Need Safeties/Matches

College Search & Selection
1

<p>As the title says, I think I need more matches/safeties. Anyone have some ideas for me? Or do you think my list is okay? </p>

<p>Criteria: urban-ish setting. don't care about weather. easy transportation. I'm pretty much okay with anything really. The urban setting is a big thing for me. that's it.</p>

<p>Grades/Rank/Tests</p>

<p>GPA: 4.00 UW, 4.68W
Rank: 1/500 competitive public (hopefully, it'll stay there)
Test: ACT-34
SAT II: math II 800; U.S 770; physics 740; chem 710
Classes: most rigorous
AP: taken- Chem, Euro, Calc BC, US, Physics all 5's
taking this year: Spanish, English Lit, Biology, Stat, Gov, Macro</p>

<p>EC/ Awards
Math Team 9-12: VP; bunch of regional and state 1st and 2nd
AMC 10: 120 (school winner) AIME qualifier</p>

<p>Chamber Orchestra 9-12: Violin; quartet got selected to go to a state symposium, state: division I rating 9-11, best of day (quartet)</p>

<p>Science Oly 10 club got cancelled: regional medals 3rd</p>

<p>Varsity Tennis, JV captain 10</p>

<p>Hospital Internship 11 ~ 70hrs
nursing home volunteer 9-12 ~120 (started a music program b/c they didn't have any, so founder/president)</p>

<p>Fillers:
NHS 11-12 (Tutoring)
WYSE 11-12 (State 2nd)</p>

<p>Nominated for NCTE writing, will hear final result this fall.</p>

<p>Internship at Mass Gen Hospital. ~ 500 hours (summer) Will submit papers to intel/siemens.
Amazing rec from science mentor (Harvard Medical School). </p>

<p>Here's my list so far:
University of Illinois UC
northwestern
University of chicago
Duke
JHU
Cornell
UPenn
MIT
Yale
Princeton
Harvard</p>

<p>Only thing though: I'm asian, although female. will work against me? for me?</p>

<p>Suggestions? Comments?
Thanks</p>

2

<p>I think UIUC is a safety, their acceptance rate is like 70% and you are certainly a HYP level applicant. </p>

<p>However, due to Tufts Syndrome, I think 2 - 3 safeties (also for finacial reasons) would be the best, but mabye 2 if you arent looking as much for full-rides and since ivy leagues cover money quite well</p>

<p>Based on your list it seems to be all prestigious universities, with about half in major cities while some others in suburban / rural places. What sortof environment are you looking for? With the safety you can really shop and just choose the school you want, since they are safeties are all</p>

<p>Just based off your stats and apparent interests, I would say RPI or Case Western would be good. Both have high acceptance rates (~45% and 70% respectively) and are strong math schools that offer large merit scholarships in relatively metropolitan areas.</p>

<p>Your list is a lot like mine but I have more safeties/matches, but yea with ivies now it's all a roll of the die isnt it</p>

3

<p>hey thanks. </p>

<p>I'm just really afraid that I'll be waitlisted at some schools, and flat out rejected in the top top schools. </p>

<p>Environment: i guess not the perception everyone has of Brown or Vanderbilt. Everything else is fine. </p>

<p>yeah, some of the outliers on location (Princeton, Cornell) are the influence of my parents. I'm not decided on those yet. </p>

<p>thanks for the suggestions! </p>

<p>Anyone else?</p>

4

<p>What do you plan to major in ?</p>

5

<p>stats or biology.</p>

6

<p>DePaul (Chicago), Northeastern (Boston), Barnard, BU</p>

7

<p>thanks. </p>

<p>I visited BU ( for some reason, didn't like it. Perhaps it was the narrow set-up of campus.)
Considered Barnard ( perhaps too urban) I visited Columbia and scratched that off my list.
Saw Northeastern ( too much concrete, not enough brick)
haven't considered Depaul, but will definitely look into it.</p>

<p>Hm.... maybe I'm not as open-minded as I thought.</p>

<p>Any more suggestions?</p>

8

<p>University of Rochester, Vanderbilt. If you are really willing to look at a different environment, look at Rice. Not really a safety, but an excellent school in a nice (but currently very soggy) city.</p>

9

<p>You could probably get a nice scholarship at Case Western, plus it's located right in the cultural center of the city.</p>

