<p>So, I've pretty much finalized the list of colleges to which I'm going to apply. So, I'm not really looking for judgement (that much), but i'd like you guys to comment on the schools. Is there anything u know about them? Do you think i've got a good balance of safties/matches/reaches?</p>
<p>GPA: 3.84
SAT: 470m, 660 r, 700 w (retake october)
Leadership and lots of community service in EC's. </p>
<p>University of Chicago (EA)
Reed College
Pepperdine
Claremont McKenna College
Scripps College
Pitzer College
UCLA
UC Davis
UC Berkeley
UC Santa Barbara
UC Santa Cruz
UC Irvine
Sonoma State University
San Francisco State </p>
<p>(yeah.. i know its a lot of schools but its worth it to me)</p>
<p>Get that SAT I up and you might have a shot at UChicago. An 1830 is definitely on their low, low side. Other than that it seems like a reasonable list.</p>
<p>Your list has some glaring inconsistencies. Reed and Pepperdine? I can't imagine someone who would be happy at both schools. Pepperdine and Pitzer? Ditto. Reed and Claremont McKenna? Ditto. These are polar opposite schools in terms of student bodies, educational approach and adminstration views. Make sure you understand the differences between these schools because they all place a big emphasis on fit in the admissions process, not to mention you want to make sure they are right for YOU. I'd suggest you think long and hard about which ones are really right for your personality - are you liberal? conservative? career oriented? religious? - and adjust your list accordingly.</p>
<p>It's impossible to comment on your chances for the UC schools without knowing your UC GPA and your SAT II test scores. I would also need to know if that is your weighted GPA or unweighted GPA overall. I also can't comment on your chances at the other schools the strength of your curriculum (# years math, science, foreign language). </p>
<p>You look solid for the two cal states, but again, I'd need to know your GPA in the a-g courses to say for sure. Based solely on your reported GPA and SAT I scores, UCLA and Berkeley are going to be HUGE reaches, unless there is something in your comprehensive review package that adds multiple points to your admissions review (i.e., coming from low income family, low performing school, 1st generation college student, need to work during school, etc.).</p>
<p>For Pitzer, need your unweighted GPA, they make submitting SATs optional if your unweighted GPA is above a certain level (3.5 I believe). They also use unweighted GPAs in making admissions decisions.</p>
<p>masha, I cannot comment upon the California schools. But I will say this. Even if you are a URM nationally ranked Olympic athlete, a 470 math subscore on the SAT I is going to get you rejected by UChicago RD or EA. And UChicago certainly doesn't fit with many of the other schools on your list (Pepperdine, e.g.). I think you need to have a long time with your guidance counselor about your list.</p>
<p>I agree; looking at the list it is hard to see a unifying theme (other than they're nearly all west coast.) It seems like you have 8 reaches and you don't get close to the match level till UCSC, though Pepperdine could possibly be a match.</p>
<p>I suggest you articulate what you want, and why you picked these schools. Maybe then the advice can be more on point.</p>
<p>I also suggest you get some intensive prep for a math SAT retake-- because if you can get that score up to 600 you will have many more choices.</p>
<p>my daughter had about a 590 in the math SAT at Reed- that was pretty low for Reed, and that was 5 years ago, they are considerably more competitive now ( she also had some interesting hooks- she is a good writer her V was 790 as was her writing SAT ll)
Try and work on your math- it can only help you in college- Reeds lowest math class is calculus and it is difficult.
I suggest you also look at Mills- it is probably better liked from students I have heard from than Scripps.
But Pepperdine suggests a different focus than many on your list.
Strong community service participation is something that several LACs value however & your writing SAT indicates you are probably a fairly strong writer- use that.</p>
<p>Masha,
Just to give you an idea of what type of math score you'll need to aim at in order to consider the most competitive schools on your list within reach, I looked up the numbers for math for 2004 admits. To feel comfortable calling these schools within range, aim for at least the 25th percentile or higher (higher would be much, much better). If you fall below the 25th percentile, I would consider all of these schools to be reachy for you - the one exception might be if you are an under-represented minority at some of the privates or will qualify for bonus points in the UC comprehensive review for things like being 1st gen. college student, from a poorly performing school, from low income family, etc. Since you seem to like liberal arts schools, I'd add a few of those to your list, even if you get your math scores up. Some suggestions: U of Redlands, Willamette, U of Puget Sound - these schools all have lowest 25th percentile in math in the 500's. You may also want to take a look at Humboldt State to give yourself another solid safety among the state schools.</p>
<p>Reed - 1% of enrolled students had math scores below 500, the 25Th percentile for math was 610.
U of Chicago - Did not accept any student with math score below 500. lowest 25th percentile was 650 for math.
Pepperdine - 5% had math below 500. 560 is 25th percentile.
