<p>EA:
MIT
Caltech
Case Western
Chicago</p>
<p>RD:
Harvard
Princeton
Rochester
WUSTL
Stanford
Columbia</p>
<p>Maybe:
Rensselaer
Michigan
Cornell</p>
<p>I reallyyyyyyyy want this list thing sorta finalized so I know what I'm lookin at application wise. If you have any input, comment, esp. about the "maybe" schools.</p>
<p>I think it’s too many schools. Your list doesn’t look that different from my older sons:</p>
<p>EA:
MIT
Caltech</p>
<p>Regular:
CMU (SCS)
Stanford
Harvard</p>
<p>Safeties:
RPI
WPI</p>
<p>He got into his safeties, Harvard and CMU. Attended CMU and is now gainfully employed. </p>
<p>If it were me, I’d find two safeties I really liked and then apply to my six or seven favorite reaches.</p>
<p>Good suggestions, mathmom</p>
<p>RPI and WPI both consider “level of applicant’s interest”, so they are somewhat risky to use as safeties.</p>
<p>Find a safety or few that you are certain to get into (and does not consider “level of applicant’s interest”) and which you know that you can afford for certain.</p>
<p>Agree that a safety is needed - one you are willing to attend and can afford.</p>
<p>You seem to be considering Case Western and Rochester as safeties. Unless your qualifications are extraordinary, that could be risky.</p>
<p>Also, how’s the family financial situation? How much can your parents afford to contribute, and are you likely to receive financial aid? It’s important to discuss this with your parents.</p>
<p>1st consideration should be financial. 2nd, fall in love with a reliable (favorite term over “safety”) school or 2. Then try to whittle down total to 7-10.</p>
<p>If you’re OOS for Michigan? don’t plan on any merit or FA. DD was accepted there (which is a feat itself with only 40% acceptance rate).</p>
<p>Overall your list looks very “reachy” Lots of highly selective schools.</p>
<p>Maybe the OP’s safety is community college (the default safety for those who get shut out in April after applying only to non-safeties).</p>
<p>I don’t think it is unreasonable to use Rochester and Case as safeties, depending on stats. Rochester was my S’s safety.</p>
<p>I also don’t think the list looks unreasonable, without the maybes, although I would consider Cornell instead of Harvard going by the student’s apparent interests.</p>
<p>But all of this depends on the OP’s stats. And state of residence.</p>
<p>The list is meaningless without test scores, GPA and class rank.</p>
<p>We would need to see your stats to see if this is a reasonable list for you. Depending on whether or not you get into Case Western EA (or the other more selective schools) you can decide to apply or not to some of the Maybes on your list, and if you need to add another safety, or can concentrate on reaches.</p>
<p>Agree with SteveMA. </p>
<p>Hard to understand why this list ‘sucks’. Is Ivy league realistic for you? What is your major?</p>
<p>In the real world…</p>
<p>When the OP gets the results of the EA round back, things will be much clearer. I don’t think there’s a need to make any decisions until they do. If the OP gets into any of the 4 EA schools early, then there’s no need to add safeties, assuming OP will be happy attending the school(s) which admit him/her and gets sufficient FA if needed. Admission is the best safety there is.</p>
<p>The only thing I would suggest at this point is applying to UMichigan early. I THINK it still has rolling admissions. So, it’s possible that will turn into an admission too.</p>
<p>Bottom line: if the OP doesn’t get into ANY of his EA schools and/or UMich, THEN (s)he’ll have to add some safeties and may want to drop some reaches.</p>
<p>So, I wouldn’t even try to finalize the list now. However, the OP should ask him/herself, “if I only get into Case early, which schools would I still want to apply to?”" If I got into ALL of my EA schools early, which schools would I still want to apply to?"</p>
<p>If there are any schools you definitely wouldn’t apply to with an EA admit anywhere, then leave those apps until you find out the results.</p>
<p>It seems UMich is now EA, not rolling. [Dates</a> & Deadlines | University of Michigan Office of Admissions](<a href=“http://www.admissions.umich.edu/drupal/dates-deadlines]Dates”>http://www.admissions.umich.edu/drupal/dates-deadlines)</p>
<p>From another thread the OP is top 5% class rank and 2300 superscore on the SAT.</p>
<p>Yes that’s true Erin’s Dad. Also, finances aren’t a problem.</p>
<p>The reason Cornell and Michigan are maybes is because I don’t really want to apply into a department since I’m super undecided. My top choice right now is prob MIT, I haven’t visited yet but I think if I get in EA I’ll apply to a lot less schools. And I don’t think Case is unreasonable as a safety… Its not guaranteed of course but I think a lot of times people getting “shut out” lack some perspective about their stats/chances. <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/case-western-reserve-university/1255457-2016-ea-results-2.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/case-western-reserve-university/1255457-2016-ea-results-2.html</a></p>
<p>CWRU, Rochester, RPI, WPI, and Michigan all consider “level of applicant’s interest” in freshman admissions. This is typically a signal that they do not want to be used as safeties and may reject high stats applicants who do not “show interest”.</p>
<p>Find some actual safeties which do not consider “level of applicant’s interest”, or at least be ready to apply some if you get no EA acceptances. If you are fine going to community college and then transferring to one of your state universities as a junior, then that can be your safety. Otherwise, make sure that you have a real safety so that you do not come back here in April asking what to do after being shut out.</p>
<p>I have been showing interest, because I am interested. Applying EA in itself shows interest. I cannot find ANYONE who has gotten rejected from Case with stats in their top 25%, do you know of any? I know everyone has to have safeties, I just don’t buy into “if you aren’t an auto admit based on a publicized formula, it isn’t a safety.”</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/case-western-reserve-university/1050078-ea-results-class-2015-a.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/case-western-reserve-university/1050078-ea-results-class-2015-a.html</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/case-western-reserve-university/1255457-2016-ea-results.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/case-western-reserve-university/1255457-2016-ea-results.html</a></p>
<p>Applying ED is a strong show of interest. Applying EA shows no more interest than applying in the regular cycle, since there is no commitment by the student.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>If your interests lie within Cornell’s College of Arts and Sciences, you don’t need to apply to a specific department. There are some majors in Arts and Sciences there that you might not expect, including computer science and statistics. [Majors</a> in the college of arts and sciences](<a href=“http://as.cornell.edu/academics/major-minor/majors.cfm]Majors”>http://as.cornell.edu/academics/major-minor/majors.cfm)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Not true. Applying EA means the student has less interest in the other schools that require single choice EA (SCEA).</p>