you, largely irrelevant? </p>
<p>You seem rather smugly dismissive of all who have raised questions or concerns. Given that, there is little point in my weighing in on your viability as a competitive applicant to these schools when you clearly know more than we do. However, let me advise you of the following: rank of top 25% is NOT going to cut it at the schools you have listed (except NYU). Perhaps not even top 10%. With the exception of NYU, you need to be a TOP student in your school, not merely someone in the top 25% who built a robot.</p>
<p>What really was the point of this thread, anyway, if you are going to argue with those who have raised questions or concerns? This kind of arrogance suggests a potentially ill-informed and mis-directed application strategy against which you probably cannot be disuaded. So…good luck!</p>