Daughter with
How does this list look. Any others we should be adding. Any input based on your experiences with similar stats/interests. Can afford the schools on this list
Reach:
Tufts
BU
Wellesley
NYU
Match:
Smith
U Rochester
Skidmore
Brandeis
Likelies:
Pitt
Sarah Lawrence
Mt. Holyoke
Dickinson
Bryn Mawr
If your daughter likes BU, NYU, and Pitt, then George Washington (match) might be a good addition to the initial list, if it’s not too far south (you’re list seems more concentrated in Northeast). She might also be a good candidate for a Presidential Scholarship.
Editing to add: My S19, with lower stats than your D, was accepted to GW with a Presidential Scholarship, based on his essays and ECs. He really liked the place but ultimately chose Penn State because we live in Manhattan and he wanted a break from city life…but the decision was very difficult.
Nice list. I see Tufts is the only NESCAC. Have you looked at Hamilton, Bates, Bowdoin, Conn, Trinity? Also, Lafayette, Vassar. Are some of those towns too small?
Also, COA at Roch is predicted to be $82k next year (data from their FA paperwork) My d transferred out - we couldn’t justify the cost.
I think that looks like a reasonable list. I second the suggestion of thinking about GW or even American although they might be too fratty for her.
Is cost a concern?
If so, have you checked the net price calculator on all of these schools?
thanks-- no, cost is not a concern.
wondering if this looks right in terms of balance and where the schools fit for her given her general stats
Back in the Dark Ages, I attended two of the schools on your list - Sarah Lawrence and BU. They couldn’t be more different and attract MUCH different types of students.
I hate to be a downer, but I’d be cautious about treating Holyoke, BMC and Dickinson as safeties. Are they reasonable, sure. But a sure thing? Maybe not. If in-state at Pitt, with good history from Naviance to show is a slam dunk, then sure. Sarah Lawrence is an easier admit for males than females, though full pay could be a slight boost. I tend to think of schools like Goucher, Juniata, Susquehanna, Muhlenberg as more like safeties, than the ones mentioned. Of course, if there are any early action apps which could yield a late fall acceptance, that would relieve the pressure and perhaps help cull some safety/match applications.
Thanks @Midwestmomofboys – appreciate the comment. Not a downer, but her stats seem to put her in at least a likely admission…I understand schools have gotten much tougher. Lets hope she gets into some of these
Not sure if Catholic schools are OK with you but there are Jesuit Colleges in a number of urban areas and they typically don’t have Greek Life. They run a gamut in terms of location and acceptance rates. You can look through this list http://www.ajcunet.edu/institutions
How about Drew University, or Ursinus? For safeties.
Thanks all-- we are not looking at Catholic schools, and the schools listed as safeties are where her ACT and GPA are at or above the 75% threshold and where the admit rate is not too low-- hard to know how else to find safeties…
I agree that some of the likelies are more like matches…especially those with acceptance rates below 40% for class of 2023.
Make sure your D is demonstrating interest at the schools where that is important…for example Dickinson rates applicant’s interest as ‘very important’ (the highest level, common data set C7).
With that said I do think she will get in to some of these schools and also second a number of the more ‘safetyish’ suggestions above.
What is unclear is the level of rigor of coursework, and class rank of your student with regard to colleges you consider “likely”. Your high school guidance counselor could best advise.
If a student were to have few /no honors level or AP courses, minimal foreign language, math, or science coursework, average class rank, etc, it may be better to be cautious in estimating chances…
@Hippobirdy --thank you. Yes, very hard to tell. School does not have APs but she takes the hardest courses you can take, is in leadership positions at school and should have great recs from teachers and counselor. Counselor thinks she has good list, but I am nervous that she might need other safeties… so appreciate your comments.
@Mwfan1921 --thank you. I am trying to get her to show interest in some of these schools, but she feels ‘done’ which is difficult. I will keep working on it. thank you!
I think your daughter is very likely to get into Pitt and Sarah Lawrence, and if she applies early, she can get notification early. I’m not sure why some people want to rack up a ton of safeties. If she has ONE safety that she is excited about going to, then it seems to me that is all she needs, particularly since you stated you can afford all the schools on her list.
I would be totally okay with a kid applying to two safeties, three to four reaches, three to four matches. At the end of the admissions cycle, she’s only going to attend one college.
Best wishes to her! (P.S. My daughter is applying to four of the same schools, one from the reach, two from the match, and one from the safety category.)
@BookLvr --good luck to you as well-- Does your daughter have similar stats? would love to hear where else you are looking.
Have any applications been submitted? I echo another poster up thread…get the Pitt app in ASAP, if it hasn’t already been submitted. There are a number of essays if she is applying to the honors program, which she should do.
If she is burned out you might consider whittling down her list of colleges…there are a lot of essays across these 13 schools. Having an early acceptance in hand not only helps psychologically, but also can decrease the number of apps…say she was accepted to Pitt…would she still send an app to all those likelies? All the matches?
Lastly I will only speak to Dickinson… if she does not demonstrate interest there, it will decrease her chances of admission because they will not think she would be likely to attend if offered admission. Same would go for any school on the above list that considers applicant interest important or very important. Good luck.