Help me choose my reach schools!

College Search & Selection
1

<p>So far I have finalized my list of safetys/matches: UIUC (got in!), UMich Ann Arbor (applied), UNC Chapel Hill (EA), NYU Stern (ED), Carnegie Mellon - Tepper, Rutgers University. </p>

<p>Now I am attempting to choose my reaches. The thing is, I don't want to end up applying to 10 universities. I want to narrow it down to a total or eight or so, which means I have to choose only 2 more reaches for regular decision :( Please help me narrow it down from 5 to 2! thanks!</p>

<p>I am interested in studying business/economics so keep it in mind. Also, I want to be in a city environment not so much a tiny town.</p>

<p>Reaches:
Northwestern
U Chicago
U Penn
Columbia
Georgetown</p>

<h2>PLEASE HELP CUT IT DOWN! Here are my stats:</h2>

<p>I'm an Asian (Indian) female living in NJ, 12th grade, public school.</p>

<p>GPA (weighted): About 4.35 or so, unweighted 3.9 or something, but I'm not sure about how to calculate it...</p>

<p>Class rank: they dont rank, but its in the top 10%</p>

<p>Junior Year classes:
AP English I: 5
AP Computer Science: 5
Physics Honors, Precalc Honors, Spanish 5, US History 2 Honors, some electives, etc.
Got A's on all classes except B+ in english- but its practically impossible to get an A anyway.</p>

<p>Senior Year classes:
AP English II
AP Calc AB
AP Biology
AP Art History
Spanish 6
Some extra electives.</p>

<p>SAT I:
old SAT: 1500 (770 verbal, 730 math)
new SAT: 2180 (740 reading, 720 math, 720 writing)</p>

<p>SAT II:
Writing: 800
Biology: 740
Math IIC: to take in october...projected above 700 - get my score on Monday!</p>

<p>I am hoping to use my OLD sat scores + sat 2 writing (hopefully they will consider those which are higher, total 2300!)</p>

<p>PSAT:
National Merit Semifinalist, application pending
Score: 2260</p>

<p>COMMUNITY SERVICE:<br>
-- Raised over $1,000 for the H.E.L.P Foundation by participating in the foundation’s annual Walkathon to help orphaned children in India, and by being a leader in recruiting new walkers -- Grades 9, 10, 12 -- 3 hrs/wk -- 3 wks/yr
-- St. Peter’s University Hospital -- Grades 9 - 12 -- 3 hrs/wk -- 7 wks/yr
-- Route 18 Animal Rescue Force -- Grade 12 -- 3 hrs/wk -- 10 wks/yr
-- East Brunswick Public Library -- Grade 10 -- 16 hrs/wk -- 1 wk/ yr</p>

<p>CLUBS:
-- Waksman Student Scholars Club -- Grades 11, 12 -- 3 hrs/ wk -- 35 wks/ yr
-- Family, Community and Career Leaders of America (FCCLA) -- Grades 10, 12 --1 hr/week -- 30 wks/yr
-- SAVE Club -- Grade 12 -- 1 hr/week -- 30 wks/yr</p>

<p>ACTIVITIES/ACCOMPLISHMENTS:<br>
-- Classical Carnatic Music (Indian Singing), participation in several concerts -- Grades 6-12 -- 5 hrs/wk -- 50 wks/yr
-- Learning to play the guitar -- Grades 9-12 -- 4 hrs/wk -- 40 wks/yr
-- Figure Skating Lessons and completion of Levels 1-8 -- Grades 8-10 -- 3 hrs/wk -- 20 wks/yr
-- Attending Hindu Cultural Heritage Program for Youth, to learn more about my culture and religion -- Grades 9-12 -- 2 hrs/wk -- 8 wks/yr
-- Two poems published in a poetry anthology and senior newsletter -- Grade 9
-- Website development, owning of several websites, selling website designs -- Grades 8-12 -- 3 hrs/wk -- 52 wks/yr</p>

<p>SUMMER ACTIVITIES/WORK:<br>
-- Columbia University Summer Program for Environmental Science, received recommendation letter -- Grade 11 -- 20 hrs/wk -- 4 wks/yr
-- Online NYU Creative Writing course, received recommendation letter -- Grade 12 -- 7 hrs/wk -- 8 wks/ yr
-- Worked as a summer camp counselor at Arsha Bodha (Hindu Religious Center), received recommendation letter -- Grade 12 -- 40 hrs/wk - 1 wk/yr</p>

