<p>i've been lurking around here for awhile and i was wondering if i could get some assistance finding more reasonable options for college (matches and safeties) I have seen schools i like, but i feel like most of them are reaches.</p>
<p>my stats
i go to a nyc private school
GPA: 3.39 UW [Junior GPA: 3.47]
SAT: 2100 (CR 750, M 710, W 640)
SAT2 Math2-710, Lit-700, USH -700
APUSH - 5, AP CompSci - waiting for score
ECS - Chorus, Club Leader, Newspaper Editor, Tech Assistant
Volunteering at a Museum twice a month for the past year </p>
<p>I've been looking for schools that are medium sized, not in the middle of nowhere, have strong computer science programs, but are not only technical focused.</p>
<p>the list of schools that i'm definitely interested in (so far):
Stanford (legacy)
Johns Hopkins
Lehigh
Northeastern</p>
<p>Before suggesting true safeties, we need a bit more information:</p>
<p>What state are you in?</p>
<p>What’s your estimated EFC? And are your parents able and willing to pay the full EFC?</p>
<p>Ideally your safeties should be 1) colleges you’d be <em>happy</em> to attend, 2) colleges you and your parents can afford, and 3) colleges you’re sure to be admitted to. If you’re unwilling to attend a college, it’s not a safety. If the college is likely to be too expensive, it’s also not a safety.</p>
<p>^ And yet you failed to point out Rice and Vandy? They would be super reaches then.</p>
<p>Anyways, I don’t know the rigor of your school, but based on your SAT scores and single AP exam taken, I wouldn’t say you’re a very competitive applicant for the first 2 schools on your list of 4.</p>
<p>With a 3.39 and a 2100, I think Stanford (even as a legacy) and Johns Hopkins are stretches. But hey, that what reaches are for, right?</p>
<p>UIUC has a strong computer science program. It’s kind of in the middle of nowhere, but not really (a couple hours from Chicago, and Urbana and Champaign are towns in their own right). Carnegie Mellon also has a strong computer science program and it’s in Pittsburgh. I also second the suggestions of Purdue, the University of Rochester, and the University of Pittsburgh.</p>
<p>CMU is a reach (GPA in the bottom 22%) and probably is for UIUC as well. The other recommendations are good. I hope the OP’s family can afford the cost.</p>
<p>thanks for all the feedback. whether good or bad, it is interesting to read the varied perspectives from here.</p>
<p>@robinsuesanders: i’m from new york as i stated in the OP. luckily, my parents are willing to pay for my college tuition, which provides me with more options.</p>
<p>@iPacman: my school is very rigorous, but prevents me from loading up on APs like many people on this board because of the way AP classes are scheduled. (it’s difficult to take more than one or two a year)</p>
<p>with all due respect to all on this thread, we have NO idea which private school the OP attends in NYC and whether his/her GPA is top, middle or bottom of his class…there have been quite a few NYC privates that have very strong admission stats into very top schools even with lowerish GPA’s…without that info, very, very difficult to chance…</p>
<p>to the OP: please visit your college counseling office and find out what stats kids have had that have been accepted to the schools on your list before you rule them out…then come back here and get some ideas at a different level, assuming that these are all reaches…</p>
<p>While that is true the test scores are pretty average for a good prep school and hardly eye-popping. Combined with the grades I don’t see getting into most super top schools.</p>