<p>So right now my list is pretty long. I have decided to apply to 10 schools (I know that's a lot!) but I need advice on what I should cut out or any suggestions for schools I should add.</p>
<p>I only have one safety because I would be truly happy with it and I am already in (Texas top 10% rule). </p>
<p>I'm a really indecisive person, so if you think my list looks like its all over the place...it is. I would rather apply to a bunch of places and then decide if and when I am accepted what kind of school I will truly be happy with. </p>
<p>My list is a little topheavy with reaches, but I think that's OK because I really would be happy with my safety...so I figure there's no harm in trying. While my list does "scream prestige-whore," a lot of it is because Ivies would help me with need-based aid. </p>
<p>A quick overview of my stats:
Hispanic female from Texas
top 2% of class (about 500 kids at public HS)
Natl. Hispanic Merit Scholar, Natl. Merit Commended
SAT: M650 W800 CR800 (2250 composite)
-varsity sport 4 yrs., student body VP, VP of another club, Speech/Debate team with many awards, couple other ECs with a lot of involvement, about 400-500 hrs. of unique community service, plus a job (15 hrs/week)
-essays and recs should be excellent</p>
<p>Safety:
University of Texas- Austin</p>
<p>Reaches/maybe a few slight matches/I don't know how to qualify these:
Amherst
Bucknell
Clemson
Dartmouth
Duke
Harvard
Lehigh
Middlebury
Princeton
Stanford
University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill
USC
UVA
Yale </p>
<p>Remember that I am aware that my list is all over the place and also that I am OK with it being topheavy with reaches. I need to cut my list down drastically though...my basic requirements for a school are that it has:
-marginal focus on undergrads
-East Coast or California
-social life
-can help me get into a top law school</p>
<p>Any advice or comments are appreciated! Thank you so much in advance.</p>
<p>As a hispanic with such high stats, you'll certainly get into most if not all of your reaches. So eliminate some. Make some decision. Size might be a good start.</p>
<p>Amherst-maybe
Bucknell-safety and same as clemson
Clemson-doesnt seem to fit but safety
Dartmouth-yes
Duke-yes
Harvard-no
Lehigh-another safety
Middlebury-yes
Princeton-yes
Stanford-yes
University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill-no
USC-maybe
UVA-yes
Yale-maybe
UT-Austin-yes</p>
<p>that's 7 yes's for a diverse list. each with something diff and special to offer you for a choice when you get accepted. maybes are where i suggest you choose your other 3 to reach 10</p>
<p>Thank you so much. Why no to Harvard? They are mainly on the list because of
a) amazing financial aid
b) the Undergrad Minority Recruitment Program has contacted me before. I'm not sure if that means much though.</p>
<p>i guess i figured princeton would satisfy what harvard would but youre right, i should have maybe'd them. dude, dont take my say as law. anything you disagree with, change. i dont know you, you offered little advice, i recommend researching each school a bit more</p>
<p>Haha I'm not taking it as law...I appreciate any advice. I'm just trying to make a better list. I know you don't know me; I appreciate anything and everything ya'll have got to say.</p>
<p>Would you go to Clemson, Lehigh or Bucknell instead of UTA if you got in to all of them? </p>
<p>I'm afraid if you don't trim this list now, you'll have 10-plus acceptances to agonize over in April. What schools have you visited, and what did you like and dislike about them? Is financial aid one of your major considerations?</p>
<p>Nice going on those SATs, by the way. They ought to make the adcoms drool.</p>
<p>Take time to evaluate the schools on a best fit for you without regard to financial aid or prestige, then rank them. Consider your probable field, eg science or humanities; ethnic mix, size etc. Put your reasons in writing, do the applications, then review your reasons from fall next spring when your final decision needs to be made.</p>
<p>My main problem is that I can't afford to visit ANY of these schools except UT-Austin. I haven't visited anywhere and I won't be able to before application deadlines...my family isn't destitute but we don't have enough money right now to fund a trip up to visit any of them. So yes, financial aid is a big concern for choosing a school, which is why a lot of Ivies are on my list...they offer great financial aid. Also, my parents are willing to take out pretty extensive loans to fund a private education...they both essentially squandered opportunities when they were young and they would love to see me be the first person in any of my extended family ever to go above and beyond a state university or to get a Masters or go to grad school. </p>
<p>Like I said, I'm a really indecisive person. I like the idea of schools like UNC that are huge and have a big focus on sports. I similarly like the idea of small LACs, which is why I'm trying to get a really comprehensive list so that if/when I am accepted to any of these places I'll be able to choose "what kind of college life" I really want.</p>
<p>UT-Austin is a great school in my opinion, and it's pretty much stress-free since I'm already in. I would probably apply to Plan II if I ended up going there, though. I love Austin though and if I don't get in anywhere else on my list then I really will be OK with that. </p>
<p>Thanks for the compliment, midwesterner. I'm re-taking them in November to try and pull my math score up to 700+ since most of the schools on my list take the best component anyway.</p>
<p>Amherst- very small, in a good consortium with 4 other schools, i believe it leans to the right as colleges go which basically means 50/50 politically
Dartmouth- (smaller ivy, i near applied)
Duke- (great consortium with UNC-CH and NCState?ithink?, 2nd best consortium in US imho [1st=claremonts i think)
Harvard-its harvard...
