College list issues (safeties/reaches)

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hi so I was just wondering if you all could help me out with my college list. For some background info on me:</p>

<p>-I'm white, not first generation college student
-Live in Maryland
-Unweighted GPA: 3.8
-ACT Composite: 32
-SAT II scores between 620 and 640 (not so good, but luckily few of my schools require them)
-I'm in the IB programme (MYP classes in 9th and 10th grade, mainly IB and some AP classes in 11th and 12th grade)
-Varsity Cross Country (4 years), senior captain this year; chair member on Model UN; Senior class treasurer; Vice President of Spanish Honors Society; Varsity Track & Field (2 years); Guitarist in a garage band (we've had paid gigs and have played at community service events, charity benefits, etc.)
-Job experience at a local restaurant; some past volunteer experience
-I'm pretty sure I'm getting good teacher recs since both of those teachers (at least seem to) really like me
-Since I was in IB, 5+ of my classes were academic, most elective classes are still IB classes
-Also since I'm in IB, there are 100+ other mega smart, talented kids in my grade who are all also applying to top notch schools (QUESTION: I know many top schools don't like accepting multiple people from one school, but do they make the exception for magnet schools?)</p>

<p>REACHES:
-Brown
-Northwestern
-Cornell
-Michigan
-Tufts (still deciding)
-Wesleyan U (still deciding)
-Penn (I was gonna, but don't plan on applying since I dont think I'd like the people there)</p>

<p>SAFETIES:
-Maryland
-Wisconsin
-Boston U
-Syracuse (still deciding)
-Pitt (still deciding)</p>

<p>I want to pursue something in the communications field (mass communications, film studies) or social sciences (anthropology, polisci)</p>

<p>Just some info on me: I really do enjoy learning and such (if I'm passionate about the subject), but I'm really starting to get annoyed with grade-grubby people. I like pretentious people (if theyre pretentious about music, stuff like that), but again, not if they're on the verge of suicide if they dont pull an A in a class. I'm sitll not sure whether I want a big or small school. I feel like I'd like the people at a small school, but I don't wanna be academically/socially limited. Also, my high school has 2000+ students and I def want a school thats at least twice as big.</p>

<p>Most schools' apps are due on Jan 1st so I'm wondering if any of you can help me narrow down my search, suggest other schools that fit my personality/college majors/etc</p>

<p>oh and I'm really against frats and such (at least I think) but some of my top choices (ex. Northwestern, Cornell) seem to be socially dominated by greek life. Just wondering if any of you (somewhat more alternative) people out there have any input on that.</p>

<p>should i apply to more top schools? safety schools? liberal arts schools?</p>

<p>THANKS!</p>

2

<p>This should be in the college search forum, and you need matches, not just reaches and safeties.</p>

<p>Also, unless your school has a LOT of people applying to the same colleges as you, don’t worry. And when I say a LOT, I mean like 100.</p>

3

<p>well wisconsin, maryland, syracuse, boston u and pitt are all good schools, but i feel like with my credentials i should have no problem getting in, making them “safe matches”</p>

4

<p>and i disagree. i heard brown is very reluctant to admit multiple people from one school</p>

5

<p>^^ I meant that there is a significant gap between say Tufts, and BU.</p>

<p>^ Don’t put so much faith in anecdotal evidence.</p>

6

<p>If you like Cornell’s location but aren’t sure about the size and social life, take a look at Ithaca instead.</p>

7

<p>BU’s Communication School is one of the toughest at BU to be admitted to. Though the average GPA at BU is 3.5, that includes the College of General Studies, which has a much lower GPA average (around 3.2). The College of Communications average GPA for admission is around 3.9, with most SAT scores over 2000, and only 350 students are admitted each year. So though BU may be a safety for general admission, it won’t be for the Comm school. You may want to reconsider whether BU is a safety for communications. </p>

<p>My D is a student in the Comm school majoring in PR and loves it. The opportunities for jobs, internships, and hands-on learning are superb.</p>

8

<p>If you like the IB program you’re currently attending (I’m familiar with it), you may want to visit a LAC to see how it feels, if you haven’t already. It’s a comparable experience in some ways, but with even smaller and with more participative classes. Few or no frats at the top LACs. Of course, no LAC is going to be twice the size of your high school…</p>

<p>If you like Brown and Wesleyan, check out Oberlin as a match/safety: 2,600 students, I believe. A wonderful school for the musically-inclined as a result of the conservatory associated with it. They literally have a different music performance every night, sometime multiple performances concurrently. A friend’s son who is a freshman says the typical ‘get to know you’ question isn’t ‘do you play/sing?’- it’s ‘what do you play/sing?’ and he isn’t in the conservatory.</p>