Safety ideas

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Sorry if this is in the wrong place.</p>

<p>Safeties:
This is where I need help. I think University of Michigan (where I would be thrilled to go) counts, but it might fall more in the match category. If so, I need other ideas.</p>

<p>Matches:
*Haverford College
Vassar College
New York University
Tufts University</p>

<p>Reaches:
Columbia University
*Brown University [grandfather works for the med school]
Penn
Cornell</p>

<p>Super Reach:
*Yale University [double legacy]</p>

<p>I've starred the schools I'm most excited about.</p>

<p>Feel free to rearrange those -- it's hard for me to get an idea of where I have a chance and where I don't. Also, Northwestern and Johns Hopkins: where would you put those?</p>

<p>The Basics
White transsexual guy, small private school with outstanding academics, don't need FA, New England</p>

<p>The Stats
GPA: don't know. As and A- in humanities courses. B+ to B- in math and science except for an A in bio, taking AB (almost BC) calc and AP chem this year. I'm definitely applying to a humanities major so my college counselors say the fact that I'm taking advanced math and science courses is more important than the grades in them.
SAT: 2270 (800 CR, 700 M, 770 W); retook yesterday and we'll see how it went.
SAT II: Taking Chem and retaking Math 2 this year. For Yale I have to take a third (I took Spanish last year but don't want to send the score) so I'll probably take Lit, but maybe U.S.</p>

<p>Courseload
Sophomore year: sophomore English (took AP and got a 5), medieval hist, Algebra II honors, chemistry, Spanish 3 (AP -- got a 5)
Junior Year: AP English (but I already took the test), U.S. Hist (taking the AP), AP Chem II, AP Calc AB (covers most of the BC material), Art History (extracurricular), Bible Lit (extracurricular, <3)
Senior Year: AP Macro/Micro economics, Spanish 4 (post-AP), Physics (AP C), English (post-AP), Adv Calc (AP BC, and beyond)</p>

<p>Extracurriculars
In School:
Gay-Straight Alliance
Diversity Committee
used to be involved in SDS but it folded
1 year photo, 1 year ceramics, 1 year Artists Books, 2 years life drawing (will take again next year)
Lobbying a bit for transgender protections bill in the state legislature: I will continue to do this, and I have at least one week of internship with a related political organization this summer.</p>

<p>Work Experience:
suicide hotline volunteer 100+ hrs
~20 hrs helping with therapeutic riding (probably won't go on my application because it wasn't a lot of time and was the summer after freshman year)</p>

<p>Summers:
CTY, 3 years (probably won't include on my application, but <3)
Brown Fencing Camp, two years
This summer, going to TASP! omg!</p>

<p>Honors:
My school doesn't give honors.
I won 3rd place in an interschool art competition with a piece I hated, so I'm not too proud of that.
3rd place individuals WE MA High School State Fencing Championships, captain 3rd place squad WE MA High School State Fencing Championships.</p>

<p>Sports: varsity fencing since freshman year, squad captain (there are six captains total on the team), see above for HS state awards (keep in mind MA high school fencing is not very good), club fencing since freshman year, E09 (I'd say I'm good for an E). This is incomprehensible to non-fencers, and I'm sorry. Whether this has admissions influence probably depends a lot on the strength of the team -- at Yale, for example, I would not be a starter, but at JHU from what I've heard I'd be one of their better fencers.</p>

<p>My rec letter and essay will probably both be excellent -- my school takes these very seriously and my essay advisor is perfect.</p>

<p>Thanks. I'm really in need of an evaluation from someone who just sees my application info and doesn't know me top to bottom.</p>

2

<p>JHU and NW would be reaches. I think at this point, with crapshoot admissions, all ivies are major reaches.</p>

<p>Umich is more of a match. I’m not too familiar with US safeties, smine were in Canada…sorry!</p>

3

<p>just remembered… this [url=<a href=“http://www.princetonreview.com/com.aspx]site[/url”>http://www.princetonreview.com/com.aspx]site[/url</a>] should help! Its by the princeton review, and it will give insight on matches, safeties, reaches, etc.</p>

