<p>Personally, I like this list & I think I'll get in to at least one of my non-safeties. But many of my friends have applied to / are planning on applying to 12-13 colleges. It makes me a little nervous. What if I don't get into any of my schools? I wouldn't kill myself to have to go to my safety, but I'd rather to go a school that I really could see myself attending. Otherwise, it might not be worth paying all that money.</p>
<p>What I'd like to know is if there are other benefits/disadvantages to only applying to a few schools that I haven't thought of or considered. I need advice: should I be looking for more colleges that I wouldn't mind going to? Or should I just go on as it is?</p>
<p>FYI, my stats are pretty good (maybe not Ivy caliber, but up there). 234 PSAT (so NMSF). 77/80/77. Average amount of clubs / leadership positions. Near-perfect unweighted GPA (only one B), most rigorous courseload possible, around top 5% at a great school. No real awards though.</p>
<p>coin, I do not usually respond to chances threads, but I want to tell you that you should not sell yourself short. First of all, do you know at this point what you want to major in? This should help you start a list of schools that offer that major/or are known to excel in that major. </p>
<p>The stats that you posted do indicate that you have as good of a chance to get into any school, including ivy league schools, than anyone else. Given the information that you have given, I would say that all of the schools that you listed in your post are matches. My advice is that you start thinking about taking the SAT 2s that are required by most highly selective schools. I would also start thinking about visiting some schools to see how you like them - the schools that you list are all very different in regards to “feel”. Finally, to answer your first question, I come from the school of thought that the more choices that you have, the better off you are. Hence, I would expand your list to at least 8 schools, including some reaches - Ivy League schools, or top 20 schools such as Rice.
You have a lot going for you, good luck!</p>
<p>Thanks, MSMDAD! I didn’t mean for this to be a chances thread, actually (I know it probably annoys people), but that was a very encouraging reply It’s more of a suggestions thread, I suppose. My main worry is that I don’t have that many schools that interested me, and I’m not sure if I should keep searching until I finally find more or not. I also am not sure if it would be worth the stress of applying to more schools if I’m not sure I truly want to attend that school, does that make sense?</p>
<p>Right now my thoughts as to a major are focused on physics, preferably astrophysics, with a minor or two in foreign languages. (hence Harvey Mudd, though I like Pomona better because they have an astrophysics track but without the heavy core curriculum that might prevent me from exploring other areas.)</p>
<p>Thanks again for the advice and suggestions! I guess I might look into a couple of Ivies, then, and see if I “click” with any of them like I did with the schools on my list. Rice, I flip-flop in and out with them, because my dad went there and it’s so close to where I live that I’m unsure that I want to go there.</p>
<p>You should definitely apply to a few more schools, and you could be Ivy caliber, even though you don’t think it. If you like physics and stuff, I don’t know much about which schools have that, but Caltech is a great tech school, you should check it out. Also, Stanford may be a school to look at. You are smarter than you think, I think.</p>
<p>Personally I think 13-14 schools is a bit excessive. You might consider 2 safties, 2-3 matches and 2-3 reaches. I think 6-8 schools would be a good number, then you can have a few to pick from. Pomona and Harvey Mudd are excellent schools so I think you have a great start.</p>
<p>It is good to apply to about eight schools. 3 reach, 2 safety, and 3 match. It is a safe way to go and a good formula for success. What you should really look into is a safety that you like almost as much as your reach. If you think Pomona is a reach, and you want a safety like Pomona, Whitman would be a good choice for you. Good luck!</p>
<p>I applied to 4 and it was the best thing I could have done.</p>
<p>Don’t apply anywhere you’re not 100% sure that you’d go to if you got in, simple as that. Now that I’m a senior in college and know a bit more I probably could have added 2-3 to the list and applied there as well, but I have 0 regrets.</p>
<p>I appreciate the college suggestions! tonytet, Caltech doesn’t have enough in the way of humanities for me, and I’ve always been a bit afraid to look up Stanford because I might fall in love with it, but I guess applying wouldn’t hurt. Rutgers89, I will definitely look at Whitman, since I love Pomona.</p>
<p>And I’m also glad for the advice as to how many schools I should apply to. I guess the general consensus right now would be: two or three more schools would do me good, but they have to be schools I really would go to. That makes sense. Thanks for the advice given so far!</p>
