Hapless student looking for schools?!

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I have no safties or match schools. Well, maybe one. BUT I need more! My guidance counselor says I have WAY too many reach schools and not enough saftey/match schools. So... I urge you guys to help me find a few? </p>

<p>GPA: 3.45 uw/~3.989 w [if I maintain my junior streak (4.0), it'd be a 3.6/4.179 if I include my first term senior grades]</p>

<p>SATI: 2200 [720v 760m 720w]</p>

<p>SATII:
- Chemistry 780
- MathIIC 720
- French 770</p>

<p>APs:
- Chem 5
- Euro 4</p>

<p>Also taking AP French, AP Eng, AP Enviromental and AP Calc AB senior year. Our school ONLY has ~10 AP classes, and only let us take them after taking the regular honor class. Will also be submitting an art portfolio along with app (suggested?)</p>

<p>ECs:
- community service 350+ hours [internships, hospital work]
- student gov't
- ultimate frisbee 9-11
- art club 9-11
- community service organizer 9, 11 [soup kitchen & elem school tutoring]
- m.o.s.t [community service club] 11
- art/portfolios in national art competitions [golden globe, etc]</p>

<p>I had a really weak start in HS [3.3uw FRESHMAN 3.1uw SOPH - but these are all honor level; most vigorous classes offered] but I killed myself over junior year for a 4.0uw 4.67w, which will hopefully reflect the "raising GPA" trend that colleges typically like.</p>

<p>Any ideas? My prospective list atm is... [I hope to go into premed]</p>

<p>Super reaches -
Brown, Dartmouth</p>

<p>Reach -
Tufts, NYU (?)</p>

<p>Match/reach? -
Brandeis, BU (?)</p>

<p>Safties -
UMass Amherst, Northeastern</p>

<p>Of course, my dream school IS Tufts University, because of their excellent premed program, but I'm doubting my chances there, even IF I go ED :[</p>

2

<p>I think you're fine for Tufts ED and that your safeties are sufficient.</p>

3

<p>But "fine"... doesn't 100% mean I can get in. I've been reading ALL these HYP posts of the late and getting frustrated with the whole college scene. <em>dies</em> I'm beginning to doubt I can get in ANYWHERE...</p>

4

<p>You're going to need to reposition your ECs, the last one on your list seems to be the most important. You are an artist for application purposes!</p>

<p>You have a shot at Tufts because of the good SAT. If you write a great essay and get great recs that say you found yourself a little late, it may fly.</p>

5

<p>
[quote]
I'm beginning to doubt I can get in ANYWHERE...

[/quote]
While its easy to get this attitude from reading this board, the newspaper, etc. it really isn't true. </p>

<p>According to a book excerpt on the Wiley Press publishers site,
[quote]
Most people are surprised to learn that with relatively few exceptions, four-year
colleges in the United States still accept most, if not all, of their applicants. </p>

<p>It turns out that the real crunch in admissions—the crunch that drives the
newspaper headlines and the anxiety that afflicts many families at college application time—is limited to about 100 colleges that attract applicants from all over the country and the world and that are the most selective in their admissions process.</p>

<p>Bill Mayher, a private college counselor and author of The College Admissions
Mystique, summarizes the problem succinctly: “It’s hard for kids to get into colleges because they only want to get into colleges that are hard to get into.

[/quote]
See <a href="http://media.wiley.com/product_data/excerpt/78/07879796/0787979678.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://media.wiley.com/product_data/excerpt/78/07879796/0787979678.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>So you have the facts, but now you face a BIGGER problem. Its one of belief. We've been conditioned to think that if we don't go to a college thats ranked in the top 5 (or, god forbid, the top 50) we're going to be flipping burgers if we're lucky. </p>

<p>Once you can (or, to some posters, I should say "if you can") convince yourself that the road to a wonderful education and a rewarding career does not pass only thru those 100 schools a wonderful vista will open. You'll discover that there are literally thousands of colleges in this country to choose from, and the door into them is wide open. You can choose based on size, location, the type of students they attract, anything you want. And you can find a college you'll love, dozens of them in fact.</p>

<p>Its up to you. Since every school on your list is a household name my guess is you need to look a little deeper into the pool of colleges to find a great fit. For that matter, how can you reconcile an urban large school like NYU with a rural small LAC-sized school like Dartmouth? Both are household names, but its a stretch to assume a student at home in NYC will be just as thrilled in Hanover.</p>

6

<p>I hear you...after surfing the other "What are my chances" posts here, I thought I was doomed. Then I read this totally hilarious one by someone trolling as a super-genius Inuit and I got it all into perspective (have you read it? I think it's still going, on page 26 now). Nobody's perfect. Your stats are good--you sound like me actually :) But I'm into music instead of art. Good luck with everything.</p>

<p>BTW, congrats on the French score! The foreign languages are the toughest.</p>

7

<p>Might look at Holy Cross or Bates.</p>

8

<p>suze - I think I will concentrate more on being an artist during applications; I'll be sending in an art portfolio along with my application. Thanks for the input!</p>

<p>mikemac - Thanks for the excerpt, lol. But anyways, I've moved around a LOT as a kid, everywhere from tiny towns like Bedford, MA to Nashua, NH. I've visited both Dartmouth and NYU, and I happen to love both. <em>shrug</em> I don't know, I have quirky tastes. But anyways, I'll keep that advice in mind :]</p>

<p>tkm256 - It IS depressing, isn't it? I feel glad someone else feels this way too, haha... as for my stats, well... they're not perfect, but I've tried (semi) hard. :] I'll check out that page 26, and thanks - I wish you the best of luck as well! (I KNOW, I nearly passed out when I recieved my French score!)</p>

<p>par72 - Bates, I'm looking at, I might check out Holy Cross also. :) Thanks!</p>