@intparent is right. Dickinson is a target school.
Likely schools include many mentioned -except the earlier posts.
Col Coll is definitely not a safety. Clark Fordham Villanova BU NEU are targets to very high reaches. Not at all a likely for anyone.
East coast “likely” schools lacs and mid size that are wonderful in many ways and based on the student’s excellent profile—off the top of my head.
Bryn Mawr pa (target)
Washington and Jefferson pa
Muhlenberg pa
Urisinus pa
Allegheny pa
Union ny
Hobart and William Smith ny
Marist Ny
Bard ny
Manhattan ny
St Lawrence (target)
Salve Regina ri
Roger Williams ri
Quinipiac ct
Bryant University ri
Assumption ma
Simmons ma
Stonehill ma
Endicott ma
Wheaton coll ma
Mount Holyoke (target)
Merrimack ma
Plymouth st. NH
St Anselm NH
Conn Coll (target)
Richmond va (high target)
Holy cross ma (low reach)
Medium to larger but really nice
UVM vm (target)
URI
UNH
Providence College (target)
Catholic
American (target)
William and Mary (reach)
@parent1973 I’m following this thread, as you know we have some fairly similar D20s with fairly similar wants/likes. I’m still pushing for Pitt, Clark, Conn as super-safeties/super-likelies. Conn probably not really in that bucket. SLC and Bard also on her list but not sure in either case she’d be 100% happy to go there. @privatebanker’s list is really helpful!
From OP post I would move Fordham to low match rather than safety. Stats are good for Fordham but not a shoe-in, a number of people with similar stats were rejected this year judging from the CC thread. Not sure why when others with lower stats got in … holistic admissions at work I guess.
Match schools generally look good, a couple of those more reachy than matches imo.
George Mason doesn’t seem to be mentioned often on CC but my daughter had that pencilled in for a safety. Looks decent with decent merit options. (No idea about Greek life.)
Hobart and William Smith. She would most likely qualify for their top merit award of $30,000. (Of course, their tuition is $5,000 more than anyone else, but it’s still a pretty hefty discount). Check it out. We did and my son fell in love with the place. His words coming out of the interview were, “I think this beats Colgate”, which, at the time, was the preferred LAC on his list. Interview is required for merit aid, so try to fit one in if you go for a tour.
St. Lawrence is another possibility. I don’t know if it can be considered a safety - I’m not too familiar with their numbers, but it’s a great school if you don’t mind the location. Merit aid may also be a possibility there.
@privatebanker – thanks for this great list. Clark, Fordham, Vermont and Dickinson do seem like likelies to me if I am reading CC correctly. That my kid should be well above the 75th percentile on grades and ACT according to common data set.
Maybe there are no real safeties/likelies anymore-- not sure how to judge except with the stats and the 75% rule (and admissions numbers overall)
@Itisatruth --thanks and good luck. Maybe Pitt, Clark, Vermont, Dickinson to look at as high likelies. We need a couple of schools where she is very likley to get in.
I think that if urban is important, there are a lot of bum steers in here. Based on your list, it also looks like major cities, rather is the preference. Maybe Macalester? Emerson?
I love Pitt, but it’s not a LAC. I’d ask how she wants to prioritize her various wants in choosing a safety.
@gardenstategal --thanks. Yes, she likes both LACs and the larger, urban schools-- not sure what the right fit is. I am looking for some to suggest to her that she is highly likely to get in. So far form the recs, Pitt and Clark seem to be headed in the right direction. I will look into Emerson (she wants east coast), but when we looked last time, it seemed very communication focused. but thank you!
There are bum suggestions here because it’s tough to find mid-sized urban “likely” schools on the East coast. Kids also change their minds over the course of a year. We started out wanting mid-sized urban and ended up choosing a likely LAC in the middle of NY over Vanderbilt.
Connecticut College may not be a safety, but location is nice. Not urban, but accessible to Boston and NYC. I’m sure showing interest and having an interview would go a long way.
We had so many instances this year of people being rejected or waitlisted at what they considered safety schools. Various issues that differ in importance across schools - major, ED or not, interest etc - seem to have caught a number of high stats students out. A few of those also thought (that is, they actually stated this) that just being 75th percentile or higher was enough. Again, that will work at stats focused admissions schools but not always at holistic admission schools.
I agree with SJ2727 - I think the 75th percentile rule has kind of gone out the window - at least at schools with a less than 40 or 50% acceptance rate. BUT, showing interest helps. My son was accepted to all the schools where he had an admissions interview (and two of them were phone interviews) A lot of schools who still grant admissions interviews will conduct off-campus interviews in January, so look for those too.
Pitt may make more vs. less sense depending on whether you’re in state or not. Helpful to read the Honors/Merit thread from this year to see who got which and with what stats for in-state/OOS.
I agree with @SJ2727. It’s hard to find a safety with the LACs these days. My own daughter was waitlisted by one for which her stats put her quite above the 75th percentile. I’ve seen students rejected with similar circumstances. Like @Trixy34 said, show interest the best you can.