Is it worth it for me to apply to more T20s?

Chance Me / Match Me!
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1

I’m a senior in the final steps of applying to colleges but I haven’t done the best job researching schools. I want to apply to one more private, out of state (CA), liberal arts type school and I’m considering Brown but I don’t know if it’s even worth applying to. Basically can anyone chance me for Brown, UC Berkeley, and Tufts and match me with an affordable, high ranked school that’s good for liberal arts?

Demographics
*US citizen
*CA resident
*Medium-large public high school in low-income neighborhood

  • Afghan female
  • 2nd Generation legacy @ Cornell and USC

Intended Major(s)
Poli Sci, Econ, Public Policy, Environmental Science/Policy
I’m not really sure about my major yet because im interested in a lot of things so I’m hoping to go somewhere where I have flexibility to explore different paths

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Unweighted HS GPA: 4.0
  • Weighted HS GPA (incl. weighting system): 4.9
  • Class Rank: Not sure but probably top 10
  • ACT/SAT Scores: EBRW- 780, Math- 750

Coursework
*Middle School: Algebra 1 H, Geometry H, Spanish 1
9th grade: English 9 H, AP HuG (5), Bio H, Choir, Algebra 2 H, Spanish 2
10th grade: English 10 H, Pre-Calc/Trig H, AP World (5), Chem H, AP Seminar (5), Spanish 3
11th grade: AP Lang (5), AP Calc AB (5), APUSH (5), AP Research (dropped after 1st semester), peer tutor (replaced research), Spanish 4
12th grade: AP Lit, AP Stats, AP enviro sci, AP Gov, AP Micro, ASB Leadership

Awards
National Merit Semifinalist
AP Scholar w/distinction
Top honor roll at my school (10-12)
Top Female Rookie at my school freshman year
Top scholar on my track and xc teams (10-12)
Top 10 in my league for xc (10) and track (11)
Model UN research Award

Extracurriculars
4 years varsity cross country (2 year captain)
3 years varsity track
Volunteered to keep track of expenses and write newsletter articles for my aunt’s organization that helps Afghan students (about 2 hours a week 10-12)
Co-Founder and vice pres of my school Nature Club (11-12), about 100 hours spent volunteering in my school’s Nature Center (9-12)
Helped write and edit my Grandmother’s novel (about 2 hours a week 10-12)
National Honors Society member (10-12) and community service commisioner (12)
Women’s league member (10-12) and vice pres (12)
ASB Community Service and Recognitions and Awards commissioner (12)
Volunteered at a nature summer camp for kids for 3 weeks in summer after 11th
California Girl’s State Delegate (11)
*50+ additional hours spent volunteering in my community at food banks, soup kitchens, food drives, community gardens, etc.

Essays/LORs/Other
PIQs: 9/10- Feel like these reflect me as a student pretty well and had them checked by a Berkeley admin officer
Common App: 8/10- Wrote this last minute in one night but I think it turned out ok given the circumstances, talks about how my hobby of playing poker helped me connect with my family and control my emotions
LOR: 7.5/10- not really sure how these will turn out since I had my teacher online last year (Lang and Research) and she was busy with lots of letters of rec so mine may not have been given a ton of time

Cost Constraints / Budget
No real budget but I don’t want to put too much of a burden especially since I probably won’t be eligible for financial aid, hoping to keep total costs under 70k if possible

Schools

  • Safety: UCR, Humboldt State
  • Likely: UCSC, UC Davis, CS Long Beach, SDSU, CU Boulder
  • Match: UCSD, UCSB, Cal Poly Slo
  • Reach: UC Berkeley (top choice in-state), UCLA, USC (applied by merit scholarship deadline), Tufts (top choice out of state), Cornell
2

I think Tufts will really like your academic record. How have you demonstrated interest there and why do you want to attend? What has your impact been with your extracurriculars?

How have you demonstrated interest at USC? Why do you want to attend?

What, generally, are you covering in your PIQs? Why did you wait until the last day to write your Comon App?

3

Wellesley, Smith, Bryn Mawr?
Any of the top 10 LACs?

4

What about Brown specifically appeals to you?

You have great credentials and an interesting background. Your viability as a candidate would in large part be a function of your ability to communicate what about Brown (or any school) is of interest, how you would contribute to the Brown community and how you could leverage Brown’s open curriculum.

FYI I note your interest in a liberal arts atmosphere and flexibility to study various subjects but the devil is in the details.

I don’t think anyone can accurately chance you without understanding what is important to you and or your ability to convey the sort of passion that Brown (and other similar schools) seek in applicants.

Happy to try and help and either way good luck!!

Lastly if Brown does turn out to be your ultimate reach, make sure to run the numbers and discuss with your family if it is affordable before applying.

5

You have an outstanding record and likely have understated your chances. Your likelies are more likely safeties. Especially Boulder.

I’d look at like this …as long as you have a school on your list you know you will get into, can afford, and most importantly that you would be excited to attend….then you can apply anywhere. So if Boulder or Humboldt or UCR excite you and are affordable then go for it.

I can see Brown, Middlebury, or even Pomona given the majors.

