Update:
My list is now as follows:
I am still looking at the recommended colleges and others to add/replace current colleges.
Is money a concern? You still have WAY too many reaches.
Your list reminds me of a lot of kids’ lists from our high school last year. High, high stats kids at a super competitive high school in the Chicago suburbs. Virtually all reaches except UIUC and maybe one more school they weren’t thrilled about. So many of those kids got completely shut out of their reaches even though they were well above the 75th percentile in GPA and test scores and took 8-10 APs. If you would be happy going to Ohio State, then I guess your list could be complete, but go in eyes wide open knowing the same thing could happen to you.
Our S19 should end up with very high stats if junior year goes well and his official testing matches his practice tests. His list will be heavy on match schools he’s visited and liked. Loved Kenyon and Denison when we visited and they are in your backyard. At least go visit. At Denison, we met kids who turned down Chicago and MIT. Lots of bright and interesting kids there. Kenyon’s panel of students at our admissions meeting were so well spoken and LOVED their school. Our tour guide was also super impressive. If you think you like Carleton, you should consider these schools. Carleton is one of the few reaches on our list.
Agree with @homerdog, if you are an unhooked ORM, then your chances of admittance with grades and test scores that are at or above the top-25% decrease dramatically as the highly selective schools are searching for URM’s, First-Gen, and recruited athletes, and are bust making legacies happy - after those buckets are filed, which could be 60-80% of the slots, they’ll look at the highly qualified ORM’s.
I’ve previously posted our twin DD’s experience; while did very well and are thrilled with the amazing LAC they are attending, they were surprised by the breadth of the waitlists and denials at the top-10’s universities and LAC’s.
Update 2:
My list is now as follows:
Bowdoin College
Carleton College (Application Complete)
Case Western Reserve University
Cornell University
Dartmouth College
Denison University (Application Complete)
Harvard University (Application Complete)
Kenyon College (Application Complete)
Middlebury College (Application Complete)
Princeton University
Swarthmore College
The Ohio State University
University of Michigan
University of Notre Dame (Application Complete)
University of Rochester
Washington University in St. Louis (Application Complete)
Williams College
(Note: “(Application Complete)” means that it is ready to be submitted (including scholarship applications for the college if applicable) once recommendations are complete.)
Michigan is not a small school either. However, it does have phenomenal writing resources and programs.
Based on my daughter’s experiences visiting and interviewing at some of your now current choices, I’d highly recommend you consider adding Hamilton to your list. In terms of her criteria and impressions, Hamilton was a clear favorite when compared to Bowdoin and Middlebury in particular.
I don’t agree that your list is reach heavy. Your ECs are amazing, especially all that leadership. Your ACT is great and your GPA is great. You have a real shot at any of these schools. Keep your two favorite safeties and make sure you would happily go to them if needed. Pick 2 match schools that you love. If you like Ohio then Kenyon and Denison are good matches and then go for your 8 favorite reaches. Just my opinion.
Statistically (as roughly measured) you appear to have chosen colleges from a range of selectivity brackets (1-25; 25-50; 50-75: 75+):
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-610-smartest-colleges-in-america-2015-9
The key will be in further researching your choices in order to ensure that each school that appears offers attributes that decidedly appeal to you. In terms of selectivity alone, though, your current list seems reasonable.
UMich is a low reach for you. If you want a smaller school feel, consider their Residential College. It is like a small school within UMich with smaller class size and closer relationship among students.
@apple23, agree with Hamilton. We have two heading to the Hill this Fall - they to had many great choices and picked Hamilton.
@citymama9, having only 1/3 targets and safeties seems thin - I would suggest 50% as acceptance amongst the top-25 can be tricky.
@yikesyikesyikes @apple23 @citymama9 @merc81 @billcsho @Chembiodad
Thank you all for your help and advice!!
Being female is a hook for STEM at places like MIT, Cal Tech so you may want to consider them. Unless you have another hook though like URM, first-gen, or legacy, Harvard and Princeton are pretty much lottery odds. Since you applied to Harvard maybe you can remove Princeton. You do have a lot of reach schools but if you get in early to one of your safeties then you can apply to more reaches than matches.
Your public schools choices are good since OSU is a safety and UM a match. You applied to 4 good LACs so if you’re looking to reduce your list, I’d pick one of Swarthmore/Williams/Bowdoin. Given Case is in right in the middle of a large city, if that’s a big factor, you can eliminate them in favor schools close to a big city like say Northwestern.
^UMich is no match from OOS with ~20% admission rate.
A 34/4.0 for a female in STEM is a match. Those are 75% numbers for UM OOS, so I put that as a match. It would be reach if she had a 31/3.5.
Would a 730 in BioE help my application at all to the schools I have listed?
I got a 690 in Lit also, but I plan on retaking that.
@theloniusmonk It does not matter if those numbers at the 75%, there is a significant portion of applicants out of the ~50k OOS appliacants at UM competing for the ~10k admission spots. If she is aiming at CoE, there is a gender bias in admission. For other STM majors in LSA, there is no advantage. Over 20% of enrolled freshmen have GPA 4.0 in high school. They have no shortage of high stat applicants.