Hi everyone! Today I was denied acceptance to my #1 choice of school since I was 12 years (Dartmouth College). As much as this rejection stung, I was more or less shocked by the fact I was not at least deferred! I will say I didn’t have many hooks: I am a white, upper middle class female with somewhat low test scores (31 ACT) and no legacy status. However, I poured my heart into my application and thought my personal essay was very powerful. I also know my letters of recommendation were very well done. AND they asked me for my first quarter grades! (I thought that was a good sign) Anyway, as I get back on my feet, I am wondering how I should feel regarding the other reach schools I am applying to? Should I no longer be applying to any other Ivies because I don’t have a shot, as evident by this decision? Are there schools I should be looking to, as a Dartmouth lover, now that I have 0 chance of going there? I love Brown as well but know I have little shot of getting in RD and want to be realistic. Thanks so much for any advice or feedback you can give me. 
You would improve your application by getting a 33-34 (or more) on the ACT, and you could retake it in February. Is that realistic? You are just a bit below the median for Brown, and hitting the 75th percentile would remove an objection assuming the rest of your profile is good. All of the Ivy’s are going to be a reach for an unhooked applicant, but that does not mean you should give up.
Thank you! I will try to do that. What about subject tests? Will low scores hurt me as well?
Honestly, if Brown is desired, throw in an app. But your real priority can not (and should never have been) your REACH schools. You have to secure a place at the best school possible that has a strong likelihood of accepting you. You need to devote about 10% of your time on the Brown app (and assume rejection) and 90% of the effort towards more realistic schools. Good luck
If you like Dartmouth have you considered any of the selective LACs? The Ivy League is an athletic conference and the schools are not identical.
Edited to add: Your test scores will hurt at all highly selective schools.
Check with each school first before you sign up for the Feb ACT, because many will not accept that test date for this year’s cycle. Realistically, the Ivies will be a reach for you. The admit rate at ED for Dartmouth is around 25%. At RD, the admit rate for Ivies can be below 10% for many.
Do you have other schools on your list? What is your GPA? If you love Brown, maybe try Hamilton, since you love Dartmouth, try Colby, Colgate, College of the Holy Cross
What other schools have you applied to/already on your list?
Ditto on Feb ACT. That will be too late for most schools. The ones that I have researched had last test and Dec test dates and the score had to be sent directly to school with test registration.
I have some reaches on my list, like Brown and probably Georgetown, although I’m not sure if athletics will help me there. I like Bowdoin and Wellesley, too. And I was told UVA was difficult to get into so that’s a reach as well. Then I have some schools which are more doable like USC, Lehigh, Tulane, UMichigan, Wisconsin, and Emory.
U-Mich and Emory are reaches too, I’m afraid. They are no easier than UVA. A 31ACT is extremely difficult for UMich even for an in-state resident
If you liked Wellesley, consider some of the other women’s colleges, too. And I second the above suggestion for Hamilton, Colby, and Colgate.
Most important question:
WHY did you want to go to Dartmouth particularly? What specific quality of that dpecific school attracted you, apparently since age 12?
Withiut the answer to that question, further suggestions about where you should apply are meaningless.
Are these types of schools financially doable for you?
What do you have in the way of safeties (that you like, and would be happy to go to if necessary). A 31 test score is very good, just nothing special when it comes to the super selective schools. But there will be plenty of schools that would love to have you!
Though still, as a group, reaches, look into Hamilton, Bowdoin, Colgate and Middlebury.
You should consider colleges as well at which your ACT score would place you in above average statistical status:
Your chances of acceptance at schools with at least 25-30% overall admission rates will improve significantly compared to schools with lower rates.
Colby, perhaps of interest to you, seems to somewhat favor female applicants:
IMHO your attention may be focused on the wrong place.
According to the website of Michele Hernandez (college consultant, author of “A is for Admissions”) about 1/3 of the ED applicants were rejected from Dartmouth last year. Let’s hope the rejection instead of the more common deferral was a fluke. But maybe its not, and its telling you something about your chances at very selective schools, and that selective schools are a reach.
I believe, as many people do, that the most important school is your safety. This is a school that you may not love as much as Brown or Dartmouth, but a school that you have spent enough time researching that you believe you could attend and thrive, it has what you’re looking for (even if not in the same degree as your top choices). Too many kids know they should have a safety and select one as almost an afterthought. Then, with the millions of kids applying to college each year, some have the dice come up against them and that’s their only option. You’ve got early notice that admissions may not go as smoothly as you hoped. Before you worry about any other schools in the short time before the deadlines, be sure your safety is one you can live with.
Perhaps Lehigh, Bucknell, Trinity, Colgate, Bates, Holy Cross
With respect to an appealing safe-admit, look into St. Lawrence.
Sorry to hear about Dartmouth. I know it is a hard pill to swallow. That said - I think taking the ACT again is a waste of time and energy. College admissions in selective schools use it simply as a “check” - it’s either ok or not and rarely if ever does an ACT score make or break an application. More importantly understand that highly selective schools like Brown or Dartmouth have single digit acceptance rates for RD. They are getting tens of thousands of applications - and at least 80% of the students are extremely well qualified. Sure - apply to Brown. Who knows? There are alot of intangibles. But I would recommend putting your time into developing a strong list of good matches, at RD admissions rates, and making sure you have a solid safety. I would also do two things regarding your application. Have someone who is very well versed in college essays review your essay - college counselor or another adult who has a handle on what they are looking for (and what they are not looking for!). Also be sure to leverage Naviance if you have it, or whatever system your high school uses to track applications. There are colleges that simply do not have a track record or relationship with certain high schools, or visa versa, and this will impact your chances.
I love New England, I like that it is a small liberal arts college while still being larger than my high school, and I think the traditions are great (as well as school spirit).