<p>Hi, I'm a senior at a competitive Bay Area public school. I'm looking for a medium-sized university (large can work too, but medium is preferred) in any setting except rural. I want a high academic, less pressurized place (which probably means no Berkeley unless I go desperate). I'm also looking for financial aid, which is the motivation behind the three safeties. Finally I'd love to stay in California, the closer to home the better. If you could give me any suggestions about my list (add, subtract, finish), that would be great.</p>
<p>Asian female
UW: 3.97 (9-11)
W: 4.24 (9-11)
Rank: School apparently doesn't disclose, but around the very edges of top 10%
Major: Super super undecided. I like nearly everything except Lit and Bio though.
SATs: 2280 (UC = 2260)
SAT IIs: Math IIC 800, Chemistry 760, History 750
APs: APUSH 5, Chem 4
Senior year schedule: AP English Lit, AP Government/normal Econ (AP not offered), AP Calculus BC, AP Spanish Language, Physics Honors (AP not offered)</p>
<p>ECs:
FBLA - Vice-President of Competitions (12); 3 section, 3 state, 1 national award (10/11)
Red Cross Club member (11,12)
Youth Acting for Kids member (9-12)
JV Swimming (9-11), Captain (11), Scholar Athlete Award (10)
COSMOS (11)
SF Zoo Volunteering Program (12)</p>
<p>List:
Reaches - Stanford SCEA, Columbia
Matches - UC Berkeley, UCLA
Safeties - UCSD, UC Davis, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo</p>
<p>I have been hearing good things about Occidental College. They give aid, too. Another thing to do is to look at the five Claremont colleges and pick one or two suited to you. If you go to one, you can take classes at any of them.</p>
<p>To Brown: I have visited, and ... it's not really to my liking. I'm not too fond of the surroundings. They have a great gelato cafe though.</p>
<p>To Claremonts: I've heard that Claremont McKenna is heavy on political science and discussion, while Harvey Mudd is techie, and I'm not inclined on either. (Scripps is also a no-go - I'm ruling out women's colleges.) What's the word on Pomona/Pitzer?</p>
<p>To Occidental: I'll look into that (I believe they are visiting my school).</p>
<p>I kind of want to add a reach just for the heck of it, but I've already given my rec forms in and I don't feel comfortable asking my teachers for another recommendation. Plus, there's nowhere that I really want to go. I've visited many of the top-notch East Coast universities and the only one out of those that I would consider would be Princeton. (I'm also being Asian and trying to save money. =) Not that it really matters in the long run, but...)</p>
<p>EDIT: I am also a National Merit Semifinalist, which would help at the smaller schools for financial aid, I believe. (USC anyone?)</p>
<p>If I had to poll my high school classmates, I would say that 1/3 of them would say that trying to save an extra $65 on application fees was probably the biggest mistake of their life. I know not applying to enough places was a big mistake for me aftr high school.</p>
<p>yes, i surely would add USC to your list given your preferences and abilities.
the vastness of its quality academic programs continues to impress and is perfect for a high achiever still undecided.</p>
<p>That is not true. There is no point in applying to a school just because it is good. If the OP only wants to go to these schools, good for him/her. It is best to have a small list than a huge one filled with schools that the applicant has very little interest in. </p>
<p>I would add USC and possibly Penn if the east coast is fine for you.</p>
<p>Nice thought, but my experience is people learn much more about schools after "acceptance days weekends" than at any other time. So adding a reach you sort of like might pay off bigtime when you realize its a perfect fit. Brown has much more in common with Columbia and Stanford than her matches do.</p>
<p>Very interesting. Stanford SCEA is no chance. The people that generally get in from your school have mindblowing stats and extracurriculars. So far, I have only seen one person with low stats (under 2250) get in for the past 3 years. I would not waste $60 on an app there. Try a lower reach like cornell.</p>
<p>To Brown: I went there hoping to like it, and came back ... much inclined toward the other direction. Their open enrollment program, while certainly interesting, isn't really for me because I don't like being faced with a giant list of 800 classes and being asked to pick some. It's like going to a buffet line. I mean, I like their gelato cafe, and I think the people there are quite relaxed. But I'll pass on their academics and the overall (not just student body) atmosphere. (Off-topic, I think our school is blacklisted there - as far as I know, only one person has been accepted the past three years.)</p>
<p>To Cornell: I am forbidden from applying. Enough said.</p>
<p>To UPenn: This is silly, but I dislike the summer weather - smog-ridden and suffocating. It was much more noticeable than when I visited UCLA or USC. It's also kind of chaotic, being right next to the city. Not my cup of tea.</p>
<p>To USC: I will add that RD. I've heard rumors that they give nearly full, if not full, tuition scholarships to National Merit Finalists ... ?</p>
<p>About Stanford SCEA: I'm not below 2250, so that's a good thing, right? We should all live a little. There's no point in being passive and letting the world run by you. =) I'm probably flattened by the girl with comparable stats, a massive extracurricular list, and double legacy to boot (yes, this is a real student), but we can't all be so lucky.</p>
<p>agreed on duke if poster is willing to go along with carolina geographically. on southern cal, its academic profile continues to soar along with its endowments and tuition aid is assured given this credentials dossier. the only question since i don't have inside info is how much aid would be rendered. if you like college sports you have absolutely found the right fit.</p>
<p>Duke, HAHA. Okay, my dad hates Duke because of their tobacco funding, and suffice to say, I don't think he'd be pleased if I applied there. So...</p>
<p>Rice - Will look into that RD.</p>
<p>I will cut off my colleges there (6 applications is enough for me). Thank you all for your suggestions!</p>