Safeties For A High Scorer

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>My post is less about HYP and more about finding solid matches/safeties. Can't seem to find appealing safeties. Thanks for taking the time out to help.</p>

<p>REACHES:
Harvard (EA)
Yale
Princeton</p>

<p>MATCH/REACH
Amherst
Williams
Dartmouth
UC Berkley
Wellesley (let's meet some hot MIT boys!)</p>

<p>SAFETIES
Mcgill
UCSB (only because my best friend is applying early there...is this a dumb reason? ack)
Need more safeties!</p>

<p>*White female from private school, MA resident
*Legacy: Mom- Amherst, Dad- Harvard, Two brothers- Harvard, Sister-Princeton/Transferred to Vassar
*Solid but not WOW recommendations and essays</p>

<p>SAT:
7th Grade- 1280 (760 V, 520 M)- For CYT Johns Hopkins Talent Search
10th grade- 1470 (800 CR, 670 M)
March- 2300 (800 CR, 800 WR, 700M)
May- 2320 (780 CR, 800 WR, 740 M)
HIGHEST TOTAL: 2340 (800 CR, 800 WR, 740 M)</p>

<p>SAT IIs: 800 USH, 800 World History, 690 Math 1C (620 9th grade), 800 Math llC, 800 Literature, 780 Physics, 700 Chemistry, 800 Biology (680 9th grade), 800 Latin, 800 French, 620 Japanese</p>

<p><em>If I can only summit 3: 800 USH, 800 WH, 800 Math llC (offset my sat math). Seriously </em>*ed off that some colleges ONLY look at 2-3...waste of my 7 800s, jesus I wasted my life. Why didn't anyone tell me this 4 years ago?</p>

<p>Rank: 2/140
APs: 1 sophomore year, 6 junior yr, 8 senior year + 2 classes at UMass Dartmouth-College Now. Took 15 of the 26 APs offered in my school. But took the toughest ones including Physics B, Physics C, Latin Vergil, Latin Lit, Calc AC, Calc BC. Mostly 5s, two 3s. </p>

<p>ECs:
Varsity Tennis- 2X Captain
Gymnastics Team- Captain
Cheerleading Team- Head Captain
Assistant Coach for JV Cheerleading Team
Student Council- Secretary (junior yr), President (senior yr)
Debate Team- member
Mock Trial- member
14 years of Gymnastics and Tumbling
Pageants
Radio commercials, Print ads, modeling- Signed with ID Modeling Agency</p>

<p>*PAGEANTS
Miss Junior Pre-Teen X (hometown)
Miss X (hometown)
Finalist for Miss. Junior Pre-Teen Massachusetts
Competed for Miss. Junior Massachusetts
*Plus A LOT of local pagents (from middle school to junior yr, participated in 35+)
*As Miss X, organized volunteer program gathering underpriviledged kids for dance/gymnastics/singing/acting.</p>

<p>*CHEERLEADING
Universal Cheer and Dance Association All-Star
New England All Star Challenge Finalist
Competed in:
USA Junior Spirit Nationals
USA All-Star Nationals
USA Northern CA All-Star Classic
PERFORMED IN:
Macy's Day Thanksgiving Parade- 2003, 2004
London Varsity Spirit New Years Parade- 2005
Hollywood Christmas Parade- 2004
CAMPS:
UCA Camp- 2002-2004
Elite Survivor Camp- 2004
UCLA Cheer/Dance Camp- 2004
*Various awards including Leadership Award, Most Spririt, MVP, Most Valuable Cheerleader, Best Jumper, Best Tumbler etcetc</p>

<p>*TENNIS
Top 40 in New England Lawn Tennis Association (NELTA)
National High School Tennis All-American Foundation (NHSTAAF) All-American
Harvard Tennis Camp- 1998-2002
Amherst Elite Camp- 2002-2004
*Various awards in camp, club tournaments, school (MVP all 3 years)</p>

<p>In the 2005 school year I won the Best Female Athelete Award awarded to one female athlete in any sport in the school.</p>

2

<p>hahah the ***** was "p i s s e d" off not the other not nice word :) im a nice girl!</p>

<p>Also, people in the past have brought up the point that although I have good stats and grades and extra's, I'll be judged differently since I had more resources and oppertunities than the average American. It is true that lots of legacy kids from MA have similar credentials so the legacy factor isn't even that big a push. The average SAT score in my school is 1380 and 2/3 of kids participate in varsity sports to give you an idea. Thus, I have to get comfortable around the idea of potentially attending a non-top 25 school. Now where are those attractive safeties?</p>

3

<p>I wouldn't consider UCSB a safety for an out of stater-so yeah, you could use a couple more. What about your own state university? Or Boston U?</p>

<p>You seem very "spirited," but it's hard from your post to see what your academic interests are. Your legacy at Amherst should help you there.
You'll want your essays to highlight your "thoughtful" side.</p>

