Are there any safety schools that you would recommend to me based on the schools I have on my list already? And sorry for the questions but what is sending proof of interest to my matches and safeties? Lastly, I am unaware of what flagship honors programs are… Could you briefly explain that.
Is your Google broken?
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=umd%20honors%20program%20requirements
Yes I googled that the main question was about safety schools you would recommend similar to those Im already applying to. And just as an update I just recieved a 31 on the ACT, I dont know if that changes anything, just thought I would throw it out there.
Go to the Financial Aid forum and look at the pinned threads. There are some schools in the threads for which you would get assured merit aid.
I understand that they are financial safeties, my grandparents have the financial means to fund my education and are willing to do so, I am strictly asking based on my shown interest in schools and profile thus far.
Bump guys I really need help.
Honetstly, I think your list is way too heavy. My D’s stats were nearly identical both SAT and GPA, ECs somewhat similar (no sports but GS Gold Award, VP of Senior Class, lots of community service). She is also an IB student with a likely score of 40 or better. Her recommendations were stellar. She only applied to what I consider two real reaches (Amherst and Vanderbilt) and was rejected at both. She was waitlisted at most of her “match” schools: Middlebury, Colby, Bates, etc. The “match” schools she was accepted at included Smith, MoHo, UMass Amherst Commonwealth, and Skidmore, where she accepted a slot. She was admitted to all her EA safety schools with good merit. I would say aim at one or two high reach schools but dial the rest down. She also applied to 19 schools and it was an enormous amount of work. Had we to do it again, 12-14 would be the limit.
You need a better SAT and/or ACT score for many of these schools. Until your CR is higher this list is not possibie to evaluate. The above post is wise. ^ Read what she says and make a new list once you have your new scores. Think about the experience you want in college or the right fit for you intellectually. Your list last coherence.
Schools with an acceptance rate at or below 20% aren’t a true match for anyone. Who gave her that idea?
I was actually just thinking the same thing about that. I don’t think it is a fair assessment of my background to assume that I would have a better chance at Middlebury than Boston College… Colby and Bates similarly. But at the same time I think my chances are higher getting into UVA, Georgetown, William and Mary, or Tufts than they are getting into Amherst or Williams. To adress people like txstella, a 31 falls directly in the middle of Georgetown’s ACT score percentile with the average accepted from my school being a 30. I am unsure why that needs to be drastically raised in order to make Georgetown a reach for me.
That ACT is low for the schools you’re looking for. Remember that when you look at the average scores on those schools websites, they’re including hooked students (first gen, URM, and recruited athletes) who generally will bring down the average. You need to be above and beyond as an unhooked candidate. Thus, for schools like Tufts, you’re going to want at least a 33, and at schools like Harvard you’re really going to want a 34 and above. Even then, nothing is a slam dunk. I got a 2230 (equivalent of about a 34 ACT) and the most selective school I got into was Northeastern.
I use naviance to view the graphs of accepted students, those are what I used to rank the schools on my list. And I was using a 25-75th percentile example at Georgetown theoretically eliminating the hooked students scores.
Why did you post this thread if you don’t listen to anyone? Almost every poster has said that your scores are too low for all the reaches you have listed. In fact, I think you may only have acceptances from 2-3 of all the schools you listed. I guess the proof will be in the pudding so to speak. Good,luck with this.
I think you may be exaggerating just a bit. There are schools with average ACT acceptances from my school lower than mine. Anyone in the top 5% of my class gets into BC about 15 each year (we are a BC feeder) similarly with Villanova. The two safeties, that puts four minimum acceptances.
Im sorry of the 60 that apply around 30 get in and 15 enroll.
Yeah, and Naviance and the 25-75 method said I would get into all sorts of reaches, and I ended up having to enroll at Northeastern! Ignore Naviance. What got someone in 3 years ago won’t necessarily get you in today. It gets more competitive every year. An ACT of 31 is the equivalent of a 2060 SAT. That means that any Ivies/top 15-20 schools just aren’t happening unless you can get that up significantly. I’ll give you some SAT ballparks, perhaps that will be a wake up call.
Average SAT at NEU:
2070- you’re right on target. This DOES NOT mean that you will get in.
Harvard:
2270 - 2060 = 210 points difference- your application will likely not get past the first stage of eliminations
Georgetown:
2190-2060= 130 points difference- that’s a pretty big reach
Tufts:
2200-2060 = 140 points difference- again, big reach
The only places you’re really safe at are Providence College, UVM, and Pepperdine. American is test-optional which might help you. Otherwise, the rest are reaches with your stats.
@crazytaco7 as @Qwerty568 said, do not use Naviance as a predictor. Depending on how much history there is for your school, you may be looking at acceptances in your “bubble” from 5 years ago and ignoring the ones with a higher x/y value that might be more recent. I know a few kids who fell in to this trap this year and did not fare well.
CR score needs to go up at least 100 points to be competitive at your top schools (Tufts/BC =>) and even then you’ll need a compelling essay, and there will still be a fair amount of luck involved.
Most importantly, I do not sense a theme in the schools you have selected. Brown and American seem slightly out of place. A Brown/AU student would not likely be happy at Dartmouth or PC, much less Pepperdine.
What are you looking for? Is there a theme, or are you just perusing admissions web sites and picking out schools that look nice? Is there a social, cultural or academic reason you have picked these schools? You have too many schools, and thinking this through might help whittle the list down.
This is why I have completely resphrased the entirety of my question. I simply am wondering what some safety schools would be based on the schools I have.
Clearly, I can not balance rigour of academics with how hard it is to get in, and thus am requesting advice on schools to look at.
I would drop Stanford. The chances that you are accepted are very, very slim and the application is long with 5ish supplemental essays. Your time and energy would be better spent on your matches or low reaches.