<p>Hmmmm… if I were you I would start celebrating now girl !!</p>
<p>Yeah floridadad it’s tough to get into a top school banking on a single facet of your application such as a high SAT score, which is frankly a terrible indicator of college readiness anyways. Looking at your stats though OP you’ll get into school and you’ll get aid. Have you looked into which of those schools give merit aid? Financial aid isn’t only your loans and grants it’s your scholarships too. While your top schools don’t give out scholarships look for which give out merit.</p>
<p>For those Juniors looking on - apply early (EA or rolling admission) to at least one financial safety that you like. That will relieve the pressure of thinking you won’t end up anywhere. Some great students do end up with a pile of rejections - even when they don’t apply only to reaches. Some safeties will send a rejection if they think you’re overqualified - you need to let your excitement about their particular school shine through, to show your true interest.</p>
<p>Starter:</p>
<p>It is tough to get into a top school, if you have even a perfect application.</p>
<p>My son is not the only person I know who had very good grades and SAT scores, but did not get into any Ivies, and got waitlisted at schools in the top 15-20 range.</p>
<p>In fact, you see such posts on CC all the time, especially from asian students.</p>
<p>I would have recommended that this person apply to some more schools ranked higher than Drexel, but lower than Cornell. Perhaps schools like Tulane and University of Miami, which give 50% off tuition for persons with high SAT scores.</p>
<p>If she had done this, she would not have been so nervous now.</p>
<p>What is your definition of a perfect application? A perfect application will get you into any of the top schools with Likely Letters, rather easily. A perfect app has top scores, grades, big time awards, sports, leadership, involvement in the school, and much more. Scores only make up at most 2/5 of your application to the top schools.</p>
<p>Are you serious ? so if I got 2400 and 4.0 gpa im still not guaranteed admittance ?? Dam lol</p>
<p>If you had a 2400/4.0 GPA with a good rank, you would almost always be admitted. It wouldn’t be 100% guaranteed though, because if your activities consisted of watching TV while eating potato chips they might pick someone else.</p>
<p>Umm no… I eat potato chips, then watch tv xD</p>
<p>@floridadad</p>
<p>That’s probably the biggest regret that I have at this point. I’m pretty happy with my overall selection but I know now that I should have picked more “match” schools. I’m a first generation student and it’s been really difficult for me to navigate the whole college admissions process alone, especially since most people I know to a CC if anything at all. 
I know that that’s not really an excuse, but there is SO much that I wish I knew two months ago…</p>
<p>And just out of curiosity, when do colleges typically send likely letters (if at all?) I know that some of the Ivies do, but do other top or “regular” colleges do this as well? And who gets them: only athletes or people who have done important research or what?</p>
<p>ipod, the more you post the more I agree with mtguy. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Well that’s certainly not what’s implied by the thread title. I find it highly unlikely that you’ll be rejected by Drexel, VaTech and Hofstra.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>That’s an entirely different problem, at the risk of being called mean, it’s something you should have been considering from the outset of your search.</p>
<p>Regardless, it’s too late, so there’s absolutely no value to getting “stressed out” about things. Your options, as I see them:</p>
<ol>
<li>Sit tight and see where you get in and the financial aid offers.</li>
<li>Assume that you get in somewhere that is unaffordable for four years and begin researching schools to transfer to.</li>
<li>Take a gap year, make money and research more generous school options.<br></li>
</ol>
<p>No matter your choice, whining about the situation solves nothing.</p>
<p>^ ur so mean…</p>
<p>Got into Amherst today! I haven’t gotten the official financial aid offer but the online calculator estimated a huge grant. 
good luck to everyone else and juniors - don’t make the same mistake as me lol</p>
<p>Lets just say I wish you haven’t applied to W&M or Chicago because that means two less slots for me to vie for. I’m not half the student you are, and I would get into a lot of those places, and with money. You are one of the rare students that is a strong contender everywhere.</p>
<p>^ thank you, that’s so nice! And if it makes you feel any better, I probably wouldn’t be able to go to W&M anyways b/c of cost, and my Chicago essays sucked. So those spots may still be open :)</p>
<p>ummmmmmmmmm well… you came from African practically destroyed the SAT and you are a URM and first generation college student with low income…can you pass some of those Stats over here so that i can have a better chance at college? LOL you have nothing to worry about WM and UVA is a yes with certainty</p>
<p>Yeah, honestly, I’m not half as qualified as you and our lists aren’t that different.</p>