<p>Since you're considering LACs, Middlebury as another match might work.</p>

4

<p>Thanks for responding, A.S.A.P.!
I'm 100% set on being a History major. Even UCSB is not safe? Schools are so competitive these days, nothing is really safe I guess. </p>

<p>Are there any safe but good liberal art schools?</p>

5

<p>Lauren,
which of your sports would you like to pursue in college? That might provide a direction.</p>

<p>Matches: Vanderbilt, CMU, Northwestern.
Strong Matches: Macalester, Colby, Skidmore, Kenyon.</p>

6

<p>You'd be pretty safe at Santa Barbara if you were a California resident.
Being from Mass, I wouldn't count on it, although it's possible.</p>

<p>Ohiomom has some good ideas. If you wanted to continue tennis in college, talking to some of the coaches at the schools on your list would really give you a feel for the school, and your chances. If the coach at Amherst wanted you, for instance, your chances of admittance would be quite high, even without the legacy factor.</p>

7

<p>Come on, UCSB is kinda competitive for OOS but not "that" competitve. She's got bunch of 800s for christ's sake. But seriously, why would you want to go there though? It's not known for history and it's a beach town school with lots of surfer boys. It's also known for great parties. Not sure if there's much "atmosphere" for studying history.</p>

8

<p>UCSB stats:
36,963 applied, 19,589 admitted...
SAT verbal scores over 700 9%, SAT math scores over 700 14%, ACT scores over 30 14%. </p>

<p>It's true that admission seems kinda random these days and no one should be overconfident. But with only 9% with verbal > 700, it looks pretty safe for someone with Lauren's stats regardless if it's OOS or not.</p>

9

<p>
[quote]
... and it's a beach town school with lots of surfer boys.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I think you just answered your own question.</p>

<p>UCSB should be a match for you, out of state. Because the University of California has a legislative mandate to accept a certain quota of in-state students.. however, with the current budget crunch..</p>

10

<p>Oh come on, some of these posts are ridiculous. The OP could write an essay about 'hot MIT boys' on her UC application and still get into Santa Barbara and maybe even Los Angeles. Fact is, not even many Californians with those statistics apply for Santa Barbara, considering a comparable Californian would "bypass" Santa Barbara and would have LA and Berkeley as safeties. To further this, not many OOS with her statistics would even apply to Santa Barbara. Berkeley, LA, and a medical track with SD seem to be popular choices for OOS, but NOT Santa Barbara. Let's not not overexaggerate here.</p>

<p>One person mentioned that he/she did not know where the OP's academic interests lie. But then again, that's what makes the OP different from the general applicant pool of these schools. Er, call her a social and athletic whiz as opposed to academics-oriented (but then again, even this area is strong when you look at her SAT II scores). She's a very strong applicant. As such-</p>

<p>From left to right, which schools you'd most likely get into:
Wellesley, Amherst, Dartmouth, UC Berkeley, Williams</p>

<p>For Wellesley, you're automatic in- no question about it. You stand a very good chance with Amherst with legacy and your tennis "ties." If you mention somewhere in your application about the Amherst tennis camp, Williams might very well "freak out" and accept you in hopes of stealing an applicant from its rival school (or, if they believe that you would not matriculate anyhow because of your lack of demonstrated interest, they might very well waitlist or reject you, but I've never heard of Williams doing this). When it comes down to it, Dartmouth jas a penchant for accepting a large percentage of high scorers. Granted, their applicant pool is very strong, but Dartmouth needs those high scores to raise their average SAT scores (it's shot up in recent years) in its neverending pursuit to become a top Ivy school. As for Cal-Berkeley, my only concern is that you won't be well-represented by the UC application, which has very few entry slots for extracurricular activies and honors and such, much less forgiving than even the Common Application; but you still have a solid shot (yes, yes, OOS, blah blah blah, shut up she's in. =] ). Best of luck,</p>

<p>TTG</p>

11

<p>Another LAC you may want to add to your list is Denison. It has an excellent academic reputation and a beautiful campus. It boasts one of the top 10 tennis programs in Division III (ranked #6 in 2004 and #8 in 2005), and its coach was named the Wilson/ITA national women’s coach of the year in 2004. It would be a safety for you.</p>

12

<p>wow 1280 in 7th grade...i scored lower on my PSATs in 10th grade :O</p>

13

<p>AHA! I knew cheerleaders weren't dumb!</p>

14

<p>I don't think anyone is discouraging the op from applying to SB, But I don't want her to think of it as a "safety" without any other backups.
I don't think the admissions process at UC is predictable for out of state students, high scores or not. I define a safety school as one where you can expect to be admitted.For a Cal resident with her stats, it would be a safety. Just being cautious. If she were my kid, I'd advise her to have at least one "sure bet" on her list. She knows it, too. Her last sentence :" Need more safeties!"</p>

