Help! What safety schools should I apply to?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I already know reach and (hopefully) target schools that I am applying to, but I don't know what safety schools would be right for me, or how to identify them as safety schools to begin with. </p>

<p>My weighted GPA is a 3.99, my SAT score is a 2230, I have not yet taken the ACTs or SAT subject tests but I plan on taking both in October. I am in relatively good classes-- going into my senior year I will be in 4 AP classes, 1 honors class, and one CP class. </p>

<p>I want to go to a large school with a warm climate that has no religious affiliation and has a diverse and intelligent population. I don't know what I want to major in, but I am leaning toward business.</p>

2

<p>Why not Michigan? It’s a reasonably selective, well-regarded public university with a very large student population (ensuring both diversity and at least a modicum of intelligence) that happens to have a highly ranked business school (Ross). I know from personal experience that they can be very generous with merit-based financial aid and scholarships.</p>

3

<p>Safety schools are usually identified as schools were your stats place you into a position of almost guaranteed admissions. A safety school is also somewhere that will be affordable for your family.</p>

<p>How much is your family willing/capable of paying for college? This will have an effect on what schools would be considered safeties financially.</p>

<p>You have wonderful stats as you already know so getting into a lot of schools will not be a problem for you. You will probably get some merit money as well.</p>

<p>What is your instate flagship? Presumably that is a large institution and your stats would suffice receiving merit aid unless your flagship is Berkeley.</p>

<p>Safety Recommendations(barring finances for now):
University of Miami
University of Texas-Austin(instate)
UNC Chapel Hill(instate)
Northeastern(not warm lol)
University of Maryland College Park
Florida State University
ANY UC below Berkeley/UCLA</p>

<p>Harder when trying to stick to warmer climate schools</p>

4

<p>Some possible safety candidates:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-18.html#post15895768[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-18.html#post15895768&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

5

<p>UT would only be a safety if the OP is in the top 7% of his/her class - not a guarantee since that 3.99 is weighted.</p>