Matches and Safeties

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hey everyone! I have found some colleges I'm interested in, but would like more matches and safeties. I'm interested in schools in the New England and Mid-Atlantic areas, but would also consider schools outside of those. I recently visited Brown and Harvard and decided that I wanted a close-knit, suburban campus, but with a city nearby, like these two. Other things I'm looking for include nice dorm rooms (just not cramped) and a student body that does not focus all of the time on studying, but also does not drink themselves to death! lol I really liked Brown and Harvard students so student bodies like these would be ideal, but I know getting into Ivies is very hard so I would like to set my sights on similar matches and safeties as well. Thanks in advance!</p>

<p>I plan on majoring in history and going on to a law degree in the future
Rising Senior
African-American Male from New Jersey</p>

<p>SAT: 2060 CR:640 M:750 W:670 (first time)
SAT II: French: 620 US Hist:710 Lit: 670 (plan to take Math II and French in the fall)</p>

<p>School
Private school, very small (188 kids total, Pre K-12) in Burlington, NJ
2005:1 kid to Brown; 2006: 1 kid to UPENN, 1 kid to Dartmouth; 2007: kid rejected from MIT</p>

<p>GPA: 4.22 (A+= 4.33) 1/25 kids in my class</p>

<p>8th Grade:
10th Grade Biology A+</p>

<p>Freshman Year:
Chemistry A+
English 9 A+
French III A+
Modern World History A+
Geometry A+
PhotoShop A+
Web Design A</p>

<p>Sophomore Year:
British Literature A+
Journalism A
Algebra II A+
Precalculus A+
US History I A+
French IV A+
Drawing and Painting A</p>

<p>Junior Year:
AP Language A+
Honors Composition A
Journalism A
AP US History A-
French V A+
World Religions A+
Honors Judeo/Christian Ethics A
Digital Photography A
College and Career Prep A+</p>

<p>Would it be worthwhile for me to take a summer course online with BYU Independent Study in Russian History (an interest of mine)? Also, has anyone ever studied with this program?</p>

<p>Senior Year (Plans):
AP Psychology
Physics
AP Calculus
AP Biology
AP Lit
AP French (possible, but is this necessary to do? My counselor said it would look really bad if I didn't take AP French, but I would prefer not to take it if I could</p>

<p>11 AP Classes offered at my school</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
Co-Leader of Community Service Club at School (11th)
Student Ambassador for the school (9th, 10th 11th)
Burlington County Academic Tournament (9th, 11th)
School Newspaper and Yearbook Contributor (9th, 10th, 11th)
Math League (10th, 11th) Highest Math Scorer at School
Honor Council (10th, 11th)
Cross Country (9th, 10th)
Crew (9th)
Golf (11th)
School Plays (9th, 10th, 11th)
Class Secretary (9th)</p>

<p>Piano 2.5 years of study
Contributor to local teen section of newspaper (11th)
New Jersey Piano Auditions (11th)
Various piano playing at recitals and in school</p>

<p>In School Awards:
Ranking Student Award (9th, 10th)
Most Improved-Crew (9th)
French Award (8th, 10th)
Class Valedictorian (7th-11th)
Math/Science Award (9th)
Perfect Attendance since kindergarten</p>

<p>Outside School Awards
National French Award (8th)
Burlington County Teen Excellence Award (9th, 11th)
National Guild of Piano Teachers Award (10th, 11th)
Cum Laude Society (11th)
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards
National Honor Roll Inductee (11th)
Willingboro Township Youth Achievement Award (9th)</p>

<p>Summers:
American Legion Jersey Boys State (11th)
People to People Student Ambassador Trips to Australia and Europe (7th, 8th)
Trip to China with my family
Job at Six Flags</p>

2

<p>FWIW, being AA is going to help you BIGTIME (pun not intended ;))</p>

3

<p>You should really look into Rice.</p>

4

<p>Haverford, Vassar, and Middlebury would have similar student bodies to Williams and Amherst without the same level of intensity in admissions.</p>

<p>That said: Connecticut College and Morehouse would be good safeties.</p>

<p>*Your scores in addition to your schools less than impressive admission record at Ivies and other top schools would not bode well for acceptance to Brown, much less Harvard. Apply to any ivy if you really want to, but realistically, you could find what you wanted in a smaller, less competitive school and have a much better shot at admission.</p>

5

<p>"averford, Vassar, and Middlebury would have similar student bodies to Williams and Amherst without the same level of intensity in admissions."</p>

<p>ive met multiple people who were rejected at middlebury and accepted at amherst. ive also met multiple people who turned down williams and amherst for midd. thats' a foolish statement; middlebury's acceptance rate is only couple of points higher. it also has a higher yield.</p>

6

<p>^I'm only observing that Williams and Amherst are generally regarded as more competitive. Middlebury has recently experienced a flood of applicants and could certainly be put on the same level.</p>

<p>However, my main goal was simply to point out, that the 'most competitive' LACs would be harder to get into and other schools would be more reasonable.</p>

7

<p>yeah, I know the ivy record of my school is not that impressive, but not that many kids apply to those schools either. in the past four years, only 4 kids have applied to ivies. our school is more of a school that sends kids off to the small colleges around the area, like muhlenberg, rider, and gettysburg since kids want to stay in a similar school. I, on the other hand, want to experience a different environment. Plus, our school tries to put less emphasis on SAT scores and shape kids to be academic "stars" and well-rounded kids that do a little of everything, which doesn't really appeal as much to the ivies</p>

8

<p>Also, would schools like Vanderbilt, Lehigh, Wake Forest, and Boston College be matches and Georgetown be a reach?</p>

9

<p>Tufts and Holy Cross.</p>