96.1 W GPA 93 UW
6 APs a bunch of honors classes (4s and one 3… the 3 was the first year the class was offered)
top 10%
1540 SAT single sitting
Math 1 760 Lit 690 Chem TBA
average ECs nothing crazy but I was definitely busy
average awards: first honors, NM commended, book award, nhs, attend my current school on a full academic scholarship
first gen divorced parents
Is my list balanced enough?
reaches:
princeton
cornell
barnard
georgetown
notre dame
duke
matches:
colgate
wake forest
northeastern
villanova
boston college
u maryland
rensselaer
safeties:
fairfield
loyola maryland
providence college
16 schools is a lot. I started off with 20 schools on my list, and here I am, two days before deadlines, and I’m only applying to 10 now.
Questions:
Have you toured all of these schools?
Would you be happy and content at any of your three safeties?
Look at your matches. Are you applying to any of them because you can, because your friends are, or because you’re expected to? Are there any that, if you got accepted, you wouldn’t really care?
Insights: It’s actually balanced in the sense that you have actual safeties and somewhat matches, so that’s great.
Suggestions: In my personal opinion, you should check out all of your reaches IN DEPTH. Get the net price calculator out and compare it to your EFC, look at the programs/majors/minors/honors tracks they offer, and write down everything you’re interested in. Check out “reviews” of each college by actual students. If you wouldn’t be overjoyed and jumping to the heavens upon getting an acceptance letter from any of your reaches, they should be cut out immediately. Tour them twice, if need be. Get in touch with an actual student. It’s better to be in love with two or three crazy competitive schools for their programs and offerings than to apply to six and waste money and time. Also, for your matches, I really think you should think about what you want in a college. Do you want a small school, or big school? Research or liberal arts? For example, on your list, you have RPI, U of M (CP, I assume?), and Colgate, which are all strikingly different schools.
@SingHar17 some are because I’m expected to. My original list didn’t have Cornell, RPI, Princeton, Fairfield, or Barnard on it. Essentially, MY list only has 3 reaches and 2 safeties
I would eliminate a few of your reach schools because unless you have a fee waiver, it’s going to cost a ton of money to apply to 16 schools. Look into the programs at your reaches and see which ones fit you the best. Based solely on chances, I would eliminate the two Ivies. Best of luck!
Are both of your parents willing to fill out the requisite financial forms and to contribute to your college costs? I believe that CSS Profile schools will also take the income and assets of the non-custodial parent into account. There are many, many threads on CC of students of divorced parents whose plans were derailed because one parent wouldn’t fill out forms or wouldn’t pay.
Assuming you’ve already dealt with this, to which schools have you already applied and which are you considering cutting?
Update: Against my better judgement and my multiple objections, I applied to all of these schools. Most were due to my parents and GC. Hopefully, I end up with some good options come spring. The only reaches I really cared about were ND and Georgetown which was definitely reflected in my apps. Those were my best two. @mamaedefamilia I’m very close with both of my parents and all forms were filled out and submitted. Both are willing to contribute so I’m very lucky in that sense.
I think what you did is absolutely fine. Everyone works so hard to get into college, and you deserve to get into somewhere great! If it helps anything, I’m applying to more colleges than you and have already sent out apps to them all. No regrets.
