no idea what colleges are reaches and which are matches!

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I'm a junior just starting the college search. I have no idea which colleges would be reaches for me, and which would be matches and safeties. I have an extremely strong interest in science and would like to major in chemistry. I would also love for a school to be in or near a city, but suburban areas are okay also. Just don't put me in the middle of a farm. I would also like the school to be no more than a day's drive from New England.</p>

<p>Stats, in case anyone cares:
Female
New England
Public High School
School sends some grads to top schools. Our last two vals went to NYU and Colby, if that means anything.</p>

<p>GPA:
-3.7ish unweighted, 4.3 weighted
Class rank: 1/195</p>

<p>Scores:
-haven't taken the SATs yet, but I got a 191 on the sophomore PSAT. I feel I did drastically better this year.</p>

<p>Classes (As in everything except possibly advanced math this year, which is solidly sitting at a B+)
Freshman year: Honors English, Honors Integ. Science, Gym/Writing and Speech, Honors World Civ, Band, Spanish II, Geometry, Intermediate Algebra</p>

<p>Sophomore year: Honors English, Chem, Honors Bio, Gym/Health, AP US Part I, Band, Spanish III, Honors Algebra II</p>

<p>Junior year: Honors English, AP Chem, AP US Part II, Spanish IV, Honors Precalc, Band, Computer Science I, Honors Advanced Math</p>

<p>Senior year (projected): AP English Lit, AP Bio, Gym, Band, Honors Physics, AP Calc, law/american government, and some elective that I haven't decided on yet. Something that is not Spanish.</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
-Dance (3 hrs/wk, 45 wks/year, 15 years) lyrical, jazz, ballet, and tap
-Pep Band (2-5 hrs/wk, fall and winter, grades 10-12)
-Flute lessons (.5 hrs/wk, 36 wks/yr, since 4th grade)
-Part time job at CVS (10-20 hrs/wk during school year, 20-30 hrs/wk in the summer, since the summer before sophomore year)
-National Honor Society (grades 11-12)
-Tech crew for theater (30-40 hrs/wk, 2 wks/year)</p>

<p>Volunteer work:
-Lector at church (about 2 hrs/month, grades 9-12)
-40 hrs/yr for National Honor Society</p>

<p>Extracurriculars I quit and won't put on the ap: Newspaper during 9th grade and FCL during 10th.</p>

<p>Thanks in advance for anyone who manages to get through that mini-bio and respond.</p>

2

<p>Big names: </p>

<p>UCSD
UCSB
NW - reach
NYU - moderate reach
Reed
KM
Brown - reach
UChicago
CM</p>

<p>Tons and TONS of others. </p>

<p>Comments: 3.7UW seems awfully low for 1st rank. I have a 3.8UW and only rank 11 out 90. What's your school's API? </p>

<p>However - the schools I mentioned will only apply to SAT scores equal in weight in relation to your GPA and classes. Not that an average score would kill you...</p>

3

<p>With your interest in science and dance (Would you like to continue dancing in college?), I'd suggest Bard as a match. It is known as more of an artsy school, but they're trying to get more science kids, and so now they have a new building for science and this great scholarship for science majors.</p>

4

<p>I'm just guessing at my UW GPA because our school doesn't even calculate it. My 4.3 UW correlates to mostly As with a few A-'s in all honors and AP classes.</p>

<p>I'm undecided if I'd like to continue dance. I've never danced competitively so if I did it would just be recreational. I would like to continue the flute recreationally, though.</p>

5

<p>What about Connecticut College and Franklin and Marshall. They both have dance programs also. There is also Hamilton but I believe it is pretty rural.</p>

6

<p>I heard you as a Barnard person when I read your profile, and I think it would be a high match/low reach for you.</p>

7

<p>Chem and dance screams Barnard, Conn College, and Smith</p>

8

<p>Do you need merit $$? Goucher might be a good safety school for you.</p>

9

<p>HSisOverrated - Good list, but the OP wants to be in easy driving distance of New England. Even Chicago is probably too far. </p>

<p>I'll definitely second Barnard though! As well as Brown, NYU, and maybe Bard.</p>

10

<p>Chicago's not too far. It's still a day's drive if you don't make any stops!</p>

<p>I visited Barnard and thought it was pretty good. I visited it in the summer, though, so I wasn't able to tell much about the atmosphere.</p>

11

<p>bummmmmmmp</p>