Middlebury-very naturey, isolated, nice town, very into english courses
Princeton-its princeton...
Stanford-another HYPS
University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill-see Duke
UVA-one ofmy top 4 choices. awesome college town, amazing reputation, great social scene, beautiful campus, rich history, very undergrad focused, feels smaller than it is due to the attn
Yale- a HYPS</p>
<p>If you cannot afford to visit other schools, can you afford to go to them? Just because you get into Harvard and it is for free does not mean you can go because you cannot get on a plane. I would stick with UTA and look at Rice because there is no point taking the time to apply and get in if you cannot phisically get to the colleges. Personally I think you have a great shot everywhere. If aid is the biggest factor, look at Tulane. Even though it is underwater, they give a lot of money for merit scholarships.</p>
<p>Well if I get into Harvard I will certainly be able to have enough money to fly to Massachusetts if that's what you mean. Like I said, my family isn't destitute, but at the same time my parents feel that its frivolous to visit a bunch of places far away. They would prefer me to apply to a variety of schools and then after admissions decisions come in we can visit places before I commit anywhere. It's not the most logical reasoning, but they are the ones paying for my application visits and my tuition, so I don't really have room to complain.</p>
<p>"because there is no point taking the time to apply and get in if you cannot phisically get to the colleges."</p>
<p>That doesn't make much sense. I too am applying to around 10 schools and, while I've visitied a couple, time and money make it impossible to actually visit them all. As someone also from Texas, I can understand that the OP may not have time to go up north to visit all of those schools. I think people that live in the northeast often have a harder time realizing that others can't just take a 2 hour drive to the school.</p>
<p>As for the OP, I'd suggest applying to the ones that really interest you - you have nice stats and will fare well in the process, but it would have been better if those 800s had been in math and reading instead of reading and writing. Once accepted, then visit.</p>
<p>"I think people that live in the northeast often have a harder time realizing that others can't just take a 2 hour drive to the school."</p>
<p>not sure about others in NE but I live in MA and the closest any school i visited was 3 hours (other than tufts:45m). i visited pomona in CA but i have a sister/aunt and uncle there so it was a duel visit, i visited UVA but my dad lives there, and i went on a NY/NE roadtrip to the rest, and my 2 midwest schools ill visit if i like the package i get</p>
<p>I agree with brand. I think a lot of people don't realize that you if you start in the northernmost part of Texas you can drive for probably 16-18 hours in one direction and still be in Texas. It's not as if I live in Virginia and am complaining because I can't visit a school in Massachusetts.</p>
<p>Also, the first time I took the SAT I hadn't prepped at all and I mean literally not at all. I didn't even have a prep book or anything. So this time around, when I take them in November, I plan on preparing and I think I can raise my math score to a 700 at least. Then my composite will be 2300 since most of these schools take the best component. Hopefully that will help.</p>
<p>I've been advised by a college counselor to apply and then visit those where I've been admitted. </p>
<p>Another person -- who does alumni interviews for Brown -- said the same.</p>
<p>It is NOT illogical to wait. You can get a lot of information about schools and the "feel" of the place without going. </p>
<p>It is just too much time and money to go around to all these places, where you are affected by extraneous factors, like the weather the day you go and the personality of the tour gide.</p>
<p>I'm not sure you need to retake the SATs with a 2250, but have you taken the SAT IIs that you need?</p>
<p>IMO you need to do some visiting before acceptances come out. April isn't long enough for the holidays and all the end of the year school activities plus flying around visiting colleges while studying for APs. You need some time to reflect on your choices. Plus, buying last minute airline tickets can be costly. Even if you can't make an east coast trip, do make the effort to visit some smaller schools in your area. See what appeals to you in terms of size and student body. Also, look for diversity weekends at the colleges on your list; some schools will fly in qualified URMs for a visit.</p>