Should My List be Mainly Reaches?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Junior making his college list. Alright so I've been researching around and thinking about where to apply, how many safeties/matches/reaches. </p>

<p>Seeing that I'd like to stay in the New England Region so I don't have to travel too far from home, I've realized that the only good colleges that fit my criteria happen to be reaches. </p>

<p>That the colleges that are "matches" for me, happen to be schools I'm very qualified for and would be content going to. But then the tier of colleges (the most selective) become harder.</p>

<p>I don't think I need to apply to any safeties.</p>

<p>So I've come to the conclusion, that I should apply to my matches (BC and BU I'm 100% sure I'll get in), and just apply to a lot (a LOT) of reaches to see what happens. I'd like to apply to 10 schools, 12 max.</p>

<p>So I'll list the colleges and then my stats. </p>

<p>Safeties/Matches
-Boston University
-Boston College
-Tufts University
-New York University</p>

<p>Reaches
-1. Harvard University (my school is the world's biggest Harvard feeder)
-2. Dartmouth College
-3. Cornell University
-4. Brown University</p>

<p>-5. Columbia University
-6. University of Pennsylvania</p>

<p>(5 and after is where it starts getting reallllllly hard)</p>

<p>Asian Male
GPA: 3.95 weighted
Percentile: Top 12%</p>

<p>Co-Captain of Science Olympiad Team
President of Red Cross Club
Co-President of Club X
Co-Chair for American Red Cross Youth Board (possible for next year, high likely)
Co-Captain of Men's Varsity Swim Team (possible for next year, low likely)
Secretary of Club Y</p>

<p>Mayor's Youth Council Representative
American Red Cross National Youth Institute (State Representative)</p>

<p>School Library Volunteer (50 hours a year)
Hospital Summer Volunteer (40 hours a summer)
Library Tutor Volunteer (40 hours a year)</p>

<p>(ALL) Volunteering: 500 Hours</p>

<hr>

<p>3 Programs @ Harvard Medical
Internship @ Harvard Medical
Worked @ Harvard College Library</p>

<p>Studied Arabic one Summer and ACTFL-Certified Novice High</p>

<h2>Studied Psychology @ Harvard Summer School (got an A)</h2>

<p>I have more extracurriculars than most of my classmates. I just don't have the incredibly high GPA. I have some awards but school doesn't give out too many awards. Nothing big.</p>

<p>I've fundraised $3,000 for Sichuan Earthquake disaster, $2,500 for National Disaster Relief Fund, $1,300 for Measles Initiative, $2,000 for Malaria Initiative. $4,000 for African education. </p>

<p>How would I incorporate the above into my application? My essay? Would this stand out as good leadership/organization and hardwork/dedication?</p>

<p>Do I have a good chance at my reaches or bad chance? Should I apply to more or less? Like I know most of them are already pretty hard for me to get into if not super hard. What else should I apply to in the New England region?</p>

<p>Also do I have a good chance at getting scholarships with my application information?</p>

2

<p>Personally, while I think you have very, very strong chances at all of your “matches”, applying to one safety wouldn’t hurt. However, that is your choice. You have very impressive stats, so I would predict admission to at least one of your reaches, but you never know. </p>

<p>Have you considered top-tier LACs also? It seems you are strictly looking for University life, but putting some prestigious LACs on your list might be a good idea. (Williams, Amherst, Middlebury, Bowdoin, etc.)</p>

<p>Good Luck. :)</p>

3

<p>There are safeties for admission and then there are safeties for admission plus affordability. Is affordability a concern for you?</p>

4

<p>Take a long hard look at your home-state public universities (and/or community colleges). Find one that you can pay for without any financial aid other than federally determined financial aid, and that is required to admit you based on your statistics. Please note the words “required to”. Make certain that this institution offers a major field that is acceptable to you, and provides an environment where you can be happy for at least a year if the rest of the admissions and financial aid process fails. This is a “true” safety.</p>

<p>If you find that you hate every single one of your potential true safeties, you need to come up with a back-up plan. Will you get a job? Will you join the military? Will you apply to City Year or another gap year program?</p>

<p>Just don’t end up whining “I didn’t get into any of my schools and don’t know what to do”. We parents get really tired of that!</p>

5

<p>I know that in many high schools the most popular topic (and often greatest definition of self) is ‘where are you applying’ for juniors, and ‘where were you accepted?’ for seniors. Now look at the grand scheme of your life - were those conversations as a teenager what you want to define your life? Probably not. Find some schools that suit your needs, not necessarily serve as notches in your belt. With your volunteer work, there must be some passion around that for you to do so? Consider the liberal arts schools that nurture and encourage those characteristics.
I agree that you should have one cost-effective option, which may be what you call a safety school. You never know. If you have toured all the schools on your list and you honestly can see yourself happy at any of them, and everyone is comfortable with the money spent to apply to all those schools (and you are ready to write all those school specific essays!), then sending out so many applications makes sense. If you can’t put the time into doing a great job on each application, then save both you and the admissions offices some time and only send to the schools that really interest you. Glad to see that you are organizing this list now in your Junior year.</p>