<p>AWARDS:
-- National Merit Scholarship Corporation Semifinalist -- Grade 12
-- Volunteer Service award for over 50 hours of community service at St. Peters University Hospital -- Grade 11
-- Community Leadership Award (2nd place) for HELP Foundation Walkathon -- Grade 12
-- Award for completion of Environmental Science summer program for high school students at Columbia University -- Grade 11
-- Waksman Student Scholar Award -- Grade 11
-- Award for Participation in the Waksman Challenge -- Grade 11
-- Certificate of Appreciation from the East Brunswick Public Library -- Grade 10
-- Gold and Silver Honor Roll Awards -- Grades 9-12</p>

2

<p>reach? HYP</p>

3

<p>Nah, I don't think I can get into those, lol. I don't have the amazing ECs.</p>

4

<p>i say cross off georgetown; i took a peek at your previous posts (congrats on uiuc!) and saw that your intended major was computer engineering. georgetown offers several majors, but it is largely liberal arts-based. the only academic major related to your intended is general computer science.
just a thought.</p>

5

<p>If you get accepted by NYU ED, you won't be doing RD, so I hope you don't love these "reaches" more than NYU.</p>

6

<p>If you're doing computer engineering, why are you applying to Stern .. and ED?</p>

7

<p>parikhs,
He said he's interested in econ/business.</p>

<p>OP,
First of all, I would dump Rutger. It is no better than UIUC which you've already got in.
I would cross out Georgetown. It's not that great for econ/business.</p>

<p>Among your safeties/matches, Mich/NYU are > CMU/UNC for business/econ.</p>

<p>As for reaches,
Columbia/Penn are more of a reach than Northwestern/Chicago. If you cross out Rutger like I suggest, you can pick 3 reaches. :) (Is EIGHT really the max you can apply?). Among these 4, Penn is the only one that has undergrad biz and it's #1 in the country in biz. So apply and you may get lucky. I'd probbaly cross out Columbia; it's harder to get in than Chicago/Northwestern but its econ program is not better than them. However, if I were you, I would work a bit harder and apply to all four!</p>

8

<p>Thanks everyone for the input! I'm a girl though.</p>

<p>I applied to UIUC for computer science, but I'm mostly planning to do business and econ perhaps with a double major in comp sci. I just applied to UIUC for comp sci because that is it's hardest school. </p>

<p>I am a resident of NJ so I might just apply to Rutgers because its my state school. Just in case, I guess. </p>

<p>Eight is not the max, I can apply to most of them I guess...but I just am not sure if it's worth it to apply to 10 or 11 when I could just apply to 8. Maybe I should just apply to them all though. </p>

<p>Do you think that Georgetown is any good for Econ or Business in general? I may be getting rid of that one. And columbia as well. Thanks for the input everyone!</p>

9

<p>I'd say apply NYU RD...you have a good chance RD, and can leave your reaches open in case you get accepted there and are not bounded by NYU. Why have reaches if ur going ED? Columbia, UPenn...etc. would definitely go over Stern - you should apply to Wharton ED. My 2-cents..GL</p>

10

<p>Hmm, thanks, but the truth is I don't think I have a shot at Wharton, lol. Besides, Stern is a great school and near to my house. Do you really think someone with NOT good enough extracurriculars has any shot at wharton? I have very few leadership positions and NO business ecs! No work experience! Doesn't all this stuff make a huge difference for Wharton? </p>

<p>Sigh, besides its too late to change my early decision plan :( I was planning to apply to Upenn regular, though, not Wharton.</p>

11

<p>Do you think you have a shot at Stern without good leadership positions? I'm not sure how Stern accepts students (stat based or overall), but I'd think they'd want business related / leadership positions. At the Open-House I remember hearing the Dean stating that EC's played a huge factor along with a great essay since there isn't an interview.</p>

12

<p>I'm not sure, but I'm hoping that my great stats and GPA and academic things will balance out the extracurriculars. I have some leadership positions, but nothing business related, because I got interested in that very recently. I know my scores are solid, but my extracurriculars are simply not, and thats why I'm not aiming as high as all the ivys, etc. I'm hoping to get into Stern with good grades/scores & great essays, because thats basically what I've got going for me!</p>