15

<p>A safety to me has always been "a school where you should not only get in, but should qualify for any honors program or available merit scholarships." I don't know whether OOS students qualify for Regent's or Chancellor's Scholarships (I'm 95% certain that they do), but she'd EASILY get Regent's at Santa Barbara, no question about it. So, if she's going to get Regent's (hypothetical, of course, at least until next February when that letter comes through the mail), then she's getting into Santa Barbara. Best of luck,</p>

<p>TTG</p>

16

<p>You seem very sure of the system. I guess I've known too many kids who "should" have been admitted to SB, Davis, and San Diego who have great stats, are in-state, but who still didn't get the campus of their choice. They use "comprehensive review" now, and don't automatically go by the numbers for a given campus.
But I'm sure you know all this, since you're so positive she'll be given a Regents. ;)</p>

17

<p>Wow, you're really accomplished! Find more safety schools, but I think you can get into about any school you want. Hope you have a great time wherever you go!</p>

18

<p>you have a good shot at Harvard with all of your legacy. It's refreshing to see someone so motivated in cheerleading yet also dedicated in academics.</p>

19

<p>ASAP~</p>

<p>Yes, I'm sure she'll receive a form of scholarship, either Chancellor's or Regent's. You're giving a school like Santa Barbara a ton of credit, underservedly! There will always be the proverbial "i know such and such with such and such scores..." but it really amounts to nothing. It's a case-by-case basis in terms of who gets accepted and who doesn't, and the OP is very, very strong. Let's face it, no one with her credentials would likely attend a school like Santa Barbara without an added incentive, and you'll see that the Administration over at SB will see this, too, and throw some money her way (the compensation may, in the end, not be a LOT, but the honor is definitely nice). </p>

<p>I did, however, say that she might not be well-represented by the UC application. The problem for her is that she has accomplished too many things, there's no place to fit them all! She certainly cannot slack on the apps. But since I did say she was "in" at Berkeley she is, as an extension, safe for SB. ASAP, no offense to your "exception case" students, but if they were relying on the three "middle-tier" schools of the UC system as their choice schools, then they are not to the caliber of students like the OP. They may have great scores, but perhaps they were "incomplete" elsewhere (lack of a good essay, lack of extracurriculars, lack of personality (<- a serious problem sometimes), or lack of individualism (<-- everything normal, nothing out of the ordinary)). I seriously doubt that you've seen their applications, personally, so it's difficult to gauge just how "wronged" they were. In any event, SB would be STUPID to pass over a 2320/2400 split. </p>

<p>Best of luck to the OP,
TTG</p>

20

<p>Wow, I didn't think my post would still be alive. Thanks for taking out the time to help out a stranger.</p>

<p>My grandfather recently overcame what was suppose to be a terminal illness. He told us that travelling was one of the things he thought about while he was in the hospital. So he, my brother, and I ended up visiting 8 countries in less than four weeks. </p>

<p>In short, my college list has changed dramatically. My first choice is University College Utrecht in the Netherlands. When I visited it, I absolutely fell in love with the school and the people. My hope for college is to be exposed to different cultures and to spend 4yrs with interesting and intelligent people. </p>

<p>NEW PROBLEM: My parents are angry at me for making this decision. My mom is more concerned about sending her youngest daughter to another country which I understand. However, my dad is just being a jerk. He says if I get into Utrecht, he won't sign the papers. My mom said if I must go international, she would be much more comfortable with Cambridge or Oxford, which I agree are great schools but probably out of my reach. My dad is adament about me applying to Harvard EA, Yale and Princeton. He has already sent cheer and tennis tapes to the cheer coach at Harvard without asking me. Since Harvard is SCEA, I can get out of it (if i'm even accepted in the first place). However, I think its ridiculous for me to apply, possibly get in, then reject it when there are tons of people who would sell their souls to attend Harvard. So far, the deal is my dad will "consider" Utrecht if I apply to Harvard, Yale, Princeton and put my best effort forward on the apps. This is so dumb because I know he's making me do this so that even if I end up at Utrecht, he can tell his colleagues that I made so and so. My biggest fear is that he'll end up not signing the papers. HYP are some of the best schools in the world, no one has to tell me this, but I know 4 yrs in the Netherlands would help me grow in a way that HYP never could. If you were in my position, what would you do? I really need advice because there is no one I can talk to about this. My GC would never dare speak against my parents and even my friends think I'm crazy. Am I crazy? Will I regret this? A small part of me wants to do stupid stuff, pull all nighters, cheer in college and have the traditional college experience. But a much bigger part of me wants to finally mature! Welcome to my mid-teen crisis. </p>

<p>Something funny: I took the SATs 4 times and Utrecht doesn't even accept it! I have to take the TOEFL and IELTS :)</p>

<p>New List:
University College Utrecht
University of Cambridge
Oxford University
Harvard (EA)
Yale
Princeton
Middlebury
Wellesley
New York University
Pitzer
Boston University</p>

<p>PS: I feel awfully bad about not apply to UCSB!</p>