Match/reach/safety colleges?

College Search & Selection
1

I live in northern Virginia (very competitive area) and am a rising senior.
UW GPA: 4.0
W (as of this school year): 4.375
APs (entire high school career): AP World History, AP Lang, AP BC Calc, AP Physics 1, AP Chem, AP Bio, AP Spanish, AP Gov, AP Lit, AP Econ, Multivariable Calculus & Matrix/Linear Algebra
SAT: 1540, 770 each, 23/24 essay
ECs: basketball freshman year, volleyball freshman and sophomore year, girl scouts, tutoring in math and chem, NHS, Mu Alpha Theta, History Honor Society, lots of volunteer work including consistent work at a center for children with mental disabilities, summer job at my pool
Some various academic awards including 1st place at the Fairfax County Public Schools Regional Science Fair (qualified for states but couldn’t go)

Most likely want to major in biomedical engineering or something along those lines, small possibility of majoring in econ or something else math-related

High family income and parents are willing to pay for all of the schools I’m mentioning, but obviously cheaper options or schools offering scholarships would be preferable.

My list so far: UVA, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Emory, UNC, Northeastern, Tufts, RPI, Cornell, Brown

I know some of these are big reaches but I’m not sure about what to consider as matches and safeties. Any other school suggestions would be appreciated!!

2

Anyone?

3

Does your school have Naviance? Would UVA be a safety for you given your in-state status and high stats ( congrats!)? You might want to add the U of Rochester, U of Pittsburgh, U of Maryland-CP, and Lehigh.

4

I feel you. I used to live in Fairfax, and even 6th and 7th grade were kind of rough (lol). When we moved down here, school started to become a WHOLE lot easier. A cousin of mine who lived with us had a slightly better SAT score but a lower UW GPA and he got in a lot of the schools you mentioned, and a lot of his friends and graduating class did as well (he attended TJ). Anyways, as far as I can see, none of your ECs really stand out, and they are actually pretty typical for top applicants, so that might hurt your chances at the top schools out there. Other than that, you have a decent shot at the schools listed.

  • UVA - Match
  • VTech - Safety
  • Georgia Tech - High match (it's gradually getting harder every year I believe, especially for OOS students; the acceptance rate just last year dropped to a staggering 25%)
  • Emory - Match/High match
  • UNC - Match/High match
  • Northeastern - High match
  • Tufts - High match
  • RPI - Match
  • Cornell - Low reach/Reach
  • Brown - Low reach/Reach

The last two schools are a crapshoot, so don’t put your money on it.

5

Definitely check out Case Western.

6

university of pittsburgh

7

Thanks! I’m mostly having trouble choosing safety schools/low matches… any suggestions for those?

8

Look at schools where you are at or above the top 25% in scores and it accepts 15-20% as matches, and where you are above the top 25% and they accept 20%+ as safeties.

9

In-state, GMU And VCU have biomedical eng and would be good safeties.

OOS, Cincinnati, Pitt, South Carolina, Miami (OH), Clemson should all be academic likelies, and may offer merit to stellar OOS candidates. All of these offer biomed eng.