My school doesn’t do GPAs on any normal scale or publish rank, but I have been told my GPA is competitive for top schools
ACT: 35
National Merit Commended (at least, maybe finalist, we’ll see)
Coursework
I have taken a very science-heavy curriculum, but I have 2 years of history, 4 years of Spanish (including AP) and 4 years of English. Senior year, I am taking five classes, and four of them are honors level
Awards
First honor roll every semester
Molecular engineering award (I don’t want to name specifics)
Short story contest winner
Extracurriculars
NASA internship this summer (11)
Published molecular genetics research (10)
Co-founder/Communications Manager of Space and Rocketry Club (11,12)
Head of outing club (9,10,11,12)
Board member GSA (9,10,11,12)
Captain of ski team (11,12)
Captain of club basketball (11,12)
Stage manager, actor and play write for school theatre department (10,11,12)
Volunteer for citizen science project (10,11,12)
Essays/LORs/Other
Decent essays (7/10)
One excellent teacher rec from science teacher (9/10)
One okay teacher rec (probably from English teacher (6/10)
Decent college counselor rec (8/10)
Cost Constraints / Budget
I would be a full-pay student
Schools
ED/EA would probably be Brown or Rice, then Northeastern, Case Western, MIT, UChicago
What are my chances, and what are some more sfaety and match schools I should look at? I want a school with a great science program that is in or near a city, but I am very flexible otherwise.
Will you have a third year of history next year? How about FL?
Some of the reach schools on your list are going to want a balanced number of core HS classes. You have a reach heavy list so that could be a way to cut some schools.
It’s difficult to understand your GPA and rigor and make recommendations. I concur with others who have mentioned 2 years of history is not enough…are you taking another Social Studies class senior year? What proportion of your core courses are honors/APs? (Core=E, Math, Science, FL, SS)
What is your core unweighted GPA on a 4 point scale? (A+/A/A-=4, B+/B/B-=3 and so on)
With regard to your list, Scripps and Bryn Mawr are matches, not safeties. Same for CWRU.
I would encourage you to cull this list further as you do more research. For example, Brown and UChicago are really different schools…I would expect one of those to ultimately drop off. Because there are so many reaches, you will have many essays to write, which is another reason to cut back the list.
You might also choose a rolling admission school that is strong in stem, like U Pitt. Submit that app in August and you may have an acceptance by October…which could mean you could further cull your list.
Lastly, you note that you are a full pay student…does that mean your parents will pay $75K+/year for these schools?
Pitt and Rutgers might be worthwhile to look at. Are you thinking about Grad school? Look into schools that might have an accelerated BS/MS or BS/PhD program
If you are from New England, when why Arizona for a safety? Why not U.Mass Amherst and/or UVM (or McGill if your grades are high enough for it to actually be a safety)?
“in or near a city” is of course not a description of U.Mass. However, it does describe UVM and McGill.
You do have a lot of reaches on your list. I think that reaches might be easier to find because they are famous. However, you should think hard about which of these reaches are a better fit for you.
With a 19% admissions rate, I do not think that I would call Wellesley College a match. Perhaps a “low reach” might be more accurate. With a 24% admissions rate I would not call Scripps a safety.
Arizona (both U of A and ASU) are actually great safeties - merit for stats is fairly predictable, both have strong honors colleges, both are in cities, and warm winters might be appealing for a New Englander.
I agree that an in state public university should be included in a balanced list. I am thinking that this student may wish to keep her state of residence confidential as she identified as a New Englander. I agree with others that BMC and Scripps are not safeties and Wellesley is probably a low reach.
Your currently listed safeties are matches/high matches due to their acceptance rate.
Good safeties for you could include Pitt, UVermont, UMN Twin Cities.
Why would you ask a teacher who will only give you a C rec for an LOR? Top colleges won’t be impressed by a student who can’t find 2 teachers who think that s/he is a top student.
You are a top student in a top private school. 100% you have a college counselor who is doing all of this with you.
Az is a great school with a great Homors program but it’s out west. Why Az. Are you chasing merit ? In that case add U of SC Honors, UGA, William and Mary, FSU…someone said UF but FSU for Merit. Again it’s hard not knowing your true stats. But it’s large and the rest you are applying to are not. So maybe a Miami Ohio, College of Charleston…if you get a Charleston Fellow, Elon, Richmond
Also if you are full pay and don’t want to pay…as many don’t…then don’t apply ED to anywhere. Just EA. And take off the schools that have zero merit…ie the Ivies and top LACs except Washington and Lee. If you want to spend 80k a year then disregard.