Final College List

Parents Forum
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<p>Hi, what would you all say about my college list? </p>

<p>I'm applying on a strong academic math/science background. I've done various math/science competitions:
- Rank 1 out of 520, National AP Scholar, NMSF, 2290 SAT, 34 ACT, 800 Math IIC, 750 World, 720 Biology (retaking for 770+), 700 Physics (retaking for 770+).
- AMC 12, AIME, JETS, Math League
- 2 research projects (math and physics) that I'm currently finishing up and sending to competitions
- President of math club, captain of robotics team, Summer Science Program, Ojai 2009</p>

<p>But I'm also very involved in other activities including:
- Hospital volunteering (400 hours): I'm on the leadership board
- Student government: I go to school board meetings, etc. (2 years)
- Varsity cross-country, track (2 year varsity letterman)
- NHS, CSF, Key Club</p>

<p>Top choices: MIT, Stanford, Princeton, Yale, Harvard
Other reaches: Caltech, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Brown, Williams
Others: Rice, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD</p>

<p>Is 15 colleges too many? Should I take out some?
I really want to get into MIT, though I am not a very good essay writer. It's difficult for me to express myself and my interests in what I do, my experiences, how I see the world through my essays. I've written a first draft of 2 essays, but they aren't good at all. Do any parents here have any advice? I know adults tend to write better, since they have so many more life experiences, etc. that could be used in their essays...</p>

2

<p>You left out UPenn.</p>

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<p>^^^^That was my immediate reaction but I could not find the nerve to post it!</p>

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<p>You should contact the cross-country coach at MIT. There’s no athletic recruiting there like there is at other places, but if you’re a good runner, it may help.</p>

<p>I can’t really tell what kind of educational experience you’re looking for, based on your list. It looks as if you just compiled a group of high-status schools. What do you want?</p>

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<p>You are all over the place in terms of size and location. Are the UC’s safeties? Because I don’t see any otherwise.</p>

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<p>[Amazon.com:</a> On Writing the College Application Essay: The Key to Acceptance and the College of your Choice (9780064637220): Harry Bauld: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Writing-College-Application-Essay-Acceptance/dp/0064637220/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251606520&sr=1-1]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Writing-College-Application-Essay-Acceptance/dp/0064637220/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251606520&sr=1-1)</p>

<p>this book should help you understand how to write a good essay</p>

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<p>Are you in-state for the UCs? Does your school qualify you for ELC? Your UCs aren’t safeties even for in-state candidates these days.</p>

<p>LOL on UPenn.</p>

<p>BTW, you can only submit one project each to Siemens and Intel.</p>

8

<p>I would drop Harvard, Yale, Brown and Williams, unless you have specific things about them that you love. </p>

<p>I would also apply to more UC’s - Davis and Irvine at least to get to a true safety.</p>

<p>As for doing the MIT essays, go to their website and look at “The Match Between You and MIT”. Brainstorm a list of everything about you that would make you a good match. Then brainstorm some more. If you do this, I predict your essay topic will come to you.</p>

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<p>Bummer…when a school is only taking 10% of applicants, you don’t want to come up short on the one piece of the application that can really add flesh to the bones of dry statistics. Let’s hope that you’re just being modest. Definitely agree that looking at other essays might give you some thoughts about how to show the adcoms something very personal and special about you. </p>

<p>Otherwise, have colleges on your list that love kids with high statistics. I’d be surprised if you didn’t get into one or all of your UCs on your list. But to be on the safe side, I’d one more UC a tier down–UCSB, UCI or UC Davis.</p>

<p>Having a science paper to submit to MIT and Caltech would definitely help your cause. Good luck.</p>

10

<p>Alright thanks! I changed my list around to:</p>

<p>MIT, Stanford, Caltech, Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Columbia, Brown, Williams, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Northwestern, Duke </p>

<p>14 colleges…would this be a good list? Should I add in JHU or Rice? Thanks!</p>

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<p>You have way too many reaches, IMHO. I would add Harvey Mudd as a “safety” and Chicago, as a match, because you are also applying to Columbia. And if you are NOT a Calif resident[ what is IE?], then Berkeley and UCLA are just as big a reach for you as HSPYM are. If you are applying to UCLA, then you should add U Southern Calif as a true safety, and get your application in by Dec 1 to qualify for their 1/2- full tuition scholarship program for top stat students. [FYI,An early application to USC will NOT prevent you from applying SCEA, because it is required for scholarship consideration]</p>

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<p>Agree that you have too many reaches. Consider adding a school like University of Rochester for a safety where you are likely to get merit money.</p>

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<p>Yea I live in California. I think I will add UChicago then…so that would be 15 colleges? Would this sound fine?</p>

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<p>FFS it seems like you just went through the USNWR top 25 universities (and then added Williams for ****s and giggles)…</p>

<p>Some of the schools on your list are incredibly different places… why are they on there - other than because they’re supposedly prestigious?</p>

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<p>I wouldn’t consider Mudd a safety. It’s small and attracts a lot of apps from engineering/other quants, so you just never know if you’ll be accepted.</p>

<p>Still would click off one more UC one tier down (only extra work would be the click another box and pay $60). 14 applications are a lot of work, especially for someone who doesn’t write well. Even with the Common Application, colleges ask for extra stuff on their school specific supplements. </p>

<p>I’d get started now.</p>

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<p>I agree that you need a true safety. </p>

<p>Putting the list in perspective, from other posts I know tomjones is applying through QuestBridge. Quite a few of the schools are QB partners. I think he is looking for schools with good FA as a major consideration. </p>

<p>I think putting together that many applications, and doing a good job on them, is going to be very tough. And now after saying I think you have too many, I’ll add that I do think Rice would be a good place for you to apply. You can evaluate your stats against those of admitted students here [Rice</a> University | Prospective Students](<a href=“http://www.futureowls.rice.edu/futureowls/Admission_Statistics.asp?SnID=551508911]Rice”>http://www.futureowls.rice.edu/futureowls/Admission_Statistics.asp?SnID=551508911) .
They have great financial aid and from what I’ve read here are strong in the areas in which you are interested.</p>

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<p>Personally, I don’t think U of Chicago has as strong of FA as some of the others. That was the case for our family, at least.</p>

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<p>^^ agreed for many middle class families, but if he qualifies for Questbridge, that is another matter.</p>

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<p>Good point, menloparkmom. </p>

<p>For all your prospective colleges, tomjones, I’d recommend checking their websites to see if they have financial aid calculators specific to that school or info on how much FA families in your income range typically receive. That could help you whittle down your list.</p>

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<p>And because he is applying for FA, I don’t think 15 is too many colleges to apply to. I just think he is kidding himself if he thinks that applying to more top tier colleges increases his chances of getting into one. Be that as it may, his stats[ rank, SSP, SAT’s] and EC’s all put him in the “qualified” pile for most of the colleges he is applying to. But most only accept 10% so who knows. I just think he needs to add a true safety where he is highly likely to be accepted AND would receive a terrific FA[ USC on both counts], so he doesn’t experience the same thing that happened to Andison.
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/47867-were-picking-up-pieces-but-what-went-wrong.html?highlight=picking+pieces[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/47867-were-picking-up-pieces-but-what-went-wrong.html?highlight=picking+pieces&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>as mini stated on the first page of that memorable thread
“What went wrong is that he (and you) didn’t choose a safety, and fall in love with it. The safety is ALWAYS the most important school on the list.”</p>