<p>“If she wants to use the UC system as her safety, she should explicitly apply to all UCs that she prefers over UC Merced.”</p>
<p>In other words, ALL of them. (Sorry, UC Merced fans, but I can’t picture my DD1 stuck in the Central Valley. She would HATE it.) But in reality, she’d rather go somewhere else (e.g., UMass, UWash) than Riverside, Irvine, Davis, Santa Cruz, and maybe even more than San Diego or Santa Barbara. So she’ll keep another safety on her list and limit the UC app’s to the 2-4 she’s willing to attend.</p>
<p>I’m concerned about what I perceive as great weight given to her classmates’ opinions of her college choices. In a couple of years, she’s likely to still be close to only a handful of her HS friends. Why let their ideas of what schools are “worthy” shape so much of her list? She runs the risk of missing out on a great fit at a non-HYP school that might offer serious merit $.</p>
<p>Why isn’t Reed on there? I am not applying to Reed because I am religious. But my brother is a self proclaimed Athiest and thinks Reed is great.</p>
<p>Since she’s a top student - GPA-wise - at her school, then her chances for one of the better UCs is probably very good. So, that’s good news. </p>
<p>She can’t really compare where other “top students” got in, because her current test scores may not be where theirs were (and admittance to NYU isn’t impressive since a couple of its colleges don’t demand high stats get in…we’ve seen modest stats get into Tisch every year). However, with a retest and a 1460+ SAT, her chances can change a lot at her reaches. </p>
<p>You may need to have two lists…one list based on getting M+CR SAT scores in the 1450+ range…and another list based on M+CR SAT scores under 1450. Much will depend on scores.</p>
<p>BTW…does your D really understand how much time each app takes (with the exception of the UC apps)? If I recall, she’s a super busy young lady…she may find that she won’t have time to apply to 10+ non-UC schools.</p>
<p>Undecided: Last I knew, Reed is a pass/fail school. Have they changed that policy? If not, DD1 has no interest because she’s too competitive. As she said, “how do I know whether I’m kicking everyone’s ass if there are no grades?”</p>
<p>M2ck: she’s going to apply to her dream schools no matter what, and if she’s willing to take on the work of doing the apps, that’s up to her. I just want to make sure she still has some decent options after the rejections come in.</p>
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