Choose 4 to add to my list

College Search & Selection
1

<p>As of right now, I have 3 safeties, 3 matches and 4 reaches on my list. Of the 3 safeties, 2 are financial safeties (1 more so than the other) and the third one may work out or it may not (depends on FA). All other schools on my list have given me affordable totals when I used the NPC. I am allowed to add more schools to my list, approximately four or less, so here are some vague descriptions of the school. I won't share names yet so I can prevent bias. This is long so you don't have to read all over them, but maybe just pick a few and let me know whether you would apply to the school or not.</p>

<p>SAFETIES.</p>

<p>SAFETY 1: Close, in a very good location, will be the second cheapest school on my list, and possibly the cheapest if I get a better scholarship than expected. Academics are iffy. I've been told it's hard to get a job after college with a degree from this school but the location lends itself many opportunities for internships during college, which may jump start my job search after college. I'm reluctant to add another safety but also feel that it's wise because 1 safety is dependent on FA which may turn out not in my favor, the other safety I would be commuting at which I'll do if I have to but I prefer not to, and the other school will amount to only 3k-5k less than all my other schools so even though it's affordable, I'm not sure it's worth it spending that much money on a safety. This school will be around 10k cheaper than the rest of my schools, possibly more. </p>

<p>SAFETY 2: My counselor's favorite. More like a very very low match. Not sure if price will work out in my favor. Location is in a good city but distance from current home is farther than I would prefer. Only reason I am really considering is because my counselor and because it has a really good program for what I want to major in. </p>

<p>MATCHES.</p>

<p>MATCH 1: More of a high match-- not close. Will have to fly to get to the school which will add on to the expenses. It will most likely be affordable even after all of this, but I will have to limit how much I come home. Not sure if I'm okay with that due to how much family I have at home. Amazing academics, both overall and for my major. Great location as well that will also have internship opportunities.</p>

<p>MATCH 2: More of a low match. State school, but according to NPC I will get no aid, so it makes it basically not affordable and the most expensive school on my list. Only reason I'm considering it because there's a small possibility of a scholarship. It's also close and has great academics. </p>

<p>MATCH 3: LAC. Really has the student life that I want, but distance is an issue. Terrible location though. The town is just odd, it's in a state that I hate, the distance is too far to drive but too close to fly and the weather is terrible. Great academics, meets 100% of need. Free application! </p>

<p>MATCH 4: Another LAC, just got interested in this one. Somewhat better location than above, but not by much. Still terrible weather, it's closer but still pretty far to drive. I like the state though and the town is average, though not really what I want. Great academics, meets 100% of need. </p>

<p>MATCH 5: Yet another LAC--high match. Perfect location. Offers some of the best FA in the country. Worried that the city's cost of living is too high though. Women's only college (you can probably guess which one by now) so worried that social life may be iffy. Great academics. Overall concerned that I won't get in because applying regular decision is much much more difficult than ED at this school, and I don't know if I like this school enough for it to be another reach on my list. My stats are within range though, but not applying ED probably made it go from a 60/40 chance to 30/70. I'd rather spend my reaches on schools that I'm really interested in and attached to.</p>

<p>MATCH 6: Great location, great academics, only worry is that it's too small for me. Another LAC. Not really attached to this one in any way but it makes sense to apply. </p>

<p>REACHES:</p>

<p>REACH 1: May be super reach or may be attainable. I'm not your typical applicant at that school (it is a math/science school, you can probably guess which one, and I am applying for a humanities major. Plus, I am female. Apparently females have a slight edge, like 14% acceptance rate instead of 8%). I'm not sure if not being a typical applicant gives me a hook or makes for an automatic rejection. If I do apply, there's a 33/33/33 chance I might do SCEA (I have three SCEA options). Distance is somewhat an issue, yet again, too far to drive but too close to fly. However, since the school has amazing FA I'm not too worried about this. I am worried about all the math/science requirements at the school. I'm not terrible at those subjects and can get by, but I'm sure they will lower my GPA.</p>

<p>REACH 2: Super reach. Everything's perfect about this school except for grade deflation (you can probably guess what school this is too). Since I'm not the brightest crayon in the box I think the grade deflation would hurt me a lot. And the fact that I probably won't get in. But everything else is perfect so part of me still wants to try. It's the third SCEA candidate on my list (the other is already on my list as a school I am already applying to)</p>

<p>REACH 3: Regular reach. Location is the issue. Would definitely have to fly and it's cold and it's in a really small town. However I really like the student/social life. Great academics, but not the best for my major (although still good). Have also liked it since I was a child so part of me wants to at least try. </p>

<p>If you had to choose 4, which would you choose? You don't have to pick 4, you can pick less too. I feel like I should have more matches on my list, but safety 1 makes a lot of sense, but if I choose another safety I feel like I might as well go for another reach on my list, and I can't decide between my reaches. I want to pick them all. I want to pick all my matches too. </p>

2

<p>I messed up on my initial list explanation. I actually have 3 safeties, 2 matches and 4 reaches. Not the original 3 matches that I stated. There’s an 80% chance I’ll get rejected to all my reaches so I feel as if applying to more matches is smart. </p>

<p>You may say 9 schools is enough and I would agree with you, but I don’t think it’s a balanced list right now. There’s a good chance I could get rejected to all my reaches and that my matches will only give me loans, making it harder to afford. I originally had 13 schools on my list, then reluctantly cut it down to nine due to the price of application fees, but my parents later gave me a budget for application fees and I can realistically apply to about 4 more schools. If you still think 9 is enough, then that’s fine and you can comment that.</p>