10

<p>hm... Case Western has come up twice. I'll definitely look into that.</p>

<p>Shennie: I get the whole southern belle/ guys in popped collars feel when someone mentions vandy. Two people from my schools are in Vandy, and they fit that description exactly. Plus, they're both blondes.
Correct that notion if I'm wrong.
yeah, and rice. If I do add that to my list, can I name that as a match, or is that stretching it?</p>

11

<p>Congrats on an amazing record! I think you'll probably be accepted at several of the schools on your list, because, although 10 of the 11 are reach schools for everyone, your stats really are that good. But I only see one safety there, and my question is, how happy would you be to attend if things go very wrong and you either don't get one of those golden ticket acceptances, or find that you can't afford to go to one of those ultra-selective schools? It's not hard to find a great list of dream schools. It takes a lot of looking to develop safeties and solid matches. </p>

<p>The recommendation above of Case Western is a good one - great science school, very bright student body, wonderful faculty and science facilities, and you'd certainly receive some nice merit aid there. You have a poor impression of Vanderbilt - if you wanted to suspend that and visit, it might amaze you with what it has to offer, especially in the sciences, and how not "the perception everyone has" it is in reality. Rice, too, is a great option, and Emory is also a terrific urban school (though I see Rice, Emory, and Vanderbilt as matches, not safeties).</p>

<p>A true safety: University of Pittsburgh, where you'd be in the Honors College and almost certainly receive a full tuition scholarship. There are great opportunities there for top students. Are you open to applying to other top public schools in addition to UIUC? I'm thinking that UMich might be a safety-match for you - and it would notify you early, since it's a rolling admissions school.</p>

12

<p>^ lol, I applied to UPitt about 4 days ago.</p>

13

<p>I suspected that I had the wrong impression of Vandy. I am apprehensive about adding Rice, Emory and Vanderbilt because (to me) I still consider them reaches. Adding more reaches to my list, as of right now, is not making this application process any easier or comfortable for me.</p>

<p>UPitt mailed me several opportunities (Honors college and scholarships) earlier in the summer. I seriously considered the school for awhile, but placed it in the back burner once school started.
Any impressions of UPitt? Comments? </p>

<p>Thanks again all.</p>

14

<p>If you're from somewhere other than Texas, then I think you can categorize Rice as a match.</p>

15

<p>I am a bit unhappy with my safety, and it has nothing to do with academics, or even location wise. </p>

<p>About 50ish peopel go to UIUC every year from my school, and that is a downside. I rather start fresh and dislocate myself.
And you are completely right, it ISN'T hard to find a dream school</p>

16

<p>Blackeyedsusan: thanks, i'm from the great state of Obama</p>

17

<p>Two of my kids applied and were accepted to Pitt, and all of us liked it very much. Pittsburgh is a great town, for one thing. But more to the point, the school itself shows very well, and the people we know who attended have nothing but positive things to say about their experiences there. The campus is urban but more manageable in size, and more collegiate-feeling, than BU. </p>

<p>They have majors in both Biological Sciences and Stats, your fields of interest. My girls were considering other majors, so I can't comment on those departments - maybe someone else on the board can. I'm sure you'd be invited to apply for the Chancellor's Scholarship, which is full tuition, room, board, books, etc. The application for admission was easy for my girls to complete very quickly. Aside - Pitt has its own application, isn't a Common App school (or wasn't as of last year, anyway).</p>

<p>My middle d's stats were very similar to yours (same ACT and rank), and she was accepted at both Vandy (merit scholarship) and Emory (Scholar semi-finalist). And she had fewer APs, and nothing like your 500-hour internship. That's why I feel these schools are matches for you, even though applications have increased since 2005.</p>

18

<p>I think you would be a great candidate at University of Rochester. Not quite a saftey, but close. And you would likely get a scholarship as well. Rice would be considered a match, not a safety.</p>

19

<p>^ I have slightly lesser stats than the OP and was assured that URochester would be a safety for me--so for the OP, it should definitely be a safety, especially if you interview.</p>

<p>If you wouldn't be truly happy attending UIUC, it's not a real safety. Go find one that you DO like--I've heard good things about UPitt as well.</p>

20

<p>A true safety is one where you could be happy. With high aspirations many kids are not initially happy when it turns out their state school is the best value. Do you need scholarships or other financial aid? Do you qualify via FAFSA/PROFILE? If you money is an issue, UI is an excellent choice. A close friend's D went there under duress initially, but quickly loved it and did ever so well there. However, you are definitely scholarship material so you may want to look at schools with merit opportunities as well if you need the money in case you do not qualify for financial aid. Most of your schools are need only for money and very expensive.</p>