College List Help?

Hey all I have a pretty solid list(I think) but want to add a few more schools if possible
Just so you know where I stand I have solid ECs a 4.0 weighted GPA and 2080/1400 SAT score. I plan on majoring in finance, accounting or economics depending on what is available. Here is my current list

Reach:
USC
UCLA
Hamilton College

Target/Reach:
Colgate(will most likely apply early decision)
Lehigh

Target:
Richmond
Umiami
Bucknell

Safeties:
Dickinson
Muhlenberg

What are your thoughts on my list. Have I put any schools in the wrong category? What schools would you suggest adding and where would they go? Thanks for the help!

Where are you from?

@SadSeptember15 I live in New Jersey.

I figured, so do I. My suggestion is you add TCNJ as your safety. The business program is one of the best in the Northeast. The campus is also very nice and it would serve as a financial safety. You would go for less than 20k a year.

I would add Villanova as a target and Boston College as a Reach. I would remove UCLA. The business programs at BC and V are excellent. I would swap Wake Forest for Miami.

I would not consider Dickinson a safety.

You are solid for all of your current schools and should not expect many denials.

Some of your LACs are very strong in economics. Hamilton, Colgate and URichmond are 5th, 8th and 11th respectively as measured by faculty publishing. Hamilton has a new relationship with Harvard Business School’s online certificate program, which will serve to diversify Hamilton’s curriculum for students interested in business.

Have you considered Lafayette, as it seems to fit your theme?

I think your final list should depend on what your academic interests are. Are you more directly preprofessional with an interest in mostly finance/econ, or can you see yourself pursuing economics while also being interested in, as examples, geology, anthropology, astronomy, creative writing or studio art?

You should appreciate village life for a few of the schools on your list. Forbes ranked Colgate’s town one of America’s friendliest.

Is that correct, your weighted GPA came out to a four flat?

(Sources: IDEAS, WGBH, Forbes)

I agree about removing UCLA, since they have no Business program only Business Economics as a major.

@merc81 by the time applications come out my GPA should be slightly above 4.0 weighted. Also for people suggesting dropping UCLA some of my other schools don’t have finance/accounting as well such as Colgate but many Colgate grads end up in business/finance oriented careers.

Can you afford the OOS costs for many of the schools on your list?

@Gumbymom Fortunately, money will not be a deciding factor on where I go to college. However it would be nice to pay less for a safety so I’m considering replacing Muhlenberg and Dickinson with TCNJ.

I also wanted to add that I was considering Claremont McKenna but was told that without early decision I would have no shot. Would it be a “waste” of ED on such a high reach? I’ve been told it’s better to “secure” a more reachable school with ED (Colgate for me).

have you visited these schools? Have you actually visited TCNJ? Since you like Hamiltion you might surprise yourself
how much you like TCNJ. Same style campus. Highly regarded business program , not to mention attractive and smart value. Spend your dollars on grad school.

Replacing Dickinson and Muhlenberg with TCNJ would be a smart move.

What exactly do you like about UCLA, USC and Miami? They seem really different from the other schools on your list.

If you are still looking for more schools, check out Lafayette, Franklin and Marshall, Connecticut College, and Union.