<p>Just want to know if you guys have any suggestions for target &/or safety schools for this girl:</p>
<p>Hi! I'm a junior from TN. Went to a typical public high school for 2 years, then transferred to a magnet school (top 30 in US). GPA: unweighted 3.83, or 96% (when it was 3.86 I had a 94%?!) By next year, I will have enrolled in 11 AP courses total. ACT= 31. Tried SAT once...2080. Took 3 SATii's. Do volunteering regularly, plus for NHS & Beta Club. I've played piano for 12-13 years & been in forensics, green club, MUN, and Youth Legislature throughout high school. Pres of the latter 2 clubs at this new school. I have taken college-credit courses in the summer in a free, merit-based, state-sponsored program.
In a college, the most critical considerations for me are exemplary professors, small classes, happy students, career services, & academic well-roundedness/prestige. </p>
<p>To give you an idea, schools along the the lines of Notre Dame, Vandy, Davidson, and Pomona attract me because they're very consistent and somewhat reasonable. Would you guys want to correct me or recommend some safety schools based on the above list?</p>
<p>Those schools would be reasonable reach schools for someone with your qualifications. Pomona would be a longer reach than the others, but you might get a little boost for geographic diversity.</p>
<p>For safety schools, many good students start with their in-state public flagships.<br>
For “match” schools, consider Wake Forest, Richmond, Furman, Boston College, Holy Cross. Assuming you qualify for need-based aid, or your family is willing and able to cover the high costs. A smaller school with decent merit scholarships is Centre College.</p>
<p>For safeties, you also want to take into account financial safeties—colleges you know you can afford to go to based on what your parents are willing to spend.</p>
<p>So—have you talked to your parents about how much they’re willing to spend each year?</p>
<p>Have you used a financial aid calculator to estimate what your FAFSA EFC and Profile EFC are likely to be? How do these numbers compare to what you’re parents are willing to spend?</p>
<p>Thanks! My parents said that financial aid won’t be necessary.
As for in-state safeties, I can’t apply with good conscience, because none of them fit… at all. But maybe I’ll try.</p>
<p>The process is easier if money really isn’t a concern. In that case, you should have many good options for safety/low-latch schools. Look at the “Colleges That Change Lives” site. Consider schools like Hendrix, Goucher, or Guilford (as less selective alternatives to Davidson). Among larger schools, there’s Clemson.</p>
<p>However, it’s not really clear what you meant by “schools along the the lines of Notre Dame, Vandy, Davidson, and Pomona”. What do you think are the common features that attract you to those four? All but Pomona are slightly less selective than most of the Ivies (Pomona is one of the 4 or 5 most selective LACs in the country). All but ND are warm-weather schools. Two are small colleges, two are national universities. etc.</p>
<p>For a safety school, I’d look at Clemson. It’s close to Tennessee and it’s reputation is getting better every year among public schools in the south.</p>
<p>For Vandy and ND, you may need to get your scores up. Vandy rejected a good number of kids this year with a 31 ACT and you’re from the same state (so, less desirable). </p>
<p>How about some of the mid-tier Jesuit schools as safeties? SLU, Gonzaga, ???</p>
<p>Santa Clara is a high ranked school that would likely accept you. They probably don’t get many applicants from Tenn.</p>
<p>If you’re in TN, you’ve got to come to Memphis and visit us at Rhodes. If you get a chance (I can’t believe I’m saying this) go see Sewanee too. You’re a match at both. It’s a choice of urban environment with great opportunities off campus (Rhodes) or 10000 isolated acres on top of a mountain and the nature that comes with it (Sewanee).</p>