Chances for Columbia and a few others?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Okay, I'm applying ED to Columbia, but if I don't make the cut (or get deferred), I'm applying to Princeton, Reed, NYU, Yale (which I might do EA), Vanderbilt, Kenyon, MIT (I would do linguistics there, most probably, but it's a total shot in the dark), Dartmouth, Amherst, and a few others. Yeah, it's a lot.</p>

<p>Intended Major: Philosophy, minor in French
Sex: F (I know girls have a slight disadvantage)
GPA: W:4.336 (unweighted is unavailable due to technical difficulties)
Rank: Top 5%</p>

<p>SAT: 2170 composite, 800 CR, 730 W, 640 M
SAT II: 780 US History, 520 French (Retaking without doubt)
ACT: 32 composite, 35 Reading, 34 English, 29 Math, 28 Science
AP: Euro (5), APUSH (5), Lang/Comp (5), Chem (3), Calc AB (2)</p>

<p>ECs: Mock Trial (3 years, first as Head Defense Attorney, then Secretary, now Captain)
Environmental Club (3 years, Vice President)
National Honor Society (2 years)
National English Honor Society (2 years)
International Thespian Society (2 years)
Mu Alpha Theta (3 years)
La Soci</p>

2

<p>You have some big reaches (Ivies, MIT, Amherst) and then some schools you’ll probably get into (NYU, Kenyon) that don’t give good aid. </p>

<p>Your list needs a balance. If you qualify for need based aid and can afford your EFC you need a few schools that meet 100% of need that are less competitive and where your math score is at least at the center of the 50th percentile.</p>

<p>If you need merit aid you need schools where your stats are at the top of their pool.</p>

3

<p>^Yeah. There are a couple of other schools I’m thinking about as well. I’m still narrowing things down. I definitely qualify for need based aid, but I’m going to retake the SAT to see if I can get my math score up. For me, it was mostly a time thing, so if I can work faster, I should improve greatly. Thanks!</p>

4

<p>Oh, and I’m from Tennessee, if that helps.</p>