<p>^ thanks! That helps me also. :)</p>
<p>Wow, thanks so much tk! Really Helpful.</p>
<p>So if I increased my SAT score, I stand a decent chance ? Nice.
For me, would you classify Haverford, Wesleyan, Carleton and Reed as High Reaches, Low Reaches, Clost to Realistic or Realistic (as in a safety). And what about Claremont ? Also, Isnt Middlebury also Top rated ?</p>
<p>Middlebury also is an excellent, highly-ranked LAC. The reason I did not mention it is because in recent years it has become nearly as selective as AWS, and because historically, its strength has not been in the sciences. It has made efforts recently to broaden its areas of strength, but still has a much smaller percentage of math and science majors than Williams or Carleton. It has a very beautiful campus and setting, but is rather isolated. The winters (like the winters at Carleton) are very cold; this is something you need to appreciate if you are from India or the UK. </p>
<p>I always hesitate to do the “chance me” drill. If you raise your CR to the high 600s or above then I’d say you have a very decent chance at the schools I cited, provided you put together a strong application. I would not characterize any of these as “safety” schools. Schools like Oberlin, Grinnell, Colorado College or Macalester could be nice “match” (or “likely” schools) – as long as money is not an issue. And at some of these schools your chances may increase significantly for being an International/Asian with IB. But you have to apply to know for sure :)</p>
<p>Thats really good to know, I’m so happy I posted on CC. I’m considering so many more Univs than I was before, my perspective has really broadened … Middlebury … Dam. I was begining to like that coll, but I may still apply there 
(although it makes less sense). I’m not sure I get you, are you saying I’d like the cold or not ? Either way, I dont think weather makes me much of a difference.</p>
<p>As for the ‘chances’ yea, its difficult to judge, but nonetheless, thank you for judging. The reason I need to critically assess my chances is that my school (which, btw is one of the most recognized IB schools in India and outside. Yay.) allows only 8 US Applications. So few, yet soo many to choose from :S I’m tending towards something of the sort of applying to:
2 Dreams (which, chances are i’ll be rejected from, nonetheless) - i’ll have to choose from Northwestern, U.Chicago, Brown, UPenn. (I may also consider Cornell, if my grades go higher).
5 or so from LACs, 1 difficult to get in LAC (AWS) 2 Reach LACs (from the list you gave, + Middle, Reed, maybe Rice) and 2 ‘Match’ LACs (from your list, + Colgate, Claremont McKenna etc) and for the last one, i’m debating … Itll prolly be something random like Emory, Pomona, Tufts, Michigan or something. I don’t know.
Wow, i’ve reached quite far in terms of deciding and from where I originally thought I may apply …
So what do you guys think ?</p>
<p>Plus, tk, in India people don’t consider LACs much, people go more for the mainstream top colls (basically, Ivies) - which will give me an advantage. But then again, My counsellors (school) really scared me, they told me AWS were practically impossible to get into, and that they hinted that I shouldnt apply there :S they said barely 1 person gets into them every year :S (and my school has 2 people getting into stanford, yale, cornell, UCB and 6-7 Upenn, every year) So i’m still a little confused :S</p>
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<p>You’d be the better judge of that, eh?
