Help me finalize my college list please

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Ok so I am going to be a Senior in High School this upcoming year and am trying to get into the best colleges that I can. My stats are as follows:
-SAT I: 2170 superscored (600CR, 730W, 780M)
-SAT II: 780 Chem, 680 US History
-ACT: 32C (32R, 30E, 31S, 36M, 26 E+essay) *am scheduled to retake and have been preparing much more than first try
-GPA: 3.95ish (1 B+)
-APs: 5 AP Physics C: Mechanics, 5 AP Chemistry, 3 AP US History
-Senior Year Courseload: AP Calculus AB (self-studying BC), AP Computer Science, AP Physics C: E and M, AP Statistics, AP US Gov’t, Christian Lifestyles, Honors God Christ Church, Honors Latin 4, and The Novel and Drama
-ECs: Academic Bowl, Guitar Club, Interact Club, Intramural Basketball, Intramural Bowling, Latin National Honor Society, Life Smarts Team (competed at nationals), National Honor Society, Science Olympiad, JV and Varsity Men’s Volleyball
-other stuff: RPI medal, Principal’s List, some award from Obama (but I don’t think it’s that special), I am in the process of building a railgun, write and record songs on guitar, worked full time in summer of 2010, interned at a physics lab in summer of 2011</p>

<p>So as you may have guessed I am insanely interested in science, especially Physics, Math, and Computer Science. I have been working on a list of colleges to apply to but I am starting to question whether or not my application is too reachy or not. My list is as follows:
1) Harvard
2) MIT
3) Princeton
4) Columbia
5) UChicago
6) Cornell
7) CMU
8) JHU
9) RPI
I am certain that I want to attend the most challenging college I get into because I feel that the I am academically pushed, the more I accomplish. However, I recognize that I am in no way a shoe-in (haha is this how it is spelled?) for most of the colleges on my list. Please give me some suggestions for more targets and safeties! Thank you so much!</p>

<p>p.s. Please keep it relatively close to the east coast</p>

2

<p>Yes, your list of colleges is far too reachy. Consider the following:
University of Rochester
Case Western Reserve University
Furman University
your public flagship</p>

3

<p>Thank you for responding, tk21769! But yeah I am definitely considering applying to CWRU at least especially because the app is free. Do you know of any other schools that are of similar caliber and are known for their sciences?</p>

4

<p>What is your class rank or approx. decile?
Can your parents pay full tuition if necessary?</p>

<p>Agree, too top-heavy based on your ACT/SAT scores for the most selective schools on your list . Some schools more within range:</p>

<p>Duke
Northwestern
Tufts
Boston College
In-state school (safety)</p>

<p>and it is “shoo”-in…</p>

5

<p>Thank you for responding, jshain. My class rank is top ten of 250ish and no my parents would not be able to pay full tuition. However, I should be able to get a good amount of financial aid based on my financial circumstances. But just to clarify, do you think my list would be more accurate if I had a 34+ on the ACT? The first time I took the ACT I had no preparation and seemed to do pretty well. I have been studying quite a bit for this upcoming ACT and am fairly confident that I can get a 34 at the least. Please let me know what you think.</p>

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<p>Please note that several schools on your list require STEM applicants to take Math Level I or II as one of their SAT subject tests.</p>

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<p>thank you, bruno123. I have the MathII exam scheduled for October and am considering retaking the US History subject test.</p>

8

<p>Based on all the unhooked applicants over the last few years that I have known, ACT scores within range of the top-tier schools (including some of the ones I suggested but not all of them) was 34+. There ARE exceptions, of course.</p>

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<p>* However, I should be able to get a good amount of financial aid based on my financial circumstances.*</p>

<p>Is your family low income???</p>

<p>You need some financial safety schools…schools that you know for sure that you’ll have all costs covered.</p>