How is my list? Suggestions?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hey. So this is my final push to create a college list, although it will probably change some during the fall. I really want to have a solid idea of what I am doing by August 1st so I decided to seek your input to my list. </p>

<p>I am looking more a small to medium sized university and size is not a huge factor in my college search. I am looking for a college with a traditional, good looking campus rather than a completely urban campus. I also do prefer to be near a population center. I want to go to a college with an outgoing student body that has lots of things going on around campus. I am very interest in the humanities and more specifically, history or international relations. I plan on attending graduate school after college, so good grad school placement is very important. Cost is not an issue for me, however merit aid could be a plus. </p>

<p>STATS:</p>

<p>GPA: 3.95+ (all A's in high school, except a couple B's beginning of sophomore year, and every single honors course available and I have taken up extra classes each tri of junior year to add on to my workload. I have also taken the most rigorous possible course load). I believe that I will have the highest GPA in the class, although my school does not rank.
SAT: 2070 (M: 650, CR: 730, W: 690)-->(assume I do not take again)
I will probably be a National Merit Commended Student.
AP's: (My school does not offer APs because it likes to style its own curriculum, however I self studied for three tests) Stats (5), English Lang (5), USH (5)
SAT IIs: USH: 780, Lit: 700</p>

<p>*I go to a small private school (maybe 25 kids), which almost always has very competitive students who go to top schools. I have the highest GPA in several past years and every year seemingly less impressive kids go onto great schools. For some reason, probably my school's uniqueness, we have incredible luck and results with college even for kids with stats way below CC standards. Also, most of my teachers and especially my college counselor absolutely love me so hopefully great recs. </p>

<p>EC's: I am student body VP. I am also on my school's Academic team and we won regionals and placed 3rd in the state this year.
One of my main interests is human rights and international (doings/relations/happenings?). I am the president of our school's Amnesty International chapter. I am also an active member of the school's Community Service Leadership Team and have won numerous volunteer awards. I am also active on the school's Green Team.
Summers: Last summer I went and volunteered for a month in a West Africa human rights firm (albeit not much was accomplished). This summer I attended Boy's State and went to JSA Georgetown to take a class in international relations.
Sports: I am a cross country runner (33rd in state meet), a varsity tennis player (went to state), and a nordic skier.
I won my school's Williams Book Award</p>

<p>State: ID
Hooks: none (legacy at Stanford)
Race: White
Miscellaneous Info: I spent my freshman year abroad in France with my family and went to an international school. </p>

<p>MY LIST:
Stanford (legacy)
Georgetown SFS
Penn
Dartmouth
Brown
Tufts
Johns Hopkins
Cornell
Middlebury (everyone from my school seems to get in)
Boston College
George Washington
Macalester
Boston University
University of Washington
University of Idaho (extreme safety and really do not want to go)</p>

<p>So any advice and any schools that you could recommend would be great. Also, any input on my current list would be awesome. </p>

<p>Thanks for all of your help!</p>

<p>PS: Should I apply to Georgetown or Stanford early? I am equally in love with both!</p>

2

<p>I’ve heard that people who apply to Stanford early must have the best stats in the world to get and if you don’t then you’re much more likely to get in RD… I don’t know if that’s 100% accurate but it may be something to note. And if you really want to get into Stanford, I would work on those SAT scores. I know people who had 2300s, over 4.0 GPAs, amazing ECs and still didn’t get in… </p>

<p>Also, have you thought about Tulane?</p>

3

<p>Your stats match a lot of the students at Chapman University. Sounds like the school size will fit you too. You may qualify for their merit-aid scholarships if you get admitted.</p>

4

<p>I’ll want to +1 to Scutrules here. My high school had 8 known early applicants to Stanford (you know how people hide it and all). One had legacy (both parents went there and his sister is a current student). All applicants had over 2200 and were in the top 15 of our class of 600. These were all very “neat” people, too, and any one of them being accepted to Stanford would have been no surprise at all, as these individuals were pretty much the leaders of the class.</p>

<p>We were kinda stunned when we heard the results. Legacy kid was deferred (then rejected, going to Cal…) and the rest were rejected. The only Stanford admit was a RD applicant who ended up choosing Harvard.</p>

<p>Mind you, this is a rather mild case, as a competitive public school (top 50 high school) about an hour away from us regularly posts 100+ applicants to Stanford each year with the same class size, and that’s just in the regular round. They get 2-3 acceptances tops.</p>

5

<p>You have a great list of schools. Stanford may be a bit of a reach even with your legacy status, given your SAT score, but give it a shot. I’m hoping you go to Boston College (D is an incoming Senior there in CSOM and LOVES it!). You fit their profile to a “T” (pun intended).</p>

6

<p>Thank you for all of the feedback. It sounds like, as I already suspected, that I have about no chance at Stanford. That being said, even given my legacy status, should I look to early somewhere else such as Georgetown? Jshain, I certainly loved Boston College and I am pleased to hear that I fit their profile! Hopefully, I would have a good chance at getting in. Would I be better off doing REA to Georgetown and Boston College and maybe EA to somewhere else such a Michigan and Uchicago? </p>

<p>I have considered Tulane, but ultimately I do not think that I want to be in New Orleans. I also am not interested in Chapman, but thank you! </p>

<p>Does my list look solid? Or is it too reach heavy? If so, any match suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Also, does it look like I will definitely gain admittance to at least one of these schools beyond U of I? THANKS!</p>

7

<p>Is UW your safety? Idaho doesn’t count if you’re not willing to attend. Can your family afford UW OOS?</p>

8

<p>Personally, I think you are a tad top-heavy (for Stanford-Penn-Dartmouth-Brown), given your SAT score. If you love equally both Georgetown and Stanford, I’d apply early to Georgetown, since the odds of being accepted at GU are (much) greater, but still a reach however. I like “Dad’s” comments above when he said don’t even apply to schools if you’re not willing to attend them and also look at financial feasibility of each school. Good luck!</p>

9

<p>I am willing to attend Idaho, just prefer not too. However, I would much rather get into a match school, but if I am going to a safety, it might as well be cheap. My parents will be fine with OOS tuition so UW is no problem if I got in. I have a lot of reaches because I would love to get into one of them and I loved them all, but I definitely need more matches like BC. Any suggestions?
Also, I think I might go with Georgetown EA and BC EA. Sounds more promising.</p>

10

<p>Is Georgetown still single choice early action? I think they were this year.
I think that you would get into Johns Hopkins ED. It has a fantastic international relations department and it meets your other criteria. It is close enough to DC to do internships when you are an upperclassman or in the summer.</p>

11

<p>Don’t turn your back on George Washington, either. I think they will probably give you some merit-based aid there. My D, who got accepted to both GU and GWU, actually liked the typical student at GWU better than at GU. And, GWU made a nice FA offer to her.</p>

12

<p>Hey i think you have a solid list. my philosophy is that i only need 1 (maybe 2) safety schools because a safety school by definition is one i am SURE i will get into so why waste applications on multiple? just pick your favorite. personally i plan on applying to my in-state public school (UW) and one other (GWU, Northeastern are top contenders) as safety schools. then the rest of my applications will be reach schools and maybe a couple i assume i can get into but maybe ill get unlucky. Don’t worry about it bro</p>