@cappex I don’t know where you get the number, but they are very inaccurate. Northwestern Engineering enrolled freshmen mid 50 ACT is 33-35 in 2014 and the admission rate was 11.46%. ACT 31 is a couple points below the 25th percentile, not average.
http://profiles.asee.org/profiles/6443/screen/19?school_name=Northwestern+University
Even for Northwestern overall, ACT 31 was just the 24th percentile even 4 years ago when the admission rate was much higher.
http://enrollment.northwestern.edu/pdf/2014profile.pdf
CDS from 2014 still shows enrolled freshmen with mid 50 ACT 31-34.
@billcsho Okay forget Northwestern ED, time to hope my ACT improves and take a shot at Cornell!
Mayyyyyyybe Rice ED…
If you apply to too many schools you could get many rejections because you will lack demonstrated interest and they want to protect their yield.
@ClarinetDad16 Good point. What would be the best way to demonstrate interest? I have lots of time because I am on a gap year to do so…
Where should I apply ED?
Apply to somewhere you KNOW you want to go.
And explain why you’re on a gap year
I also think 20 schools is too much.
20 schools only if ED/EA goes bad.
Refine your list. There is no way you want to go to every Ivy, apply to a few that you know you would be happy at. You have a HUGE list of schools, go through your stats and figure out based on your test scores and GPA which you are in range for and which are reaches and safeties. Then pick three safeties, five matches, and whatever other reaches you want to apply to. Also, don’t let your ACT score prevent you from applying to Northwestern ED. If you want to go there, then do it!
You should not be willing to apply to ED to that many schools. That shows that you are not focusing on what is truly your number one overall school. If you arbitrarily want to go to an elite school, just for the brand, that will come across in your application and you won’t get in anywhere.
I want to apply to WUSTL ED (I visited and interviewed, really like it) and Emory ED II (I would be happy there) Then I will apply to a few schools like Miami and Fordham EA. Then we will see what happens in December as to whether I apply to the remaining 11 schools on my commonapp
I still think you should apply to at least one more affordable safety, regardless of your automatic admission to UT. Their computer science program is really competitive, and a 30 ACT math score is pretty weak for the program (I’d say a minimum 32 ACT math score would be competitive). Unless you would be happy with a second-choice, less competitive major at UT, I’d apply to at least one more affordable safety.
I agree with aspiringsenior05, UT CS is not a safety with a 31.
l…l
Did you take ACt again in Sept. Score?
31 is a great score, but even with that there are many reaches on your list
@wisteria100 No I did not, I plan to take it in December (Won’t help my ED, EA, or ED II) and then after seeing my results for my early applications I can better gauge what to do… most of those schools a 31 is in the 25 percentile or literally 1 point off, so maybe if I can superscore a little more… Even if I can’t I don’t see getting rejected from every single school just because my ACT is like 1-2 points lower than the median…
@cappex Even if I can’t I don’t see getting rejected from every single school just because my ACT is like 1-2 points lower than the median…
Since you are applying to so many schools, why don’t you add more matches? If you are okay with going to U of T, then you don’t have to of course, but if you want to have options come March, then it would be a good idea.
If your ACT is 1-2 points lower than the median, you do stand a much better chance of rejection than acceptance. And you don’t seem to have a hook (recruited athlete, legacy, big donor, URM etc.) I see you in at Fordham, have a good shot at Miami and Northeastern and Rochester and most of the others are reaches.
As for NW ED, I see more of a rejection there than a deferral. If you really are set on that one, you should get the ACT up and apply RD
@wisteria100 Thanks for the advice. I have been considering that, but then I return to my mentality that I can only attend ONE school, and I do have a realistic chance (even though it is small, the application to 20 “reaches” should yield at least ONE!). I don’t want to apply to matches that are not as good as UT, because UT would be cheaper and better overall. I am applying to WUSTL ED and Emory ED II (Isn’t this a match??). I already submitted apps to Fordham, U of Tulsa, Case Western Reserve (Pre professional scholar - law), Northeastern, and U of Miami Early action. The rest of my list that I will apply to RD includes a few ivies and top 30 schools.
bump