Does HYPS (and others) fit me?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hi, I'm a rising senior interested in applying to Harvard SCEA. However, I have no idea what other schools to apply to in case I get rejected. </p>

<p>So far, this is my list with my GC (order of pref):</p>

<p>Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Princeton, Columbia, Brown, Cornell, UCLA, Berkeley, UCSD, UC Davis.</p>

<p>Looking for:
Strength in academics (premed/bio/chem + economics, english comp, chinese)</p>

<p>Awesome student/profs</p>

<p>Ability to take many different classes</p>

<p>Not-too-hard academics, grade inflation ;)</p>

<p>Good social life, frats, attractice girls ;)</p>

<p>Good local area (hated Berkeley)</p>

<p>Oppurtunity to have job, research</p>

<p>Overall prestige</p>

<p>Ability to lead life without a car</p>

<p>4 year dorm guarantee (again, hated Berkeley)</p>

<p>Med school preparation</p>

<p>Thanks a lot!</p>

2

<p>Duke and Penn would fit those general categories I think</p>

3

<p>Dartmouth also. Eliminate columbia if you want a strong campus life.</p>

4

<p>Harvard girls are let's just say....NATURAL.</p>

5

<p>Too many reach schools</p>

6

<p>I agree. Your list is way too top-heavy (you're applying to six Ivies). You also twice stated that you hated Berkeley, yet you're applying there. Am I missing something? If you want grade inflation, don't apply to Cornell, Berkeley, or UCLA. Why not apply to a few LAC's? They should give you the mix of social life and academics that you're looking for.</p>

7

<p>I assume these are just your dream schools and you're looking to pare them down. The ones you've listed have the prestige, the academics, and definite grade inflation, but a good number of them have horrible surrounding areas (you listed that as part of criteria). You already know Berkeley is dangerous. You're putting your life on the line at Columbia. The area surrounding Yale is basically a slum, though if you get out further New Haven is pretty nice, just don't go walking alone at night. Princeton's in a "bubble," so you're fine there. Boston's a college town, and your others are so big it doesn't matter (esp. Davis, huge).</p>

<p>The part I have the most trouble with is you're looking for "not too hard academics," but you're applying to the top schools in the country. That seems somewhat incongruous. Please be sure to have less rigorous backups.</p>

8

<p>Try looking at some LACs like Washington and Lee University, Amherst, etc. Princeton fits your profile nicely.</p>

<p>Might I also add that it appears that you're applying to those heavy hitters just for the sake of prestige?</p>

<p>A couple of big indicators if a person is in it only for the prestige is if they apply to over half the ivies, or if they plan to apply to both Brown and Columbia, because the only thing that those schools really share are an academic bang. Other than that, they're VERY different.</p>

9

<p>Ok tkm256 has never ever been to Morningside Heights, so do not trust him.</p>

<p>Morningside Heights is the 2nd safest precinct in New York City (behind the Village). Columbia has police officers everywhere and they have a service that if you ever need a way back to campus, they will come and pick you up.</p>

<p>For english composition, economics, and chinese you cannot go wrong with Columbia. For med school, Columbia students always do very well.</p>

<p>In conjunction with your wishings of a social life, does this mean an on-campus social life or off-campus? Columbia students do have parties on campus, but not as many as say a Dartmouth or Princeton. Columbia students take full advantage of New York City and all that it has to offer. Our social life is more involved with the City than an on-campus feel (even though there is always a plethora of on-campus activities).</p>

<p>Do you want a Core program? If you do, Columbia is the place for you. If you do not, then go somewhere else, because the Core occupies about 1/3 of your total classes.</p>

<p>Attractive females? Columbia has the Barnard affiliation right across the street.</p>

<p>No cars for students in Manhattan (where are you going to park it?), Columbia obviously has the prestige, and Columbia is also one of the premier research institutions in the world.</p>

<p>Columbia undergraduates are automatically guaranteed housing for all 4 years on campus.</p>

<p>Seems like Columbia would be a good fit for you. Do not hesitate to ask me any questions you might have about the school.</p>

10

<p>How about Vanderbilt? Has a reputation for having the best social life of all the schools in the top 20, with active frats and has been ranked #1 for hottest girls. It's right outside of Nashville so a car isn't necessary, and it guarantees housing for at least 3 and maybe 4 years, and if you get 3 most people spend a semester abroad. :) Plus, Nashville is SO awesome, a totally charming city with a small-town feel and tons to do (not just country music!). Everyone is friendly and life is leisurely, plus it's right on the banks of the river.</p>

11

<p>I'd say Bucknell.</p>

12

<p>Nobody can tell anything without your stats. Are you even qualified for these schools?</p>

13

<p>There is no GC on earth with a brain who would construct this list. Troll!</p>

