<p>this is my preliminary list:
Bowdoin C
Brown U
Bryn Mawr C
Claremont McKenna C
Colgate U
Colorado C
Cornell U
Dartmouth C
Davidson C
Johns Hopkins U
Lake Forest C
Lehigh U
Northwestern U IL
Pomona C
Skidmore C
Stanford U
U Chicago
U Illinois Urbana
U Michigan
U Pennsylvania
U Rochester
U Virginia
Vassar C
Washington & Jeffn C
Wesleyan U
FSU (in state safety)</p>
<p>but i'm thinking to cutting it down to this:</p>
<p>Colgate U
Colorado C
Lake Forest C
Lehigh U<br>
Pomona C
Stanford U
U Michigan
U Rochester
U Virginia
FSU (in state safety)</p>
<p>should i wait?
-my stats are in my old posts, fyi-</p>
<p>Colgate U Match
Colorado C Safety
Lake Forest C Safety
Lehigh U Safety
Pomona C Slight Reach
Stanford U Reach
U Michigan Match
U Rochester Safety
U Virginia Match
FSU (in state safety)</p>
<p>I think you have 5 safeties, 3/4 matches, and 1/2 reaches. I think you should drop two safeties, add at least one match, and one or two more reaches. You have very good stats and I think you're selling yourself short.</p>
<p>What do your stats look like? You only really need a couple of safeties. The goal is to have lots a matches, more than a few reaches, and only a couple of safeties. The concern is not to go to college (you'll get into your safeties), but rather to go to a GOOD college. Applying to lots of matches and reaches helps you choose between better schools.</p>
<p>Since you want warm weather and sciences, I would have
-dropped Colgate, Lake Forest, and Rochester
-kept Davidson
-considered adding one or two schools like Rhodes, Occidental, Emory, Rice, etc.</p>
<p>money is a BIG concern.
i've tried to keep my list to those with close to 100% of need met (that goes for most of my prelim list too)</p>
<p>it's like we're middle class enough to get by, but poor enough to get a lot of aid (maybe 60k income combined, don't own a home, etc.)</p>
<p>i know i should get some more reaches, but i'm scared to shoot too high and not get in anywhere, like some CCers seem to have done this year. </p>
<p>and i know i should but back some safeties, but i thought rochester was very good in the sciences? even though i'm not crazy about the location.</p>
<p>i cut davidson b/c of money and b/c it doesn't seem like they have many options if i want to change majors.</p>
<p>does anyone have any recomendations for reaches? (that said, i'm adding brown back to my list and maybe chicago, but not cornell or darmouth)</p>
<p>I don't get the rhyme or reason for many of your schools. Not many people would consider both Pomona and UMichigan. Is it the political science/IR department? Or the financial aid?</p>
<p>Since cost is a major factor, learn more about what is involved. With a family income at $60,000 and no significant assets, most schools will award you financial aid. However, the components will vary - some will have heavy loans.</p>
<p>Don't cut down your list yet. When you are hunting for the best aid, you have to cast a wide net. Read the postings on this site about the awards given to students. Decide whether you want to attend a school that is less academically challenging in order to snag a larger award. Also, it seems like you haven't visited most of the schools you've listed. You need to take a close look at the culture of schools like Lake Forest, and decide whether you would be comfortable in such a monied environment.</p>
<p>You have the whole summer to cut down your list, but you will wind up applying to more schools than the average student. Be sure to have an EA or rolling school to take some of the pressure off next fall.</p>
<p>What's so frustrating? Apply to a number of matches (you're bound to get into 50% of these) and more than a few reaches (you might get lucky). What do your stats look like? Its hard to compile a list without knowing how competitive you might be.</p>
<p>davidson only gives about 20k to cover their 35kish pricesticker.</p>
<p>i have my stats in other posts, i just didn't want to repost them AGAIN.</p>
<p>i was only really drawn to UofM because all of my family lives there (minus me, mom, dad, and bro) and the sports.
but i don't really like the cold or the impersonal atmosphere.</p>
<p>I think you are underrating yourself. You are competitive at the Ivies (but will probably have the most luck in the Duke, Dartmouth, Brown, Columbia, Penn range). You will be incredibly strong at Emory and the like. The point is to not have too many safeties and instead to have lots of matches/ high matches so you can negotiate financial aid offers. I read through many of your previous posts. It looks like you want a school with a tight-knit, non-competitive student body, with a strong undergraduate focus. </p>
<p>If I had to re-do your list given your credentials and what you are looking for I would do the following:</p>
<p>Super-reach
Stanford</p>
<p>Reach
Brown
Dartmouth
Pomona
Penn</p>
<p>High Match
Northwestern</p>
<p>Match
Vassar
UVA
Colorado C
Colgate
Emory</p>
<p>Safe Match
Lehigh</p>
<p>Safety
FSU
Florida</p>
<p>Also really think through why you are adding or deleting schools. Brown is MUCH more friendly than Chicago, and the social life is much better. People at Chicago are hardly laid back, while at Brown being brilliant but non-competitive is the mantra. Just because Brown has an open curriculum shouldn't mean that much, most schools distributive/ core requirements are not that many classes anyway. Dartmouth similarly is the LAC of the Ivies, with an incredibly tight-knit student body, incredible professor interaction, and additional benefits like terrific study abroad (and language programs) and an incredibly strong alumni network.</p>
<p>thanks to everyone, but especially slipper, for the help.
i have some insecurity issues, and even though i devote myself to school i guess that carries over into me not thinking i'm good enough.
i'll seriosuly look at the suggestions provided and not cut until i look into things even further.</p>