6

<p>You need more true safeties - BC isn’t a real safety for anyone. Some of the smartest, most involved and truly dedicated kids I’ve seen have been shot down by BC. I’ve seen lots of unqualified legacies get accepted there in place of very qualified candidates.</p>

7

<p>Don’t be stupid. You NEED to apply to a true safety. Although you’re “100% sure” you’ll get into BC, their acceptance rate is low, and it isn’t a real safety school. Take a look at your state flagship for a safety that is both academically and financially feasible.</p>

8

<p>With solid test scores, I concur that BU and NYU maybe admissions’s safeties, but what is your UW gpa? Can you afford to pay full freight? Tufts and BC are matches. Applying to all of the Ivies is a waste of money, unless you are just prestige-driven. Columbia and Dartmouth couldn’t be more different. How about a couple of NE LACs?</p>

<p>Without test scores, it’s impossible to guess competitiveness for merit aid. But, of course, most of the schools on your list do not offer merit money, just need-based aid.</p>

9

<p>OP, you need to seriously think about each school on your list. Just search the “Stats Profiles” on the CC boards and you will find hundreds of students with stats as good – if not better --than yours who did not get into the schools you have listed. And that includes your “safety/matches” of BC, Tufts, and NYU. If your SAT/ACT scores are high (you didn’t post them), then BU might be the closest thingto a safety for you.</p>

<p>As for your strategy of applying to “mostly reaches,” you definitely need to read the cautionary tale of Andison. Although it turned out great in the end (after a gap year, he ended up at MIT), it certainly started in disaster:</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/47867-we-re-picking-up-pieces-but-what-went-wrong.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/47867-we-re-picking-up-pieces-but-what-went-wrong.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>EVERYONE needs a true safety school.</p>

10

<p>What a fascinating story. The mother said she was going to summarize “what went wrong” in one post. does anyone happen to have a link to that?</p>

11

<p>I’m thinking BU is the only safety on your list.</p>

12

<p>Lol this is funny. Yea you def need a real safety. Any small colleges your interested in? Maybe Colgate…</p>

13

<p>for god sake people, stop freaking out.</p>

<p>BU is pretty much a safety for u, but maybe add northeastern for extra, extra security, though i’m sure you’ll get into some of those reaches of yours (:</p>

14

<p>for god sake people, stop freaking out.</p>

<p>BU is pretty much a safety for u, but maybe add northeastern for extra, extra security, though i’m sure you’ll get into some of those reaches of yours (:</p>

15

<p>BU is an admissions safety, but unless money’s not an issue, it’s certainly not a financial one. It’s more than 50,000 a year, and I don’t think it’s reputable for generous financial aid.
Definitely look into safeties that will offer you merit aid.</p>

16

<p>When you’re talking about 50K a year, a few extra $40s for application doesnt seem that much to me. One of the many great pieces of advice my GC gave my D is pick safeties you could see yourself going to and treat them with respect. Find one or two things that make them special. Go to interview (if you cant afford, do alum interview), do every optional essay.</p>

17

<p>I’m pretty sure BU and BC are safeties. For many BC is a match, but at my school the acceptance rate is over 50% and for BU it is like 70%. People with 2.8 GPAs, even 2.9 GPAs got into BC, and people with 3.4 GPAs got into Tufts. </p>

<p>My guidance counselor told me that a 3.9 would consider me somewhat safe at NYU as well as Tufts.</p>

<p>I understand that I need a financial safety, in case any of my schools offers a poor financial aid package. I will add it on.</p>

<p>Harvard is the only Ivy I have a good chance at. Seeing my school is a feeder, the acceptance rate is 34%. I want to go there for the strong academics, also because I know a lot of people who go there (and because many of my current classmates will be going there so it’d be a less stressful transition), and I like the environment. Also it’s not too far from home. Usually the top 9% are “guranteed” admission (especially the valedictorian and class president), though many other kids do get in, even those with much lower GPAs than mine.</p>

18

<p>One of the first things a Boston Latin student should do is what every other bright high school student with BNP should do. Fall in love with an academic and financial safety school first when building a college list.</p>

19

<p>Okay, your school is unique like mine. Clearly, the best solution is to talk to your counselor and check out past admissions statistics – Naviance if you have it. It should then be obvious what safeties are for students from your school. Use those statistics. And assume no aid unless you are explicitly guaranteed something based on income. From there, you will have financial and admit rate safeties. Do you have Naviance? If so, check the scattergrams. If everyone around you gets in, chances are you will too.</p>

<p>Oh, and 33% acceptance rate doesn’t seem like a feeder to me, but whatever.</p>

20

<p>You know that the Ivies don’t give merit money, right? So no scholarships there. Only you know what your family’s financial situation is and whether you qualify for need-based aid. </p>

<p>You refer to your percentile as top 12%. That’s not stellar and you might find that people who are equally qualified or more qualified in the top 11% knock you out of your reaches. You can’t see yourself as the only person applying. While your GPA may be excellent, we don’t know about your test scores, and your rank is just not great. Your ECs are very nice, but by no means exceptional in terms of the specific population with whom you will be competing. I respectfully submit to you that you could use a bit of a reality check.</p>