<p>I've been having my college counselor meetings to start making the official list for next year. I walked in with 22 schools, eliminated a handful in his office so now I'm down to 14, but the counselor would like me to get my list down to 8 or 10. The thing specifically I'm asking about is duplicates. He said that Grinnell and Oberlin were similar, and I'd rather go to Oberlin because it's closer, so I eliminated Grinnell. Are there any others on my list that are too similar?</p>
<p>Cornell (human ecology, PAM major)
Brown
Vassar
William & Mary (partial residency, must apply)
Michigan (in-state, Residential College, LSA)
Michigan State
University of Chicago
Stanford
Bowdoin
Oberlin
WUSTL
UVA (again, partial residency, must apply)
Indiana (SPEA)
and my counselor suggested NYU, so that's 14.</p>
<p>I would suggest doing rolling as quickly as possible to increase your chances to get in. Then do all of your EA schools, keep in mind that Chicago isnt single choice so you can apply to other EA schools if they arent SCEA, then do your RD schools.</p>
<p>Yeah, NYU is a huge anomaly on this list. I could go on for hours about why I think its the worst college experience in the country. For every happy student I feel like I've met 5 unhappy ones. I am not sure your GC is 100% right. 1) 14 schools is fine 2) His suggestion of NYU is strange to me 3) Isn't the point to have duplicaes - i.e. similar schools that you like. Eliminating them means to assume you will get into all of them 4) You have some school choices that don't make sense to me. For example I think someone who likes WUSTL, Stanford, and Bowdoin would be much happier at Northwestern than Chicago. </p>
<p>Dartmouth is not on your list, but its a LAC hybrid very much like others on your list and you might love it. On the other hand, Wesleyan might be a great fit. To be honest, it would be helpful knowing what you are looking for and your stats.</p>
<p>I also suggest going to your local barnes and noble and reading both the Princeton Review top 3-- colleges and the fiske guide. Both are very much on target.</p>
<p>"Yeah, NYU is a huge anomaly on this list." Agreed. It was the counselor's suggestion; I had ruled out NYU a while back thinking it wouldn't be a fun experience.</p>
<p>"Isn't the point to have duplicaes - i.e. similar schools that you like. Eliminating them means to assume you will get into all of them" I was wondering about this. I know the counselor is great, though; maybe he just wasn't thinking. He's a really smart guy.</p>
<p>"You have some school choices that don't make sense to me. For example I think someone who likes WUSTL, Stanford, and Bowdoin would be much happier at Northwestern than Chicago." The only school of these 5 I've visited is Stanford (spent the summer there); I love the intellectual environment at Chicago. Why do you say Northwestern is a better fit than Chicago? (BTW I may be doing SCEA at Stanford instead of Chicago). I visited Wesleyan and hated it, if that helps at all.</p>
<p>"Dartmouth is not on your list, but its a LAC hybrid very much like others on your list and you might love it. On the other hand, Wesleyan might be a great fit. To be honest, it would be helpful knowing what you are looking for and your stats."</p>
<p>Briefly: 3.3Frosh, 3.6Soph, 3.7 Junior with 3/6 advanced classes; next year is 4 AP's. SAT's: 680M, 740W, 720V, good SAT II's, great essay and outstanding recommendations from competitive independent school. extracurriculars are strongest part of my application, president of 3 clubs, super involved in theatre and volunteering with michigan aids fund.</p>
<p>Dartmouth seems like a bit too much of a jock school to me, but I do like the LAC hybrid kind of feel; maybe 4000-8000 students but small classes and professor interaction.</p>
<p>I agree with Slipper on NYU (which should be re-named W F U--"Where's the F***ing University"), and everyting else. You've got a nice blend of options there, but I'd drop WUSTL and Cornell on the grounds that if you can get in those, you can get in several of the others that are closer, more fun, more famous, etc.</p>
<p>Renin, apply to Michigan in late August/early September. If you are good enough to consider Brown and Stanford, you should get into Michigan by late October, in which case, you can focus purely on applying to schools like Bowdoin, Brown, Chicago, Cornell, Oberlin and Stanford. I definitely agree with Slipper...DROP NYU! LOL I also agree with Tourguide...drop WUSTL, unless you really like St Louis.</p>
<p>At any rate, what do you want to major in? What kind of college atmosphere do you seek? What are your credentials (class rank, unweighed GPA, AP scores, SAT/SATII/ACT scores and ECs)?</p>