What I’m saying is that, if you have lived all your life in the UK or Southern India, please don’t underestimate what we mean by “cold” in places like Minnesota or Northern New England. </p>
<p>Your counselors would know better than I, of course, about the record of acceptances from your school. So you should listen to them if they suggest that AWS are unrealistic. Pomona is just as selective; Claremont McKenna and Middlebury are nearly so. </p>
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<p>I understand. Here in the States, too, recent Asian immigrants and “first gens” tend to be very prestige-conscious. However, only about 10-15% of our Fortune 500 CEOs attended Ivy League schools. Harvard Law School admits students from well over 100 schools. And our university professors send their own children in disproportionately high numbers to small liberal arts colleges.</p>
<p>[USATODAY.com</a> - Wanted: CEO, no Ivy required](<a href=“http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-04-06-cover-ceos_x.htm]USATODAY.com”>http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-04-06-cover-ceos_x.htm)
[ScienceDirect</a> - Economics of Education Review : Where do the children of professors attend college?](<a href=“http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VB9-4G7NT5H-1&_user=10&_coverDate=04%2F30%2F2006&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1337010816&_rerunOrigin=google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=2f4afc8cc593b67e7aa6ca1f71f9937f]ScienceDirect”>http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VB9-4G7NT5H-1&_user=10&_coverDate=04%2F30%2F2006&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1337010816&_rerunOrigin=google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=2f4afc8cc593b67e7aa6ca1f71f9937f)</p>
<p>Nice articles informative. Yeah, I guess at the end of it I have to listen to my counsellors :'(. Its okay though, i’ll attend a ‘lesser’ LAC if it so be. Yeah, its taken me over half a year to get over the prestige thing, I know, that even if I attend AWS people here will go like Amherst what ? and Swarthmore who ? and if you told them your going to NYU, CMU or any Ivy your god. Huh, so superificial … i’m happy I realize, that at the end its not what people here think, but where I want to go and where I will be happy :).</p>
<p>Getting back to my application, what do you think of extra-curriculars, do the ‘certificates’ really matter that much, here it’s all about the number of certificates you have, not the quality or quantity of work. Also, are my extra-curriculars (current and future) enough or less in comparison ?</p>
<p>Here’s an article on how selective American schools choose the students they admit:</p>
<p>[Admissions</a> Messages vs. Admissions Realities](<a href=“http://www.reed.edu/apply/news_and_articles/admission_messages.html]Admissions”>http://www.reed.edu/apply/news_and_articles/admission_messages.html)</p>
<p>It’s general, not about any particular school.</p>
<p>hey vossron, thanks for the article … read in detail, since it came from Reed’s ex Admission Dean … helps me be more realistic, and im proud im not a prestice and name slut. Its just sad … that so many of us have to be rejected. Thats life, I guess.</p>
<p>Hey people, soon i’ll be making my visit list ! 
Any advice with US Univs visits ? I’ll be there for 2 weeks max !
Also, any more advice on colleges ! Really need it.</p>
<p>BUMP:D</p>
<p>Clusters of LACs (cross-continent itinerary):</p>
<ol>
<li>Maine (Bowdoin, Colby, Bates)
— DRIVE several hours —</li>
<li>Western New England (Middlebury, Williams, Amherst, Wesleyan - each is maybe 60-90 minutes apart by car)
— DRIVE ~2 hours —</li>
<li>New York (Colgate, Hamilton, Bard)
— DRIVE ~ 2 hours —</li>
<li>Philadelphia (Haverford, Swarthmore - about 30 minutes apart by car)
— FLY —</li>
<li>Minnesota (Macalester, Carleton/St. Olaf - about 1 hr apart by car) then Iowa (Grinnell)
— FLY —</li>
<li>Pacific NW (Reed, Whitman, Lewis & Clark)
— FLY or DRIVE ~1/2 day —</li>
<li>California (Pomona, Claremont McKenna, Scripps - close together in one consortium)</li>
</ol>
<p>In between flights, to get from school to school within each cluster, you’ll probably need an adult who can drive you in a rental car (minimum age is 24, I think). </p>
<p>In most cases, plan to visit no more than 2 or 3 schools per day. Some schools might take a full day (including transit time) especially if you want to attend classes and interview.</p>
<p>Awesome. Thats just what I needed, a clustering of the univs so that I can manage 2-3 (max) a day, I think i’ll def. visit Western New England, Philadelphia (even Upenns there) The rest i’ll have to try my best to co-ordinate etc. But its k, I have atleast 10 days </p>
<p>The more important issue for me right now, is when. I’d much rather go at the begining of July, for the trip - cause then I can do my internship before I go, so incase of interviews, interactions I have lots more to talk about etc. plus i’ll have more confidence. BUT I hear that thats the worst time to visit unis ? cause its summer break, no one is there, no classes etc… does it really make that much of a diff ? (the other option is leaving sometime early-mid June, and going me internship after)</p>
<p>Thanks so much, one again.</p>
<p>For initial visits, perhaps for deciding where to apply, summer may be okay, but not preferable. But after you have your acceptances, visiting overnight and attending classes is far better for deciding where you want to be, IMHO.</p>
<p>yeah, for me its an ‘initial visit’ - but I guess i’ll just have to do summer, I dont have much of a choice :/. For acceptances visit, i’m not even sure that would happen - directly a week after normal acceptances, my final IB exams start :S plus going from India to USA is one hell of a trip. Thats why its so important to visit in summer.</p>
<p>You could have a chance at Amherst, Williams and Swarthmore but also look at Middlebury, Bowdoin and Wesleyan which might require very slightly lower scores. And if you go to visit Swarthmore you could take a look at Haverford.</p>
<p>@ tk OMG that is AMAZING! Thanks SO much! The problem is, my parents have an-inflated idea of how good a candidate I am and only want to visit the prestigious colleges/unis</p>