Help narrow down my top 15!

College Search & Selection
1

<p>First let me introduce my qualifications.
I am a junior at an extremely good (top 10 in nation) high school in VA.
GPA 3.8 UW, 4.6 W
Rank: no rank
SAT: Haven't taken yet, but 2200-2300 on practices. I will try to improve it to 2300.
SAT 2: US History 790, Math 2 710, I will take another
AP: US History (5), American Gov, Comparative Gov, Micro Econ, Macro Econ, Spanish Language, Spanish Literature, English Literature
Dual Enrollment with local research university: Calculus 1, Calculus 2, International Relations, Basic Practice of Statistics, Application of Statistics, Ethics and Applications/Philosophy, Biopsychology, Film Studies [each course is a 3 or 4 credit-hour course]</p>

<p>ECs
Varsity volleyball 2 years (captain) (jv for 2 years, too)
Model UN (4 years, a few best delegate awards)
Debate team (some district awards, state-level awards, and qualified for nationals)
Students for Liberty political discourse club (I'm here during lunch a few days a week and we discuss hot-button political issues. It's more for fun, so I probably wont list it on the official app)
Internship with state legislature delegate (120 hours)
Paid Internship with Federal Reserve Bank in VA or law firm- still deciding (130 hours)
Internship with Department of Commerce in Agency for Economic Development (140 hours)
Other volunteering- 150 hours
NHS, NEnglishHS, History Honor Society, National Russian Honor Society, Gold Medal in National Russian Essay Contest 2x, Bronze Medal in National Spanish Exam</p>

<p>As far as aid, my brother is a sophomore at William and Mary in VA, and his EFC was $7,000. My family is willing to pay $10-20,000 a year on college for me, but more if the college is really good. At the same time, they want me to pursue the need-blind universities that meet full need. Our income is about $70,000 and I have 5 people in my household, including 1 in college. Would I qualify for need-based aid at some universities? My parents have that pre-paid college plan in VA so in-state schools are paid for already.</p>

<p>As for careers, I am looking toward International Relations, International Business/Economics, or Public Policy. I am looking for universities that offer majors/minors in the above, along with a strong Spanish program (I will continue it, perhaps as a minor) and I am fluent in Russian. I'm not sure if my ECs seem scattered, sorry if they do. But International Relations or International Economics are probably going to be at the top of my list. I am looking for good programs in those fields.
I am also looking for medium sized universities 5,000-20,000 ish people. I am looking for a pretty solid city/town nearby, but the campus itself I want to have real campus life. Climate isnt a must, but i'd prefer not totally freezing. But I dont really care about cold. I dont want there to be a huge party scene, but I do enjoy going out once a week or so with friends.</p>

<p>Schools:
Georgetown SFS, UVA, William and Mary, UChicago, Northwestern, Duke, Johns Hopkins, Brown, Dartmouth, Rice, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech</p>

<p>Which schools do you guys see being realistic for my academic and EC stuff? I know essay is important, but counting only stats, which schools of these do I stand a chance at? Which ones should I cut out? Any that I have overlooked and should add?</p>

2

<p>Really need to know where you rank. Have you looked at your school profile to see grade distribution charts?</p>

<p>There are so many claims of top schools here. Do you mean on the Newsweek list, a top magnet or a top prep school? There’s a big difference. If it’s a school that required testing to get in, a truly top high school, then your rank can be say top 25% and you still have a shot at an ivy without a hook. If it’s just a very good public high school, you want to be minimum top 10 %. </p>

<p>If it’s a top prep school, just about all of the class will end up at a T30. Not true for the others.</p>

3

<p>Mine was on the old Newsweek Public Elites. It is comparable to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Stuyvesant, Hunter College, etc.
[The</a> Nation’s Most Elite Public High Schools - Newsweek](<a href=“http://www.newsweek.com/2010/06/13/america-s-best-high-schools-in-a-different-class.html]The”>The Nation's Most Elite Public High Schools)
It’s on that list. I have no idea where I rank. I dont have the highest grades, but I’m well within the top half. I dont know the grade distribution, but i’d like to say in the top 20-30 percent. I dont want to overestimate myself, so I’mkeeping a pretty conservative number.</p>

<p>Any suggestions?</p>

4

<p>If you’re below top quartile, you’re probably looking at more like Georgetown, UVA, VT, and maybe Vandy and Rice. </p>

<p>HYP would need top 5% minimum, probably top 5 in class. Dartmouth and Brown about the same, maybe top 20 kids with a great EC.</p>

<p>With a 2200 plus, You’ll get into many solid colleges that meet need, your family will not have to pay more than your EFC.</p>

5

<p>Ok thanks! If our naviance stuff helps, I will post the number of people who were accepted followed by the number that applied.
Chicago: 6/19
Georgetown: 10/29
Princeton: 5/42
UVA: 123/205
William and Mary: 116/168
Brown: 5/25
Yale: 4/28
Dartmouth: 6/18
Harvard: 0/37
Northwestern: 4/11
Vanderbilt: 2/9</p>

<p>Of course, the SAT averages for those admitted ranged from 2150 to 2250. So I guess the point is that if I am in the top quarter, I can make it into a lot of these schools except HYP.</p>

6

<p>And do my ECs look scattered, or do they exhibit my interest in international relations and international economics.
And you said that Georgetown was realistic. What about SFS?</p>

