<p>I've done all my college searches. And I'm not one to go for the schools because of their names. I really do want the schools fit for me. However, it's just by chance that the schools I want r all really competitive! Hence, NO SAFETY SCHOOL! </p>
<p>Here r the ones i want to go to ranked in preference: </p>
<p>brown
stanford
columbia
cornell
georgetown
NYU</p>
<p>I have no safety schools and I know my chances of getting in to these are questionable.</p>
<p>So here's my question to u all...what do I do? Suck it up and apply to schools I know I'll be miserable in and have no interest whatsoever? </p>
<p>btw...i do have a chance at these schools. but then again I'm ur typical asian; hate to say it, but a replication of a trillion others when u compare academic history.</p>
<p>going by the schools you chose and w/o any other information, i'll give a few safeties. boston university, rutgers, u conn, fordham, george washington, catholic univ., maryland, and maybe a suny or two.</p>
<p>btw, there is no typical anything, you're unique, try to make it show in your app & essay. :) good luck!</p>
<p>There is a thread on this message board about a kid that didn't apply to any safety schools. He wasn't accepted anywhere. You might try to find that to read about what happened, etc.... In the end, the next year he applied to different schools and was accepted by some of them. </p>
<p>Point is, do you want an education or not? No one can stop you from learning. But if "where" you go matters that much, maybe this isn't the time for college anyway.</p>
<p>Maybe you could get yourself interested in a second-tier school if you could find a bargain: a state school with an honors program, or a college with a merit scholarship.</p>
<p>rubystar990 looking at your schools it looks like your applying to a name. There are so many good schools that you could probably get into and would fit you perfectly that dont have the "prestige" that so many people are looking for.</p>
<p>Assuming you have awsome grades because of the colleges your applying too,99% of all colleges in the US are safetys for you. Are you one of those people who thinks a 3.75 and a 28 ACT is average?</p>
<p>Why are you considering applying to both Brown and Columbia? While both excellent schools, and while I am sure you have excellent qualifications, they are as different as night and day except for the fact that they are both very hard to get in to. </p>
<p>Maybe if you thought about what you are looking for in a college we could give you some ideas of schools that would be matches or sure bets for you. It's hard to help you when we can't get a sense of what you are looking for other than a prestigious name.</p>
<p>The OP already stated that she had researched and really liked those schools. Don't assume she is going just by name- the reason they are so well known is that they are great schools. And boysx- I plan on applying to both Columbia and Brown as well, even though they are different, because I love them both. My own list has a lot of variety- city schools and middle of nowhere schools, and I'm sure i'd be very happy at pretty much all of them. Ruby, you definitely need a couple of safety schools. Some listed above are good ideas. I'm not great at making suggestions myself, but maybe if you put a little more info about what you want in a school I could try.</p>
<p>Hmmm, I see where you're coming from, at least for me, I didn't want to go to a school where many of the students just wouldn't be as motivated to learn as me, which is a reason I was just drawn to top tier schools, nonetheless, you need to recognize [which you do] that your list is very difficult, but nonetheless go for it, though may I suggest a good state school that will give you plenty of money or some impressive LAC or a nice second tier college, because you have to see that if you don't get into any of the colleges that you need some back up plan. So trust me, I know you'll find an answer, I had eight reaches myself with only real two safeties, but hmmm, once you get into any of your reaches then you're fine from there, perhaps do EA to Georgetown or something like that. Good luck :)</p>
<p>I am probably in a very small minority on this forum but see nothing wrong with applying without safety schools ... as long as you're willing to deal with a gap year if your applications flame out. From your list I assume you are a top student. Even with your being a top student those schools are basically reaches for everyone since the acceptence rates are so low. Just a tad below these schools are a bunch of very good schools that might be good matches to consider. Love thy safety is a common refrain on this forum but I'm not a big believer. My oldest certainly would be just fine at a school of any reasonable caliber because she is so self motivated but if she doesn't get into a "top" school the first year I'd recooment taking a gap year and trying a second time for a very good school before settling (if indeed she would consider the safeties settling and I think she would). For my second I think going to a safety would be a TERRIBLE outcome ... he tends to go with the flow of majoirty of the kids around him ... put him in a group where he can coast to do just fine would be a terrible outcome. Each kid and situation is different ... but if the kids in question desire being in a more challenging environment I have no issue (and would recommend) giving it more than one shot to make it happen.</p>
<p>Thanks guys, for all responding so diligently. </p>
<p>Ok, so here's my additional 2 cents. </p>
<p>Contrary to what it appears to be (which I know it does), but I'm not looking for the prestige as YA10 would like to put it. I really do like these schools for what they are. I've visited most of them.(Resp 2 Boysx3) I've spent summers at Cornell (my sis went there) and been to Columbia numerous times for events cuz my other sis goes there. I have a business program at NYU where I go ever week. So i know I like these schools. </p>
<p>Thanku for the ones that posted suggestions...but there are things about these schools that are such a turnoff for me that applying and going there would be as 2togo puts it, a "settle."</p>
<p>Puppetzz: thanks for the pos thought (or at least I think it was positive), but i think u've got the wrong image in ur head. Those scores u mentioned were great, so no, i don't think they're average. I'm a hardworking student but also very realistic. So I guess what I'm just trying to say is that although those scores are great, they are average when it comes to these schools. </p>
<p>3togo: As much as I would luv to take a gap year and travel, plain and simple:: Not an option in both financial and family circumstances. </p>
<p>I definately agree with Tony, one of the most important criteria for me would be summed up in the evironment of the place. I like big universities where there's a diversity of student body; one in which I can learn from all diff areas. But at the same time, I also want the environment of well-motivated others. As for other critierias, they's very few. As long a it gives me that "feel..." </p>
<p>e.g. Fordham's out of the question. I hate the air and feel of the place, but then again that's just me (I hope i didn't make anyone think twice). btw, if u haven't realized, I live in the Bronx of NY.</p>
<p>I just didnt understand how you could say you have no safety schools. If you think you may have a shot at an elite school then your grades must be very good. If you have very good grades then you have alot of safetys. Are you asking what schools should be your safety, or are you saying you dont have any safetys at all? Because you have a ton of safetys that will accept you assuming your grades are really good. I have a 3.6 and a 27 ACT and I even have a ton of safetys.</p>
<p>well, a safety school for me is not just some ordinary regular school that I know for sure i'll get into. In that case, there's one for everyone cuz there's at least one community college that accepts everyone. But what i mean is that i'm having a hard time finding a safety school that I actually want to go to...one that I can see myself at or is right for me. Not some random school that the only criteria i'm holding to is that it'll accept me. </p>
<p>What r ur safety schools if u have so many?</p>
<p>Well I know that you're not asking me about my safety schools, but I'll just share with you anyway and tell you that mine were Drew and TCNJ because they were both in-state schools that I wouldn't mind attending if need be [well TCNJ I would enjoy going to if need be], but yeah I would say a good focus for a safety school would be in-state so that at least you can be motivated by the money they'll give you and be like, well though I don't like my current situation, at least financially I'm set, or at least that's how I look at a safety.</p>