Help Me Decide on a Reach (4 options)

College Search & Selection
1

<p>HS graduation year: 2011
UW GPA: 3.0 (this is because of ONE math class)
Weighted: 3.6 ?
SAT Composite: 1750 (have only taken it once-went in cold not even knowing the essay came first. haha. might retake)
Critical Reading: 700
Math: 540
Took 2 AP classes + 1 "independent study AP"-- AP US History (AP exam score: 4), AP English (will take this upcoming senior year), AP Psychology (will take this upcoming senior year as part of an independent study) </p>

<p>EC's/awards:
a club for people who want to enter healthcare/medical field (offered through the school): 1 year
Biotechnology Summer camp</p>

<p>Volunteer Activities: (total = 45 hours)
Volunteered at a local hospital </p>

<p>Work Experience:
6 hours a week for at least a year</p>

<p>Intended Major: nursing</p>

<hr>

<p>Extreme Reaches:
Johns Hopkins
Boston College
Case Western Reserve University</p>

<p>Reach:
Temple University</p>

<p>Is it a waste of time to apply to these 'extreme reaches?'
Is Temple University even too far of a reach?</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

2

<p>I would not consider Temple a reach in any shape or form; I think you give a little too much credit to Temple admissions. It really is not competitive at all. </p>

<p>Now, I really am not sure it is worth the cost to apply to JHU or BC or Case Western for that matter. I’m sorry to be blunt, but I don’t see them happening realistically.</p>

3

<p>You’re not being blunt at all–just honest, which is what I wanted. I was already thinking exactly what you said so it’s no surprise.</p>

4

<p>So…what do you think of University of Pittsburgh as a reach (I think this is by far a better option than the other 4). But hbu other cc’ers?</p>

5

<p>

</p>

<p>We are competitive, thank you very much. Maybe not in the same vein as Northwestern and the other schools students on this site people aspire to attend, but we’re not close to open admission.</p>

<p>OP, Temple looks to be a match for you. Your UWGPA is a little under our average, but your SAT score is a bit over 100 points above our SAT average. You should be fine. I would not expect any merit aid, however.</p>

6

<p>I didn’t intend for that to come out as it did, and for that I’m sorry. But I will be honest with the OP in that the bar for admissions is not as high as for other schools. I know people from my school (and there were roughly 60 people going to Temple from my large public school) that got in with no ECs having never taken an AP class and with stats lower than the OP in general.</p>

7

<p>I just looked on my Naviance portal and the average GPA is a 3.15 and the average SAT score is a 1680. A handful of outliers applied as a safety based on their statistics. I know some very intelligent people going to Temple that chose to go based on money reasons or other undisclosed reasons. </p>

<p>But once again, I’ll be honest in the fact that a great deal of those going to Temple that I know are very middle of the road students with exceptions in some cases. The OP stands a good shot of getting into Temple having said that.</p>

8

<p>Those numbers are old, but thanks for denigrating my school. Much appreciated.</p>

9

<p>Those numbers are not old - all within the last 3 years for the most part. Why don’t I just tell the OP that Temple is a reach along the lines of Johns Hopkins? Temple is a fine school, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a secondary option to Penn State or even Drexel for a good chunk of students. There are plenty of intelligent people that go there, but don’t be ignorant. It is the blatantly obvious odd man out on his list, and it is not a reach. End of story.</p>

10

<p>

</p>

<p>That’s a laugh. You know nothing about my school. Stick to Northwestern. Thanks.</p>

11

<p>All Tinfoyl is saying is that Temple is not a reach, and in no way is it on the level of JHU, BC or Case Western. The OP is a match for Temple. I am from a Philly suburb, and know a bunch of people who have gone to Temple. It is a good school, with great diversity and financial aid. Saying it is a second to Penn State main is not a laugh though. As for comparison to Drexel…for anything other than engineering I would probably choose Temple just because I know a bunch of people who have gone to both and kids at Temple just seem happier… just my take.</p>

<p>To the OP - I am sorry but your extreme reaches are… extreme. However, I think you will do fine with Temple. It is a good place from what I have hard. I think someone earlier said UPitt would be a good reach, and I would have to agree with that. Good luck.</p>

12

<p>Thank you coastin; I really don’t see what is so hard to understand about my words. Dion, if you want to laugh at the truth then so be it. You do not have to have graduated from a college to be aware of its admissions in general especially since I have a fair amount of friends going to Temple, and I know the average kid going to Temple from my school. They are decent students, some more hardworking than others, but they weren’t at the top of their class. Now, that is a fact. I simply meant admissions were not competitive in comparison to the other schools listed like Hopkins. </p>