Since you want to save $$, look at U of Arizona and their fine Honors College. Your 70k figure will likely be a 4-year, not one year total…or close to it. Many for NMF recommend Alabama and New Mexico…bcuz who doesn’t like free ??

Btw a Brown or Tufts will cost more than $70k so if you don’t qualify for need, think b4 applying. They will be well over $300k when all said and done.

If you want top schools that may come in cheaper look at a Brandeis, Macalester, Rochester or Case. May bcuz they have merit.

Don’t know where you’ll get in of the top schools bcuz it’s hard for all but your record is fantastic and being Afghan will be a positive.

Good luck.

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6

You look like a well qualified and competitive applicant.

2020 Freshman admit rates for UC GPA of 4.20 or above capped weighted and not major specific:

UCB: 37%

UCLA: 38%

UCSD: 78%

UCSB: 81%

UCD: 86%

UCI: 60%

UCSC: 92%

UCR: 97%

UCM: 98%

2020 UC capped weighted GPA averages along with 25th-75th percentile range:

UCB: 4.22 (4.13-4.30)

UCLA: 4.25 (4.18-4.31)

UCSD: 4.16 (4.04-4.28)

UCSB: 4.15 (4.03-4.27)

UCI: 4.11 (3.96-4.26)

UCD: 4.10 (3.95-4.25) Updated for 2021

UCSC: 3.94 (3.71-4.16)

UCR: 3.88 (3.65-4.11)

UCM: 3.68 (3.40-3.96)

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7

As part of your decision as to where to apply, you may want to consider schools strong in your tentative areas of interest:

For colleges with notably flexible curricula and traditional liberal arts atmospheres, look into Hamilton, Amherst and Smith, especially as a potentially full-pay student.

https://ideas.repec.org/top/top.uslacecon.html

3 Likes
8

Given your profile and interests, I wonder why UChicago and Johns Hopkins are not on your list.

9

I was drawn to Tufts because they don’t require applicants to declare a major until the end of their second year and have a flexible curriculum. I also have family in Boston which is a motivation to be near there. I have attended a couple virtual information sessions for tufts and one in person session.

My extracurriculars are not the most impactful but I did help organize an emergency fundraiser for my aunt’s foundation that raised about $15,000 for Afghan schools impacted by the pandemic. I also helped start the first Environmental Action Week at my school to promote sustainable action and organized volunteer workdays to maintain our school campus and Nature Center.

What initially put USC on my list was the half tuition scholarship for NMF but I am also interested in their Politics, Philosophy, and Economics major that would allow me to explore my interdisciplinary interests. I was in a small virtual meeting for USC a few weeks ago where I was able to make what I perceived as a positive personal connection with the main admissions counselor reviewing my application.

My PIQs are focused on: building up my cross country team as a captain during my senior season, learning about my heritage and gaining a global perspective from my grandmother, my interest in politics, making an impact on my community through the Nature Club.

As far as the Common App goes I have dealt with a lot of anxiety about writing one essay that encapsulates my value as a student and person throughout the past several months. I had many half-written drafts which I deleted and 2 days before the USC deadline I scrapped everything I had and went in a new direction. I had my English teacher read it and she was shocked to learn that it was a first draft and said that it was one of the best she had ever read for what it’s worth.

10

Honestly, I haven’t looked into Brown a ton but a friend matched there with Questbridge last year and really loves so that’s what made me consider it. I’m very attracted to the Open Curriculum and the progressive culture centered on curiosity and exploration and I feel like I could do a fairly good job communicating that since I’m a pretty good writer.
I just want to get a general idea of whether my other record, stats, and extracurriculars will be good enough to give me a possible chance given that I demonstrate my interest well. Are there any specific aspects of Brown that admissions officers might want to see an applicant focus on?

11

Yes. And your ECs are fine. As I said earlier, the only thing standing between you and the tip top schools is….they have far more qualified applicants than they can accept. It can absolutely be you that’s chosen. But you can’t expect it. Show them why you are right and hope but again if you are full pay, neither Brown nor Tufts will make your budget. When you say what does Brown want to see - they will want to know why Briwn ? How and why you fit, what can you contribute, and how will Brown help you grow as a human being.

Other schools with open curriculum are Rochester…one notch down from Brown and has merit aid, Grinnell and you might do really well at Kalamazoo. You’d be a match/likely at Rochester and Grinnell and safety at Kalamazoo. Vassar would work too- like Brown - except no merit aid. These would all be more than $70k.

Because you have safeties that presumably you can afford and excite you, you can apply anywhere else. Worst case you don’t get in and hit your safety.

You record is so good that if you apply to schools with merit aid ( of which Tufts and Brown don’t) you could do well and help your family financially.

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12

It sounds like you hit on important qualities that UC is looking for and your academics are top-notch. I think you are very competitive for Berkeley. For the others, I’m glad you’ve demonstrated interest, but I agree that your success is likely dependent on your ability to convey fit and your future contributions on campus.

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13

What is your economic status? If you are a pol sci major then why are you not looking more at DC area schools? Georgetown, JMU, UVA, JHU etc.?

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