Please Offer Some Insight!

College Search & Selection
1

I’m a high school senior. My stats are:

ACT #1: 32 (35, 33, 32, 29)
ACT #2: 32 (35, 34, 31, 29)
ACT (Superscore): 33

Math II: 770
Spanish: 750

Varsity Track and Field, Varsity Frisbee (Sports)

GPA: 3.93/4.36
Senior Year Rigor: AP Physics C, AP Gov/Econ, AP English IV, AP Spanish Language, AP Calculus BC, H Anatomy

APs: (2) 5s, (1) 4, (1) 3

Could you please let me know, based on this, what tier (type) of schools I should apply to?

Please be descriptive!

2

3.93–UW
4.36–W

3

What’s your intended major?,Is money a problem for college?, What area would you like to go to college in?

4

Intended major is neuroscience; money is not an issue; indifferent towards the area

5

What state do you live in?

Have you really just started looking? Have you applied anywhere yet?

6

Run the Supermatch tool on the left side of this page.

7

December of senior year is really late to be making a college list! Have you applied anywhere?

“Tier” of school doesn’t matter. What matters is a strong department in your major, an environment where you will feel at home, a price tag you can afford, and (especially this late in the game) admissions likely. The majority of your list should admit 50% or more of students. If you have time for a reach application later, fine, but you need applications finished to a good base list of schools first. Low admissions-rate schools are often even lower admissions rate when you realize a lot of slots save already been promised to athletic recruits and early decision applicants. You need to hunt for easy admissions first, then reach if you have time, because time is short.

  1. Pick 1 or 2 in-state public U's to apply to, possibly more if your state U's are super-selective like California's. The applications are usually straightforward and your high school will have lots of experience working with them to get any extra materials needed sent. Get those applications in and make sure you're going somewhere.
  2. Write a common app essay and search on the common app for schools still accepting applications. Research schools in detail: do you want large/small school environment, any particular EC's available for your free time, winter weather, etc?
  3. Make very sure with your parents that "money is not an issue." Sometimes it becomes one once they see the price tags.
8

Colleges positioned around 40 here would represent reasonable high-match/low-reach schools:

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-50-smartest-colleges-in-america-2016-10/#39-wellesley-college-average-sat-1390-13

Those from ~40 through ~70 will often be roughly similarly selective:

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-610-smartest-colleges-in-america-2015-9

Beyond ~70 you would find some safer admits.

9

In terms of a specific college that would be strong in neuroscience, you might look into Bates, or perhaps another NESCAC.