<p>Now, I’ll clear up some more things for you dion. First off, I’m not disrespecting your school because it is a great option in terms of academics and cost. Yet, that doesn’t mean it isn’t a fallback for a lot of kids applying to Penn State. Let’s take a look at the statistics for a moment before we move on. Roughly 33% of the freshman class at Temple has below a 3.0 GPA versus about 15% for PSU. Now, if you take a look at the distribution (hint: go to collegeboard) Temple resembles a bell curve more than anything else. Penn State is much more top heavy in terms of GPA with 61% versus 44% having above a 3.5. Moving onto class rank which is much more indicative of high school academic performance, 50% of Penn State’s freshman class was in the top tenth of their high school graduating class. Temple’s freshman only had 21% in comparison. Penn State also has the advantage in SAT, but I don’t feel that is greatly indicative of which school is more competitive. </p>

<p>So, you would say dion that many kids would choose Temple over Penn State given that they were admitted into both? That is your opinion, and I won’t rob you of it; however, with my recent experience with a graduating class, I can tell you wholeheartedly that the academic rigor, amount of AP classes, number of ECs, etc. was greater for those I know entering PSU. I already presented you the stats from my class in an earlier post. I’ve thought about what I wrote on the topic of Drexel, and I would tend to agree with coastin on the topic of Drexel being superior in engineering and maybe some sciences, but as a whole, the schools are largely equal. On the other hand, you can not tell me that Temple is not usually a backup for someone who is aiming at Penn State. We are not arguing that Temple isn’t a fine school because it IS, but I fail to comprehend your logic and perception of the school’s admissions. If you would humor with providing a basis to your argument then it would be more productive of a conversation than you simply using one line quips.</p>

13

<p>First of all, it’s ‘Dionte’, but I wouldn’t expect someone from Northwestern to know anything about sports. Second of all, your school is not indicative of our entire student body.</p>

<p>Yes, MANY students at Temple chose it over Penn State. Most of us really wanted to be in a city, and not in the middle of nowhere. Temple is not a back up for someone aiming at Penn State. Maybe if they’re looking at Schreyer, but in general, no.</p>

<p>Lastly, if you read my post, I said Temple was a match for the OP. I just didn’t appreciate your comments.</p>

14

<p>sorry but temple’s a safety for a lot of people… including people who apply to psu… like even just taking a look at the admission stats… also, comparing temple to the honors college at PSU is laughable. schreyers’ students are light years ahead…</p>

<p>back to the topic of this thread.</p>

<p>OP, that’s a solid score for taking the SAT cold – if possible try taking it again with a bit of prep you should be able to get that math score up a bit which will put you in a better position when you go to apply to schools. You should be in at Temple and most likely Case Western as well. If your math score stays in the 500s I would probably choose 1 between Hopkins and BC. Do you have any special criteria that you’re looking for in a school besides your major? Characteristics like location and size make it easier for people to make suggestions.</p>

15

<p>Dionte Christmas? Why would I know about a Temple basketball player who went undrafted in the 2009 NBA Draft. I actually know a great deal about sports, but that is neither here nor there. I’m sorry that I don’t follow nor care about your basketball program - I just broke off your name at my own convenience. Sheesh, that is the worst insult that has ever been thrown my way! Also, don’t flatter yourself because 99.9% of people would never recognize that name unless they went to Temple and gave two hoots about a no-name player. Have you ever heard of Darington Hobson? He was the 37th pick in this year’s NBA draft out of New Mexico. If I made that my username you wouldn’t know who that was, correct?. Does that mean you’re not a sports fan or a college basketball fan? There are a thousand teams out there, and there is no reason why I should know one player who didn’t even go drafted! Wise up - your comments are almost laughable, and your logic is even worse. </p>

<p>So, now back to the topic. At my high school, I could count on one hand the number of people who chose Temple over Penn State. If anything, I would find Temple’s location to be a turnoff considering it is in a shady area, but to each his own. The few people who went to Temple over Penn State did for money reasons or in one case an overbearing parent. Second of all, anyone looking at Schreyer Honors College is intelligent enough to go to a T20 school. One I know from my school turned down acceptance to Cornell to attend Schreyer. I’m sure Temple came into the equation for him (<em>sarcasm</em>). There is no “maybe” involved when discussing Schreyer versus Temple. Schreyer is considered one if not the best HC in the country depending on what you study. It’s the real deal. </p>

<p>Once again, you have brought nothing new to the table, and you believe petty insults to suffice in terms of advancing this discussion. I’ve done my research on you for that matter. You have hopped into your fair share of threads regarding Temple versus Penn State, and have tried to preach your delusional thinking to others. But as always, you provide no evidence or anything even remotely insightful. </p>

<p>I think the most important factor here is your bias. I neither applied to Temple or Penn State, but I have a great deal of friends who go either way. My opinion is much closer to neutral than the opinion of a Temple graduate who is incredibly likely to bring his or her biases into the argument. I have no reason to promote either school over the other unlike YOU who is going on the defensive when the truth goes against the faulty logic instilled in you as a Temple graduate. Heck, your username is a Temple basketball player. Is there anything more to say? No, but I’m sure you’ll come back with another worthless comment. </p>

