<p>My list:
Case Western
Stanford
Cornell
WUSTL
Duke
JHU
CMU
Princeton
Brown
MIT
Northwestern</p>
<p>I need to pick 3-4 of these to apply to, and i can't decide between them. I need some advice. I want someplace really good in physics and in a good location (not too remote, nice campus, etc.). Suggestions??</p>
<p>It looks like each one of them would suit your criteria. They're all highly selective; why not apply to all 11 and only worry about choosing between the ones at which you're accepted?</p>
<p>I agree. There is no reason not to apply to them all. Applying to 11 schools is in no way excessive, especially when so many of them are virtual crap shoots. If you are thinking of limiting yourself because you cannot afford to apply to so any schools, there are a few points that you should consider.
1. If you really can't afford it you can get fee waivers.
2. If you need to worry about money, you can't afford NOT to apply to many schools. This will give you the ability to compare FA awards and select the school that is most economically feasible for you from amongst many schools you love.</p>
<p>I hope you have a safety or two that you didn't list--otherwise you may be real unhappy next April.</p>
<p>um, you guys, have u perhaps thought that maybe she needs to narrow it down because she has neither the time nor the money to apply to eleven schools. It seems logical to me....so I'd have to disagree, there are quite a few reasons not to apply to all 11</p>
<p>Yes, i do have a safety or two that i'm pretty much guarrenteed to get into...</p>
<p>Also, i really don't have time to do apps for all of these, so does anyone have any suggestions of which ones to drop? I'd appreciate it.</p>
<p>Your list is VERY top heavy. I don't know your stats but even with stellar stats, I'd agree with marny. Case & CMU might be matches for a great student, but the rest are reaches due to their super selectivity.</p>
<p>I don't know your stats but...
You have safeties you didn't list.
You have CMU, possibly Cornell, and Case Western, probably matches?
Then you have Stanford, WUSTL, Duke, JHU, Princeton, Brown, MIT, Northwestern as your reaches?
I don't care what anyone says, nobody needs 8 reaches. I would look into the negatives of your reaches and find the ones that you wouldn't like as much as the others. Are you liberal or conservative? Brown and Duke aren't similar at all.</p>
<p>I think i'm going to drop Princeton and MIT, and maybe Brown, CMU, and Duke.</p>
<p>That leaves me with:
Stanford
Cornell
Case Western
WUSTL
JHU
Northwestern</p>
<p>and maybe:
Brown
Duke
CMU</p>
<p>What i'm not sure about with JHU is how friendly it is toward non-premed students and also how safe the place is. Same with WUSTL. Stanford sounds completely awesome...except that it's so far away. Cornell may be a bit too big, and also kind of in the middle of nowhere. With Case Western, i like what i've heard but i don't know enough about it. And Northwestern - i love the place but it may be more pre-professional than i would like.</p>
<p>I'm liberal...extremely.</p>
<p>I don't really see you at Duke.
JHU has a reputation for being unsafe.
I spent 5 weeks at WUSTL this summer...the campus is very safe, in a very nice suburban part of town, and I know for a fact that non pre-med students are just as respected as those who are. </p>
<p>You might go to Borders or Barnes & Noble for a couple hours (for free!) and look through all the college books and descriptions of the schools you are looking at. They will give you more of the "inside scoop" and the feel of the college (as best you can get without being there).</p>
<p>that really helps.</p>
<p>another thing with WUSTL is the distance from home...i know that it is in fact a lot closer than anywhere on the east coast and of course way closer than Stanford, but to me it just seems kind of isolated. Maybe it's just that after living in Michigan for 10 years i've had way too much of driving through miles upon miles of farmland. I don't know.</p>
<p>I feel like you need to do more research. These schools are SO far from one another in terms of selectivity. Applying to only 4 schools is crazy, the lowest I have ever heard of is six. I would say applying to 8-10 makes sense. Also, without your stats its really really difficult to guide you. Also, a school like Case is not even close to most of the others on the list in terms of selectivity.</p>
<p>In terms of selectivity:
Princeton
Stanford
MIT</p>
<p>Duke
Brown</p>
<p>Cornell
Northwestern</p>
<p>JHU
WUSTL</p>
<p>CMU</p>
<p>MAJOR drop...
Case Western</p>
<p>I have a similar list to vinco's.
and i m wondering what SAT score should applicants have (at least) to apply to those school known for their notorious selectivity.</p>
<p>1450-2150 imo</p>
<p>^^at least!!-- unless you are an elite athlete, a URM, or your dad gives buildings. </p>
<p>When you look at the 25%-75% range, it does not tell the story. Sometimes the 30% and the 75% score are very very close. There is NOT an even spacing of each decile; there is a top-weighted group. </p>
<p>If you are a normal kid, do not consider a school a match unless you are near the 75% range, and the % of applicants admitted is about 40%+</p>
<p>For a safety you'd better be above 75% stats and the % of applicants admitted had better be above 50%.</p>
<p>All you have to do is peek at the threads from last year for these schools about who got in and who did not and the stats.</p>
<p>Do yourselves a favor. Apply to the reaches but FIND GREAT MATCHES & SAFETIES! </p>
<p>(gets off soapbox)</p>
<p>Right now i am really interested in whether i would LIKE the schools, not in the selectivity. And also, i am certainly going to apply to U of Michigan (in-state) and UChicago (my first choice really). Since i got a 34 on the ACT (and 2210 on the SAT but i am pretty sure the ACT score is considered better), i am above or at the 75% for most of these schools. I have visited them all with the exception of Stanford, Cornell, Case, and Duke.</p>
<p>so basically, Michigan and Case would be safeties and Chicago would be a match...i dont know for the others tho</p>
<p>If you really like U Chicago, you may want to investigate Columbia or Swarthmore. Lots of cross over on those.</p>
<p>Otherwise it is hard to help you because you are not telling us anything about your likes, dislikes, needs, school personality, feel, location, etc.</p>
<p>The other schools on your list are not particularly similar to U Chicago. With more detailed wants/likes it would be easier to make suggestions.</p>
<p>Congrats on some great scores, you are definitely in the ballpark with those. :)</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Let's see...i want a medium sized school (something like 4000-9000 undergrads), and a research university rather than a LAC, something in or close to a big city...strong in the sciences, especially physics...that's what i know right now.</p>
<p>Sounds like you would like University of Chicago</p>