<p>I am an international student from Taiwanwith pretty good stats (4.0, 4.57 WGPA, 34 ACT, 2090 SAT, but will retake it, 800 SAT Chem & math 2, participated in Intel ISEF, qualified for AIME, with some medals at state/national for Science Olympiad). Because of the extreme competitiveness, i am looking for some safeties to apply to. </p>
<p>I understand that both of these are women's colleges (not my ideal but...): what are their differences/strengths? </p>
<p>I am very math & science orientated, and would like to major in bio. </p>
<p>As for matches/reaches, they are wellesley, haverford, swarthmore, oberlin (ok, maybe this is a safety) & duke</p>
<p>DD2 just visited both places. Mt H has a gorgeous campus and during the tour every single person spoke at length about how much the people in the school meant to them (a nourishing environment). Smith is in a quirky, hippy town and is also beautiful, great math and sciences. DW remarked they had the largest student bedrooms she had ever seen.</p>
<p>I recommend considering most of the schools on your list as high target/reach unless your school has a record of getting kids with your stats into those schools and plans to help you out. Most of those schools should never be considered a safety (my definition would be a sure thing-- guaranteed), not even Oberlin, which in your case I would consider a target.
I also think you should find a safety that you actually want to go to. While Smith and Mt. Holyoke are easier to get into than the other schools on your list, if you don't want to attend them, why would you apply? I know it's a trip, but you should visit them to see how you feel.<br>
I can give you more Oberlin equivalents to apply to-- Macalester, or Kenyon maybe. Real high quality target/safeties might be University of Indiana, Bloomington (not really a safety, either but the odds are better because they accept so many kids), maybe University of Michigan also. I found such a huge divide between the very top LACs and the next in line that could be considered safeties (ranked 40 or below on USNWR) that they seemed sort of silly to apply to, but I know many kids this year who only got into their safeties. I would make very sure that you pick a real safety that you are willing to go to.</p>
<p>Thank you very much for your warning!! I have a tendency to overestimate my abilities ^ ^lll..... My problem with safeties is that most of the public universities where i am almost guaranteed admissions don't offer (significant) financial aids to international students. In my case, I am not sure if I would be afford to afford them = /.......</p>