How does my list look? :)

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hey everyone! I'm wondering how my college list looks. I know my list is loaded with reaches, but do you think I have enough safeties/matches? Also, do you think the schools match what I’m looking for (which I’ll post below)? And which schools do you think I have the best/worst chances at?</p>

<p>What I’m Looking for:
friendly student body, maybe a quirky student body, non-dominating greek life or none at all (or non-stereotypical greek life), good freshman experience, kids who like to party (but kids who also know how to have fun without drinking as well… because I can’t party EVERY night, ha), ideally a school with 4000-9000 students, active campus life, good in liberal arts (but also needs to be good in other areas because I’m still very undecided)</p>

<p>ACT: 32
AP Scores: Eng-5, US History-5 Bio-4</p>

<p>Rank: 6/215
Grades: 3.83/4 UW</p>

<p>9
Honors English 9 A
Honors History 10 A+
Honors Geometry A-
Honors Physics 1 A+
Honors Biology A
PhysEd (req.) A+
Computer Science (req.) A
French 1 A-</p>

<p>10
Honors English 10 A
Honors History 10 A+
Honors Algebra 2 B+
Honors Chemistry A
Art (req.) A
French 2 A+
French 3 A</p>

<p>11
AP English Lit A
AP Biology B+
AP History A-
Honors Pre-Calc B+
French 4 B+
Creative Writing A+
Art 2 A</p>

<p>12
AP Calculus A-
AP Psychology A+
AP Macroeconomics A+
AP U.S. Government A+
Honors Physics 2 A-
AP English Lang next semester
Art 3 next semester</p>

<p>Extra Curricular Activities:
These are strong, but not outstanding. I’ve held several leadership positions, and shown commitment/passion to a few areas in particular. I’m a member of NHS like most applicants… I’m very involved in community service (I’ll probably graduate with 300-400 hours of documented service). I’ve held a steady job (15hrs/week school, 40 hrs/week summer) all throughout high school. I play sports—captain of my team… etc. etc. </p>

<p>In short, I doubt my ECs won’t get me in, but they shouldn’t keep me out. </p>

<p>Essays/Recs:
I think I will have one really, really great rec, one “good” rec, and I think my counselor rec will be pretty strong. I worked hard on my essays and expect them to have a positive influence on my apps (I’ve gotten good feedback), but ya never know! =)</p>

<p>College List:
Penn ED Legacy
Boston College
Tufts
American
Colgate
Villanova
JHU
Cornell (legacy)
Brandeis
Middlebury
CMU
(Plus I have 2 other definite safeties)</p>

<p>Thank You!</p>

2

<p>Good luck with Penn! :)</p>

<p>Which ones are your matches and safeties?</p>

3

<p>I think that with your legacies, you have a good shot at Cornell and Penn. Both are awesome schools that fit your qualifications and both will provide opportunities for you to succeed in life. However, as with all Ivy League schools, nothing is guaranteed, even with good credentials and legacies.</p>

4

<p>Well, I’ve already been accepted to my two main safeties (state schools) and as far as which are matches/safeties on the list I provided… I’m not sure. I’ve been told that American is a safety and that BC, Colgate, Villanova, and Brandeis are matches. I assume that Tufts, JHU, Cornell, CMU Penn, Middlebury are all reaches (some more so than others). Does that sound about right? I’d LOVE to end up at Penn, Cornell, Tufts or JHU and I do really like all of the other schools on my list.</p>

5

<p>Yeah…American is probably a safety with your stats. :)</p>

<p>But…how do you feel about your safeties - especially your in-state safeties? I get the feeling that you just applied to them because - well - they’re there.</p>

<p>Would you feel badly if you ended up at one? IF so, you need to pick a safety that you would love. “Love thy safety” that’s the motto that many bandy about here.</p>

<p>BTW…I love Villa Nova. If you don’t get into Penn, I hope you get in there :)</p>

<p>Will you be needing a lot of FA? Do you know what your EFC is? Can your parents’ pay it?</p>

<p>Just things to consider :)</p>

<p>Good luck again with Penn!! :)</p>

6

<p>Thanks! I’m not applying for FA so that’s not really an issue. I would be okay going to one of the safeties I got into… but it wouldn’t be an ideal situation and I’d have no problem going to American. I love DC and it’s a great school. </p>

<p>I like Villanova a lot but it seemed a little bland when I visited. I’ve heard the student body isn’t all that diverse and it’s a little on the preppy side for me. I’d love a slightly quirkier, more diverse student body. But the size and location is perfect, the academics are great, and it’s a BEAUTIFUL campus.</p>

7

<p>Frankly, so many schools today are kind of preppy - even if they’re not 100% preppy. It’s just a trend that’s going on today - plaid shorts, khaki pants, Topsiders, Polo shirts, Oakleys. I don’t think it’s easily avoidable. I’ve been on campuses in Calif, NY, Indiana, Iowa, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, etc, etc…those Oakleys on a crokie are everywhere. LOL</p>

<p>Unless you can’t stand any of that, and you would “stick out like a sore thumb” if you wore something else (I don’t think any school is THAT preppy), then you may need to add some other schools to your list.</p>

8

<p>No, I wouldn’t stick out like a sore thumb at preppy schools… I’m actually kind of preppy myself-- not overly. I wear J Crew, northfaces, gap, and then normally clogs or flip-flops. I wear pretty plain clothing. It’s not that I dislike preppy people–most of my friends are pretty “preppy”, I’d just love to be somewhere where I feel like there is more diversity. I come from a pretty homogenous town and I’d love to meet some new and different people. When I visit schools like Penn, JHU, and even Tufts, there is a very different feeling than at campuses like BC and Nova. I feel like I see and sense more diversity in all sorts of ways–thought, dress, etc. It’s not that I couldn’t stand being at a school like this—I’m sure I’d be very happy at BC or Nova… I just have this sort of craving for something new, you know?</p>

<p>It’s more of a preference than a necessity. I just know I don’t want to be somewhere where the vast majority of people are “preppy”, materialistic and party 24/7 at greek houses. It’s the whole diversity thing that has driven me to look at bigger schools–because I feel the bigger a school gets the more inevitable diversity becomes.</p>

9

<p>I think you will find that the people at Penn are not as diverse as they may appear at first glance. Based on my visits with a friend who attends, I find that few had Penn as their first choice and that many are either presently materialistic or intend to use the Ivy affiliation to gain material things. There is also a lot of arrogance there except in the presence of HYP types - the places they wanted to go. </p>

<p>Middlebury has more free thinkers in my opinion. People who chose it over places like Penn and Cornell for individual reasons. Middlebury is less preppy (although preppy is more of a fashion sense than a state of mind) but there is also a “norm” here. You would have a tough time finding a republican on campus.</p>