<p>I’ve pretty much narrowed down all of my schools, but I guess I’m just looking for a little more advice.
Right now, I have 13ish schools on my list, with a couple of them on the chopping block. But, should I add a high, holy crap, reach? I have reaches on my list, but my guidance counselor made it sound like I was going to get into all of my schools...yeah right, haha. </p>
<p>But looking at my list, and thinking about what he said, maybe I should add another reach or two to my list. I’m looking to major in Economics/Business and combine that with political science. Not entirely sure what I want to do with my life yet. </p>
<p>Currently my list is:
No real order, though I guess USC would be my first choice right now. Please critique my safety/match/reach rankings/categories as you see fit</p>
<ol>
<li>USC (high match)</li>
<li>Georgetown (probably College, but thinking about SFS or MSB, low reach. Maybe solid reach?)</li>
<li>Michigan (match, OOS tuition is nuts though)</li>
<li>Notre Dame (low reach, parents really want me to go here)</li>
<li>Maryland (match, but OOS, so I guess kinda tricky to predict)</li>
<li>Alabama (safety)</li>
<li>Florida State (safety)</li>
<li>Ohio State (safety)</li>
<li>Dayton (safety)</li>
<li>Miami (FL) (match)</li>
<li>Northwestern (low reach/reach. 90% sure I’m going to apply here, but I’m visiting campus next week and I heard a lot of people don’t like their campus, so I’ll have to see)</li>
</ol>
<p>Here is where the list gets a little fuzzy and I’m thinking about taking off a school or two here</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Georgia (low match) Like the school, but I have a couple other similar school and it looks like I’ll need a Charter Scholarship to go there, and I don’t know if I have the stats.</p></li>
<li><p>Tulane (high match) I like New Orleans, but I’m not sure, I can’t really see myself at the school, compared to other schools that I’d probably get into if I got into here. But the app is free, so it would kinda be harmless to apply, just my guidance counselor might get ticked at more schools, haha. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>So, I should probably give you my stats. Quick Run down
GPA 3.8+ish UW, 4.18 W
5 AP classes by graduation, taken a few test w/o a class. I’m also looking into taking a couple classes at a local CC in the fall. My school does not offer AP Euro Hist or AP World Hist, so I might try to find something to replace that.
SAT: 1390/2110
SAT II’s Going to take 3. Expecting a great USH score…the others, we’ll have to see, haha.
ECs: Solid, but nothing spectacular. Eagle Scout and SPL for a year, MDA Camp Counselor, Eucharistic Minister, should have close to 300+ service hours, small role in school newspaper, Student Rep in student govt, APUSH Co-Student of the Year, I work two jobs, NHS, blah, blah, blah…</p>
<p>A little bit about me and what I want in a school.</p>
<ul>
<li><p>I’m a guy that likes to have fun, but is sometimes serious in regards to school work. So good academics and decent social life are what I’m looking for, I sure as hell don’t want to go to place where I have to study 24/7 and am in the library on Saturday nights. I’m not a total party animal, but would like that option. Would like the student body to be somewhat relaxed, but somewhat competitive at the same time. Some stress is needed I guess, haha. </p></li>
<li><p>Location: I prefer urban/suburban environments. Rural is ok, but the school has to be huge to make up for it. Would like for it to be within a 2 hour radius of a big, major city (but I can live without this). Don’t really like schools with no campus in an urban environment though, so schools like NYU and GWU are out. As you can tell by my current list, I’m open any part of the country. I might do the Frat thing, but not having greek life isn’t really going to be a negative.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>-Cost is a factor, and adding a reach is probably going to be $$$. But I’m applying for NROTC (tier 3 major though), so that will help and all of the good schools have good financial aid, so this category shouldn’t be a problem. </p>
<p>-Academics: Top notch probably if it is a reach school. I’m thinking about doing IBanking for a couple years for the sole purpose of going to a great MBA school or having good exit options, so a target school would be nice I guess. I plan on going to grad school, so I guess undergrad doesn’t really matter…that much. So a good reputation in Econ/Business is nice. Political Science is secondary at this point, seems like all top schools have good programs. </p>
<p>Toying around with law school, but I don’t really want to be a lawyer. If I go to law school, it will be because I’ve made my money first (in business or something), and go back to law school to become a poverty lawyer. </p>
