Absolutely consider liberal art colleges. Many are as prestigious and elite as the Ivies, but much more nurturing and supportive. They would provide a much better atmosphere for you. Your stats would make you a good profile for QuestBridge, which partners with top universities and liberal art colleges to bring low-income students to these colleges. The application is free and you can rank up to 12 colleges and universities. Currently, the College Prep Scholarship via QuestBridge is available, which will pay for college visits, summer programs, and even provide you essay coaching/telementoring from experienced low-income students at the top schools.
First, relax. In through the nose, out through the mouth.
Nobody who isn’t royally hooked has a great chance of getting into Yale, Columbia or Penn. You’re in the same boat as almost everyone else: these three are reaches.
I think the most important things when figuring out this whole application mess are:
- Only apply to schools you can afford without taking on too much debt. Only heartache can result from being accepted to a school you'd love to attend but cannot afford.
- Only apply to schools that fit your preferences at least reasonably well. Of the utmost importance are, of course, academic fit variables. Other areas to consider are things like location, environment, and social vibe.
- Many top students such as you apply to schools of varying admissions difficulty -- reaches, matches, safeties. The only must is that you apply to at least one safety -- a school that virtually guarantees admission to students with your qualifications and which you like (or don't mind...) and can afford (of course).
I suggest reading about schools – a lot – and forming a list of schools you like. You already have three reaches. You may add more reaches, of course, but i’d first spot a safety or two and then at least a couple of matches (schools where you have about a 50% chance of getting in).
Study, have fun – don’t worry about curing cancer – and apply to some schools you really like. Secure good letters of rec, write great app essays, etc.
@missacademy2018 You will get into an excellent school. (it doesn’t have to be Ivy league)
How are you getting a 94 GPA with organizational and procrastination problems? (you can pm me on this one if you prefer - I may have some suggestions).
What do you want to major in?
Find out from your dad exactly how much he is willing to pay out of pocket each year and let us know the number.
With this knowledge, we can make better suggestions to fit you…
@missacademy2018 Do you know what you want to major in? I would start there. Then find the schools that offer programs in what you are interested in. Some of the strongest programs are located in colleges that aren’t considered Ivies or “Top 20”. Once you narrow it down to about 10 schools you won’t be so stressed out. I think you should finish your application for National Honor Society. Colleges do like that. And I would apply to Ivies if there is one you want to go to. Don’t listen to anyone who says you won’t get in. Start writing your essay. It doesn’t have to be about something grandiose that you did. Look at the prompts and find one that you connect with. My daughter wrote about a car accident that was her fault and what she learned from the experience. From the EC’s you mentioned you seem to be interested writing, film, drama and science.
Thanks so much for all of the advice! Further necessary information:
I’m looking to major in Journalism, maybe Political Science
My entire college list as of right now: Columbia, Yale (reaches), Boston, Rutgers, Syracuse, URochester, Wesleyan (matches?), Allegheny, Baruch, Howard, Rowan (safeties?)
I am applying for Questbridge.
Political science and journalism, George Washington and Georgetown. You might also do well at Northeastern and Case Western (matches).
[[/q/quote]“Specific gen ed requirements or a more open curriculum?” I’d like to avoid being obligated to sit in a lecture hall with 100 other people, if I can. Not entirely sure about this one yet.
[/quote]
This question is particularly relevant for Columbia, with it’s [url=<a href=“https://www.college.columbia.edu/core/core%5DCore%5B/url”>https://www.college.columbia.edu/core/core]Core[/url] curriculum. Have you read that through?
Have you looked into Questbridge? This program may be just the key for you. https://www.questbridge.org/high-school-students/national-college-match/who-should-apply
Also, I really do feel like many of the universities genuinely do take a holistic approach to admissions. And do not sell yourself short. Be confident and certainly be proud of your accomplishments and in essays I would encourage you to share your personal experiences of the challenges you have faced and how you have overcome them. Also, look at UMich Ann Arbor, an amazing school many would argue on par with the ivies. Keep the faith! Do the best you can do then turn it over to God. 
@missacademy2018
Agree with many others. Look at Questbridge,that should be your first stop. Forget the Ivies. If you are freaked out about stress befroe you even get in, I guarantee that those schools are not for,you. Getting into an Ivy isn’t like winning some great prize. You then have to spend four years to actually take the prize home. As many students as you see on this site who are obsessed with getting into those schools, you would be surprised by the many students who can’t handle the pressure, who get to Columbia or wherever and feel like failures. Quite a few students don’t fare well at the Ivies, and have a less than amazing experience.
