Help me find some safety schools

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hello,
As a rising senior, I'm becoming more aquainted with the college admission process, and need to figure out where I should apply in the fall. So far, I've come up with a pretty long list of colleges that I would love to attend, but the problem is that they're almost all reach schools for all applicants. BTW, I plan on majoring either in Engineering or Economics or Political Science and possibly going on to Law School. I'm from a public school in a smallish city in Oregon, but would like to go somewhere bigger.
My Stats (brief version)</p>

<p>SAT: 2200
Math 710
Critical Reading 730
Writing 760
I got these scores with literally no studying at all, so I think I can pull off 2300+ in October with practice over the Summer.</p>

<p>SAT II: (Just taken yesterday)
Math II - projected 780-800
German - projected 780-800</p>

<p>Rank: 1/398 --> not an awesome highschool :(
4.0 unweighted, 4.55 weighted
Only two APs as of now because my school has a moronic policy of only letting seniors take ap classes; I had to fight with my coucelors to give me 2...but I'm taking all APs next year so I'll have 8 when I graduate</p>

<p>Race: Egyptian, but as far I as I know this doesn't count as African American, so I don't get an advantage from AA.</p>

<p>ECs are pretty average for what people post in these forums for top schools; nothing really awesome, but still a good amount of leadership and volunteering...Two biggest ones are debate and chess (2nd in state). </p>

<p>I'm a decent writer, so essays will hopefully be good.</p>

<p>Here's my list of reaches (I 'll probably apply to 6 of them)</p>

<p>Princeton
Stanford
Yale
UC Berkeley
U Penn
Oberlin
Dartmouth
U Chicago
Cornell
Haverford</p>

<p>So as you can see, all of them (except perhaps Berkeley and Oberlin) are pretty much reaches for all applicants. Obviously, I'm really hoping to get into one of these, but I need alternatives in case I don't.
Part of the reason I really want to get into one of these schools is that I'm dirt poor and they offer generous financial aid. Safety/Match schools should preferably do the same so that I don't have to spend 10 years of my life paying back debt.</p>

<p>Could anyone help me find some schools that I would have highish chances of getting in, but that someone like me would probably like?
Kareem</p>

2

<p>UC Berkeley does not offer good financial aid to out-of-state applicants. The Blue and Gold program is only for in-state students.</p>

3

<p>I would consider sending an application to University of Oregon.</p>

4

<p>Two possibilities for excellent FA: Pomona and the Honors College at U Pitt. Pomona is as difficult to get into as many already on your list, but Pitt would be a safety for you. (Pitt is one of the few public schools where OOS students are eligible for really substantial merit awards. Pitt also is quite strong across the board, academically.) </p>

<p>I also wonder why you have Haverford on your list but not Swarthmore, especially if you have a potential interest in Engineering. Swat is one of the few LACs with an engineering program. It’s not easier to get into, though.</p>

<p>Another match school to consider is the University of Rochester, which gives both merit and need-based aid. They have some large–like $30K per year–merit awards. From our experience it isn’t clear to me whether they would ultimately give you enough aid to make it work for you, but it is a very good school and worth looking at. A major point with Rochester: they need to feel the love, and it helps when gunning for one of the big scholarships. Make SURE that you interview with one of their traveling adcoms if you have any interest. Check their web site for schedules.</p>

5

<p>Brandeis, College of William and Mary, and Macalester maybe? I know that Colgate has really good financial aid.</p>

6

<p>*I’m dirt poor and they offer generous financial aid. *</p>

<p>Then take Berkeley off your list.</p>

<p>OOS publics don’t give much need-based aid to OOS students (exceptions UVA and UNC-CH). </p>

<p>For a school to be a SAFETY for you, it must be affordable…which means that you must know FOR SURE that you will have all costs covered thru ASSURED merit scholarships, ASSURED grants, small federal student loans, and/or family funds.</p>

<p>As mentioned already, most OOS publics don’t give much need-based aid…BUT…some will give large merit scholarships for high stats.</p>

<p>Are you a likely NMSF/F? What was your PSAT?</p>

<p>What is your likely major.</p>

<p>You say that you’re poor. Do you live with both parents.</p>

7

<p>[University</a> of Alabama](<a href=“http://scholarships.ua.edu/types/out_of_state.html]University”>http://scholarships.ua.edu/types/out_of_state.html) may be worth a look as an admissions and financial safety since your stats seem to imply Presidential Scholar with full OOS tuition paid for four years ([other</a> costs](<a href=“http://cost.ua.edu/undergraduate-budget.html]other”>http://cost.ua.edu/undergraduate-budget.html) were about $13,000 per year for 2010-2011).</p>