Help narrowing down my college list?

College Search & Selection
1

Hi!! I realize its tiring reading this same thread over and over, but since it’s impossible for me to get an objective opinion from my family and friends I was hoping someone could help me narrow down my list a bit, and could tell me if its too risky/top-heavy. I have a single parent (truly single, we are not in contact with my dad and won’t be listing his income) and we are low-income (under 50k), so I am applying only to full-need schools & its important to be able to compare aid between multiple schools if possible, but 14 supps is getting overwhelming!

My stats: Asian female from NY (absolutely no hooks), very competitive public school
GPA: 95.000/100 UW, school does not calculate weighted or rank
ACT: 35, one sitting (36 english, 35 reading, 31 math, 36 science)
SAT ii: 800 lit, 800 bio
AP’s: school allows only two AP’s junior year (5 Latin, 4 bio), and AP’s aren’t really a measure of rigor
Senior year curric: AP AB Calc, AP Art history, hardest english class at school, Latin V, regular physics (does this look too easy??)
ECs: piano at precollege (9-12), volunteer at music service organization (9-12), president of music club at school (10-12), paid piano teacher to two younger kids (9-12), president of red cross club (member 9-10, president 11-12), serve on regional red cross youth board (12), writing tutor at school (12)
Awards: three pretty major national writing competitions (won’t list for privacy, but prob my strongest selling point), a few published essays and stories, a red cross leadership award, and a few NLE magna/summa cum laudes
I’ll be applying as a Comparative Lit major. I’ve been working hard on my essays so hopefully they’ll all be good, one rec should be amazing and the other one+my counselor one should be pretty good.

Sorry that was so long! I feel like there’s nothing wrong with me as an applicant but nothing great about me either. I absolutely love all the schools on here (besides my safeties) and have tried to show interest at them. I can’t even look at my list objectively anymore so would definitely appreciate feedback!!

REACHES:
Penn (ED, my absolute dream school)
Cornell (RD)
Georgetown (RD)
UChicago (RD)
USC (Priority/Scholarship Deadline)
UVA (EA)
UNC (EA)
U Mich (EA)

MATCHES:
Wellesley (EE, I love it so maybe EDII, still kind of a reach)
Smith (RD)
Occidental (RD)
Macaulay Honors

SAFETIES: (in-state)
SUNY SB
SUNY Bing (EA)

Thanks so much for your help!!!

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2

Can your family definitely afford the SUNYs? Have you run the Net Price Calculators there? There are some other OOS options like Alabama where you would get full tuition. And at all those schools you would still need a waiver to get away without your non-custodial parent info. It’s not insurmountable, but it’s something that the college decides.

3

@“Erin’s Dad” thanks for the advice!! we are working with my counselor to make sure they can consider me without non-custodial info, I physically can’t provide his information so that’s part of why I’m applying to so many. I can definitely afford SB if I commute from home and take out a small loan, but considering applying to a CUNY as well for that reason.

4

At risk of making the list larger, here are some good options for safeties:
http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/

Going for the merit aid gets you out of that NCP issue.

5

If your reaches all meet full need, and you qualify for a waiver on the application fee, then there’s no harm in applying to all of them – the more chances you have that one will accept you. I’d say you have a good chance that one of your reaches will accept you (maybe not Penn or Chicago, but, you never know!)

Are you trying to cut down because it’s just too much work to apply to all of them? or expensive?

If you really want to cut it down, I would drop: Cornell, Michigan, USC

6

Have you visited any of the colleges yet? When / If you go to visit Penn, you should try and touch base with folks at Kelly Writers’ House, too. From what I understand, they actively recruit and with your writing awards you could be a prime candidate.

http://writing.upenn.edu/wh/highlights/prospective.php

This could tip the ED scales in your favor.

I’m not sure how one applies for / is nominated for Jefferson Scholars at UVa, but figuring that out warrants your attention, too.

You’d surely qualify for Honors College at Stony Brook - and would most likely get some merit $$$ - I do believe there are a number off full-rides awarded, too. I know you said Comparative Lit, but they’re also got a really interesting Journalism program.

As @erinsdad suggested, adding one or two of the automatic tuition schools would be a good idea, too.

So long as you are happy with your safeties and matches, I think your list is fine. The reaches are reaches for everyone - it really depends on how you make yourself stand out with essays, letters of recommendation, etc.

Good luck - and keep us posted.

7

youre for sure doomed for penn dont even try/s

8

I see you have Wellesley as a possibility, you might also look at Vassar. You would be a match for Skidmore academically but cannot say anythiing about merit or financial aid tehre.

9

You should try to find a safety that you would be happy to attend. You may want to look into Fordham (EA) or another college along those lines where you might qualify for a large merit scholarship and perhaps a place in the honors program. And adding a school or two where you could get an automatic full tuition scholarship (ex. UAlabama, Temple – see list posted above) would be a good idea as well.

10

Wow thank you so much for all your responses!!! I feel a bit more secure in my list now.

@happy1 @ErinsDad I will definitely be thinking more carefully about my safeties, and probably add one more to the list.

@4Gulls @bookmama22 thank you so much for those suggestions!! Finances were definitely a concern at Skidmore… but am looking at Vassar as well.

@theofrelord might be, but I’ll still have to give it my best shot :slight_smile: