<p>i think your list looks great. what about adding NYU since you don't seem to object to an urban environment. </p>
<p>be confident. You're a solid student at a demanding private school where A's and B's don't come as easily as they do in grade-inflated public schools -- and admissions officers know that. and you are clearly someone whose ECs reflect passion. </p>
<p>if you apply to your currrent list, I think you'll have a lot to chose from. good luck</p>
<p>which of these have really attractive campuses?</p>
<p>Penn State U.
University of Pennsylvania
Temple U.
Hampton U
Howard U
Morehouse
Haverford College
Davidson College
Swarthmore College
St. Lawrence
University of Maryland- College Park
American University</p>
<p>"Are you taking the hardest courseload in your school?"</p>
<p>pretty much. AP's aren't offered here, so everybody takes the same History and English classes. I'm in the math average track (statistics-advanced senior year), and I'm taking a selective (it requires a 2-page essay explaining how you'd be valuable to the class) writing seminar next year. Advanced Bio is the most AP-like class that GFS offers. so yeah, except for math, I'm taking the most rigorous courseload, along with a S***load of music electives.</p>
<p>A few thoughts from my corner:</p>
<p>!. Check out the SAT optional schools at <a href="http://www.fairtest.org%5B/url%5D">www.fairtest.org</a>. There are some excellent schools on there that either do not require SATs or have made them optional. </p>
<ol>
<li>Have you considered some Quaker colleges? (Swarthmore and Haverford don't really qualify) Earlham, in Indiana, shows a bit of a preference to graduates from Quaker high schools, places more emphasis on things like grades,character, interviews, and recommendations than they do on test scores, and is really assertive about building racial diversity. Earlham has solid academics, a supportive community, and a very pretty campus in my opinion. A plus, relatively Easy and inexpensive to get to from the east coast via Dayton airport which is 30 minutes away. I would call Earlham a safe match for you. Also look at Guilford in NC as a true safety.</li>
</ol>
<p>Hope this helps --- feel free to PM me if you want some other suggestions.</p>
<p>you should go look on fastweb.com... you register and fill out your profile, and it gives you a list of matching colleges and websites...</p>
<p>you should definitely look into some liberal arts schools because of your music. your grades are good, definitely not academic scholarship grades, but they will be alright for you transcript... you should defnitely focus on your EC's and could probably find some scholarships for it...</p>
<p>RBase, thanks for responding. . . . there's a black guy in my choir who is a KICK butt baritone and I'm trying to convince him to apply to Oberlin. I was going to suggest you look into that. . . . Glad to see you've already got it on your list!</p>
<p>Everything sounds good for you---sorry I misunderstood re: SAT. </p>
<p>Oberlin is 45% male and 7% African-American (PR: 357 Best Colleges). So, you're a double minority there! I also agree that SLU would be a good match for you (though I'm quite biased---one of my favorite actors, Viggo Mortensen, graduated from SLU). </p>
<p>You sound like you'll get any aid you need. Most of the schools you're looking at give out pretty good aid (I'm flipping through PR). NYU is a great school (most popular major is drama/dramatic arts) but I'd look into their aid first. . . . I've heard it's not so great, but that's for the two middle-class white girls I know (girls are the majority there), and college admissions for you is going to be a whole different ballgame. </p>
<p>Are you into the whole urban or rural thing? Because U Penn and American are far more urban than, say, Davidson, which is pretty much out in the sticks (but pretty sticks). I don't know--I'd stick with an urban/suburban setting. You're probably going to want to see concerts and musical events outside of your school.</p>
<p>Okay, before I go on, I just wanted to say that I am an average student like yourself, and I am by no means trying to be patronizing.</p>
<p>Yes, your grades are a bit low...and as such some of these schools become "out of reach for you", even with URM status and ECs. PSU-University Park is in fact NOT a match/safety for you, even with in state status. UP is WAY too competitive for even great (like omgz 1450/3.8 GPA) students (no offense, it's out of my league also, and I have a 1290 (1940 new) SAT/2.78 UW). They only accepted 4% with a GPA between 2.0 and 2.9. Their SAT scores are between 1090 and 1300. From a statistical vantage point, it's pretty steep competition.</p>
<p>Temple is maybe a match, but it's not a safety. I am looking into it also, and you're in range. Since they are holistic in the admissions process, I'm pretty sure you have a great shot at it. </p>
<p>Honestly, for students like you and I (and millions of kids out there), there are no true oh-my-god-I'll-get-in-for sure safety schools out there (well, that will give you a quality education and keep you in the game...watch out for going a bit TOO low...in the future, employers may laugh at your degree from "Kunzagoloo State University-Bouncy College")...but HAVE HOPE! You will get into one of these great colleges. </p>
<p>Lemme see what I can do for you:</p>
<p>Penn State U. (reach)
University of Pennsylvania (big reach)
Temple U. (match)
Hampton U. (safety)
Howard U. (safe match)
Morehouse (match)
Haverford College (slight reach?)
Davidson College (reach)
Swarthmore College (big reach)
St. Lawrence (match)
University of Maryland- College Park (reach)
American University (reach)</p>
<p>I say look into the University of Pennsylvania system...I am currently looking into them, and if you can deal with the "state school dilemma", you'll find some GREAT safeties. </p>
<p>I wish you well :).</p>
<p>"Are you into the whole urban or rural thing?"</p>
<p>This is one college component that doesn't really affect my game plan either way. I'm not really set on either. As long as the school fits, I'm fine. I come from a big city, however, so I don't want to be TOO isolated from society. Is that what you're saying Davidson is like?</p>
<p>Also, having some "big reaches", as you put it, doesn't really bother me. As long as I have one or two safeties that I would be happy to attend (ie Hampton) I'll be fine.</p>
<p>Re: Davidson. You'll be right off 77, not <em>that</em> far from Charlotte. The town of Davidson itself is kind of on the small side, but I understand that the school does a lot to provide what it can in the way of activites. It really depends on your viewpoint of what isolation is. . .</p>
<p>Thanks so far to everyone has posted with information in this thread.</p>
<p>OMG I just realized that I have close to 400 posts on CC. It seems that just yesterday I joined this site and was a new member. </p>
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<p>Haverford & Davidson are as big of a reach as U Penn.</p>
<p>I think that you have more chance at smaller LACs (like oberlin). For your reaches --- Smaller schools will be more likely to be swayed into admitting you by your musical talent, teacher recs, and minority status. In my experience, smaller schools also give better aid.
You seem like a great person, good luck :) !!!
I really, really like that you have Oberlin on your list --- I didn't apply there this year and kind of regret it...</p>
<p>Penn gives preference to students from Philly high schools. Still I think it's too much of a reach to be realistic, but who knows?</p>
<p>I have known quite a number of SLU students over the years, and they all tend to fit into one category: upper-upper middle class to outright rich, white, preppy, and not terribly motivated students. But, great partiers! SLU is just about the quintessential safety school for most prep/boarding school kids who dont get in anywhere else.</p>
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<p>I think a lot of you are underestimated RBase07 on several counts:
1.) He goes to a good, rigorous private school and is succeeding in the most demanding courses.
2.) He's not your run-of-the-mill privileged white kid who has gotten every bit of boosting and support available. Many of the kids applying to the top schools fall into that category.
3.) Colleges really do want diversity, and not just in terms of ethnic diversity. They want economic diversity, diversity of interests, diversity of life experience. </p>
<p>I think RBase07 will be very attractive to most of the colleges on his list. If possible, it's best to visit and interview in person to let them know of your interest. </p>
<p>Good luck.</p>