<p>-Clubs and activities. I plan on staying active with sports with intramurals and a good football team to watch is a plus. I want a school with a lot of clubs and stuff to do, on and off campus</p>
<p>-Size. Kind of important. I want big, like 10,000+ undergrads, BUT I can live with just 5,000+. Some LACs look cool, but I want a bigger school</p>
<p>So here are some of the schools I’ve been considering. </p>
<p>-Cornell (reach). Was on my list for a while, and I’m not sure why I took it off, haha. I don’t really like that it is kid of in the middle of nowhere, but it is beautiful up there. But it would be cold. I’m kind of looking to escape the cold, living in the Midwest, but I could live with it. Everything else seems to have what I’m looking for, so I’m seriously going to think about applying there (plus, would I be the first CC kid to not apply to an Ivy? Right now my list has 0, haha!)</p>
<p>-Penn, Wharton maybe (reach). I have to at least look at the best business school in the country. Heard the school is in a crappy neighborhood, but that’s not a huge deterrent. Don’t know much about the school, pictures look nice.</p>
<p>-Columbia (reach). I used to live in NYC and I’m itiching to go back. But I think I would rather go to grad school in the City, so I might save Columbia for that, it would sooooo expensive as a college student. </p>
<p>-Stanford (holy hell reach). Seems like I would like the school, but it is so far away and I don’t stand much of a chance, so I figure why waste the $70. Plus, granted this is from a USC student, I heard social life at Stanford isn’t that great. Would love to go to grad school there.</p>
<p>-Cal Berkeley (low reach? OOS). Seems like a cool school, I think I’d like the Bay Area, with great academics, but I fear it might be too “cutthroat”. Plus the only way I would be able to afford it OOS is by doing ROTC, and with the way they treated the Marines a few years ago…yeah no thanks. </p>
<p>-LSU (safetyyy). Yeah, kind breaking the pattern with all these high reaches, but I’ve also liked LSU…just not sure if I’d want to go there. I loved the campus, and the scholarships are great, but I think I like FSU and Bama more, so it would be pointless to apply to LSU when I would go into those two over it. </p>
<p>-Chicago (reach). Great econ program…but fun dies there. Campus is pretty nice though.
Rice (reach). A little small, but I think I could live with it. Seems like a fun, quirky school. </p>
<p>-UVa (low reach/high match?). I’ve always liked the school and have been considering it, and for the right reasons, it came up first for me on CC’s college search thing. Not sure what is holding me back, it sounds ideal, seriously might add it to the list </p>
<p>-Texas (low reach OOS). Not sure why I like this school, sounds very fun, and with good academics, but kind of random, haha. </p>
<p>-Emory (low reach)- Seems like a nice school, in a cool city, but I don’t know it just seems like it is lacking something other schools on my list have. </p>
<p>-Vandy (low reach)- Been on campus once, it ok, not blown away though. Nashville seems very nice though, and I’m not even into country music that much. </p>
<p>-Duke (reach)- Sounds ideal, NC seems like a nice state, but I don’t know, I don’t really like the Blue Devils, haha. I’m not a lax bro either, haha jk. </p>
<p>-Washington and Lee (low reach?)- I love this school, but…it’s just too darn small. The campus looks beautiful and the natural beauty around it is stunning. I lean to the right politically, but I’m afraid it might be too conservative and not have culture that I’m looking for. </p>
<p>-Florida Atlantic (safety). By the beach, haha yeah thats the only reason, I really wanted to go here sophomore year. I could get better academics for the same or lower price at FSU, Bama etc…</p>
<p>-Florida (high match OOS)- I’m already applying to FSU, and just from reading reviews, it seems like I would be happier at FSU and FSU is stronger in poli sci. UF is probably better in business, but they are horrible with OOS scholarships, while FSU is slightly better. </p>
<p>-Boston College (high match/low reach)- Kind of like the school, Boston seems like a great place to spend your college years, but for some reason it did not make the cut for my list. </p>
<p>-Brown (reach)- Sounds cool, but I think the only reason I am attracted to it is because it is an Ivy with a nice campus. </p>
<p>Ok, I know this was an extremely large post, but could you help me critique my list, which schools I should add, or do you have any suggestions that aren’t on either of my lists? Looking add maybe 2 or 3 schools while taking 1-2 off. I'd like to cap my list off at 14.</p>
<p>Thanks, sorry for the length</p>