<p>Hi everyone, I go to a pretty competitive high school and I am beginning to narrow my choices down. Unfortunately, visiting the schools is not an option for me and so I hope the fellow members of CC can help me. What I would really like, is if anyone here has attended or is attending any of my current top choices so that they could then give me a "pro and con" list. I actually stumbled upon a post about someone who attended Columbia for 4 years and his very detailed account of his experience was very helpful. So, if anyone is willing to help me, thanks a lot!</p>
<p>My current top choices:
Brown
Duke
Harvard
Johns Hopkins
University of Pennsylvania
Yale
Princeton</p>
<p>Thank you so much you guys!</p>
<p>The first school you should put on your application list is your safety:</p>
<ul>
<li>Must be certain admission with your stats (do not use schools that have “level of interest” as an admissions criterion).</li>
<li>Must be definitely affordable (check the “net price calculator” on the web site).</li>
<li>Must be a school you like and is suitable for your academic goals (majors and courses offered, etc.).</li>
</ul>
<p>Your in-state public universities and community colleges are likely the best candidates for safeties. Some other schools that offer stats based merit scholarships (e.g. Alabama and its Presidential Scholarship) are also safety candidates for many students. Rolling admissions or non-restrictive early-action admissions schools can be helpful – an early acceptance with sufficient financial aid can reduce the stress of waiting (and allow eliminating applications to schools less desirable than a school you are already accepted to).</p>
<p>The list you give is pretty much “reach for everyone” schools; you could get “shut out” if you apply to just that list. If you are planning for community college as your safety in that event, that could be fine, but if not, then you need to make some safety plans beforehand.</p>
<p>I have my safeties (two) and two match schools, those are my reach schools. Might be applying to one of them ED. (I’m a Junior By the way)</p>