MATCH/REACH suggestions for a B+/A- student interested in physics?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hello! I am looking for college choices in the Reach/Target categories which correspond with the following information about myself (a rising senior). </p>

<p>Please help me in deciding colleges based on chances of being admitted, intellectual resources and environment, and not necessarily based on financial information!</p>

<p>Female, South Asian, NJ</p>

<p>SAT: 2200 (690 CR, 750 M, 760 W)
Math 2: 740
Chem: 750
PSAT: 203</p>

<p>Weighted GPA: 4.0
School doesn't release unweighted unless college demands it. I am guessing it is around a 3.4-3.5.
B+/A- grades
Course load includes: Honors history, AP French, AP English, AP Calc BC, Chem H and AP Chem, Bio H, Physics H and AP Physics, AP Art History, Statistics H</p>

<p>Highly passionate about science</p>

<p>Started a science club, presidential position
- many initiatives contained within club including communicating with distinguished scientists, providing resources for students, etc</p>

<p>Science Olympiad
- 4 medals
- executive board leadership position</p>

<p>Amnesty International
- Vice President</p>

<p>High School Newspaper
- photo editor
- also writes articles. 3 articles have been front-paged including an interview with a distinguished scientist</p>

<p>Interested in science
- Interning at a lab in Rutgers for chem research</p>

<p>I am confident that I can write good, sincere, essays which can express my passion.</p>

<p>College Desires:</p>

<ul>
<li>good physical sciences programs (physics, chem, math, earth sci)</li>
<li>selective and intellectual community/resources </li>
<li>not necessarily a party school</li>
<li>research facilities</li>
<li>preferably Urban/near urban setting/suburban</li>
<li>mid to large sized</li>
<li>4 year, coed</li>
<li>preferably Midwest&Northeast location</li>
</ul>

2

<p>Also, please do not suggest Rutgers as I am going to apply and I am listing that as a safety (100/750 of the typical graduating class from my high school ends up going there anyway and many more are admitted but choose to go somewhere else).</p>

3

<p>Tufts. Reach. Northeastern. Match. Tcnj. Match. Penn state. Match. Villa nova. Match. Boston college match. Boston university match. Quinnipiac. Safety/match. NYUreach. Duke reach. UVA reach. That is a few for starters mostly mid to larger schools since you mentioned rutgers. If you are interested in smaller the listcangetvery long.</p>

4

<p>Some ideas: WashU (St. Louis), Boston College, Carnegie Mellon, URochester, Georgia Tech</p>

5

<p>@Mamalumper- Thanks. I appreciate your detailing which ones are reach and which are match.
@Happy1: Thanks. Are those reach schools or match?</p>

6

<p>If you really want a school that’s focused on the sciences, consider Harvey Mudd College. With an acceptance rate around 23%, it would be a reach for you, but it is known for its incredible programs in the sciences. </p>

<p>Good physical science programs (check)
Selectivity (check- acceptance rate of 23%)
Not a party school (check)
Research facilities (check)
Suburban setting (check- it’s in a suburb of LA)
Mid to large sized (somewhat- the college itself is small, but it is part of a 5,000 undergrad student body made up by the 5C’s)
4 year, coed (check)
Midwest or Northeast location (no, but HMC’s location is great)</p>

<p>Oh, other schools that meet most, if not all of your criteria are:
-The University of Rochester (reach)
-Drexel University (match)
-The University of Pittsburgh (match)
-Case Western Reserve University (reach)</p>

<p>Oh, Drexel is on US New’s list of “A+ Options for B Students”.</p>

7

<p>The problem with Harvey Mudd might really be the location, as my parents might suffer from bird’s nest syndrome. I’ll still suggest it.
Also, how’s CMU?</p>

8

<p>Does anyone know anything about Stevens Institute of Technology? Sounds like it may fit your criteria.</p>

9

<p>I know you said coed, but how about a women’s college in a consortium environment? Bryn Mawr works if you consider it in conjunction with Haverford; ditto for Smith and the five college consortium. </p>

<p>Lots of other good options listed already.</p>

10

<p>Boston College would probably be a low reach, not match.</p>

<p>As bookworm said, Drexel and Pitt seem like a good safeties/matches.</p>

11

<p>What do you think of a list like this one?</p>

<p>UChicago (this is just for me, a fun school to apply to)
Johns Hopkins (reach)
Carnegie Mellon (reach)
NYU (reach)
Northeastern (match)
UPitt (match)
Penn State (match)
Urbana Champaign – [Top</a> Ten Ranked Physics Colleges - The best departments and schools](<a href=“GoDaddy Corporate Domains - Protected”>GoDaddy Corporate Domains - Protected) ?? or UMass Amherst ?? (match)
Boston University (match/reach)
Rutgers (safety)
TCNJ ?? Another safety, that you can suggest? (safety)</p>

12

<p>Stony Brook has a good reputation for physics and is relatively inexpensive for an out of state public. Note that most out of state publics will not be generous with need-based financial aid, though some may have low list prices and others may have big merit scholarships.</p>

<p>If you need financial aid, NYU would be a super-reach, because you need to get a large merit scholarship there, since NYU has a reputation for poor need-based financial aid.</p>

<p>Some other schools to consider that are not super selective and not super expensive:</p>

<p>Minnesota
Ohio State if you get National Buckeye money
Iowa State
North Carolina State</p>

13

<p>Hmm… GPA’s not too too bad. </p>

<p>Reach:
CMU
Tufts
WUSTL
Harvey Mudd</p>

<p>Match:
UIUC
University of Rochester
WPI
GA Tech
RPI</p>

<p>Safety:
Purdue
RIT
University of Pittsburgh</p>

<p>Best of luck!(:</p>

14

<p>@ucbalumnus, I’m thinking of eliminating NYU for that very reason. Thanks for all the input.
@EliKresses, I will have to take location into account, but that was a very well organized response. Thanks.</p>