In Desperate Need of Safeties and Matches!!

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hello! Thank you very much for helping me. I'm in need of some safety and match schools (I already have tons of reaches)</p>

<p>Sex: Male
Location: Idaho
Ethnicity: White
Major: Linguistics/Biology</p>

<p>Fresh GPA: (4.00uw, 4.00w)
Soph GPA: (4.00uw, 4.125w) (1 AP)
Junior GPA: (4.00uw, 4.5w) (4 APs)
Senior Schedule:
-AP Physics
-AP Lit.
-AP Env. Science
-AP Government
-AP Macro Econ
-AP Micro Econ
-AP Stats
-AP Calc BC/II
-German IV</p>

<p>AP Scores:
Bio (5), Chem (5), Calc (5), Lang. (5), US History (4)</p>

<p>ACT Score:
Comp: 34
English: 33
Math: 35
Reading: 33
Science: 36
Essay: 10</p>

<p>SAT II Scores: Total (2300)
Chem: 790
Bio: 760
Math II: 750</p>

<p>SAT I Scores: Total (2150) (Colleges I've talked to say they'll use my ACT score instead)
CR: 680
Math: 720
Writing: 750</p>

<p>Extracurricular:
Jump Rope (11 years, 10-18hrs/wk, 48wk/yr)
-jumped on David Letterman Show
-jumped in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
-appeared on FOX, ESPN, and JUMP! movie
-jumped at multiple Utah Jazz and BSU halftimes
-helped start team in Hawaii
-mentored/trained a team in New Mexico</p>

<p>Piano (9 years, 5-6hrs/wk, 48wk/yr)</p>

<p>Self Study Languages (2years, 7hrs/wk, 52wk/yr)
-French
-Italian
-Spanish</p>

<p>Awards:
-2nd place team in world (2006)
-1st overall national male jumper 14 and under (2007)
-2nd overall national male jumper 15 and up (2009, 2010)
-6th overall world male jumper (2010)
-80 jump rope regional gold medals
-35 gold national medals
-18 silver national medals
-10 plaques (2nd in event across all ages)
-8 trophies (1st in event across all ages)
-Hold 4 age division records
-Hold 1 grand national record
-Hold 1 Guinness World Record</p>

<p>-earned 5 (top score) at state piano competition past 3 years
-have trophy for having 15 points or more</p>

<p>-National Merit Commended
-AP Scholar with Distinction</p>

<p>Volunteer/Leadership:
-Jump Rope Captain (3 years)
-Teach Kids jump rope (5 years, 1hr/wk, 20wk/yr)
-International Club (3 years, co-pres 1 year)
-Science/Math Quiz Bowl (2 years, captain 2 years)
-NHS (2 years, secretary 1 year)
-Volunteer at Science Museum (2 years, 3hr/wk, 52wk/yr)
-Tutor Kids in AP Bio (2 years, 30min/wk, 40wk/yr)
-Start AP Chem Tutor next year (30min/wk, 40wk/yr)</p>

<p>Colleges I'm looking at, in order of desirability:
Stanford
Rice
Harvard
Columbia
Yale
Duke</p>

<p>Phew!!! Thanks for reading all of this, and I certainly don't blame you for skimming. Obviously, I happen to have quite a few reach schools, does anyone have any ideas for matches or safeties (preferably a private school)? I have one in state safety, but I REALLY don't want to stay in Idaho.</p>

2

<p>I love the jump rope EC. :)</p>

<p>what is your intended major?</p>

<p>Since safeties often don’t give much need -based aid, how much will your parents pay?</p>

3

<p>I’m looking at major in linguistics, or double majoring in linguists and neurobiology if possible. </p>

<p>As for money…I’m not really sure. Nothing over 40,000 for sure, and probably quite a bit less if possible. I was hoping l get academic or extracurricular related scholarships for safety schools?</p>

4

<p>Yes…</p>

<p>Some safety schools do give merit scholarships! But, not all do…and that’s why it’s good to know how much you’ll need. :)</p>

<p>So, are you saying that your parents have said that they’ll pay up to $40k per year? or are you guessing that’s what they’ll pay. It’s best to know for sure so you can plan accordingly.</p>

<p>*major in linguistics, or double majoring in linguists and neurobiology if possible. *</p>

