<p>D is planning (at least right now) to go ED to Princeton, where she knows she is a long shot. The rest of her list is:</p>
<p>Amherst
Bowdoin
Carleton
Carnegie Mellon
Davidson
Dickinson
Georgetown
Johns Hopkins
Northwestern
Stanford
Swarthmore
U of Chicago
Williams
Yale</p>
<p>This list should narrow a bit after summer visits.</p>
<p>SAT (old test) 1450 will take new test in Nov
SAT II Writing 760 will take 2-3 more in Oct</p>
<p>American expatriate attending International School</p>
<p>No GPA or rank but full IB diploma candidate (last year IGCSE student with 1 A*, 3 A's) who has made honor roll requiring 6+(out of 7) average.</p>
<p>Freshmen year: long story but Florida Virtual School (state, fully accredited online high school) all A's, all honors courses</p>
<p>EC's: Founding co-editor of HS newspaper, student council officer, MUN, club president, founding president of student ambassador program, troop leader brownies</p>
<p>Will have really glowing rec's as she is heavily involved in running/leading all activities...received school award this year for outstanding academic/community leadership</p>
<p>All thoughts, perspectives welcome...are there any real safeties, and enough likely's on this list?</p>
<p>As long as her final list isn't Princeton, Amherst, Stanford, Swarthmore, Williams & Yale, she should be fine (and even has a decent shot at those).</p>
<p>I'm not that familiar with Dickinson, but it and Carnegie Mellon are the only safety sounding schools I see, and I'm worried that her SAT is too low to consider them a true safety. When she decides on big vs small (or urban vs rural, or whatever her most important criterion turns out to be), she needs at least two true safeties, preferably a rolling admissions school if possible. If she decides on medium to big, she can use a state school, that works out well. Some people who like the Univ of Chicago apply there EA, then scale back their RD applications if the are admitted to Chicago.
I like 2 safeties, because then she has a choice.</p>
<p>I'd have to agree with Cangle. While it seems that CMU, Dickenson and Davidson should be fairly safe, they are really matches. The list needs some solid safeties.</p>
<p>Suggestions? DD has been in seven schools, and lived in seven cities and five countries, making her a very flexible young women. School size can be small (1200) to med large (8000). Rural is ok as long as there is a campus culture and reasonable access (1 1/2 - 2 hrs to a city), suburban is good and city is fine as long as there is a campus. She is a LAC kid, with interests ranging from science to humanities and not really knowing what she wants to do. Strong core is a no go, and womens colleges are out. Only school that is a NO is Brown; older sister is an entering freshmen :-).</p>
<p>Everyone on this board seems to suggest UMich as a rolling admissions safety for kids with good stats, but it's considerably larger than your D is looking for.</p>
<p>Well siNce a 1450 will make many of these schools difficult, she may really want to apply to Brown and take advantage of sibling preference. It's not like they have to hang out! I'sd sure apply in her shoes!!</p>
<p>Here's hoping some time focused on her SAT's will help get that score up a bit. Having said that, her sister was accepted at Brown with a 1440, similar grades but less ec's, awards etc., and 1450 is nothing to sneeze at!</p>
<p>As for the being on the same campus...no way. As easy as it would be for me, many years of togetherness combined with small schools (they are graduating from a hs of 80..no that is not a typo), and teachers who confuse them because they look alike, they are ready for some space.</p>
<p>Frankly, two in diapers is looking easy compared with the back to back admissions game. Schools that accepted D1 are now off the list because D2 thinks because D1 turned them down, including merit aid and honors programs, they will turn her down. </p>
<p>Any help with some safeties (only those that don't interfere with ED)?</p>
<p>I have very similar stats to your daughter's and considered Dickinson, Kenyon and Oberlin for safeties. Wake Forest, Davidson and Haverford were a few of my match-ish schools, and Swarthmore and Carleton were my reaches. imo your daughter's SAT scores are more than decent. Now's the time to really shine in the aspects of academics and EC's that she's passionate about. I wasted too much time throughout the fall of my senior year in trying to make my scores look only so much better.</p>
