<p>I'm having a real issue finding safety and target schools I would actually enjoy getting into. My reach schools are UChicago, Brown, and Reed, with UChicago being my absolute dream school. I have a 2210 SAT score and ~3.75 GPA (unweighted). 800 on the Literature Subject test and 740 on World History. Tons of EC's and some leadership as well as an immense amount of passion for my prospective area of study (English Language and Literature). Please help me find schools I have an actual solid chance of getting into! For me the most important thing is an intellectual atmosphere where learning transcends the classroom. Thank you for your time! </p>
<p>Based on my financial situation, I would receive a generous financial aid package from any of my reaches. I can afford those schools. If you need more information, please let me know and thanks so much for replying! </p>
<p>matches are less likely going to meed need with need based aid.</p>
<p>Safeties almost never meet need with need based-aid.</p>
<p>Are you low income? How much can your family contribute each year?</p>
<p>Are you a likely NMSF?</p>
<p>What is your major?</p>
<p>Sounds like your safeties need to be schools that will give you HUGE merit for your stats (full tuition PLUS). That way, a Pell Grant (if low income), a stafford loan, maybe some work-study and some summer work money can pay for the rest.</p>
<p>Without knowing totally about finances, I can say that students who tended to like the schools you are interested in have also liked Wooster. Check out their aid though to see how it would fit you.</p>
<p>New College of Florida? Eugene Lang/New School (very expensive, but worth a shot for aid); Pitzer (also obscenely expensive); Goucher (you might qualify for a very nice scholarship);Macalester; Grinnell . . . Statistically, you’re a match for Reed, but they have “holistic,” quirky admissions policies, so it’s far from certain. My son had significantly lower stats (3.3-3.4 UW/4.0-ish W; 2060 SAT/31 ACT),and was waitlisted. He got into Pitzer, but they didn’t offer a nickel in financial aid. </p>
<p>Holy Cross, Bowdoin both very good LAC’s. HC meets 100% demonstrated financial need and has nice campus 1 hour from Boston. Bowdoin is smaller with a nice campus in a small Maine town.</p>
<p>^I second Wooster and I’d add Hendrix, Earlham, Lawrence. Any LAC where undergraduate research is emphasized is likely to be pretty intellectual.
Your state flagship’s Honors Program is a pretty sure safety unless you live in CA, MI, NC, or VA.
For targets, including need-based and merit-based financial aid, check out St Olaf (especially “Great Conversation”, “American Conversation”, and “Science Conversation”), Macalester, Grinnell, URochester, Brandeis.
Run the Net Price Calculators: each college calculates “need” (or merit) differently, so that some may be more affordable than others.</p>
<p>Good safeties would include your state school(s). If you want to go to grad school, SAVE MONEY and go to the cheaper school. Employers focus more on your last school.</p>
<p>When I saw the 800 Literature, and knowing how hard it is to do that, I immediately thought of Haverford and their consortium with Bryn Mawr and Swat. Some great English courses at those three, along with Penn’s where I think you can also cross-register. It would be a reach, so you might want to apply to Bryn Mawr if you’re female. </p>
<p>But you’re shooting for safeties. What’s your state of residency and are you female?</p>
<p>Yes, if you’re female there are a whole bunch of really great LACs with higher admissions rates (because the applicant pool is halved!). Look at Mount Holyoke, Smith, Bryn Mawr, Barnard.</p>
<p>What about the College of Wooster, OP? They write a senior thesis that’s of grad school intensity. I too like NCF (and it’s cheap!), but it is a four-year grind rather than Wooster’s fourth-year grind. And Wooster’s an academic safety for you. Kenyon has traditionally been a good English dept and it might be an academic safety for you. Brandeis has an excellent English dept (got my PhD there), and it too might be an academic safety. Run those npcs.</p>
<p>Well it was just a thought Most women aren’t (interested in same sex colleges) at first, until they actually look into them more and maybe visit one or two. There is almost always a strong connection with surrounding co-ed colleges (for example, Mount Holyoke and Smith are part of the 5-college consortium in Northampton Mass, so there’s a free bus that connects them with Amherst College, Hampshire, and UMass. it’s easy to go to co-ed parties, cultural events, and take classes at the other schools.) Plus the academics are great and the alumni network is incredible for internships and jobs later on.</p>
<p>I’ve recently learned that Bard College is a potentially good admissions safety. They do not seem to waitlist very strong students to protect their yield. They also seem to have early action. However, I don’t think they are a financial safety as they are not one of the schools that guarantee to meet need. </p>
<p>Rochester does meet need. </p>
<p>You might consider University of Alabama since you have the SAT to get the automatic full-tuition scholarship. That’s good to have in your back pocket. </p>
<p>Given your financial need, I think you have to work the schools that will meet your need, and have a bucket of schools that are financial safeties (College of NJ, Rutgers, Alabama etc). </p>
<p>I agree with everything that staceyneil said about the women’s colleges. Bryn Mawr and Barnard are adjacent to Haverford and Columbia respectively. Whereas Wellesley, Smith and Mt Holyoke require bus rides to get to the other campus. </p>
<p>Barnard & Wellesley wouldn’t be matches for a student who considers Reed to be a reach, and definitely not safeties for anyone. I don’t think Bard can be seen as a safety either – but it does have a couple of alternative paths to admission that can lead to an early write-- (Immediate Decision Plan, or Bard Entrance Exam) – but as you’ve recognized, it doesn’t guarantee to meet full need, so not really a “safety” for a high need applicant. </p>
Most women aren’t (interested in same sex colleges) at first, until they actually look into them more and maybe visit one or two. There is almost always a strong connection with surrounding co-ed colleges (for example, Mount Holyoke and Smith are part of the 5-college consortium in Northampton Mass, so there’s a free bus that connects them with Amherst College, Hampshire, and UMass. it’s easy to go to co-ed parties, cultural events, and take classes at the other schools.) Plus the academics are great and the alumni network is incredible for internships and jobs later on.</p>