<p>Do you plan on doing grad research?</p>

5

<p>Any particular area of the country (outside of Idaho, which btw is a great place to be from)? Size of school? LAC vs University? Urban/rural?</p>

6

<p>My parents and I really have discussed exactly how much money we will pay. I think they want to wait to see which colleges I get into before they make a concrete decision. </p>

<p>Yea, I definitely plan on doing grad research. </p>

<p>Personally, I think California, Texas, Oregon, and Washington would be nice. Although I’m open to different places. I prefer a somewhat smaller university (7000 as under). LAC vs University, I would say I prefer University, but certainly not a lot. I could go either rural or urban. I just really enjoy having an academic aura at a school, knowing everyone is there for learning and actually enjoys doing so.</p>

7

<p>It’s outside your geography, but URochester would otherwise be a good fit. </p>

<p>Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using CC App</p>

8

<p>1) Columbia and Duke don’t have serious linguistics. UChicago is notably missing and it’s probably a match. Rice is probably a match. Brown is also serious and it’s a reach. </p>

<p>Linguistics is the one that many schools don’t have a serious department for. The only LAC with a serious department is Swarthmore and it’s a reach. Pomona and Reed have it to some extent. </p>

<p>Matches:
Cornell
Johns Hopkins (Good linguistics in the Cognitive Science department)
Northwestern
Michigan (may be a little over budget)</p>

<p>Safeties:
Rochester
NYU
UWashington (Honors)
UWisconsin (Honors)
Ohio State (Honors)
University of British Columbia
Toronto
McGill
Pitt Honors (probably a full ride for you)</p>

9

<p>What is your career goal? Based on your criteria of a university of under 7000 with a desire to study Languages or Biology and somewhere in the West Coast, I’m thinking Chapman University in California maybe a fit. It is a mid-size, private liberal arts university. Looks like you’d be able to qualify for their merit-scholarships. Here are their links including neuroscience courses in their Physical Therapy program. Hope this helps.
[Chapman</a> University - Wilkinson College - Languages](<a href=“Page Not Found | Chapman University”>Department of World Languages and Cultures | Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences | Chapman University)
[Chapman</a> University - Schmid College - B.S. in Biological Sciences](<a href=“Page Not Found | Chapman University”>Page Not Found | Chapman University)
[Chapman</a> University - PT - Academic Programs](<a href=“Page Not Found | Chapman University”>Page Not Found | Chapman University)
[Chapman</a> University Catalog](<a href=“Chapman University - Acalog ACMS™”>Chapman University - Acalog ACMS™)
[School</a> of Health and Life Sciences](<a href=“Chapman University - Acalog ACMS™”>http://www.chapman.edu/catalog/oc/current/ug/content/9075.htm#o8401)</p>

10

<p>Linguistics is the one that many schools don’t have a serious department for.</p>

<p>Right…especially safety schools. </p>

<p>Yes…Chapman for neuroscience and a safety, but I don’t know if they have serious linguistics.</p>

<p>And yes to URoch…he’ll get in but I don’t know how the cost will work out. Don’t know if they’ll expect parents to pay full freight. I think he might get some merit from them that would put the cost below the $40k mark (if that is really the budget)…</p>

11

<p>“I think they want to wait to see which colleges I get into before they make a concrete decision.”</p>

<p>Some parents are willing to pay a bit more for a college that they feel is a better fit for their child, and that is OK. However, you should ask them for clearer guidelines. You do not want to end up with a bunch of admissions at institutions where the Cost of Attendance (COA) is truly outside their range. </p>

<p>Your profile is very good. There are a number of places that would be happy to throw serious money at you. Read through this thread, and see if anything looks good: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

12

<p>Wow, you have a serious chance for any school you’re looking at. Your EC’s are quite impressive and your academics as well. Nice :slight_smile: I have no idea for safeties, but I think if you look at us news, they have a linguistics section, which should show you the top schools, and the ease of admittance.</p>

13

<p>poster Keilexander did intensive research on Linguistics programs. She is currently a student at Swarthmore. I remember she focused on LACs more than universities, but she may still be able to provide info relevant to you.</p>

<p>I agree w/ CRD - Pitt would be a great safety.</p>