<p>Hello.
I am applying to eighteen universities, but it seems that it is too much. How can I shorten my list? I have many top schools on my list, and you never know when Harvard will accept you, but Cornell won't.
I am Canadian, and want universities that allow me to take a broad range of subjects and ones that are great for astrophysics, computer science and academics in general. I have a lot more criteria, but this is just an idea.</p>
<p>What is your feedback after looking over my list? How should I change? What colleges should I remove? How do I lessen the number of universities that I am applying to?</p>
<p>Thanks, and here's the list:</p>
<ol>
<li>Stanford (Dream School)</li>
<li>Harvard</li>
<li>Yale</li>
<li>Princeton
5 = Columbia
5 = Berkeley
5 = MIT
5 = Cornell
5 = Penn (These universities aren't all at 5, but they keep moving around 5-9 on my list.)</li>
<li>Brown</li>
<li>Caltech
12 = McGill
12 = uToronto
12 = UBC
15 = Waterloo (12s and Waterloo are safety / low, low-match)
15 = UCLA
15 = Carnegie Mellon
15 = uWash
(18 in total)</li>
</ol>
<p>Take out schools 4 through 11 (if you add one back I’d say put Cornell back in) — your list is very reach heavy</p>
<p>What are your stats? What can you afford? Why do you want to go each of these schools – if you can’t list more than “name is well known” and “ranking”, then you have not done enough research to have them on your list. Research each school and try to make a list of 5 criteria beyond the name brand and ranking of each school for why you think it would be a good fit for you.</p>
<p>@timetodecide12
I definitely want to keep Princeton, and I am thinking that that is an area to remove some universities, probably Brown. Thinking about removing Columbia, MIT and Caltech.</p>
<p>@intparent
Firstly, good advice.</p>
<p>Secondly,
Based off of estimates:
SAT: 2375 - 2400
SAT Subject Tests:
Physics - 800; Chemistry - 775
Total IB: 39
Published a few fiction books and two magazines.
IBM internship.
Tech startup; apps, operating systems, games, programs.
Intel Science Fair
School Clubs: (without role included)
Debate / Speech
Leadership Bodies
Model UN
Newspaper / Yearbook
Grad
Website Team</p>
<p>And I have more stats after that.</p>
<p>As for affording, it seems, through use of financial calculators, that for the top universities, I will need to spend between $10K and 20K per year, which we can afford.</p>
<p>You look like a pretty typical, but honestly not outstanding candidate for Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, or MIT. There isn’t a real “pop” to your list that makes you stand out from thousands of other applicants, unless your fiction books were big sellers. I would pick 1-2 of those schools to apply to, and work more on matches and a couple of safeties.</p>
<p>Also, some of these are state universities that don’t give good aid to out of state students (Berkeley, UCLA) – run those calculators. And did you indicate that you are an international looking for significant financial aid on all the calculators? Only a handful of schools (some on your list, but not all) are need blind and meet full need for internationals.</p>
<p>@intparent
I will put this into mind.
However, my profile has yet to be built. I have begun college planning years before your normal applicant, and when asked to list stats, I listed my estimates and for extra-curricular, I didn’t put much thought into what to write down: just some things that I know I will want to do that popped into my head. A few years from now, I will be able to post stats, but right now, whatever I post is nothing that I nor others give much thought to.</p>
<p>Also, based off of those stats, what do you think some match schools (from this list) might be?</p>
<p>Have you done research on all these schools? For example, Brown and Caltech are very different… What kind of student are you? Do you prefer a liberal arts environment, or a very techy environment like MIT, Caltech, Cornell, and CMU? If I were you I would cut all of the different “types” by a half. For example, out of the 4 I mentioned, cut two, etc. Are you okay with Princeton’s grade deflation (I’m pre-med, so I wasn’t). You honestly don’t need to apply to this many. </p>
<p>Also, and most importantly, do you have a safety? None of the schools you listed seem like definite safeties. Choose a safety that you are auto-admit for. Like intparent said, rethink Berkeley and UCLA. When I was applying, I had the same issues and had both of those schools on my list (due to their name/prestige). But I’m out of state for both and need a lot of aid, so they were definitely out of the picture. I also had CMU and Georgetown and Brown on my list. But my dad and I decided that CMU (not engineering or SCS) and Georgetown were both schools that I would probably get into but wouldn’t want to attend anyway. Only apply to schools that you would be happy attending! (Including safety) As for Brown, I wasn’t comfortable with the open curriculum (I’m the kind of student who needs some kind of structure, etc). </p>
<p>Think about those kinds of things and you’ll be fine!</p>
<p>@absentions
Good advice.</p>
<p>I feel like I want a techy environment, but at the same time, I want to be able to partake in all sorts of classes, like liberal arts. Out of MIT, Caltech, Cornell and CMU, if I were to cut two, they would be Caltech and CMU.
I am still thinking about Princeton’s grade deflation. After undergraduate, I would want to go to a university of the same likes and continue studying CS and Physics.</p>
<p>I’ve been thinking about the same thing for safeties. I only recently heard the term, “Auto-Admit.” I’ve been looking for information, but have found little. What are they? It seems that my Canadian universities are more open with high acceptance rates and those with a 92% average and more than 2100 on the SAT are almost automatically in. Maybe I should add in the University of Alberta or University of Calgary.</p>
<p>I really feel like I would be happy attending all of these, and previously, there have been universities that I haven’t liked, and have gotten rid of. For me, whether there are requirements or an open curriculum, I’m okay, because with structure or not, I will be able to manage and would take a broad range of classes.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>I am thinking about only keeping 1 or 2 out of McGill, UBC and Toronto. I posted a thread about that on the Canada forum. The smallest list for me, from my thoughts right now, would be:</p>
<ol>
<li>Stanford</li>
<li>Harvard</li>
<li>Yale</li>
<li>Princeton
5 = Berkeley, MIT, Cornell, Penn</li>
<li>[Either McGill, Toronto or UBC]</li>
<li>[Another Canadian / Waterloo]</li>
<li>UCLA</li>
<li>University of Washington</li>
</ol>
<p>That’s 12, which I guess is a good list. I might even need to reconsider Berkeley, UCLA and Wash, resulting in 12 and me adding either the University of Calgary or the University of Alberta:</p>
<ol>
<li>Stanford [Ivy+]</li>
<li>Harvard [Ivy+]</li>
<li>Yale [Ivy+]</li>
<li>Princeton [Ivy+]
5 = MIT, Cornell, Penn [Ivy+]</li>
<li>[McGill / Toronto or UBC] [Low Match]</li>
<li>[McGill / Toronto / Waterloo] [Very Low Match]</li>
<li>University of Calgary or U of Alberta</li>
</ol>
<p>Good progress from 18! However, I think the problem is is that now, I have either Ivy+s or Low Matches / Safeties.</p>