Cutting My List

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Right now, I have a list of 12 colleges. Although I think that is doable, I feel I would be better served by cutting that number down to 8-10 so I can better focus on supplements and merit applications. </p>

<p>Here's my current list:
Yale
UMass-Amherst
UMichigan
UVA
Ohio State</p>

<p>Duke
Vanderbilt
Dartmouth
Johns Hopkins
URichmond
Boston University
Villanova</p>

<p>I intend to double major. My first major will be economics at all these schools, and my second major would depend on what school I went to (e.g, Statistical Science at Duke, Leadership at Richmond, Finance at BU, etc).
My family won't qualify for need aid, but we can afford any education without much hardship (I know how lucky I am). Any money I get will be merit. </p>

<p>Any input on my list? Thanks for advice in advance!</p>

2

<p>Have done any assessment using Naviance to estimate your chances?</p>

<p>It’s really hard to advise unless we know more about you, like your stats. </p>

<p>Your schools range from virtual LACs like Nova and Richmond, to one of the largest universities in the nation (Ohio State). </p>

<p>If you’re competitive for Yale and UMass-Amherst is your 2nd choice, you can eliminate the other 10. </p>

<p>What’s your current best guess at your preference based on what you know now.</p>

3

<p>My stats:
35 ACT, 4.54 weighted GPA (3.98 UW), top 10% in class (school doesn’t rank beyond that)
Taking my SATIIs in Oct, expecting 750+ on both.
Decent ECs, good recs, very good essays.</p>

<p>I didn’t list the schools necessarily how I like them, but how I plan to apply (the first group early, the second group regular). Yale is my first choice, but it’s tough to rank the others without knowing how much money I will get.</p>

<p>I planned on applying to Nova and OSU mostly for merit, and they’re probably the two most likely schools I cut. OSU has the Eminence scholarship that is very intriguing to me. I know how unlikely it is I get it though, based on pure statistics.</p>

4

<p>I think that you’re good. UMass and Ohio State are trivial safety applications. The early applications look like no brainers. </p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Then why would you sacrifice to get merit. Some people actually need the merit. </p>

<p>I would drop BU and Nova. You’re not going to need them, and they are not going to reject anyway, and the other private schools are probably more to your liking anyway. It’s hard for me to see you rejected by Duke, Vanderbilt, JHU AND Richmond.</p>

5

<p>Why are you focusing on OOS state schools since they have two tier tuitions?</p>

6

<p>

I plan on applying to Yale SCEA, so I can only apply EA to other publics, and I was looking at elite publics. I figure I could get merit at Michigan, and Ross is a great business school. Not as much merit at UVA though.</p>

7

<p>I know this isn’t helping but you should also apply to BC. Their undergrad business school is ranked 6th in the country.</p>

8

<p>Are you outside New England? If so, you’ll likely get merit from UMass as well. They give $8k-12k/year for high stat OOS kids. Brings the cost into the $25-30k/year range. That’s my DD’s safety as well.</p>

9

<p>

I considered it, but my school is kind of a feeder school into BC, and I’m not a huge fan.

It’s probably hard to tell with all the Southern schools haha, but I’m actually from Mass. That’s why UMass was my safety: I figured I could go very cheaply.</p>

10

<p>The UMASS application is so trivial it doesn’t even count. There are no essays for the supplement and you are doing the common app anyway. </p>

<p>You have a 35 on the ACT, and can afford to go to a better school than UMASS. You should apply because you’ll be admitted to college for sure in December and it will feel good to have something. But I don’t think that you are going to UMASS. Frankly I don’t think you are going to Ohio State either, though Fisher is very good. </p>

<p>So basically, you have serious applications that require work by Nov 1 for Yale, Michigan and Virginia. Ohio State is due Dec 1, and you can recycle an essay. It’s a trivial app. Not as trivial as UMASS, but that 35 ACT makes it a sure thing, even for honors. </p>

<p>So if you don’t get into Yale (and it’s hard to get in, so that’s the most likely scenario), and you get into Michigan (which I expect) and Virginia (which I also expect), then you have about 2 weeks, most of it school vacation, to do the supplements for Duke, Vandy, and Johns Hopkins, Dartmouth and any others. At least all 12 will have the extraneous stuff. </p>

<p>Would you still apply to Nova and Richmond if you got into Michigan or Virginia?</p>

<p>I don’t think I would remove or change anything. I think you’re good. It doesn’t cost a lot to send your scores and recs to 12 schools vs 10 schools. Keep your options open. If in the unlikely scenario that you don’t like at least one of your choices by Dec 15, you can scramble a little if you have to.</p>

11

<p>I am under the impression Michigan OOS scholarships are quite limited and most are expected to pay full fare.</p>

12

<p>I would suggest that you get your application into Michigan (and any other school which has rolling/EA) early so you hear back by December. If you get into UM, which I suspect you will, then you can eliminate any school that you don’t like as much.</p>

13

<p>I decided to cut out OSU, UMass, and Nova. I can’t really imagine myself going to those schools, so I don’t necessarily want to pay the money to apply. So I’ll apply to 3 schools early and 6 regular. I feel pretty good about my list now.</p>