<p>Here's my current list so far. Should I exchange some of these colleges so I have more reaches or safeties? For financial reasons my parents are only letting me apply to 6 colleges (and frankly, I don't really want to fill out any more applications than that). Currently I want to major in chemistry.</p>
<p>Stats
*SATs - 2160 (730 CR 710 M 720 W)
*SAT IIs (710 Chem 750 US Hist 700 Math II)
- am retaking math II in October
*APs - 4s on both Chem and US History. Taking Eng Lit, Calc AB, and Bio this year.
*Class rank: 1/180
*most rigorous courseload offered at my high school
*school sends graduates to top schools sometimes. </p>
<p>Awards
*RPI Medalist recipient
*Honor Roll
*National Merit Commended Student</p>
<p>Extracurriculars
*pep band (6 hrs/week for fall and winter)
*tech crew for theater (30 hrs a week for 2 weeks in the spring)
*flute lessons (2 hrs a week year round including practice time)
*NHS (1 hr a week. Vice President senior year. Committee Cochair junior year, plus 10 hrs a volunteer work a quarter)
*dance class (4 hrs/week year round with less time spent in summer - jazz, tap, lyrical, ballet)</p>
<p>Jobs
*job at local pharmacy (20-30 hrs/wk summer, 10-15 hrs/week school year from summer before junior year to Dec of junior year)
*summer camp counselor (18 hrs/week this summer)</p>
<p>Volunteer work
*volunteer lector at church 1 hr/wk about once a month.</p>
<p>Anyways, heres my list
MIT (1st choice, applying EA)
Tufts
RPI
BU
Brown
Either UMass Amherst (rolling admissions) or WPI (EA)</p>
<p>Other colleges I'm considering:
University of Rochester
Johns Hopkins</p>
<p>Any other suggestions?</p>
<p>Do you have any preferences such as Private vs. Public, Urban vs. Rural vs. Suburban, Northeast vs. Everywhere Else, 3k Student Body vs. 8k Student Body and so forth...</p>
<p>I don't really have a preference for private vs. public, I'd prefer urban over suburban and suburban vs rural, and I want to stay in the Northeast. Size doesn't really matter as long as the college isn't huge.</p>
<p>good luck with MIT</p>
<p>Yes, your list is balanced based on your posted info. A factor to consider is what do you want to do with your degree in Chemistry; because if you plan to go to medical school then you might want to add some easier schools to enable you to obtain a higher GPA.</p>
<p>I would keep URochester as a "match" school. I have a friend who goes there and loves it. Its a great unknown school</p>
<p>I would keep Umass Amherst as an extreme fall back option in case all those other options do not come through alright. All those schools on your list are excellent schools. I'd suggest MIT and WPI both early action with Brown and Johns Hopkins as your two other 'high reaches'.</p>
<p>Seriously, as a valedictorian, I think you will get into Tufts, RPI, and especially BU with no problem. As an RPI Medalist though, I would ask that you consider RPI as a match school, I would highly recommend that you apply to see what sort of financial aid package they are willing to offer you. With that award in hand, it might be an added advantage, something you truly do not want to take lightly.</p>
<p>Overall:</p>
<p>MIT/WPI (EA)
Brown (Reach)
Johns Hopkins (Reach)</p>
<p>Tufts (Match)
URochester (Match)
RPI (Match)</p>
<p>BU (Safety)
Umass-Amherst Rolling Admissions (Extra Safety)</p>
<p>I'm recommending this because I believe you are a very very competitive applicant. Apply to more high caliber schools to up your chances of getting into a top school like MIT, Brown, or Hopkins, each great for your intended major btw, apply to more match schools, and less safety schools (I'd apply to BU as a safety with Amherst as a second safety with rolling admissions)</p>
<p>Johns Hopkins btw is a top school for chemistry and is very reputable in the natural sciences, particularly for its strengths in cellular biology, biochemistry, biomedical engineering, physics and astronomy, and stuff.</p>