Looking for Another Reach School!

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I am a senior and am trying to find another reach school to add to my list!
I don't really have a geographic preference. My stats are below, and so far I have applied to:
UMD College Park, Villanova, U of Miami, Northeastern, Rutgers (accepted), The College of NJ, George Mason, American U, Brown (BIG reach but dream school), Penn State, and Tulane (accepted $25k/yr scholarship)
I'm looking for something between Brown and the rest of the bunch that is a reach, but could be feasible</p>

<p>Standardized tests: (the issue!)
ACT Composite: 30 (34M 32E 30S 25CR 10W)
SAT: 2080 (750M 740W 590CR -just retook on 12/7 to hopefully get CR up)
Subj Tests: Math II- 730, Math I- 700, Chem- 650. retaking 3 in January
APs: Calc AB (5), Statistics (4), World History)</p>

<p>Class rank: 4/350 (slightly above average public school). GPA: 4.432 weighted, 4.0 weighted
I have taken all Honors/AP classes throughout HS and am in AP US history, AP US gov/pol, AP Biology, and AP French this year.</p>

<p>Leadership: VP of state student council organization, counselor at leadership camp, treasurer of school student council, Relay for Life student committee president/student coordinator, world language honor society French Secretary, Students Against Destructive Decisions secretary (junior), president (senior), Hugh O'Brian Youth (HOBY) Leadership Seminar Ambassador</p>

<p>ECs: Key club, national honor society, cross country (freshman-junior yr), class council, welcoming committee, Leo's club, girl scouts, robotics, volunteer at camp for special needs children, Darfur outreach Organization, student council, SADD, Thanksgiving Drive, read to special needs children once a month</p>

<p>Awards/Recognition: The President's Volunteer Service Award, Girl Scout Silver Award, AP Scholar Award, Coca Cola Scholars Semi-Finalist</p>

<p>Work Experience: Local bakery 10-15 hrs/week since 9/2012</p>

<p>Essay: Common App essay is about cutting and donating my hair to organizations that provide wigs to cancer patients 4 times and my passion to the American Cancer Society developing into me becoming President of the Relay for life Student Committee. It is very light and an easy read---I had several English teachers read it and got great feedback</p>

<p>Recommendations: My guidance counselor said they are some of the strongest she has seen</p>

<p>Intended Major: some combination of Middle East Studies, International Relations, and Political Science (real interest is Homeland Security)....stinks since math is my strength!</p>

<p>Any suggestions would be much appreciated! :)</p>

2

<p>Emory, Lehigh, william and mary, u of rochester, wake forest, gw good luck</p>

3

<p>Bowdoin and Wake Forest are test optional, might be worth a shot.</p>

<p>If you would consider a LAC, you could pick up some decent top rated schools with what you have in GPA and test scores.</p>

<p>Boston U and Brandeis (especially for Middle East Studies) probably aren’t reaches, but they might be nice add-ons, and U of Rochester was already suggested. Tufts is a definite reach you could add. Vanderbilt is also a reach. NYU?</p>

4

<p>Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, Tufts, William & Mary
(all less selective than Brown, all probably at least as strong for International Relations.)</p>

5

<p>not an exact answer to your question but based on the information you provided above (and your GC is correct about the letters) you would be competitive for PSU’s honor college. If you did not apply, you have until jan 15th (I think) to do so. This could be considered a “reach”</p>

6

<p>Vanderbilt?</p>

7

<p>Georgetown SFS, Dartmouth</p>

8

<p>With your major DC might be a good place to go to school…maybe Georgetown or GW? perhaps also Johns Hopkins, Tufts, William & Mary, UChicago, BC, Vandy, Emory, NYU.</p>

9

<p>You could apply to Emory’s Atlanta campus and Oxford campus with the same application fee. While Emory’s between Brown and the rest of your list, you’d have a fairly strong application for the Oxford campus.</p>

10

<p>[Inside</a> the Ivory Tower - top programs in international relations](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inside_the_Ivory_Tower]Inside”>Inside the Ivory Tower - Wikipedia)</p>

11

<p>Might look at Holy Cross-top25 LAC WITH VERY GOOD ACADEMICS 1 hour from Boston. HC is also test-optional and is need-blind for admissions(meets 100% of demonstrated financial aid).</p>

12

<p>Thank you all SO much for all of the suggestions! I am definitely going to get some more information but am thinking about adding Hopkins and Georgetown! Thanks again!!</p>

13

<p>Good choices. I’d also seriously consider adding GW just in case your CR score doesn’t improve.</p>

14

<p>I think you’d really like Tufts! It’s fairly culturally similar to American and Brown, which I saw on your list, and it has great programs for Middle Eastern Studies, International Relations, and Poli Sci.</p>

15

<p>ALL schools (including test optional schools such as Bowdoin and Wake ) look for top standardized test scores. So far at my son’s elite private school, his friend accepted at Wake had 33 on ACT and for Bowdoin 800 on CR. The “test optional” schools really only want to post top scores. Yes you can apply with a 4.0 and 9 APs with scores of 5 but short of that, without a hook it is really difficult. Tufts and Vandy are known to focus on high scores. With your scores and interests I agree with GWU, NYU, BU, maybe as a stretch: Hopkins (for international relations). PS: nothing wrong with Case, Tulane or U Miami with merit $ if all else fails.</p>

16

<p>^ I agree. A test optional policy is not a free pass to all applicants with low scores. It’s a way for selective colleges to admit lower-scoring hooked applicants they would have admitted anyway, without lowering their averages.</p>

<p>However, the OP recently re-tested; s/he is applying to a balanced range of reach/match/safety schools; s/he already has been accepted to Rutgers. So it can’t hurt to apply to another long reach in case that CR score goes way up.</p>

17

<p>I just received my results from the December SAT. My CR went up to a 670 and Writing to a 780, bringing my Super Score to a 2200. Knowing this, I will definitely look a little more closely into some of your suggestions! Thank you ALL!</p>