<p>Until then, good day.</p>

16

<p>And to help the OP again, I really don’t think applying to Hopkins is worth it. But I always like people who are willing to go through the application that even if you get rejected you can always say you tried! That is important. </p>

<p>But another side of me would say that applying there may take away from applying to another school that is more reasonable, but it is your decision ultimately. As for Case Western, they have a really high acceptance rate but a very self-selective pool due to it being a tech school. That is one of the few cases where acceptance rate is deceiving; you only need to look at their average stats to see that a high caliber student applies there. If you can raise that SAT up (I really recommend studying) to maybe 1900+, I think you would definitely have at least a shot at Case Western. Pitt would be another good option, but I don’t know if I would necessarily consider it a match. All of those schools are kind of a reach, but some more than others to be honest. Especially at Case Western, that math score hurts a lot.</p>

<p>How about Northeastern or Syracuse as low-reaches (maybe matches if you can improve your stats by a bit)? I’m just throwing schools out there though, and as gc414 said, more information regarding college characteristics would be greatly appreciated!</p>

<p>Cheerio!</p>

17

<p>It might also be a good idea to apply to schools like West Chester which could probably be a match for you. There is also:</p>

<p>UMass (low match)
Wagner (match)
Millersville (match)
Univ. of Delaware (match-low match)
Bloomsburg (safety-high match)
Marquette (match)</p>

<p>Those are just a few more, but I would take my use of the word “match” very lightly because your GPA is very low. You have a decent SAT, but it is practically negated by your GPA - weighted and unweighted.</p>

18

<p>Bloomsburg, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and the colleges Tinfoyl just listed are ones you should look into. (I do not know where you are from, I am from PA so I know a lot more about colleges around here.)</p>

19

<p>

</p>

<p>Yes, I know who Darington Hobson is.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Because he was one of the top scorers in the country. Anyone who watches college basketball more than once or twice knows who he is.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>For a Swat student, your reading comprehension is quite poor.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Your high school does not represent the entire university, as I said. I can count on many hands people who turned down PSU for Temple.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Our campus is fine, and incredibly safe. We’re minutes from Center City Philadelphia. Compared to middle of nowhere, PA where Penn State is, where there are more cows than people. That might be a turnoff for you, but you’re in safe suburbia in Evanston.</p>

20

<p>How was googling “Darington Hobson,” and then claiming to know who that is, eh? It is so easy to lie on the Internet - your transparency is blatantly obvious. Out of the thousands of college basketball players across the country, there is no reason for me to know one undrafted player who played for Temple. Once again, your logic is faulty. On the other hand, it is very amusing granted that you actually believe you are making sense. </p>

<p>Anyways, the proof is in that everyone is in agreement with me, but you’re still sticking to your guns as a Temple alumni. Of course you’re going to support your school, and I don’t blame you, but you ARE biased - that you can not deny. All of us have no reason other than to tell the truth based on our own observations as opposed to the partiality that you show towards your school. </p>

<p>You are absolutely right that my school does not represent the entire nation, but others from many different schools are in agreement with me. My school represents a PA public school that sends many to schools like Temple and Penn State, Drexel and West Chester. As a typical school, I would say that it shows a great deal about Temple itself in terms of admissions. Temple is a public school that caters more to Pennsylvania than anything else (something like 75% of students are in-state), and a public school in the area is the most likely target for admissions. You can’t debate that, but feel free to try. </p>

<p>I have been to Temple before; in fact, a couple of my friends just went to their orientation within the last couple weeks. The area around Temple is not great, and that is the truth. Temple has great security and during the day with friends is fine, but the neighborhoods aren’t great - especially at night. I mean if you liked the city so much, you could attend much better schools than Temple, Pitt for example. Also, fyi, Evanston is a city in and of itself. Have you ever even been there? It is classified as a city, AND it is literally right outside the North Side of Chicago. Anyone who lives in Chicago can attest to this. Another school I could’ve gone to was the University of Chicago, and I know city schools. I have been to Temple quite a few times. The school itself is safe, but the immediate area begins to slowly worsen when you go off campus. Stop being delusional. The area that Temple is in is not a plus; it is actually comical that you would say that. Not even people who go to Penn would say the area is great; as long as you’re being careful it is fine, but it can be dangerous. City schools can be great with the breadth of culture and history you have around you, but the neighborhoods are sketchy at best surrounding most of the colleges. The immediate area is not an advantage for anyone - stop being ignorant. </p>

<p>Why would you even try to make fun of the intelligence of a Swarthmore student? You know Swarthmore right diontechristmas? It’s the school you could never even hope of getting into - it’s a LAC at its finest. But I’m sure Temple is better in your world. But in everyone else world, Swarthmore is a damn fine school that I would be happy to go to any day of the week. </p>

<p>Honestly, at this point, you are only embarrassing yourself. It is funny though.</p>