Recommend Schools for ED

College Search & Selection
1

Stats

[ul][]SAT: Did not take
[] ACT: 34 single sitting (34 E, 33 R, 35 M, 34 S) / 35 superscore (36E, 34R, 35M, 34S)
[] SAT II: U.S. History 800, Math II 760 (retaking in August), Chemistry (770)
[]Unweighted GPA: 3.9
[]Weighted GPA: 4.2375 out of 4.5
[] Rank: N/A but should be in the top 5-10 in a class of ~340
[] AP’s: AP US (4), AP Micro (5), AP Calc AB (5), AP Chemistry (4), AP Lang (next year), AP Calc BC (next year), AP Physics C: Mechanics (next year), AP Stat (next year), AP US Govt (next year).
*Note: I was 1 out of 3 sophomores in my entire grade to take AP Economics, and I had a 99% in the class.
[] Major Awards: Silver Medal National Spanish Exam, Cum Laude National Latin Exam, State Latin Medal, UChicago Book Award, State Soccer Runner-Up, State Debate Qualifier, AP Scholar with Honor, most likely National Merit Commended[/ul]

Extracurriculars:

[ul][]Navigator/Tactician on a 40 foot big boat): For the past two years I have filled this role, helping guide our team to first and second place finishes. Two years ago, I raced on the big boat of an Olympic Silver Medalist and helped our team come in second in a major race.
[]Varsity Track and Field: I run 2:00 in the 800m, and 4:40 in the 1600m (1mile). I might look to get recruited by some DIII track teams, but I have been a key member of my team, and have scored many points. I might be Captain next year.
[]I am the class officer for my year, and work tirelessly on volunteer projects, fundraising, and connection with the students in my grade. I was also on the events planning committee this year.
[]Debate Team Member: Second place at a local debate of 300+ students, qualified for the Massachusetts State Competition
[]Jazz Ensemble: I play in the Jazz Ensemble at my school, and take many solos on the sax. We are attending the Berklee Jazz Festival next year.
[]Wind Ensemble: I am a member, and section leader in this group, and you must audition. We played at Symphony Hall in Boston.
[]National Latin Honor Society (member)
[]National Spanish Honor Society (member)
[]Tri-M Music Honors Society (member)
[]National Honors Society (member)
[]Sail a Laser Radial. I have achieved many good finishes at local competitions.
[]Varsity soccer. I played in the Massachusetts state championship game. We lost, but I still got a second place medal.
[li]Volunteer at the local aquarium: I give visitors tours, and show them around the galleries.[/ul][/li]
Other

[ul][]Work experience: I will be a paid sailing instructor next summer.
[]Community service: Tri-M music volunteering, Volunteer at the local aquarium, NHS volunteering. (200hrs+).
[]Summer Activities: I have done competitive sailing for the past 6 summers. I have done very well in local races, placing and winning many awards. I won’t list the awards but they include my yacht club’s seamanship and sportsmanship awards, and my club is very prestigious.
[] Essays: Planning to write a fantastic common app essay, and supplements.
[] Teacher Recommendations: I am planning to get recommendations from my Honors English & AP Chem teachers, which should be strong. My English teacher really really liked me.
[] Additional Rec: Possibly my AP Economics teacher - he also really liked me. I might get a rec. from my sailing club too.[/ul]

Demographics

[ul][]Ethnicity: lol, white
[]Intended Major: I want to do an Econ major, Poli Sci Minor[/ul]

2

For ED schools Uchicago, UPenn, and Columbia.

3

thanks for the advice, I think that UPenn and UChicago are really good choices. Columbia might be too much of a stretch though.

4

Congrats on your hard work and success!

My advice is to think about where YOU want to go. What schools do YOU love? You will presumably be living and studying there for four years. Do you love a more urban school like Penn? Do you love a great college town like Chapel Hill (and warmer weather? I was recently at Yale. Beautiful, iconic buildings. Obviously great school. I’d not want to live there though. It’s great for some, but I’d rather be at a William and Mary, UNC, Wash U, etc. But that’s just me. There are many, many outstanding schools. Going to one because it is ranked slightly higher and sounds really impressive when you tell someone hardly outweighs your personal experience for four years.

When you apply ED, you are committing to that school. Make sure it is THE PLACE that YOU want to be. Good luck!

5

An ED school should be a top choice which you can afford to attend, and which you will have no regrets committing to without being able to compare financial aid or scholarship offers with those from other schools.

If you are still asking what school you should apply ED to as the ED deadlines approach, you probably should not apply ED to any school, since you would not appear ready to make the commitment.

6

Thanks for the advice! I really like urban environments so I will look based on that criteria

7

Columbia may represent the ultimate urban college experience, and their strength in economics would be notable. You might want to seriously consider this school. UChicago, another, near perfect, match for your preferences, might be no easier to get into, btw. Northwestern could be a somewhat less selective alternative to this pair. Harvard and Yale would seem to match your basic stats.

8

What is your take on UPenn?

9

The thing with Columbia is that they really don’t seem to favor applicants from my school :frowning:

10

For political science, Penn would seem to be excellent. For general scholarship in pure economics in an urban setting, you may find a few stronger choices, including (beyond the aforementioned schools) perhaps, NYU.

Regarding Columbia, a school for which you seem to have done some homework, their acceptance rate has recently been so low that they may not seem to favor students from any HS.

11

very true, I appreciate the advice.

12

Tufts would also be one to look at. It is home to the Fletcher School, a top grad program for international affairs. It does demonstrate, though, the school’s strength in this area (including economics and political science). It’s still very competitive. You could also consider Washington U in St. Louis (spectacular campus). Interest is important there, so visiting/interviewing is great if possible.

You seem very accomplished in sailing. Are there any schools where you could do that as well? Miami? UCSD? What about the University of Washington in Seattle? Campus is beautiful, and just a few stops on light rail to downtown Seattle. Vast waterways, with lots of boating. Yale has a very urban-type campus and is close to Long Island Sound. Wesleyan is not as urban, though in a large town, and is also not far from the sound, if you have a car. Brown, too, would be good for that, and is in Providence. Your record is great; you’d be qualified and competitive at any of these schools. Just know they are very difficult, even for very qualified students. Good luck!

13

@TTG
thanks for your input! I am visiting WashU in October to interview. I actually visited Tufts last week, and while I really liked it I felt that I didn’t fit the vibe of the students there.