4

<p>I’m open to Canada. I haven’t got a great impression of McGill. Know anything about University of Toronto?</p>

5

<p>McGill’s great, its just really big. I think it has to do with fit. Then again, U of T is also really big… I don’t know much about it. I know that McGill has many more internationals.</p>

<p>Okay so in Canada, I think, if you are applying from the states, this is how it breaks down. (In other words, for me, as a canadian, UBC was a bit of a safety (I live in Vancouver), McGill and Queens were matches etc…)
And of course certain programs are more difficult… i.e. UBC sauder business, Western Richard Ivey, Queens Commerce…</p>

<p>Low-mid Reaches: McGill, U of T, Waterloo, Queens, UBC, McMaster, U of Western Ontario</p>

<p>Matches: UVic, Dalhousie, UNB, Concordia, SFU, Carleton, Ottawa, U of A, Trent, York</p>

<p>Safeties: UBC Okanogan, UNBC, Capilano University, University of Calgary, University of Lethbridge, Lakehead University, British Columbia Institute of Technology, University of Winnipeg, Acadia University, Ryerson University</p>

<p>That said, I think you have a very, very good chance at all of those reaches.</p>

6

<p>McGill has a great academic reputation where I’m from and my school has been sending a lot of kids lately. It’s more the fact that I don’t speak French AT ALL and I dislike being in a bilingual environment where I am missing a language (i.e. Montreal) because I feel like a snob, or something. I’m going to website-surf some of those schools. Thank you. :)</p>

7

<p>No problem! And contrary to popular belief, Montreal is much more english than, perhaps Quebec City, and the McGill “bubble” itself is very very english! I know many people there who go through four years without having to speak a word of french :slight_smile: so just a heads up.</p>

8

<p>You seem like a strong applicant. If you went to my school, you could probably get into some ivies, but then again my school is a top public where grading is relatively harsh, so I have little basis for comparison. </p>

<p>I’d say UMich is between a safety and a match. Apply early for their rolling admissions thing (you will still be able to apply early to other schools) and you should hear back by mid December. If you don’t get in/get deferred, then add in a pure safety school. I’d say Yale is a reach, comparable with the other ivies you are applying to if not easier, because of the double legacy. If your grandpa is an actual teacher at Brown, you should get some tangible advantage, thus designating it to a high-match. I think NU and JHU would be slightly lower than the ivies but higher than a school like NYU in terms of matchability. </p>

<p>I think your list of schools is fine right now. Maybe add one surefire safety that you like.</p>

9

<p>He doesn’t teach at Brown; he worked at the medical school. He’s retired but he still goes in sometimes. I think a bigger connection would be the fencing team since I’ve been to their camp for two years and I’d be a good addition for them. Thanks for the comments; I guess I just have to dig up a surefire safety, but I can probably find a liberal arts college that doesn’t have fencing and that I otherwise like.</p>

10

<p>How about Pitzer, Mac, Lang? I’m guessing Lang would be a safety but I dunno about the others.</p>

11

<p>Your state college = safety.</p>

12

<p>That’s UMass. No point in applying if I don’t want to attend. There’s nothing wrong with UMass Amherst but it doesn’t interest me.</p>

13

<p>Now we are getting somewhere.
Boston College should be your “safety”, then.</p>

14

<p>Good school, know happy people there, but it’s conservative and I’m transsexual. Bad combo. ;)</p>

<p>Or did you mean BU? BC is a lot more selective…</p>

15

<p>tranny? thus comes the name “repaired”? lol</p>

<p>UGA for a safety.</p>

16

<p>Only trannies get to say “tranny,” you know.</p>

17

<p>i tucked myself when i typed it.</p>

18

<p>Oh, okay then.</p>

19

<p>Your list seems somewhat similar to mine, and one of my favorite safeties is Beloit College, so I’d suggest you check it out. Also, tho not a safety, I’d second Macalester College, where your activism would be much appreciated.</p>

20

<p>Thanks! Beloit looks interesting!</p>

<p>Mac sounds fantastic. If it had fencing it’d be way up there on the list, and since I could probably fence in the city I may well apply anyway.</p>