Can you clarify what urban means to your D? I get Philly and Boston… but does Burlington Vermont qualify as a city? (it is, but a very beautiful and bucolic one. ) Agree with the Pitt suggestion although it’s not a safety. American U in DC?
@JDCaliMom With her stats, ASU and UNM would be safeties with likelihood of merit awards. Both have good honors programs.
American University presumably does not want to be used as a “safety”, based on it considering level of applicant’s interest to be very important: https://www.collegedata.com/cs/data/college/college_pg02_tmpl.jhtml?schoolId=475 .
Loyola university Chicago could be a safety.
So is “safety” more about overall acceptance rate vs an individual applicant’s stats?
Second Pitt - nice city, urban campus, honors college. Lots to like.
Fordham is very urban. It’s Catholic, but does have Jewish studies. At least from our high school it’s sort of a magnet for B+ students. Solid education. And the ones who want to go farther away all seemed to end up at Temple!
Brandeis is probably more in match territory and smaller and not actually IN Boston, but it’s strong in science and would offer Jewish studies.
“Safety” means assured admission, assured affordability, and suitability (academic and non-academic).
For colleges that do not have stats-based assured admission that they announce, it is often estimated based on the applicant’s stats relative to the admission profile of the college. Admission rate may or may not be relevant, depending on the situation (mostly it is relevant for colleges where the profile shows top-end stats and a low admission rate). Colleges that place greater importance on subjective criteria (particularly level of applicant’s interest) can be more difficult to assess based on stats.
The other thing to consider for premed is that there’s a lot of schooling to finance after undergrad.
Run net price calculators everywhere and think ahead to paying for medical school after that. Really try to avoid undergrad loans.
I personally wouldn’t consider anywhere under 50% acceptance a safety. Others with more experience may feel differently. For reference, if it helps with comparing for what you have listed for your D for Northeastern and BU, my D was 35ACT, AP scholar with distinction, 4.0 UW, few but long term dedication EC’s. Her classmates that also were accepted were close in overall and those that were rejected were anywhere from 33 act/97uw/ various EC’s to below.
You have to look at both.
CSU Northridge recently had a 48% admission rate but has announced the thresholds for the fall 2018 admission cycle. https://www.csun.edu/admissions-records/freshman-impaction
While they may change for future admission cycles, students whose eligibility indices are well over the thresholds may be able to assess the school as a safety for admission, based on the low likelihood of a large year to year change.
@intparent- how should students select safeties based off of what we are witnessing this year? With such highly qualified students, just like OPs, who are not getting accepted to what would typically be considered a safety school ( 50% + acceptance rate, high stats, good ECs), would looking at just acceptance rate be a more realistic approach to creating lists? I don’t mean to hijack OPs thread, Im just curious as to what senior members are thinking in regards to what’s happened this year, and how to advise students who are now just starting this process.
@ucbalumnus very interesting! If only all colleges published thresholds what a difference it would make!
@WithGrace In Canada, McGill does publish thresholds. They have a 45% acceptance rate which is high compared to similar US schools. There are no hooks either. There are no "Hail Mary’ applicants. But the requirements stated are required, not recommended, which seems to be the case at many US schools.
http://www.mcgill.ca/applying/requirements/minima/usa
Re: http://www.mcgill.ca/applying/requirements/minima/usa
However, in that McGill list, those are minimum thresholds; depending on the number and strength of applications, the thresholds determined during admission may be higher. “Grades that are equal to or better than those listed below do not guarantee admission in 2018.”
And yes…as intparent says “both”. As for us, we were high stats etc and still didn’t look below 50% as ‘safe’ and showed high interest as well for the safety’s (actually loved the safety’s so that helped). Was a tough year and every acceptance, regardless of rank, D was greatful for
@ucbalumnus True, but they eliminate those applying “just for the heck of it”. Also if you are significantly above the minima, say a 34 ACT and a 3.9 UW GPA, McGill would be a safety.
Certainly, any public university using a stats-only or point-system method for admission should be able to publish its recent thresholds, and really should do so in the name of transparency.
Those public universities using holistic reading should publish banded (by stats) and bucketed (by major, etc. where relevant) admission rates.
Lots of conservative people in California. We’re just outnumbered.
Looks like Barnard is a good option, although I wouldn’t consider it a safety school. University of Vermont, although not in a big city, has a great college town and would be a safety for her list. Virginia Tech would also be a safety as would Simmons but that is all womens. Simmons would be a true safety and right in the middle of Boston with great health sciences and resources locally but I’m not sure its the right school for a someone who wants a large population.