seriously thank u all for the replys i wish i could reply to all of them! money isnt as much as a worry as just where i go to school… pitt OOS isnt a problem
It isn’t dumb to feel some awkwardness about adding your friend’s top choice to your list after not getting into your own top choice. But to let that feeling shut the door on a school that could be a good option for you would be foolish, in my opinion. There are seventeen thousand undergrads at MiamiOH - I think it’s big enough for both of you!
Look at it this way - you don’t have to tell your friend that you’re applying. If it doesn’t become one of your top choices in the end, then you never have to discuss it. If it does become a top choice, you can deal with it then. Hopefully you won’t end up in a situation where you get in and (s)he doesn’t, because that would be a drag. But… you’re not loving your choices right now, so none of this is a good enough reason to take a possible good fit off the table preemptively. Just do the application and see where things stand when the decisions come back.
Have you registered for admitted students’ events at Pitt and U of Denver? It seems like it would be reasonable to at least give these schools a chance to get you excited about what they have to offer.
Gettysburg is a good poli sci school whose atmosphere you might like - they have a 2/1 deadline - would be a low-reach but maybe worth a try.
Good luck!
whats an admitted student event? Would i have to travel to the city? @aquapt
also seriously thanks for ur indepth responses. im shocked. Thank u so much
Yes, admitted student events are usually on campus. Have you visited DU and Pitt already? Even if you have, it could be worth doing these more in-depth visits and maybe an overnight - looks like that’s a possibility at DU.
https://admission.du.edu/portal/admitted-events
https://oafa.pitt.edu/visit/open-houses/a-day-for-admitted-students/
This is a tough process. Sometimes it’s good to get some outside input to shed a fresh light on things, especially after a setback - that’s one of the things this site is good for. 
@aquapt yeah ive noticed people are a lot nicer on here than reddit
I havent visited neither pitt nor denver but im planning on going on a bunch of visits in april after i get all my decisions
What about FSU and/or USF in Florida? It’s warm, has football… Not quite Tulane but pretty prestigious… and not impossible to get into with your stats.
Try applying to more universities that seem appealing. Apply broadly - and hurry as many final deadlines are coming up.
What about ASU BARRETT? (Only if you apply to Barrett, as regular ASU has suffered pretty drastic cuts).
UNM and its Honors College are cool.
Same for Ole Miss.
If money is not a big concern what about Chapman? LMU?(both in California)
@MYOS1634 i acctually applied to quite a few schools u listed. I applied to fsu a while ago, as well as ASU but i thought their honors college was hella competitive? I applied to chapman last night as well
Go to Pitt for a visit. It’s a wonderful school and it’s getting to be a popular destination for upper echelon students from New England. Five years ago it was rare.
This year, anecdotally, i have direct info from three top private schools in area with 5 to 10 kids applying. And these were great kids.
Only a few got in.
Something is happening in that city with the recent tech expansion in the area. And it’s already a medical and health sciences leader.
I didn’t go there and never lived there but have visited the city. It’s got a great vibe. Pretty friendly place imho.
Plenty to get excited about and u Denver sounds terrific too.
@privatebanker yeah im gonna visit in april!!! gonna wait for everywhere else to come out
Great idea and super attitude!
Apply to Barrett - you’ve got a shot. ASU without Barrett means huge classes, huge sections, lack of staff and support… (compared to other public universities).
You may apply to FSU Honors but I don’t think you have a shot because of your ACT score.
Spend time on your essays.
Pitt is great and in a fantastic city indeed. Honors is different there, a lot more free flowing. Email admissions about your visit, see whether you can meet professors or students.