7

<p>Well, I think you will get into several of the schools on your list. Other possibilities to consider:
Pomona and Claremont McKenna of The Claremont Colleges in LA,
University of Southern California in LA,
Emory in Atlanta,
Tufts in Boston.</p>

8

<p>There were no VA schools listed on that Newsweek list and there are no comparable schools to TJ. The only other VA school labeled a gold medal is #47. </p>

<p>That being said, 2college has a good guess at your prospects. Georgetown might be a great fit since they meet full need and their IR program is fantastic.</p>

9

<p>Tufts and Georgetown are where you should look. Both have fantastic IR programs, big on languages (Especially for an IR major), are near fantastic cities (Boston and DC), yet also have their own campus vibes with things to do, are academically challenging, give good aid (Tufts is need-blind and Georgetown I know gives lots of aid), etc.</p>

10

<p>You also need to account for URMs, legacies, athletes, Siemens winners, etc. ( not to mention how much admit percentiles have gone down in last 4 years). Top 25% without something more seems unlikely at any ivy other than perhaps Cornell.</p>

<p>Your ECs are solid.</p>

11

<p>@ Erin’s Dad. Read again. It’s in alphabetical order, look for Maggie Walker.
And of course, TJ is better in most areas. But my school has quite a different focus than science and technology. A much different focus.
BTW that list has two pages.
And I heard Georgetown gives pretty crummy aid. Do you know if they “meet full need” or if they ACTUALLY meet full need?</p>

<p>@ Chazsf, I’m interested in colleges east of the mississippi, for the most part. Certainly no schools in cali. I thought about Tufts, but IMO UVA is better and cheaper, so it’s a no brainer.</p>

12

<p>How is Emory in the humanities and, more specifically, IR/Econ?</p>

<p>Thanks buzzers, I will certainly look more at Tufts!</p>

13

<p>I think you’re right. I’d go to UVA before a lot of these. Tufts, however, I’d put as better in your areas and it’s aid is pretty good.</p>

14

<p>Why bother with chancing Juniors? So much more will still happen this year – it is only December. The best advice is get a job (its the new community service!)</p>

15

<p>Its not so much a chance. I need to get to visiting colleges in the winter and spring, but I cant visit 15 different schools in varying geographical locations. I need to narrow it down to less than 10.</p>

<p>And I think you’re right about Tufts, 2college2college. I overlooked them because generally their academics aren’t as good. But if it’s a good fit for me (meaning what I want to do has a good program) then numbers are meaningless.</p>

<p>So what can I cut? Do Vandy or Rice have any kind of reputable IR major? And I will probably apply to 1 HYP and either brown or dartmouth in the Ivy league.
Which one should I apply to? Is it worth a shot to apply to BOTH Dartmouth and Brown?</p>

16

<p>I would not go to Rice for IR. Perhaps Middlebury instead. Of course, IR isn’t a major I know much about. I just don’t remember Rice having much of a reputation in that area and I’ve heard on this website that Middlebury has a good program.</p>

17

<p>I would argue Tufts, Georgetown, UVA, Middlebury, etc. all have good academics. Just do more research on these schools and I think you will figure it out.</p>

18

<p>There’s a reason why colleges don’t give instant admit/deny responses over the Internet. Without real scores or class rank, it’s especially hard to assess your chances. However, if 15 is what you’re aiming for, your list looks too reach-heavy. Do you consider VT your safety? It does not seem to fit the rest of your list in terms of size or academic focus (technical v. liberal arts). I think you need some “match” schools, unless as a VA resident you are very comfortable with your safety(-ies) and want to shoot the moon on the rest. In that case, talk to your GC about whether UVa and WM could be considered safeties for a (northern?) VA resident with your qualifications.</p>

19

<p>I’d say for a IR/Polisci course the best schools among your list are: Georgetown, U Chicago, Harvard, Yale, Princeton. </p>

<p>Tufts is really good too. As in Georgetown and Tufts engage in quite some rivalry I’ve heard. Bill Clinton was from Georgetown and a lot of US delegates and diplomats come from Tufts too so the alum in those two is pretty strong. </p>

<p>(I’m heading for IR too! :D)</p>

20

<p>I’ll be taking off rice, then.
About safeties, Va Tech is a safety. From my school 3.0-1900s regularly make it in with no hooks. I am well over-qualified for Tech. I plugged my numbers into a mathematical model (that boasted a 80% accuracy rate) and it said that my percentages for getting into WM (with my posted stats) were over 95%, and UVA was over 85%. With near-guaranteed admission and given that those schools arent costly, I’d call them low matches/safeties. </p>

<p>Tufts in interesting. I am concerned because the Fletcher school is a graduate school, while SFS has a very strong undergrad track. I know sometimes people claim that graduate schools are a good metric of undergrad quality (I guess an academic trickle-down effect) but it’s not always true. I guess i’ll visit Tufts when I am in that region visiting Harvard/Darmouth/Brown/Yale to see if it’s for me.
What do you guys think about Johns Hopkins? The SAIS is consistently 1st or 2nd place when it comes to IR graduate rankings.</p>

<p>As for upper and lower Ivies, I’m probably going to apply to one of each. Which (HYP) would be best for me, taking into account admissions and IR/PolSci degrees. Which lower Ivy (Brown, Dartmouth) would be best for me in terms of admissions and IR/PolSci programs. I’m not interested in Cornell (I’m under the impression that other than engineering and like Vet school they dont have very strong programs), Columbia, or Penn (both schools in cities and lack vibrant campus life).</p>

<p>And I’m from central VA, not NoVA.</p>