Matches, reaches, and safeties

College Search & Selection
1

<p>This is my first time posting and thanks for any future answers.
Class of 2010
CA resident
GPA: </p>

<p>Unweighted- 3.92(9th), 4.00(10th), 3.93(11th)
Weighted-4.42(9th), 4.67(10th), 4.5(11th)
My classes have been honors and APs except for foreign language and electives.</p>

<p>AP:</p>

<p>7 taken; 6(Bio,Euro,CalcBC,PhysicsB,Lang,US) 5s and 1 4(Chem)</p>

<p>SAT:
I think this is my weakest point.
2110 (M:680 CR:770 W:660)
2110 (M:760 CR:710 W:640)
superscore:2190</p>

<p>SAT II:
Bio-710
Chem-780
Math II (730 first time, 780)
Physics-720
US history-800</p>

<p>EC:
football (9-10)
Science Club President (10-current)
Acadec (11-current); acadec only started this year because my school is new. our class will be 3rd graduating class; I have also won medals at the Acadec
Volunteering at Boys & Girls Club: started this summer and helping 15hrs/week</p>

<p>I am thinking about majoring in either economics, comp sci, or comp engineering. If you guys could also other possible schools that would be helpful.Thanks.</p>

<p>Duke
UChicago
Cornell
Johns Hopkins
Northwestern
Harvey Mudd
Carnegie Mellon
Rice
Tufts
Bucknell
Georgia Tech
I also will probably do UCB and/or UCLA or UCSD</p>

2

<p>That looks like a great list as of now. You really should throw in Stanford and Berkeley, cut Bucknell and Tufts.</p>

3

<p>Thanks for the tip.</p>

4

<p>I should explain: Stanford and Berkeley happen to have top notch Comp Sci and Econ programs, and they’re also great schools in general. You’re academically strong, and your standardized testing record is great, so you’re bound to end up accepted to many of the schools on your list. Good luck.</p>

5

<p>yeah tufts’ strengths aren’t really in comp sci, econ, or any engineering. I second Berkeley especially if you are in-state.</p>

6

<p>What’s your class rank?</p>

7

<p>I don’t really see any safeties and few matches. These schools are probably reaches, unless you are filthy rich/ famous. Berkeley would be your best bet as an in-state student.</p>

8

<p>my class rank is 4 or 5 out of about 750 students.</p>

9

<p>Your stats are good for all of these schools. With a strong app you should get into several.</p>

10

<p>Great stats, good fit for all these schools. But you still need a real safety, which you don’t have on this list.</p>

11

<p>so what safeties would you recommend? I also need to do more college research. Thanks in advance.</p>

12

<p>Your safety would be UC Berkeley, which BTW is one of the best schools in the world for CS, Comp Eng and Economics.</p>

13

<p>Yeah, he’s ranked in the top-tenth percentile in his class, and has a high GPA and test scores. Berkeley is his safety, and it’s a damned good one.</p>

14

<p>Berkeley is not a safety but Bucknell and GT schould be safe.</p>

15

<p>^Bucknell does not like being used as a safety school and if it senses that it is being used as such, it will reject the applicant (that’s why they put a HUGE emphasis on the visit and “demonstrated interest”). </p>

<p>Try Penn State (you could probably get into Schreyer honors college) or another state school that made the second page of USN&WR National Universities rankings.</p>

16

<p>more safeties anyone?thanks</p>

17

<p>You should include at least one UC as your safety, at least financially. Berkeley should not be counted as safety. I think you should consider UC Davis or US San Diego for safety. You have too many reaches now, pick 4 to 6 from this reach and focus on the matches and safeties. This is my humble opinion:</p>

<p>Reach:
Duke
UChicago
Cornell
Johns Hopkins
Northwestern
Harvey Mudd
Carnegie Mellon (School of CS is definitely a reach)
Rice
Tufts</p>

<p>Match:
Bucknell
Georgia Tech
UCB
UCLA</p>

<p>Safety:
UCSD or UC Davis
Wisconsin (I think you have a good chance as a out of state)</p>

<p>Hope this will help :)</p>