College List- student from Israel

<p>Brandeis seems like an obvious choice, possibly a match, but at least not an uneralistic reach. Same for University of Rochester.</p>

<p>I agree with the sentiment that your list is too top heavy, and that your SAT scores are an issue. Sure, people improve...but nearly 400 points worth? It's possible, but (very) unlikely. Plus, frankly, you still would not be a powerhouse candidate at Harvard, et al, even with the 2100 SAT I. That would just put you realistically in the race. I'm also fairly concerned that your CR score is so low...definitely take the ACT, too. Some people do MUCH better. </p>

<p>You should buy yourself a Fiske's Guide (or the like) off the internet and start reading the profiles of the schools. It's not a perfect way to appraise schools, but it will have all the most relevant info (acceptance rate, SAT/ACT scores, etc.), and will actually provide you with a decent sketch of each school. Also, if you want to get an anecdotal idea of the kinds of kids accepted/waitlisted/rejected at those schools, go each school's forum and look at the "Class of 2011" thread...I think you will find it quite sobering, but it's better to see it now than in April of your senior year when you're holding a lot of rejections (assuming scores didn't DRAMATICALLY improve and list stays the same). It'll take a good amount of research on your part, but it'll be worth it for you to have a clearer idea of what college admissions is like.</p>