Looking for Reach Schools

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I have already applied to all of my colleges, but I feel that I don't have any reach schools. I really don't want to have the feeling of "what if" in April. If you could help me, that would be awesome.</p>

<p>My List of Colleges
Virginia Tech
University of Pittsburgh (Already accepted)
University of Miami
University of Delaware
Penn State-University Park
University of South Carolina
Indiana University-Bloomington (Already accepted)</p>

<p>I am already in, so I don't have to worry about safeties.</p>

<p>About Me:
White, Male, Senior from PA
Middle-Class (so should be okay with money)
Both parents did not go to college
Major: Chemistry (Planning on going Pre-Med as well)</p>

<p>Classes (only honors/AP listed):
Freshman: Geometry Honors, English Honors, Biology I Honors, Social Studies I Honors
Sophmore: Pre-Calculus Honors, Enlgish Honors, Physics I Honors, Social Studies II Honors
Junior: AP Calculus BC (5), English Honors, Chemistry I Honors, Social Studies III Honors, Spanish IV Honors
Senior: Calculus III Honors, AP Chemistry, AP Spanish
(Also took two years of Latin, along with Spanish, in sophmore and junior year)</p>

<p>Stats:
GPA - 4.12 Cumulative
Rank: 65/561
ACT (SENDING) - 29
SAT (NOT SENDING) - 1640/2400</p>

<p>Activities/Awards
Tennis (JV 9-10, V 11-12)
NHS (11-12)
SHS (11-12)
Model UN (9)
Table Tennis Club (11)
Peer Tutur (11-12)
Bowling Club (12)(Co-Captain)
Youth Bowling (4-12)(Captain 9-12)
Hopsital Volunteer (9) (50+ hrs)
Altar Server (5-12) (80+ hrs)
National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine
Spanish III & IV Academic Awards
Latin I & II Academic Awards
Bausch and Lomb Science Award Finalist
Various Bowling Awards</p>

<p>My only requirements are east of Texas, south of Pennsylvania, at least 5,000 UG, and good sports and school spirit. I want a reach that is not impossible (ie ivies). Some that I've thought of are University of Virginia and University of Texas.</p>

2

<p>Wake Forest has nearly 5000 undergrads. Duke. Vanderbilt. William and Mary.</p>

3

<p>You should reach for Vanderbilt, William and Mary and Emory.</p>

<p>UT would NOT be a reach for you-could even be competitive for honors programs if you bumped your ACT to 31ish?</p>

<p>Don't do UVA. Apps are too strong from OOS.</p>

4

<p>The OP wants "good sports and school spirit." Doesn't sound like Emory.</p>

5

<p>UT Austin IS a reach for you, in my opinion. I had much better SAT scores than you, applied as a resident, and didn't get in. Meanwhile, I was accepted to Northwestern, UNC Chapel Hill (out of state!) and USC. Please don't use UT as a safety, it's very unpredictable! Awesome school though, if you like huge student populations.</p>

6

<p>I didn't list UT as a safety, but said that as an OOS, if he bumped his ACT to 31 he would be competitive and not be a reach.</p>

7

<p>Unfortunately, I probably will not take the ACT again, so I am stuck with the 29 (which by the way I could not be happier with, considering what my SAT scores were). </p>

<p>Vanderbilt was actually a school that I was looking at, so I am glad that someone mentioned it.</p>

<p>Between UVA and William and Mary, which is harder OOS?</p>

8

<p>6 in 1 hand, half a dozen in the other. w&m and uva are practically identical in admissions with no meaingful difference. stat wise UVa had a marginally stronger class of 2010 than w&m did, but w&m also accepted a marginally lower %tage of students - so its a wash imo.</p>

<p>in general however, you'll find many kids who get into both, and also many who get into one and not the other.</p>

<p>all that aside, i don't think you'd get into either OOS - being outside the top 10% of your class and having a 29 ACT(which equates to about a 1300 SAT). but if you're only going to apply to 1 i urge you to visit them - they are about as different as night and day.</p>

9

<p>You should consider the University of Florida</p>

10

<p>Bump...Bump</p>

11

<p>Bump again.</p>

12

<p>I echo Florida, also add UT-Austin and Maryland.</p>

13

<p>What does "bump" mean?</p>

14

<p>Just a small update that really isn't that important. I got accepted to Penn State today, so now I really do not have to worry. Also, my dad talked to the counselor today, and after my first marking period grades (All A's), my rank has gone up to 57/557. So that is really good, at least for me.</p>

<p>Regarding my rank/gpa, I thought it might be helpful to let you know that I have an upward trend. At the end of 9th grade, my rank was only 129/610. At the end of 10th grade it was 67/589, and at the end of 11th grade it was 65/551. So I've been inching closer to top 10%.</p>

15

<p>BUMP = Bring Up My Post</p>

16

<p>I vote for Vanderbuilt too.</p>