<p>Cornell (human ecology, PAM major)
Brown
William & Mary (partial residency, must apply)
Michigan (in-state, Residential College, LSA)
University of Chicago
Stanford
Oberlin
WUSTL
UVA (again, partial residency, must apply)</p>
<p>If youre instate for michigan and you have good stats, youre in. so indiana and mich state are worthless</p>
<p>Great, I think you're totally on the right track (especially dumping NYU). The whole notion of dumping "duplicates" seems particularly silly considering your needs and the limited number of schools that fit those needs and your stats. My honest opinion is that the Ivy level schools are going to be next to impossible reaches, so I wouldn't waste my opportunity to apply early on an application to Stanford. </p>
<p>I mentioned NU over Chicago because Chicago isn't much fun and the schools you listed seem to have this "liberal/ fun" trend, which Chicago doesn't have. Its much more like Columbia than it is like Brown if that helps.</p>
<p>You're best bet is with the schools right below the Ivies as your realistic reaches. I'd put Grinnell back on your list and don't take what your counselor says as gospel. Also look at Pomona (big reach though) and Haverford among other schools.</p>
<p>Could you try to pinpoint what exactly you "hated" about Wesleyan... I think it would help people figure out what you are looking for in a school.</p>
<p>You may not be interested... but if you liked Stanford you might want to at least give Duke a gander (yeah I pimp my school too much)...</p>
<p>"Cornell (human ecology, PAM major)
Brown
William & Mary (partial residency, must apply)
Michigan (in-state, Residential College, LSA)
University of Chicago
Stanford
Oberlin
WUSTL
UVA (again, partial residency, must apply)"</p>
<p>This is good, but I would have to add Vassar and MSU back into the mix, because Michigan (despite what goes around on these boards) is VERY hard to get into, even in state. It's not like a lot of public schools where if you have good grades you get in. It has the reputation of being 'random', rejecting 4.0's and accepting 2.8's, etc.</p>
<p>When we visited colleges, I adored Vassar, Brown and Cornell. Yale was just OK and I hated Wesleyan.</p>
<p>About why I hated Wesleyan: 1) the campus is a joke. 2) the town is a joke. 3) the center for the arts is the ugliest architectural structure i've ever seen in my life. 4) too much consruction. 5) students were stupid, knew nothing about the school, and there was no dean at the info session.</p>
<p>About Duke - it's just too hard to get into, and my school has a terrible track record with it (people accepted at Harvard, Yale, etc are rejected from Duke every time for like the last 10 years). I'm trying to slim, not add.</p>
<p>I've been toying with removing WUSTL. The only reason I'm interested is because it's the dream school of my best friend and we've been considering going to school together. Our high school has a really good history there (this year, 3 accepted and 2 waitlisted, no rejections).</p>
<p>I LOVE Vassar and Brown, I think Vassar is exactly what you seem to be looking for. I also think you should apply to Wesleyan, I think you need to see it more in depth before ruling it out so quickly especially given your liking for Vassar. </p>
<p>I am afraid your list is reach heavy given your stats. I think you need to throw Grinnell back into the mix to be safe.</p>
<p>If you want to narrow your list down to 10,</p>
<p>Michigan State University (safety)
Indiana University (safety/match)
Oberlin or Grinnell (match)
W&M (match)
Michigan (match)
UVA(match)
Vassar or Bowdoin or Middlebury (match/reach)
Uchicago or WUSTL (match/reach)
Cornell or Brown (reach)
Stanford (reach-reach)</p>
<p>"Michigan State University (safety)
Indiana University (safety/match)
Oberlin or Grinnell (match)
W&M (match)
Michigan (match)
UVA(match)
Vassar or Bowdoin or Middlebury (match/reach)
Uchicago or WUSTL (match/reach)
Cornell or Brown (reach)
Stanford (reach-reach)"</p>
<p>This is really close to being perfect. But to maintain the 10, I'd apply to both Cornell and Brown, and drop IU. (If I'm going to a public safety school, I'd rather stay in Michigan, plus MSU is in my opinion a better school).</p>
<p>I doubt UVA's a match OOS though. I'm getting an honors endorsement for W&M, so that's a likely school, but UVA is really tough out of state.</p>
<p>I think you are making some big mistakes. I'd say the chances of you getting into Brown or Stanford are less than 10%, and to not focus on the range where it matter (Wesleyan, Vassar, Grinnell, Bates, Emory, Bowdoin, Oberlin, etc) could really backfire on you.</p>