<p>Hi there, I have quite a few places I want to apply. I know that I need to narrow down the selection. My scores and GPA at least match the lower 25% of the colleges typically accepted stats (700+ on all three sections) (3.95 unweighted GPA, 4.2 weighted) so its a guessing game for my reaches. I feel as if I have too many schools on my list that could go either way. I am set on majoring in economics, business, or public policy, which has helped to (somewhat) narrow my decisions.</p>
<p>These are listed from safety to reach; I have notated the reason for applying.</p>
<p>ABILENE CHRISTIAN (free application)
U OF TEXAS - DALLAS (decent business school)
SOUTHERN METHODIST (free application)
FRANKLIN & MARSHALL (free application)
TEXAS CHRISTIAN (decent business school, scholarship ops)
U OF WISCONSIN - MADISON (marketing program, risk management, & real estate programs)
U OF TEXAS - AUSTIN (marketing, honors business)
BOSTON U (I just like the feel of this school)
NORTHEASTERN - (free application, business program, Torch Scholars)
CARNEGIE MELLON - (Tepper School of Business, Public Policy program)
GEORGETOWN - (public policy)
USC - (I’ve never visited, so I don’t know about the feel, quality academics)
CORNELL - (everything is perfect)
U CHICAGO - (this is even more perfect)
UPENN - (Wharton is amazing, my chances are very low, I love the campus)
YALE - (wow on everything here)</p>
<p>So, yeah. These are basically what I’m choosing from. My wants from a school basically include location (urban or city), a medium to large student body size, and obviously good academics.</p>
<p>Did you check them all for affordability? Like you are from Tx so you would be full pay at UW.</p>
<p>There are several Christian schools in that list; is religion an important factor to you? I know people who have flourished at and thoroughly enjoyed religious colleges, but others who have just felt suffocated by the conservative atmospheres and limited by the religious focus. Depending on how religious you are, college might be a good opportunity to go somewhere where you’re exposed to a more philosophically diverse environment. Or it could be an opportunity to further your own spiritual growth and make faith a bigger part of your life. This aspect is a very personal one, but I think it’s important to factor it in when you’re choosing a place where you’ll be living for four years.</p>
<p>Are finances an important factor regarding app fees? A free application at one school won’t be much of an advantage if you’re eligible for a fee waiver at a school you like more, and these waivers are DEFINITELY worth looking into when fees for different colleges can all add up to hundreds of dollars.</p>
<p>Also along the line of finances: are all of these schools financially safe? If not, where are you going to be able to get the best financial aid? (Be realistic here; if you’re at the lower end of the statistics at a school, you’re a lot less likely to receive substantial merit aid than at a school where you’re in the top quartile.) Do you live near enough to any of these places to be a commuter and skip room/board fees? Make sure you discuss this with your parents (or anyone else who may be contributing to your college fees) before you fall in love with a college that would set you back hundreds of thousands of dollars in student (and potentially parent) debt.</p>
<p>USC should be ruled out; you should be able to get at least a mild sense of the campus and academics by researching the website and opinions of the students there, and if you haven’t done that research then I get the sense you aren’t really interested in anything more than the “brand name”.</p>
<p>Try to focus on schools where you’re somewhere in the middle or upper end of the school’s middle 50%, if not in the top quartile. Admission chances are slim when you’re in or even just at the lower 25%, and they get even slimmer when you’re looking at schools like Yale who reject many fully-qualified applicants anyway. Plus, if you go somewhere where you’re in the upper end of the admission statistics, you’ll likely be eligible for and more likely to succeed in honors programs which could be a good experience and give you a leg up in your education.</p>
<p>@sarahkayvoigt I am actually not very religious at all. Thanks for commenting. I probably new that USC was an unproven “lust school” but was unwilling to accept it! Your analysis really has me thinking! My family is on the poorer side and from the financial aid calculators I’ve used my family will really only need to pay $3,000 - $4,000 a year. One of the reasons that I’m considering Yale more than others is because my family would pay nothing. I know its a reach but definitely worth trying. Technically I could apply fro fee waivers (I qualify for reduced priced school lunches) but my counselor says that unless I take advantage of the lunch program, I am unable to receive fee waivers. This would be somewhat useless considering I don’t eat lunch at school. Again, your advice is tremendously helpful! Right off the bat I am crossing three off my list!</p>
<p>@textocali Glad to help! And you might want to double-check on those waivers; even the Common App qualifier list says “eligible” for free/reduced, so you shouldn’t have to be actively enrolled. I’m eligible but don’t eat school lunch and I know that my counselor is still sending my waivers through.</p>
<p><a href=“https://appsupport.commonapp.org/link/portal/33011/33013/Article/758/Common-App-Fee-Waiver”>https://appsupport.commonapp.org/link/portal/33011/33013/Article/758/Common-App-Fee-Waiver</a></p>
<p>@sarahkayvoigt Alright, I’ll check with her again!</p>