Know yourself, my friend. You want a great education, nice people, not too competitive, small classes, excellent professors, tight knit community. You seem to me like a perfect candidiate for one of the many excellent LACs. With the stats you have listed, I think you would be an excellent candidate for Macalester, Bates, Kenyon, Dickinson, Hamilton, SUNY Geneseo, Vassar, Whitman, and many others. The governor of Massachusets apparently said his biggest regret was choosing Harvard over Hamilton. He said he never felt he fit in there. Broaden your horizons, investigate colleges that are right for who you really are, not the idealized version of where you think you should be.
Lindagaf has a good point.
In my family kid one eats nails for breakfast. Bring on the stress. Fill up every waking moment. Top ten LAC for this kid.
Kid two stresses easily. Needs down time to read and process. Found a college where kid is in the top 25% of students. Still has a cohort of smart kids surrounding her in classes. Classes are fulfilling. Overall the stress levels are lower and kid is happy.
Make sure you give yourself the opportunity to be your best self at college. 4 years is too long to be miserable.
Because you are high achieving, do you have pressure from your family and social group to be a super star?
For perspective, your current SAT would place you in the third quartile at Hamilton, so if the thought crossed your mind, @missacademy2018, we have not been recommending colleges that would be below your level:
http://www.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/college-profiles-new-sat/
That said, if you would prefer an urban or semi-urban school, you may have plenty of those to choose from as well.
Hi MissAcademy2018,
First, I wouldn’t rule out your chances for a top school. For instance, in 2014 (my latest book) Yale’s SAT scores for the middle 50% ranged from 1420-1590, and you’re already at 1430. Now, those in the lower range need something special - you would bring diversity to Yale (in 2014 only 6% african american), and you have overcome a more challenging life - single parent, brother with autism, etc., and this is some wind at your back.
With that in mind though, it’s not a “gimme”, and really you should consider that there are really 50-100 “elite” colleges in the US. My younger daughter passed up an Ivy League school for Tulane, for instance, because it was a great fit for her, and she loved the warmer weather, and I loved her scholarship 
(Tulane is a great school BTW)
I think many HS Juniors/Seniors/etc “freak out”, you’re not alone. Do calm down though, you seem to be doing great so relax a little and feel good about your accomplishments.
As far as school costs, many have offered the proper advice to check the net price calculators on the school’s website. What you will find is that generally, the rich elite schools will offer more financial aid, and it will likely be cheaper FOR YOU to go to Yale/Columbia/Cornell/Williams/etc than almost all middle tier schools. I don’t know what “lower middle class” means to you, but when my older daughter started at Cornell in 2012, they pledged that any family making less than $60K/year would have a full ride on financial aid (Ivy’s don’t give merit scholarships, they focus on financial aid). The reality is that most of the students that have the stats to get into these colleges come from mid/high income families, and let me tell you, they stick it to them! (ouch, from experience). Anyway, financial aid offered depends on how RICH the school is, not how ELITE the school is, so when you run the calculator you may find some surprises. Do that before applying.
As far as school stress goes, and your social life there, it will be what you make it. My experience with my daughters, and their friends, is that everyone works hard but also really enjoys life. College life is great (I want to go back!), just keep an open mind and find your friends, always be open to making new friends from different backgrounds, and you’ll find it a great experience.
Some practical advice for now: Stick to it! Focus on EC’s/activities you want to do rather than what you think they’re looking for, because overall it’s really about your life happiness, not getting into Yale. Try taking the ACT, some kids do much better on that relatively. And, whichever you do best in, take it a few times but with the thought that you’re on the right track. (yeah, no one likes to take these tests). Also, since you’re only a Junior, keep reading about the different schools, and let your list be flexible. When I was in HS, my dream schools were Duke and MIT, and after I visited I didn’t like either If you can’t afford to visit the schools before you apply, then research the schools (read, videos, etc), and try to visit the best option schools that accept you. (“visit” is really about talking to as many students as you can there, to get the real vibe. with all the on-line info and videos now, you can find out most everything else without visiting)
Best of luck!
Ken
Many schools offer special visit programs (they pay) for students in your situation so that you can figure out if they are places you’d feel comfortable. Less about academics and more about the vibe. Some are over the summer, most are in the fall. But this could help with anxiety about being with a bunch of prep school kids. They want kids like you!
QB is a great program, and you can find out what resources they have to help you figure out where you might want to try and match.
As stressed as you are, use your discomfort to think about what it’s telling you about yourself and incorporate that into your search, whether it’s how close to home you want to be, how competitive the school is, how much diversity it has, etc. It’s all part of your journey. Good luck!
Regarding Yale, due to the formatting change their middle-range SAT currently projects as 1480-1600 (see link in #30).
