They are both significantly easier to get into than either Wesleyan or Smith so would be good back up to those schools. Whether they are true safeties - you can be 100% sure of being admitted - I don’t know.
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I thought they were all in the thirty percents range but I could be wrong. It would be a good idea to apply to all those colleges anyways because I’d prefer them over MSU. I heard Trinity College was in that range as well but I’m not sure I’d want to go to a more conservative state. I need to be somewhere more lgbt friendly.
There is Trinity College in Connecticut! You may actually want to take a look at it… Given the kinds of places you have liked (Wesleyan, Smith) I would stay away from Texas etc.
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I didnt know that! Thank you!
Another idea is U of Vermont. It is a state school but in beautiful location and has more of a liberal arts private feel. What about Middlebury?
I looked into Middlebury already they seem pretty selective I wouldnt choose it over Smith or Wesleyan because I dont think it’s open curriculum.
No, they aren’t safeties. But you have a better chance at them than either Smith or Wesleyan. I personally think you should ED to Smith if you really love it. It’s an excellent school and no less reputable than Wesleyan.
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You should look into Oberlin, Clark U, and maybe even Goucher (Clark and Goucher are probable safeties.)
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An option could be to apply to Wes ED and if it doesn’t work out i believe that Smith offers ED2 (you should double check).
In general I only believe in applying ED if these two are both true.
–The college is your absolute top choice AND
–The financials work (run net price calculator) and your family has no need/desire to compare financial offers between colleges.
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We visited Trinity College, CT and felt it was very preppy. YMMV
Dickinson and Skidmore might be other good options…a bit less selective than Wes.
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I see others have commented. I will reinforce what they are saying.
The end goal is a school where you could be happy, regardless of the selectivity rate. A “safety” (or “likely”) school is one that matches your fit and affordability criteria while also giving you high confidence of admission.
Do not apply to schools you do not like or that you would dread attending, period.
It takes a lot of stress out of the process knowing you could be happy at any of the schools on your list. Some posters have made recommendations in this thread, and I think a comment on your thread from a few months back even included a link to a list of open curriculum schools.
Many students focus their attention on the aspirational — or reachy — schools on their lists, when there is more assurance in making sure the likelies and possibles are good matches.
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Some really good advice has been presented for you here. The big question is which order you use your ED options. Subjectively, we really love them both. Though different in many ways, there is a lot to like about each school. Of course , all women or men on campus is the big call you need to make.
I may be completely off about this, but maybe one thought about strategy: Wesleyan has a bigger sports machine than does Smith (any NESCAC does). That means that athletic recruits at Wes probably take up a larger % of ED slots than they do at Smith. Again, I may be wrong, but if I’m right, that might factor into your strategy about how to use (and order) your valuable ED chips. Your Smith ED chip may be more powerful, suggesting that maybe you use it as EDI if you’re truly split.
Good luck!
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I’ve just skimmed this thread so maybe I’ve missed it… but with your love for writing, I’m surprised not to see Kenyon
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I didn’t hear about it until now. I do love writing but I also love biology. I lean more towards writing but an open curriculum like Wesleyan or Smith would make it easier to double major. Thanks for putting it on my radar though it’s going on my list.
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