I need safeties!

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hi. So, I've compiled a huge list of reaches that I'll have to whittle down, but I have a hard time coming up with safeties and MATCHES.</p>

<p>Here are my stats...
I'm a junior in Connecticut...</p>

<p>SAT I: 690 CR, 730 M, 750 W</p>

<p>SAT II: 730 Chemistry, 770 Math II, 640 Biology (ugh, but 5 on AP exam though)</p>

<p>GPA: 3.9882 UW (Most rigorous honors/AP course load possible)</p>

<p>Class Rank: N/A, but ~top 5% (I'm guessing) out of 200 at a tremendously competitive high school</p>

<p>EC: 4 years School Chorus, 4 Years Class Committee, 2 Years in a club that raises money for poor/starving children in Africa, 4 Weeks Foreign Language Program in France (accepted under a full scholarship), 4 Years Varsity Cross Country, 3 Years Varsity Indoor Track, and 3 Years Varsity Spring Track</p>

<p>Volunteering: 50 Hours-building houses for poor families in local communities (also with Habitat for Humanity), babysitting neighbors</p>

<p>Leadership: Captain of Cross Country, Indoor Track, and Spring Track</p>

<p>Hooks: White Male (lol), only one of my parents went to college, and my athletic ability might be good enough for D3 schools</p>

<p>I really want to run cross country and track in college.</p>

<p>Schools:</p>

<p>Williams College-ED Athlete?
Haverford College
Amherst College
Bowdoin College
Colby College
Brown University
Middlebury College
Skidmore College (match, I know)
UVM (safety, I know)
Colgate University
Vassar College
Wesleyan University
Princeton/Yale/Harvard University
Stanford University
Columbia University</p>

<p>Basically, I would prefer an LAC/small university that's not a technical institute, too big, or religiously affiliated in a strong way.
SAFETIES and MATCHES please. Thanks!</p>

2

<p>Most of the NESCACs seem like a good fit for you. </p>

<p>Others in New England that could be good are Trinity, Connecticut College, and Clark.
University of Richmond in Virginia also could be a good fit.</p>

3

<p>University of Rochester is a good school and is on the smaller side...more like an LAC and has a higher acceptance rate</p>

4

<p>If you know you're recruitable, it's a reasonable list. I'd retake SATs as many of these schools don't count writing.</p>

5

<p>"Basically, I would prefer an LAC/small university that's not a technical institute, too big, or religiously affiliated in a strong way."</p>

<p>Take a look at the second and third tier Quaker LACs. Guilford comes to mind.</p>

<p>Also, I don't see a True Safety on your list. You still need one place that you would be willing to attend if everything else goes wrong that you can afford without any financial aid other than federally determined financial aid, and that is required to admit you based on your statistics. Note the use of "required to" rather than "likely to". This True Safety will probably be a home-state public U or community college.</p>

6

<p>Matches - Macalester, St Olaf, Whitman Get geographic diversity to help you.
Safety - Earlham</p>

7

<p>Denison, Kenyon and Ohio Wesleyan in Ohio are worth looking at. Kenyon is probably a match, the other two safeties. Franklin and Marshall, Dickinson and Gettysburg in Pennsylvania are others that are low matches that compete in Division III track.</p>

8

<p>Union, but it would be a bit more of a match.<br>
Hobart & William Smith</p>

9

<p>On your list, I would think that Colby, Colgate, and Vassar (gender helps here) would be matches for you. Bowdoin, Middlebury, Haverford, and Wesleyan reasonable reaches. The rest as you know are bigger reaches. People have suggested good safeties, depending on FA needs, of course. Dickinson and Wheaton (in MA) are others. (Don't know about track.)</p>

<p>Re running competitively in college: less likely at Williams unless you are recruitable or close to it, according to what I'm told. I believe that running is a big thing at Haverford, which again is great if you are good enough.</p>

<p>I'd take the SAT again and prep heavily for CR. Run fast this year. :)</p>

10

<p>A lot of the NESCAC and LACs take your highest section scores from each test....so don't worry about taking the SATs...take them 3/4 times if necessary.</p>