14

<p>Well OK, the UCs.</p>

15

<p>Sorry all for the badly comprised list. My GC has a system where you have two safeties, two matches, and five matches/reaches. UCSD and UCD are my safeties (I'm getting athletic letters/recruitment). UCLA and Berkeley are my matches (again, athletic recruitment). The rest of the schools I have chosen based on some poor research on my part and GC recommendations. I have yet to visit any colleges except for Stanford (which I loved), Berkeley (awesome campus, but bad area and housing), and UCLA (very nice).</p>

<p>I hope to go to the East Coast sometime during my senior year, but I need to have a list sorted out first.</p>

<p>TKM256: By not-too-hard academics I mean a laid-back attitude and a feeling of cooperation rather that competition, similar to Stanford.</p>

<p>Someone wanted to see my stats:</p>

<p>GENERAL
Asian Male
Junior
Public High School (Highly ranked and recognized)
Living in Southern California</p>

<p>TESTS
SAT I: 2330 (780V/ 770M/ 780W)
SAT II: 780 Biology (estimate) 800 Math IC 760 US Hist
National Merit Finalist
5’s on 5 AP tests thus far (Euro, US, Bio, Lit, CompSci)</p>

<p>SCHOOL
GPA: 4.7 (UW) 3.93 (W)
Rank: Top 5% (my school doesn’t rank). Otherwise I’d be at least top 5 out of ~350.
Taking the hardest classes in entire class</p>

<p>Taking seven additional AP’s as a senior</p>

<p>SPORTS
Varsity Water Polo
- I may be recruited and may not be. Top 5 team in nation. Team captain, all-area team, Academic All-American.</p>

<p>CLUBS
Key Club 9-12 (Council and President)
Science Club 9-12 (President, Board)
National Honor Society 10-12
California Scholarship Federation 9-12 (President, Treasurer)</p>

<p>RESEARCH AND SCIENCE
Cancer Research Institute 9-10
Cancer Research Internship 11-12</p>

<p>Participated in AACR (American Association of Cancer Research) National Meeting in Anaheim</p>

<p>Summer student at City of Hope National Research Center (8 hrs/day/3 months) earnings:$3000</p>

<p>Baush& Lomb
Young Scientist Award (given to 1 junior every year)</p>

<p>OTHER
Bob Thompson Athlete Scholar Award</p>

<p>All-American Scholar Award (top ten water polo player in nation in terms of scholarship)</p>

<p>AP Scholar with Honors</p>

<p>Essay contests/scholarships
- aWorld Connected Essay Contest (2nd)
- Ayn Rand Annual Essay Contest (3rd)
- The Humanist Essay Scholarship (Grand)</p>

<p>Eagle Scout (with many other BSA awards)
- World Conservation Award
- SPL (prez), PL (board)</p>

<p>Piano for 12 years</p>

<p>Part time job tutoring dyslexic student in reading and math (Earnings : $1200)</p>

<p>Total volunteer hours: 400 (CHLA, BScouts, Key Club)</p>

16

<p>LOL! Your profile is very similar to mine! I'm also an asian male, only we are opposites in many senses.</p>

<p>I live on the East Coast, I have considerably lower SAT scores (2150, 770, 770, 650), I go to a grade-inflated school where only the top 10% of the student body is competitive.</p>

<p>I'm an all-area competitive swimmer, so we're both fish. and I have an internship with the National Cancer Institute under NIH.</p>

<p>The big difference is the fact that I'm more extracurricular oriented while you seem more academically oriented</p>

17

<p>Cool College<em>Here</em>I_Come! Show me your stats! </p>

<p>Btw, are you trying to get recruited for swimming? LOL, you're probably a lot faster than me, I have :54 100 free and 1:03 100 breast.</p>

18

<p>jaug1, what made you decide to apply to Columbia ED?</p>

<p>What were some other schools you considered and what made Columbia the "one"?
What is your prospective major? Also, do you know anything about Columbia vs Penn? different strengths/weaknesses than each other?</p>

<p>columbia's medical school placement?
also, did many of your fellow columbia acceptees play an instrument? (I heard that columbia really favors musicians)</p>

<p>Thanks in advance!</p>

19

<p>I grew up across the street from Columbia and the "you're putting your life on the line" thing is ridiculous. But then again, I also lived in Berkeley and I wouldn't call that a "bad area" either...</p>

<p>Anyway, I don't think Columbia sounds like a good fit for you. I'd drop it and Cornell (or Yale) for Dartmouth and Duke.</p>

20

<p>Y'all are right, I've never been to Columbia. I'm just repeating what my father said of when he went thirty years ago, and the area has no doubt changed since then. Plus, he was probably in the wrong part of town; he's horrible with directions :-) The other people who live near or are at Columbia are much more reliable, and heck, now I'm almost considering it myself ;)</p>