<p>If you would be happy at Texas and USC, I wouldn’t add any more schools. There is absolutely no need to apply to many schools if you know you like the ones on your list and have a realistic chance for admission at them. And as you do, don’t get caught up in this hysteria whereby kids feel they need to apply to 15 colleges. The problem with most is they don’t know what they want or their wants are unrealistic so they think if they throw darts at many they’ll hit a bullseye.</p>
<p>I would recommend that you apply to 6-7 schools because admissions have been very competitive the past few years. Don’t apply to more schools if you cannot afford it. Apply to schools that are your best fits (matches, reaches, safetys).</p>
<p>Coin, I think four is a good number. Both my daughters applied to five. And I think you have correctly graded your schools from reach to safety. You do have great stats but both Pomona and Harvey Mudd have low acceptance percentages so they should be considered reaches. Good Luck!</p>
<p>Pomona and Harvey Mudd are among the Ivy-level LACs and thus reaches for anyone, although you have a good shot; I agree with USC=match as well and obviously UT is a safety. However, you say that “I’d rather to go [sic] a school that I really could see myself attending”–does this mean that you can’t really see yourself at UT? If so, I urge you to find at least one safety that you LOVE. You might not love it as much as you love your other schools, but you should still be able to rhapsodize about its positives and be happy attending. I do think you can add an Ivy or two, but only if you’re interested in them (and check out Stanford). Four isn’t too few if you love your safety but it appears that you don’t love UT. (Personally, I am concerned about the size correlation with reachy small schools and huge UT as a safety. Small safe schools do exist out there, lots of them–I’m sure you’ll find one that you can love.)</p>
<p>In short: keep looking for schools that click, with a focus on matches and safeties, but don’t apply anywhere that you don’t truly want to attend.</p>
<p>hmom5, tenisghs, thanks for the advice, I’ll definitely keep your words in mind :)</p>
<p>Erin’s Dad, I feel a little better now that I know that I wouldn’t be the only one these days applying to less than ten schools. XD I just panicked a little when I found out that all my friends had these really long lists.</p>
<p>Keilexandra – thanks for your help! It’s true that I’d rather not go to UT, but my mom says that if I don’t get into a top school that’s where I’ll be headed, because of financial reasons and because it is really a well-respected university. I’ve been trying to find things about it I love in order to acquaint myself with the possibility of having to go, but I haven’t been all that successful. I do like the city of Austin and I would end up with a lot of my high-school friends, but you’re right, it’s just so… huge. USC was pushing it for me and UT is twice as big. Plus, small LACs, while probably having a physics department (my intended major), are not as far as I know likely to provide the option to continue my Italian language studies or to learn the Russian language, which would be important to me. I do appreciate your reply, though, and I’ll definitely continue my search (and look into Stanford. gulp)!</p>
<p>If you have one true safety that you’d be happy to attend, you don’t need any more than that one, and certainly not more than the four you already have. I don’t understand how UT’s guaranteed admit program works, but if it’s trule guaranteed, then that’s as sure a safety as you’ll ever find. and it’s a good school. But it sounds like you’re not quite there on being happy with it. One approach is to just try to learn to love it, as you are. Another would be to look around for a second safety that is also an</p>
<p>^ sorry, accidentally sent. Was saying: you might want to look around for a second safety that’s also a financial safety due to the merit aid they might give you. There might be a school out there that would be delighted to have you and would offer generous merit aid to get you, but that’s a better fit than UT. That’s the part of your list to work on.</p>
<p>That said, I think you’re a likely admit at USC, so that’s a good match.</p>
<p>Don’t feel as if you need to shoot for Ivies just because you might be competitive and the prestige-obsessed on CC say you should. The truth is, most people with your stats DON’T apply to Ivies.</p>
<p>bclintonk just said everything I was going to say about going for merit at lower-tier LACs. The academic fit may be an issue, though–perhaps look into small research universities like Rochester, Case Western, Brandeis, Johns Hopkins, etc.? (Of those, only Case might be a merit match. It also depends on how much your mother is willing to contribute for a non-elite school.)</p>
It’s more of a suggestions thread, I suppose. My main worry is that I don’t have that many schools that interested me, and I’m not sure if I should keep searching until I finally find more or not. I also am not sure if it would be worth the stress of applying to more schools if I’m not sure I truly want to attend that school, does that make sense?</p>