Claremont Mckenna - no students with math scores below 500, 10% had math in 500-600 range. 660 is 25th percentile
Scripps - no students with math below 500, 610 is 25th percentile
UC Berkeley - 3% below 500. 620 is 25th percentile
UCLA - 4.3 below 500, 610 is 25th percentile
Pitzer - 5% below 500, 570 is 25th percentile</p>
<p>some added info: SAT II's: Bio m- 720, spanish 620, lit, 590 </p>
<p>I realize my list is all over the place . I really have no preference for where I want to go, what kind of school etc... I just want variety. I don't really know what i like/dislike. I've visited a few colleges (mostly UC's, CSU's and USF) I foudn nothing i disliked about any of them, so i want options. My parents just want me to go to a JC and want no part of that lol. I'm not counting on getting into Reed or Chicago, I'm more applying to see if i can get in and hoping for the best. I do intend to raise my math score though, no doubt about that. I probably will add more CSU's too my list. Seeing as they're not expensive to apply to and don't require essays or anything.</p>
<p>Is money a consideration? What about transportation and clothing costs if you apply to a place like Chicago that's far away and in a different climate?</p>
<p>I'm concerned about your saying that your parents want you to go to a JC because sometimes that means that parents don't want to pay much for college or don't want their kids to go far from home.</p>
<p>money is an issue, however, if i were to get into chicago (which is highly unlikely), we would find a way to pay for it. As far as climate and culture goes.. I've thought of that. I'm Russian.. i'm from Russia... Although I grew up in CA mostly I can adapt. </p>
<p>On another note..</p>
<p>Ok, i've looked at some of my old college lists and the schools I have crossed off... what do you guys think of schools like Willamette, Whitman, portland state, u of portland and u san diego? i'm thinking about replacing some of the schools on my list w/ some of these</p>
<p>More important than where you can can get in is to identify what you want to do and your field of interest. I feel more than a bit hypocritical having attended top 10 colleges for both undergrad and grad schools myself (and not particularly enjoying them, by the way), but choosing a school only for its prestige or name value to me is a mistake. Go to a place where they have a good program in your intended area of study - and where you will be truly wanted and in a position to succeed. And my guess is that one of the many fine public schools in California will do just that. And the overiding goal anywhere should be to be a mature, happy person - surrounded by happy and supportive friends and people. </p>
<p>As to U of C - I was raised in the Chicago area - Chicago is a great school, but it is an intense, competitive and VERY quantitative place - surrounded by an incredibly bad neighborhood. This is a fit for some - but given your profile (and there's little doubt you can raise that math score), I would ask if you really know what you are getting yourself into. My Chicago area high school was one of the better ones in the nation - and no one went to U of C from there - in part because familiarity breeds contempt but also because most of my classmates viewed it as a place to go to graduate school, and not one to meet a typical fun undergraduate experience. I am in no way bad mouthing U of C - it is a great school - and my has grad degrees from it - but it is an intense and unique place that demands a great deal of personal inquiry.</p>
<p>also be aware of the quantitative nature of schools. Majors at Berkeley, UCLA, UoC, and Claremont-McKenna are extremely quantitative in math and the sciences, and even social sciences, like econ. Unlike the Cal States, none of these schools offer anything less than Calculus in the math department. More importantly, students applying to those schools are aware of their quantitative nature, and apply bcos of that reason.</p>
<p>However, as Carolyn notes, the UC's give bonus points for applicants who are first generation to go to college, and/or low income.</p>
<p>Willamette, Whitman, portland state, u of portland and u san diego? >></p>
<p>These are all excellent schools, although I'm not sure I'd pay out of state prices for Portland State if I had cal state options. If you can raise your math scores into the 500's, most of these schools might be possibilities. The one exception would be Whitman - you'd need to get your math into the 600s to make it a reasonable choice.</p>
<p>Another school you really should consider is Lewis & Clark. Excellent school, beautiful campus in a suburban area of Portland. Here's the reason you should take a hard look: They have an application option that does not require you to submit test scores. Instead, they ask you to submit graded papers from school and other examples of your potential and academic achievements. They also really like kids who come from diverse backgrounds, especially kids who have lived in a different country. I think that L&C might be an excellent option for you. </p>
<p>You may want to consider some other SAT optional schools - you can find a list at <a href="http://www.fairtest.org%5B/url%5D">www.fairtest.org</a> Your math score is going to hold you back but it is obvious from your grades and other test scores that you have potential. That is just the type of student that the SAT optional schools are perfect for. </p>
<p>One school in particular that you might check out is Lawrence University in Wisconsin (might not be on the fairtest list yet as they just decided to go SAT optional) - they are known for their personalized approach to looking at applicants and I suspect they may be very interested in someone with your background and potential. They can also be very generous with financial aid. Lawrence is a top notch school that is well respected by graduate schools. Check it out as one possibility.</p>
<p>Just wanted to add one thing: Pepperdine is not known for being very generous with financial aid and they are also not entirely need blind. Unless you want a conservative religious environment, I think I might drop Pepperdine and add a different school to your list. USD is another school that can be iffy when it comes to large amounts of financial aid but they will sometimes negotiate. </p>
<p>I would, however, suggest you check out the following private California schools: University of Redlands, Chapman, Loyola Marymount, Dominican University of California, St. Mary's College of California, and Whittier. They would all be good possiblities for financial aid and admission, especially if you can get that math score into the 500's.</p>
<p>Since you don't seem opposed to a Catholic school, also check into Seattle University and Gonzaga U, both in Washington state.</p>
<p>I just read your post regarding your daughter's low math score and Reed. My son has a 580M, 800CR, 710W. He is retaking in OCt and has been taking a prep class in math to raise his score....so do you think he has a chance ED at Reed. It's a perfect fit for him...he is just not that good in math. He wants to major in Philosophy so hopefully the math score won't hurt. What do you think?</p>
<p>Carolyn,
USD has been offering a lot of finaid recently to recruit freshman, at least in our case this year and from what I have read. It is definitely worth checking into. Claremont has gotten extremely competitive to get into, last years SAT scores were well up into the 1400s for mid 50%. The freshman class only has about 250 students which makes it that much more difficult. Redlands offers a great education to echo Carolyn as does Willamette(great fin aid there!) Lewis and Clark,Puget Sound. We have a friend at California Lutheran, he was a top student and got amazing scholarships, a college not seen much on this board.</p>