Need help picking safeties!

College Search & Selection
1

<p>So I have a pretty good set of colleges on my list, but I think I need more safeties. Does anyone have any ideaaaaas?</p>

<p>Here is my info:
Live in New York, go to Public school, never really sends anyone to good schools, I am applying for financial aid.</p>

<p>GPA: 96.5/103
SATs:Reading: 690
Math: 640
Writing: 800
(retaking again in Oct)
Lit: 600
US History: 650
Math 1: 690
(probably retaking in Nov)</p>

<p>EC: President and founder of our school's Junior Statesmen of America (10-12)
Vice president of Interact (member 10; officer 11-12)
President of Youth to Youth (member 10-11; officer 12)
Treasurer of Tri-M musical Honor society (11-12)
Vice president of French Club (member 9-10, officer 11-12)
Vice president of Student gov. executive board (member 10-11; officer 12)
JV volleyball 9-10 (Most improved player)
Big Brothers Big Sisters (11-12)
Classmates United in Restoring the Environment (10-12)
Chamber choir (10-12)
Honor society (12)</p>

<p>APs:
AP world: 4
AP Us: 3
AP euro: 4
Ap english language: 5</p>

<p>so that's 4 aps so far, and next year i'm taking AP gov, econ, lit, a/b calc, and french, in addition to physics (not ap) </p>

<p>Class rank: 8/250</p>

<p>Theatre/music/dance: School: Band/Chorus, 6 (so far) productions, one of them the lead in a musical
Out of school: Dance 4 days a week, acting 2 days a week, regional shows at Gateway Playhouse, local community theaters, etc
(These [music/dance/theater] are my largest ECs, things I spend most time on; I am making an arts supplement to showcase my work but am not auditioning into conservatories.)</p>

<p>Honors: French award (grade 9), Musical award (grade 11), 2 Teeny nominations (local version of the Tonys), most improved JV Volleyball, Principal's Honor roll every quarter, Honor society.</p>

<p>Summer: between 9 and 10, 4-week Junior Statesmen of America program at Yale University for AP US Government & Speech communication</p>

<p>Work: Health food store June- November between 10th & 11th and during 11th.
Advertising & Marketing for Interior Design business- between 11th and 12th
Sing at Episcopal church weekly- during 11th</p>

<p>Recs will be good, and I have a feeling my essay will be my "in" at some schools... I am a really good writer; I'm not sure what I'm writing about yet but I feel it will turn out really well.</p>

<p>Probably applying to:</p>

<p>Yale- Single choice EA
American
Marist
Boston College
SUNY Geneseo
William & Mary
Williams
Georgetown</p>

<p>So if you know of any safeties you think would be good, let me know!</p>

<p>Thanks! I'll post back if you need me to.</p>

2

<p>Boston University as a sure safety
UC’s: San Diego, Irvine, and maybe even UCLA</p>

3

<p>Wouldn’t say BU is a “safety”, more of a low match.</p>

<p>Anyways, you ought to try for Binghamton, since it is a really good deal and a pretty good school, and maybe Syracuse and Penn State, if you wamt larger schools. For LAC’s, try Hobart and William Smith, Allegheny, and maybe Franklin and Marshall.</p>

<p>Also, what is your prospective major/interests?</p>

4

<p>I agree with OHKID- more information about your interests and preferences for a college would help us find safeties. However, definitely consider some of the SUNYs besides Geneseo- they should be safeties, and they’re inexpensive and good schools, overall.</p>

5

<p>If you need financial aid, don’t bother with the UCs. There’s little aid for out of staters.</p>

6

<p>thanks everyone! yea i’m completely undecided on my major, so that doesn’t really help… possibilities are international relations, journalism, business… i don’t know, a lot of things are possibilities right now (just probably nothing with the hard sciences ie chem bio physics etc). A few more safeties i was considering are U maryland and U delaware, also possibly SUNY new paltz.</p>

<p>Thanks again!</p>

7

<p>Random Question: Are UC’s really safeties for out-of-state students? I heard UCLA & Berkeley are very competitive for out of state. What’s the average GPA & test scores for these to be safeties?</p>

8

<p>UC Berkeley and UCLA is extremely competitive for those who are not californians.
UCLA and Berkeley arent that easy…
and 90% of the students they accept are from California.</p>

9

<p>Well aside from your safeties…lets talk about your top pick. You will DEFINITELY be deferred and then it will be a pretty slim chance that you make it through in the reg pool. So I would def. load on these safeties that people are talking about. I know Yale is a high reach for everyone, but for you its a little higher than most.</p>

10

<p>thanks invisible man but i was asking for safeties not rejections</p>

11

<p>Hmmm… Undecided? Keep the LAC’s on the table I mentioned above, along with Binghamton. Throw Penn State on there, too, for a school with a good rep and every major imaginable, and Indiana because you would get the $9k/yr scholarship.</p>

12

<p>I think SUNY New Paltz is a good safety for you. It’s a great school with a good location and fun college town walking distance to campus. The area is beautiful and the school has a really nice and down to earth student population. Let me know if you would like any further info. The price is right and it sounds like it would be a good fit with your interests.</p>

13

<p>ucla would def. not be a safety, nor would any other uc school…</p>