Match Me Up: Preppy Midsized Safeties?

College Search & Selection
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<p>Okay, basically I'm looking for the perfect safety school at the moment. I'm a junior and have a fairly definite college list but no really great safety. People in a previous thread have suggested Rochester for me as a safety, but on closer inspection Rochester's atmosphere seems less than ideal for me. Can anyone suggest other schools that would be safe for me but still excellent matches?</p>

<p>I'm a preppy, upper-middle class white girl from the Plains. </p>

<p>GPA: 4.0 UW, most challenging courseload school offers (several AP's this year and more next year, including self-studying and correspondence).
Class rank: Currently valedictorian in midsized, mediocre public school (~200 kids/class).
SAT: 2220: 800 CR, 780 W (11 essay), 640 (!!!) M (obviously my weak spot)
ECs/Awards: Good, but not earth-shattering: Several regional writing awards, EIC of school paper, band section leader, 300+ volunteer hours, probable NMSF, part-time job. I'm trying to get more recognition for my writing.
College major: English (I want to become a writer.)</p>

<p>My Ideal Characteristics in a Safety:
-Midsized (around 4,000 to 10,000 students)
-Private
-Coed
-Student body friendly and diverse--would like students to be engaged in campus life and possibly a little preppy (because I am preppy, but preppiness isn't very important to me). Don't want super-nerdy campus culture, basically.
-Competitive but not cutthroat
-Moderate (not overpowering) party scene
-Attractive campus with defined boundaries--definitely don't want the NYU feel
-Located outside of Midwest/Plains region (preferably West or East coasts or nearby, although willing to make exceptions)
-High-quality student newspaper (want to write for one in college)
-Surroundings (city/suburbs/rural area) not too important; as a small-town girl I'd probably feel more comfortable in midsized town/suburban area instead of urban, but I'm definitely interested in the city.
-Merit aid</p>

<p>My dream schools are Dartmouth and Yale, if it helps. Thanks.</p>

2

<p>Try Northwestern,It might not be a safety but you have very good chances</p>

3

<p>check out Richmond</p>

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<p>It’s urban and not on a coast, but Tulane would probably be a merit safety. I had a slightly higher SAT but lower GPA and got the highest non-full tuition scholarship there. There’s a pretty strong party scene, but my sister who attends says it can easily be avoided if it’s too overwhelming.</p>

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<p>I’ve been getting Tulane mailings forever, but have not really considered the school. Sounds great! :slight_smile: Richmond also, although it’s on the small side for my tastes.</p>

<p>And I was applying to Medill anyway as a lower reach.</p>

<p>Any other suggestions?</p>

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<p>Syracuse, maybe Boston College.</p>

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<p>washu in st. louis! (make the geographical exception =D)</p>

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<p>Vanderbilt or Tufts sound good</p>

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<p>^Seconded.</p>

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<p>Wake Forest seems to fit all of the criteria.</p>

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<p>I would say the following schools sound like schools that are personality fits, although none are safeties by any stretch! (the initial few are high reaches). </p>

<p>Higher Reaches: Dartmouth, Yale, Brown, Stanford, Amherst, Duke
Reaches: Cornell, Northwestern, Rice, WashU,
Lower Reaches: Vandy, UNC OOS, Georgetown, Emory
Match: Boston College, Tufts, Wake</p>

<p>Safeties: Rolling admissions at Michigan (get accepted in September), that way you don’t need to worry about safeties too much. Also Colgate and Lehigh might be good “safe” schools.</p>

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<p>I was also thinking Wake as Satety-ish. Perhaps Miami or Boston College. Maybe Loyola Marymount or Pepperdine in SoCal.</p>

<p>However, I think your best safety-match is probably Wake or BC.</p>

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<p>Definitely agree with all who suggested Vandy, Wake, BC, Georgetown.</p>

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<p>Dickinson! I’m a bit biased because it’s my dad’s alma mater, but it’s definitely somewhat like what you have on your list. Only thing I can think of that’s different is the size; it’s only 2300 undergrads.</p>

<p>I’d also suggest Washington and Lee (again, smaller, but really intelligent students and definitely preppy), Vanderbilt (I’ll be there in the fall!), Trinity College in CT (still smaller), Georgetown U, Villanova, SMU. Good luck with the applications! It sounds like you can get in almost anywhere you want. =)</p>

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<p>Miami University of Ohio</p>

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<p>Thanks everyone. :slight_smile: I’m going to study for math for several months before I retake the SAT next October. Hopefully I will score in the low 2300s (or high 2300s, for that matter :)) on my next attempt. I’m taking the ACT next month. I’ve been doing better on those practice tests (33-35) more consistently than I did on SAT practices.</p>

<p>Wake sounds good. I might apply to Vandy (not as a safety, however), W&L (not a real safety either), most likely Colgate, and possibly Emory. Miami I’ll look into (isn’t it public?), along with Villanova and Dickinson.</p>

<p>Is Duke really a high reach for me? And Medill’s a medium reach? Well, that’s less surprising than Duke being a high reach. I’ll get my SAT up, and hopefully that’ll help my chances a bit.</p>

<p>Anyone else?</p>

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<p>Miami is public, but has a private school atmosphere.</p>

18

<p>University of Miami is a private school–and it isn’t preppy at all.</p>

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<p>

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<p>It would help if you read the whole thread; I said Miami University Ohio, not The University of Miami…</p>

20

<p>Furman…</p>