3

<p>This is really hard to gauge without the actual names of the schools! I understand you are trying to eliminate bias, which is good, but it may in fact prove more helpful if you let us tell what we feel are the pros and cons of each school. </p>

<p>I do agree it would be wise to maybe add one or two more matches. As it was, I had 3 safeties, 3 matches, and 4 reaches. I felt that was a good balance, but I think 3, 4, and 4 or 4, 4, and 4 might be okay too. </p>

4

<p>First, you haven’t given us your stats. Without knowing how you’re likely to fit in the applicant pool to each of the colleges you’ve selected it’s impossible to provide you with reasonable advise.</p>

<p>And second, while you don’t identify your choices you say on more than one occasion that you’re likely to have difficulty with some of the core courses at your reach colleges. Isn’t that a red flag that they are not good fits. Four years of being at the bottom of the pack, and then writing a resume that shows that is not a recipe for a rich college experience.</p>

5

<p>Are you in the Northeast? Mid-Atlantic? If your matches are what I think they are, add Davidson College. Small LAC just outside of Charlotte, NC. Also look into Middlebury (Rural Vermont LAC) and Tufts (Uni [as opposed to College] in Boston). These would probably be high matches and regular matches. Because you asked for 4, I’ll add Princeton as a reach even though I think it’s the school you didn’t like because of the huge grade deflation.</p>

<p>Just for funzies, is MIT Reach 1, and is Dartmouth Reach 3?</p>

6

<p>@Ranza123 how will saying the name help? I’m just wondering, I don’t mean to be defensive about my method or anything.</p>

<p>@fogcity I think I did a pretty good job of determining whether these schools were safeties/matches/reaches, so I don’t see why my stats would be necessary because that’s basically what you will be doing with my stats. I will summarize though. 2150 SAT and 4.0 UW GPA, 4.4 W, IB diploma candidate. Ok EC’s, with a lot of leadership though, and clear passion for humanities. So as you can see I have stats that won’t make me an auto reject but will put me below average at some top schools (basically only HYPSMC, for other top schools like Penn, the average SAT composite is actually around 2150).</p>

<p>@callmejonah I am in the mid-atlantic, so I don’t want to go too far northeast because that can be an 8-10+ hour drive. I was interested in Middlebury but took it off my list because of distance, same goes for Tufts. You’re right about Princeton being the grade deflation school. I honestly do love Princeton but am not sure whether I would strive at that school or not. You’re also right about MIT and Dartmouth. I know that they are far northeast as well, which is why I’m reluctant to keep them on my list. And Davidson is match 6 and I can see why you wouldn’t guess that because I didn’t give away that much information on it.</p>

<p>That gives away all my reaches and 1 match. </p>

7

<p>I’m having fun with this. Is Johns Hopkins already on your list? Though the university is most famous for anything related to medicine, its creative writing and English programs are pretty highly regarded. JHU=match
If you’d like more matches, look into Haverford and Bryn Mawr. (Is Bryn Mawr the women’s college you mentioned?) Also check out Washington and Lee, William and Mary, and UVA if it isn’t too big for your taste.</p>

8

<p>The reason I ask is because you mention numerous times about your skepticism over the weather or location. Perhaps if we knew where the colleges were, we could give you reassurance that the town/state/weather was okay. </p>

9

<p>Why are you asking for more schools? Isn’t 9 enough?</p>

10

<p>There really are some that you should take off your list. Maybe you should pare down instead of add on.</p>

11

<p>@Callmejonah JHU isn’t on my list but I will consider it, same goes for Haverford and Bryn Mawr. Bryn Mawr wasn’t the women’s college on my list though. UVA is already on my guaranteed list, Washington and Lee I have decided not to consider because it’s way too conservative for me. William and Mary is match 2; I want to apply but it’s probably not financially feasible. </p>

<p>@"Erin’s Dad"‌ @irlandaise I have gone from being interested to 30+ schools to narrowing down my list to 9. This is as short as it will get. As I mentioned above, I would be fine with these 9 but I’m worried that my list is not balanced enough. There’s a good chance I could be rejected to all my reaches and get only loans at my matches. I wouldn’t mind going to a safety but I would like more options so that I don’t feel like I’m “settling.”</p>

12

<p>You don’t sound very happy with either of your 2 safeties. Remember a safety should be a school that you can afford and will be happy to attend. I think you should add at least one more safety.
Since I don’t know your stats, how much you can pay, or your geographic area, I can’t suggest any.
Edit: Just saw that you are in the Mid-Atlantic.</p>

13

<p>@scholarme I am content with the safeties on my guaranteed to apply list. They’re not perfect, like any school, but I’m more than satisfied with the academics. I would have to make a few social life sacrifices at one school and the other school is a little pricey for a safety (I’m not sure, I just feel like if you can afford, let’s say, $28,000, a safety should be below $20,000, not $25,000 (these are made up numbers, but express my point). It’s doable, but feels weird to me). The other one is an academic safety but not a financial safety and I fully recognize that. The safeties on my “pick 4” list are iffy, which is why I’m not sure about whether I should add one to my guaranteed to apply list or just be content with the ones I currently have. I am Mid-Atlantic, looking to go neither too far northeast nor too far south. Stats are 2150 and 4.0 UW, 4.4 W. I don’t qualify for many merit scholarships because my M+CR is only 1360. I can afford in-state schools for the most part, which I have already extensively looked into, or schools that meet 90%-100% need. And since 100% need schools are so competitive, I can’t find many matches. Do you have anything you want to suggest? </p>