Hmmmm any thoughts?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hi everyone, i applied to the US last year (i am from Scotland btw) but for family reasons could not attend those universties i got into.</p>

<p>Applying this year, i thought about just using the same number and type of universities. My short list last year was something like 16 before i broke it down. But having read a very interesting post on this forum i was thinking perhaps the obvious unis arnt the ones to go for.</p>

<p>Basically the shortlist from last year was as follows</p>

<p>UCLA (accepted)
Berkely (accepted)
NYU (accepted)
Harvard
Princeton
Yale
Brown
Caltech
Columbia
Cornell
Dartmouth
Duke
MIT
Chicago
Pennsylvania</p>

<p>Now these are clearly the most well known ones in my part of the world but does anyone think i shoudl consider some lesser known ones.</p>

<p>My aim is to obviously get into a university which will test me fully, and (perhaps slightly wrongly) get me the best job possible. My field of study will either be Politics, Economics or Philosophy although i have a very keen interest in Directing.</p>

<p>Location wise im not fussed. Sure a big city would be a bonus but it does not really determine where i want to study.</p>

<p>Bit of personal detail- I am currently on a gap year - on an internship for Pricewaterhouse Coopers (financial services company) based in London. Through school i studies Highers and Advanced Highers (straight A's pritty much through school. Extra currics are gererally very good (only person in school to play for all 6 varsity sports that the school offered) and i teach Bengali and Arabic at weekends.</p>

<p>SAT wise- its not great but im hoping for perhaps some leniancy due to my internation status and the fact i havnt studies any of the subject tests at school for a few years (i have been foccussing on my social science studies when i chose my subjects)</p>

<p>SAT reasoning: 2160
SAT2 Chemistry: 730
SAT2 Mathematics: 700
SAT2 World History- about to sit in Jan (Sat Biology but only got 660)</p>

<p>Thats a very rough sketchy picture but basically the question behind all this is...is my shortlist good or am i being blinded by the big names.</p>

<p>As always any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.</p>

<p>Kind Regards</p>

2

<p>I'm not sure what you're asking, but definitely find some safety schools. You can keep those on your list as long as you truly want to go to those places.</p>

3

<p>I would say that, of that list, you should only apply to the three that accepted you last year and Chicago. It definitely is reach and name-heavy, and you would be better off keeping 3-4 of those schools and then taking 3-4 matches and 3-4 safeties.</p>