Help with Safties

College Search & Selection
1

<p>All my favorite colleges seem like a roller coaster. I can get in. I can't get in... I feel like I need some safties just in case, but it is really hard to look at colleges the same after you have your sights set on Middlebury, Brown, or UChicago. Here is my list so far: Middlebury, Swarthmore, UChicago, Brown, Wesleyan U, Yale, Dartmouth, Macalester, Rhodes College, Wash U, Emory, and Colgate. I know that I got a lot of reaches, but I feel I can succeed in such an environment. So, do you have any ideas? I want to major in two foreign languages (Russian, German, Mandarin...) and I like smaller private schools. Thanks! </p>

<p>Gender: M
Entrance Year: 2012
High School: Public, most kids go to local state universities or the community college
Location: Suburb of St. Louis, MO
Race: Caucasian</p>

<p>Academics
GPA weighted: 4.167
GPA unweighted: 4.0
Class Rank: my school does not calculate it for sophomores, but probably 1 or 2 out of 250-300 kids</p>

<p>Scores
ACT Comp: 32, 31
english:35, 32
math:28 (I know), 30
reading:33, 34
science:32, 29
I did take the SAT and did not like the test at all, so I will probably send the ACT and the SAT Subject Tests in German and World History.</p>

2

<p>Sorry, I feel like an idiot. Safeties. Dang my horrible typing skills! But, I am not the only one who did it. Look below in the similar threads.</p>

3

<p>Vassar, BYU</p>

4

<p>If you don’t need aid, a good strategy would be applying ED to Midd, Colgate or Wes.</p>

5

<p>Why would that be a good strategy? And I do need financial aid.</p>

6

<p>Because you are borderline for those schools and ED would probably push you in.</p>

7

<p>I believe Denison has an honors program–they may be generous with money. Midwest schools usually have more financial aid, I hear, so maybe Carleton, Grinnell, St. Olafs, etc.</p>

8

<p>A lot of the top schools like Swarthmore and I think Brown don’t give any merit aid, only financial aid. So if you really need it, you may get it if you qualify.</p>

9

<p>Yeah, I believe only one school on my list so far gives merit aid. I should qualify for financial aid at all of those schools.</p>

10

<p>Might look at Holy Cross(don’t have to be religious) very good school similar to Colgate but better location. Holy Cross has nice campus-1 hour from Boston.</p>

11

<p>Denison, Grinnell and St Olaf’s give merit $. Denison also has good FA. Carleton has good FA, VERY limited merit (NMFs get $2K), and would still be a reach for the OP (DD2 had a 4.0UW and a 34 ACT - waitlisted).</p>

12

<p>Beloit…</p>

13

<p>I’d take a close look at Grinnell as a safety/match-about 5 hrs. drive from St. Louis, good merit aid, and, because of the rural midwest location, a lot easier to get into than it would be if it were located on one of the coasts. Demonstrated interest matters, and because fit is important in a small rural school, you should check it out in person.</p>

14

<p>Since you need financial aid, then you need to choose your match and safety schools VERY CAREFULLY.</p>

<p>Wait…are you a rising junior?</p>

<p>If so, will you be testing again?</p>

15

<p>Yes, I am a rising junior, so I plan on taking the ACT again and some SAT II’s.</p>