<p>I would also add that Davidson, again imo, is not safe for anyone and should be categorized more as a match/reach. Good luck to you!</p>
<p>Congrats Topper. What do you think made the difference for you at Swat? Are you whit/asian?</p>
<p>Class of '07 had an average SAT of 1430. "08s probably average 1450ish. God help us '09s!!! So if you got in with an average SAT, what threw you over?</p>
<p>I second looking at Kenyon- it would be a great fit.</p>
<p>I'm at Kenyon now, and also looked at Dickinson, but found it to be entirely different from other schools I was looking at (Middlebury, Hamilton, Skidmore, etc). What attracted her to Dickinson? It seems so much more conservative than other schools on her list.</p>
<p>Dartmouth!! Its the biggest whole on the list (its pretty much Princeton/ Amherst/ Stanford combined). A must apply, especially after looking at the other schools on her list. Its absolutely unique and amazing with ample study abroad opportunities, sophomore summer, and some of the happiest alumni/ students in the country plus a complete commitment to undergraduate education. I think it has all the intimacy of a LAC like Amherst but has more social options since its size is closer to Princeton.</p>
<p>I would personally eliminate Chicago, its nothing like the other schools on the list.</p>
<p>Thanks topper for your list. You'll have to let us know how it goes next year (d really likes swat)! I totally agree that Davidson is not a safety and we have put into into the m/r category. And btw, congrats!!</p>
<p>FYI to all: Chicago is because of some professors from there she met last summer at a program, she's looked at Dartmouth and doesn't think it fits as well as others, Kenyon and Oberlin are off for location (we lived in OH three separate times and she doesn't want to go back), Tufts is off because of offer to D1.</p>
<p>While D2's "hook" may not seem readily apparent, we discovered just how much schools value the IB Diploma with D1. D2 is also doing 4 higher level subjects (Chem, Math, Econ, Eng), came into a school in the second year of a two year program and took the externally graded exams with great success. Her multi country experiences will also separate her to some degree from other candidates. Her year of virtual schooling, requiring great dedication and maturity at 14 should also help with a second look. In other words, while she has no clear hook, she does have a lot of unusual experiences which, presented well, should make her a viable candidate at all schools.</p>
<p>The problem I have is that even straight 800's don't get in to many of these schools and we need to find some solid fits in the less competitive category.</p>
<p>Safeties, which I think would be true safeties, might be Trinity in CT. Nice campus in a city; Lafayette in PA., beautiful campus about 1hr. from Phila and reasonable to NY also. I don't like considering Tufts, Colby as safeties - too risky imo.</p>
<p>IMO, given your daughter's academic info. and extra-curriculars, I worry that she would be wasting an opportunity by applying to Princeton early decision--it looks to me (a veteran parent) as if she would not be accepted. I would highly recommend making a strategic decision to apply to a school where she would have a better chance of being accepted--perhaps Dickinson, Bowdoin or even Carleton. With three daughters' college searches under my belt, I now understand that early decision boosts a student's chances at top-tier LACs. Good luck.</p>
<p>While your advice is very practical, my problem with it is this: Will the applicant always wonder if maybe, just maybe she could have gotten in to her dream school. Granted, it's a longshot, but she'll never know unless she tries.</p>
<p>Audiophile, while I can't speak for Calrmom, I know for me strategy of where I had the most realistic chance determined my ED school. It's one I'll be happy with and I know it would have stood out like a sore thumb if I, as a legacy, hadn't applied ED. So I went with what I think will have the best shot at landing me at a great place. Funny thing is even after getting my SAT more into HYPMS range, I've stuck with my strategy.</p>
<p>Lots of people waste opportunities at schools where they had little chance, but I agree, if you'll always wonder, follow your dream.</p>