<p>Ok, so my list is at 5 schools right now, and here it is:</p>
<p>Central Michigan University-safety
Grand Valley State University-match
Hillsdale College-reach
Pepperdine University-reach
University of Miami-reach</p>
<p>My problem is I need more matches and/or safeties. Central is my safety only because it's close to home and is better than Western Michigan. I really wouldn't want to go there, but I don't know of any other decent schools that would be safeties for me. As for Grand Valley, I love the school and I would get half tuition since my mom teaches there, but it's 20 minutes from my house, and I kind of want to go further away. The other 3 schools are the ones I really want to go to, but as you can see, they're all reaches. So can anyone suggest some good match/safety schools for me. I don't care a ton about size, but under 20,000 would be good. I've got a 2.8 GPA, 25 on ACT, good EC's and good essays.</p>
<p>I forgot to mention I'm also applying to the University of Dayton, which is a match for me, but I probably won't end up there, I'm just applying because my parents want me to.</p>
<p>Anyone have any suggestions? I did a little more research and came across American University and Trinity College. Would American be a match? And would Trinity be a match as a recruited athlete?</p>
<p>"Central Michigan University-safety
Grand Valley State University-match
Hillsdale College-reach
Pepperdine University-reach
University of Miami-reach"</p>
<p>Those schools seem to have little in common.
What do you want out of your college experience?
Have you checked with your parents to find out if there are any financial considerations? This means pinning your parents down to a dollar amount they are willing to pay each year. Many students have been disappointed at not being able to afford to go to their first choice college because after they were admitted, their parents realized that the cost was more than they were willing to pay.</p>
<p>Central Michigan is not a safety if you wouldn't want to go there.</p>
<p>You might want to pay $15 to subscribe to the US News premium college on-line edition and then check the "A options for B students" list.</p>
<p>American U. sounds like a reach. 48% of the students were in the top 10% of their high school class, and the average gpa was 3.5 according to the info about American on the U.S. News College site.</p>
<p>I actually have decided not to apply to Hillsdale because it's too conservative, but the other schools do have things in common, just on a smaller scale. As for financial considerations, my parents make a very good amount of money, so there's probably no chance of me getting any financial aid. That said, they'll most likely pay for whatever college I choose to go to. But thanks for your help, I'll probably try out that feature on US News.</p>
<p>American and Trinity would probably both be reaches, I'm afraid. Trinity more so than American. </p>
<p>Here are some schools that you fall into a good ACT/GPA range for (safeties/matches): Ohio Wesleyan, Goucher, University of Northern Colorado, Menlo College, Eastern Illinois, ASU. Of them, I've heard excellent things about Ohio Wesleyan and Menlo.</p>
<p>With ACT=25 and GPA=2.8, Ohio Wesleyan a safety? Are you out of your mind? OWU's averages are more than a standard deviation above these numbers, so not even close to a safety.</p>
<p>I never said it was a safety - I said I was giving safeties AND matches. OWU would be a match, most likely. </p>
<p>(And I wouldn't say that the average stats are "more than a standard deviation above" his, because when I entered his stats in on collegeboard, it came up as a school he'd be in the middle 50% for).</p>
<p>With GPA=2.8 and ACT=25, a match? According to PR, OWU's average GPA is almost 3.4 and the average ACT is 29, so with his scores he might be (hardly) a reach at best. In this case, look to the softer areas of your application to compensate for less impressive academic accomplishments—that means rack up valid achievements and extracurriculars and blow away admissions officers with a killer essay. Oh, and drop in a sexy glamour shot for good measure (kidding).</p>