help with colleges - saftey, reach, match - i'm so lost

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I would have posted in "What Are My Chances?", but I realized, my list is still so broad that I think I need some more points in the right direction. I'll give my stats and my criteria, with the hope that some kind soul will help me. My list currently is much too high reach (read: Ivy or Ivy worthies) for my own comfort, so. On with the stats.</p>

<p>EDUCATION
GPA: 4.33 (weighted), 3.87 (non-weighted)
Top 10 out of a class of 465 students
APs: Language & Comp (5), Spanish (4), Chemistry (4), Lit & Comp, Gov't & Politics, Calculus AB, Art History
SAT: 770 (Critical Reading), 730 (Math), 700 (Writing)
SATII: 710 Lit, 600 IIc, 590 Chem (Needless to say, I'm retaking IIc and taking US History this Oct.)</p>

<p>ECs
Junior State of America (JSA) - politics/debate club, active member 4 years, been the tech director for 2 years on the state level, held a cabinet position at my chapter for 3 years, including president this year </p>

<p>School Newspaper - staff writer 3 years, production editor 2 years, this year, I'm Production Editor and News Co-Editor </p>

<p>Kaleidoscope (Community Service Club) - member for 4 years, been Tech Director for 1 year, Media Commissioner this year</p>

<p>Community Service - I've got about 115 hours under my belt doing odd jobs here and there. </p>

<p>HONORS AND AWARDS
Commemorated National Merit Scholar
Harvard Book Award recipient
National Honor Society</p>

<p>CRITERIA: I'd like to go to a medium sized school - large enough that I don't know everyone who goes to the school, but small enough that my classes aren't any larger than about 45 students and I can actually form relationships with my professors. A school near an urban setting or in an urban setting is preferred, though I don't mind the suburbs. I'd like to go to a school that actually has school spirit and has some involvement in sports.</p>

<p>POTENTIAL MAJORS: At this point in my life, I am leaning heavily towards majoring in either Business Administration/Management or Law, specializing in International Relations and/or East Asian Studies (if that's even possible).</p>

<p>Generally speaking, I plan on staying in California or going East. I'd like to go East, if only for the new perspective.</p>

<p>Yeah. Any help would greatly be appreciated.</p>

2

<p>Would you consider majoring in economics? That major is more widely available than business.</p>

<p>U Penn Wharton Philadelphia
Tufts Boston
Johns Hopkins Baltimore
Georgetown DC
Cornell (strong in East Asian Studies) small city
U Wisconsin Madison
UVA small town
U Notre Dame not urban
U Michigan Ann Arbor
Indiana U Bloomington small city
NYU
U Illinois UC small city
Washington U St Louis
UNC Chapel Hill not urban
Purdue not urban
Lehigh not urban
Syracuse U
Emory Atlanta
American U DC
Boston Coll
Boston U
Carnegie Mellon Pittsburg</p>

3

<p>You should apply to Berkeley, UCLA, and Claremont McKenna. For schools further east, look at George Washington University (large, though), American University, and Johns Hopkins. Also, check out University of Chicago- great for Asian studies, pre-law, and pre-business. How about Barnard, if you are female? You would have all of the resources of Columbia.</p>

4

<p>Northwestern, edge of Chicago, strong business, Big 10 spoorts, right size.</p>

5

<p>Might want to look at Holy Cross-very good LAC with plenty of school spirit and strong alumni network. The HC campus is very nice and only 1 hour from Boston. Also if from California that is a plus at Holy Cross. Tufts is good school also but very little school spirit.</p>

6

<p>Hmm, I am currently considering quite a few of these colleges that have been listed, and I thank everyone for their time. I want to lower my list down to around 12 colleges because it's too large as it is now. The colleges I have so far:</p>

<p>Harvard
Yale
Stanford
Brown
UCLA
UCB
USC
Tufts
Claremont McKenna
Chapman
Boston C
Boston U
NYU
John Hopkins
University of Chicago
UPenn </p>

<p>What do you all think? I think I'm too concentrated in Boston, and I also have the feeling these are all really reach schools. ><</p>

7

<p>No, I would call a number of these matches. You should have a great chance at Claremont McKenna, USC, BU, NYU, JHU, U Chicago. I don't know anything about Chapman. I don't know much about UCal admissions, but sounds to me as if you will be admitted to both of those. If anything, I would cut from the highly competive dream schools.</p>

8

<p>Boston College is a Jesuit/Catholic school like Georgetown and Holy Cross.</p>

9

<p>U Chicago meets most of your criteria, but I think it lacks the strong school spirit and sports you're looking for.</p>

10

<p>Hmm, that's true. But it's suuuch a great school. >< </p>

<p>Right now, I'm primarily concerned with weeding out the colleges that really won't benefit me in my intended majors... except they're all such great schools. </p>

<p>Hm, I'm also concerned about the sheer number of Boston colleges I have. Does it seem like overkill? I didn't realize when I was putting together my list that so many of them would be located in Boston. :/</p>

11

<p>If you want to be in Boston, there is nothing wrong with having a lot of Boston schools on your list. I assume that you have thought through the financial aspect.</p>