<p>Ok. Do you think I’ll be able to get into any of the schools I’m apply to, the ones I listed in the beginning and the two I added?</p>
<p>Paulel, there is no true safety on your original list. They are all very selective and expensive. W&L and Wellesley are fairly likely (still not safeties), but all the others are reaches for virtually all applicants. You’ll probably be admitted to at least a couple on your list but there’s a chance the aid will be inadequate. </p>
<p>I think mom2colleges asked a good question. Do you have a noncustodial parent whose income might raise your Expected Family Contribution? If so, is he or she willing and able to help at that level? </p>
<p>A true admission and financial safety typically is a school where your stats are in the highest quartile, most students (well over 50%) with those stats are accepted, you can somehow afford to attend even if the aid is poor, and it offers the programs you want. If your family cannot help much, that might mean a directional state university within commuting distance from home.</p>
<p>You may not like that option or W&L, either. So I think you do need one or two more “match” schools (less selective than Oberlin). Yes, a somewhat less selective women’s college (like Mt. Holyoke), or maybe Lewis & Clark.</p>
<p>You might consider Bryn Mawr College. It has a high admission rate and your stats should make you a very likely acceptance. </p>
<p>Both biology and chemistry departments are solid, good feeders to grad schools. The chem major has a biochem concentration option. You can also take classes at Haverford (2 miles away and regular buses) which has great biochem facilities.</p>
<p>BMC also meets need, although their definition of need and they will expect you to take student loans.</p>
<p>I think you’ve applied to a lot already, I’ve always been told to apply to around 6. But you probably should apply to only 1 or more 2 safeties. Since you were talking about northeast I could tell you that people I know that have gotten accepted to ivies have gotten large scholarhips to Boston College and have considered that a safety. Northeastern in Boston is on par with BC’s level of academics so you could check out there too.</p>
<p>For biochem, you may consider UC San Diego, UCLA, UNC. What about your state school?</p>
<p>The OP lives in Oregon and is looking for FA so none of the UCs are a good fit.</p>
<p>Tufts is also in Boston and offers good aid. You might check them out. But I agree with everyone else that you need some backup schools—try BU and Northeastern. BC is another to look at.</p>
<p>Ok I think I will not apply to USC and add Bryn Mawr and Mount Holyoke to my list. Thanks for everyone’s advice!</p>
<p>How about Whitman? Often overlooked. They give merit aid and the deadline is 1/15.</p>
<p>Whitman is a great school where kids with good stats can get merit aid. My son is one of them. He loves it! There are several scholarships available to an entering scholar who has financial need and demonstrates high academic achievement as well as some talent in the fine or performing arts or humanities. paulel, that sounds like you.</p>
<p>I think the OP would stand a very good chance at Trinity CT. They also don’t have a supplement, which is good given the date.</p>
<p>Questbridge + Stanford legacy? I thought Questbridge was for economically disadvantaged?</p>
<p>pizzagirl, I guess I’m not really a Stanford legacy. My grandfather was worked at Stanford as a psychology fellow, so I don’t think that counts (I asked in another forum). However, my family lives off of disability checks.</p>
<p>Sorry to bring this up again, but i’m still a little worried. Do you think I should add any more last-minute safeties, or can I be certain that I will at least get into ONE of my schools? Thanks:)</p>
<p>I’ve applied at Princeton, Yale, Dartmouth, MIT, U Penn, Columbia, Stanford, Caltech, Middlebury, Washington and Lee (Johnson Scholarship), Williams, Brown, Wellesley, Swarthmore, Bryn Mawr, and Mount Holyoke</p>
<p>Anybody? I could really use some advice.</p>
<p>bump! I would really appreciate it:)</p>
<p>paulel, I think people made recommendations already. The gist of it was to pick a few colleges that give good merit aid and are a little lower on the scale of selectivity. You could look at the thread that shows the schools with January 15th and later deadlines. You have good stats and you may well get into several of the schools you’ve applied to, but with highly selective schools you can never be 100% sure. Then there is the question of financial aid. My son applied to 13 schools and was accepted to 13 schools, but the financial aid awards were all different, very different, and several schools were simply not affordable. At the schools that gave merit aid, and where his stats were in the top 25% for admitted students, he was offered some very substantial scholarship money. You might want to throw in a couple of those, they are also very good schools.</p>
<p>I think you have a great list. I think Mt Holyoke should be your safety. By all accounts you should get in. However, it is not need blind in admissions. </p>
<p>I think you should add one of the following schools which are both need blind and full need and should be safeties for you:</p>
<p>Beloit and Lawrence are on the list of top 50 baccalaureate-origins institutions of 1997-2006 PhDs in Science and Engineering. Beloit had 6.5% of it’s graduates get PhD’s in Science and Engineering and Lawrence had 6.0%. Both are need blind and meet full demonstrated need. Both have admissions rates above 60% but attract good students nonetheless. Both have late deadlines. Beloit’s priority deadline is Jan 15 and Lawrence has a Jan 15 deadline. Both of these should be safeties. </p>
<p>I would add one of these two schools to complete your list.</p>
<p>Thank you for the very specific and helpful advice, ClassicRockerDad! I will look into those schools. I’m just not sure I want to live in Wisconsin :)</p>
<p>I know you said that you prefer the east or west, but the midwest has some great schools that are less selective than your current list. ClassicRockerDad mentioned Lawrence and you should should know that it has a highly respected music program. Even if you don’t want to major in music, you’d get opportunities to be in groups. Also, check out Macalester, we loved the place and it has a Jan 15th deadline.</p>