<p>In order of reaches to safeties: Brown, Wesleyan, Carnegie Mellon, Skidmore, St. Lawrence, Conn. College, U of Rochester, Syracuse, UVM</p>
<p>Here is my basic info</p>
<p>White female from Vermont</p>
<p>GPA:3.7 (might raise in senior year)
SAT: 2040
SAT 2: I'm taking US History and Lit
Rank: 22/289</p>
<p>AP's: Language/Composition: 5
Psychology: 4
French: 1 (whoops)
will be taking Biology and Literature</p>
<p>ECs
Softball for 2 years
Rock climbing club
Soccer
Environmentally Conscious and Active club (president)
Key Club
volunteer at boys and girls club</p>
<p>Job at Killington Mountain Resort for 2 winter seasons
Now working at Kmart</p>
<p>Summer Activities
English program at Brown
always reading
writing
hiking/biking/running/swimming</p>
<p>Other factors:
low income family
first generation
Have formed very strong relationships with teachers,and will have favorable rec's
Creative essay topic </p>
<p><strong><em>not asking you to chance me, just wondering if these colleges seem to make sense for someone like me</em></strong></p>
<p>It doesnt seem like a random list of schools- If you have a reasons to apply to all of them, then it is not random at all, you have an order to it.</p>
<p>Brown and Wesleyan are both rather liberal “open curriculum” schools, so they sorta go together. Wesleyan and Conn College are both small liberal arts colleges in Connecticut. CMU and Rochester are selective schools with strong technology programs. UVM makes sense as your in-state, public safety school.</p>
<p>Other than that, what do they all have in common other than being in the Northeast? It looks like you’ve chosen several pairs of similar schools, not a single unified list. Do you prefer liberal arts or a technical school? Large or small? Big city or small town/rural? etc.</p>
<p>i prefer liberal arts schools, but I’ve read about the Pyschology programs at both CMU and U of R, and they’re very highly ranked. (Psychology is my intended major). I would like a school that is not too large, though I realize that both UVM and Syracuse are quite large (hopefully I won’t end up at either, but if I do I can deal with it) Honestly, the surroundings don’t quite matter. right now i’m living in a “middle of nowhere” type of town in Vermont, but have been to many cities and feel that I am versatile with my surroundings.</p>
<p>Your list is fine. As you likely know, Wesleyan and Brown are reach schools for you. Fine. Go ahead and apply and see what happens. Write excellent essays and make sure your application sticks out and shows your true personality and what you bring to the table.</p>
<p>You will likely be admitted at Skidmore (a great school from what I hear), Connecticut College, Syracuse, Rochester and St. Lawrence…all high match to match schools. Then UVM is your safety. Looks good to me.</p>
<p>Does it matter if the schools that you’re applying to look random? My list of schools included CU-Boulder, FSU, Covenant College, and the University of Minnesota… that’s a pretty random list, but I had a reason for all of them. If you have a good reason to apply to a certain school, then by all means, go for it. Just make sure you have a reasonable amount of reaches, matches, and safties. Good luck!</p>
<p>Meagan, in case you change your opinion about any of your original 9 (not that I’m suggesting you should) …
Northeastern schools on the Rugg’s Recommendations list for Psychology include Bard, Bates, Brandeis, Bryn Mawr, Colgate, Dickinson, and St. Mary’s College of Maryland (as well as CMU, Conn College, Rochester, and Skidmore, which already are on your list). These schools are all in the Rugg’s “most selective” category. In fact they vary in selectivity but all are easier admits than Brown or Wesleyan. Wes also is one of Rugg’s recommended for psychology. Brown is not, but that alone would not make me drop it (though it’ll be a long shot.)</p>
<p>Rugg’s “very selective” recommendations for psych include Clark University in Worcester MA (one of the “Colleges That Change Lives”), Eugene Lang College, Hobart & Wm. Smith. These would make good match or low match schools. U Vermont also is on the Rugg’s “very selective” list for psychology.</p>
<p>There are many more schools on the Ruggs list. I’m suggesting these just because they are small northeastern liberal arts colleges or universities that are more or less familiar to me and they all seem to be good match or low reach schools for you (not because Ruggs is the last word on good psych programs.) I’m not suggesting you apply to more than 9 schools, or that your original schools are not good choices, though. You should ask yourself (now or after visits) if you’d much rather attend all of your 6 match schools than UVermont, considering the higher costs. If not, I’d consider dropping 1 or more from your original list, possibly substituting one of these alternatives.</p>