@gardenstategal brings up an excellent option. Many colleges will fly you in free to visit. Often those applications rep ur before the end of the school year or during summer. Check out this link, which is hope CC is okay with, as it has a lot of good info about how to take advantage of these fly-in programs: http://blog.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/blog/college-fly-diversity-programs-2016-2017/
These programs are frequently reserved for low income and minority students. They are an excellent way for for you to check out some truly fanatstic colleges with no obligation at all.
As regards @kencc83 's statement about your SAT score. Those students below the 50th percentile are very often recruited athletes. Think about if you really want to be in the bottom half of a class. Is it going to be worth the extra effort and struggle to maintain passing grades? Is it going to be worth the extra time you will spend at the tutoring center, getting extra help, spending extra time studying, spending time at professor office hours, in big classes that may not even be taught be professors? You have to decide how much pressure you want to put on yourself.
Previous posters covered almost every aspect and gave some solid advice about mental health, academics, extracurriculars, finances, admissions etc.
I’ll just add a little sunshine to this picture, while URM, lower income, broken family, autistic brother, health issues, mediocre school, iffy neighborhood, etc are real hardships that you have to bear, in Ivy admissions these can give you a big boost and get you sufficient financial aid. You don’t need top 1% stats.
Yes, it’s still a lotto for everybody. Well, may be not for well connected multimillionaires but for rest of us. As far as not being able to fit in those colleges, dont worry, they admit good number of underprivileged kids so you won’t be alone. Academics shouldn’t be an issue, if Donald Trump and George Bush got their degrees then so can you.
Be ready to be denied as every sane person should but not even for a second think that your lifestyle puts you at disadvantage in Ivy admissions or can hold you back in life.
@“Yalie 2011” , I do not agree with all that. Colleges certainly like to admit URM, first gen, and low SES students but they are not going to admit a student becasue they feel sorry for them. There are soooooo many studetns who have had family tragedies, health issue, hard home lives, etc…and they simply do not admit based on tough circumstances. They will admit a student who succeeds and meets their requirements despite those circumstances, but not because of them.
ETA: This is exactly why we advise students all the time NOT to write about their family tragedy or health issues in their essays.
How about the Macaulay honors program at a CUNY school? I know students who graduated within the past few years from Hunter, Brooklyn and Queens through Macaulay. Free tuition, a dorm room, computer, access to cultural activities and money for a semester abroad. The program is highly thought of and attending it is highly respected. Several of the students I know who went there graduated from Bronx Science, Stuyvesant and the competitiive Catholic schools.
You could be close to home but not at home.
Financial aid at the Ivies is based on income. I don’t believe that students whose family income is low enough to qualify for some aid but too much to qualify for a free ride will get one because they come from difficult circumstances.
Good for you wrt Questbridge. You’re a great candidate.
Choose your matches carefully though. Too many Questbridge candidate only go for “big names” that will make a splash in the family and neighborhood, perhaps because they can’t gauge the quality and reputation of others, or because it’s important for them to be role-models others will follow (and a “name” university is easier for others to follow.) However, this strategy can’t possibly work for all and there are always disappointed Questbridge candidates who’d just listed “big names” and match none.
In addition, Questbridge requires you to have everything done early so you have to be on top of things.
Are you applying for QB College prep scholars? It’ll help.
Think outside the box: what about Pomona or Carleton? Those are top colleges that probably receive few applications from Queens.
Rather than Columbia, look into Barnard - there’s no core curriculum and you still benefit from the academics and environment, plus empowerment/leadership.
Don’t beat yourself up about making it to your 7am class. Gosh, I can’t imagine having a 7 am class and having to take public transportation in the winter night - it means you probably get up at 5:30, too. Subway rides in the dead of winter at 6:30 would be dicey for many people.
Your record is exemplary - it would make you a very attractive candidate to many top colleges. However, the schools you listed are “reach for everyone” schools. So, you need to find schools that will “meet need” for you and are matches and safeties. Basically your matches will have a 35-40% acceptance rate and you’re at or above their average, and your safeties will be colleges where your stats place you in the top 25%.
In addition, you’re probably a good candidate for HEOP, so if you don’t want to stay in Queens, think about what you’d prefer: be at a residential college that’s not in a city, or commute to a CUNY?
With HEOP, top colleges such as Colgate, Hamilton, Vassar become closer to matches than reaches.
If you can venture out, Grinnell, Macalester, Davidson.
A good match would be St Lawrence.
Look at Hobard&William Smith, Marist, Wheaton MA (not IL), Earlham, Beloit, Lawrence. Run the Net Price Calculator on those. They’re good low matches to safeties.