Help me with Choosing!!! Have tons of Reaches, but Need Matches/Safeties!!

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Ok, at this point, I'm basically applying to:
-Stanford (REA)
-Rice
-Harvard
-Yale
-Brown
-Columbia
-UPenn
-UChiago
-WUSTL
-Duke
-College of Idaho (safety as I'm from Idaho)</p>

<p>But I'm really looking for some schools I can feel comfortable about getting into as well as comfortable going to. I have a 2320 SAT, a 4.0uw gpa, top 1% of 385 student class, 13 AP classes total , and am an internationally ranked jump roper, just so you have some context about what schools might be considered matches for me.</p>

<p>If I don't get into one of the schools above, I'd probably prefer to stay on the west coast and I would definitely prefer a slightly smaller (10,000 or less), private institution. I'm looking at majoring in linguistics and neuroscience/cognitive science which drastically limits where I can apply and in general, only top colleges have strong linguistics AND neuroscience programs. Any ideas on something where I could likely get into that would perhaps offer some merit scholarships? I just feel like I've run out of options with how specific I'm being with my college deal breakers so.....sorry about that!!!</p>

<p>Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!! :)</p>

2

<p>If you’re into LAC’s, you could try the claremont colleges.</p>

3

<p>Yeah -I was thinking the Claremont colleges too. I would also recommend Arizona State Barrett Honors College.</p>

<p>If you were willing to look at matches on the east cost, you would find dozens.</p>

4

<p>Reed is on the West Coast, has a very strong linguistics program and the option to concentrate on neuroscience as a psych major. I would also suggest Claremont McKenna, which has the resources of the other Claremont Colleges at its disposal. Reed is probably easier to get into and only offers need-based aid. Claremont McKenna has a lower acceptance rate, and offers a dozen full-tuition scholarships for students interested in interdisciplinary science, as well as some other merit-based aid (which is quite competitive). Pitzer is the other Claremont college that emphasizes interdisciplinary scholarship. UDub and the UCs are probably your best options for research-intensive matches, but they’re all quite large.</p>

<p>(In the interest of full disclosure, I go to Reed. Which actually compels me to act like I’m less effusive about it than I really am, for fear of losing credibility by turning into one of those posters whose only purpose on these boards is to pimp out their own schools. But in this case, I do think Reed is an appropriate recommendation. Anyway, carry on.)</p>

5

<p>The one proviso on Reed is it does not offer merit aid, only FA. The Claremonts have some merit aid but not many available.</p>