Hi, I’m a senior and I’m currently trying to finalize my college list… but I really don’t have many “reach” schools! Below are my stats.
GPA: 3.64 (UW), 3.72 (W) this may go up a bit after sem 1 senior year
ACT: 33 composite
SAT IIs: taking Bio and Math 2 in October
Class Rigor: highest
IB diploma student!
Junior & Senior year classes: Higher Level Chem, Higher Level Bio, Higher Level English, Standard Level Math, Standard Level French, Standard Level History
ECs:
-School swim team in 9th grade, Junior Varsity in 10th grade, Varsity in 11th and 12th grade (hopefully will be Varsity swim captain this year)
-Over 300 hours of service
-Main leader of a service club where we teach underprivileged children English and other activities (I live in India; I’m a US citizen though)
-Helped raise money to rebuild a school in another state that was flooded
-Created educational videos to help an education NGO
-Taught children (paid) swimming once a week for 1 semester every year
-School newspaper (9th and 10th grade), school yearbook (11th and 12th grade)
Recommendations & Essays: should be very good I think
Ethnicity: Asian (Indian)
Gender: Female
The schools that are currently on my list include UCs (Berkeley and LA would be reaches), Boston U, Northeastern, U of Rochester. I need recommendations for some reach schools, I’ve been thinking of Johns Hopkins, Brown, possibly UChicago? What do you think or any other suggestions?
For another reach, Tufts might be a good fit. Top notch for health sciences and lots of other majors. Located right next to Cambridge/Boston which is a large biotech hub. Smaller, more laid back culture than MIT/Harvard which are a couple of miles away. Much smaller undergrad than Northeastern/BU, which are across the river.
Seems like you have some good community service experience. Community service/global citizenship is a really big part of the culture at Tufts - they have an entire college (Tisch College) dedicated to it. They look for it in applicants.
They have a good D3 swim team. If you are a good enough swimmer to be recruited, then that could help as well.
What is your budget? UCLA and UCB are very expensive OOS. I don’t think you have the stats for merit scholarships at your other schools. Your GPA is a bit low. And don’t assume you will be accepted by NEU or Boston University. I think your are a low Reach for these schools.
Are you a possible collegiate swimmer?
You need more match level schools and two safeties.
Your ACT is OK for the traditional reach schools, but your GPA is a bit low. You could improve your chances by writing great essays and having strong recommendations, of course – just know that, most likely, your chances at the traditional reach schools is not going to be any higher than the overall acceptance rate. That said, you can’t get in if you don’t apply. If you like Brown, Chicago, and JHU – by all means, apply.
@txstella I have been on my school Varsity swim team but no, I know I’m not good enough to be recruited or be a collegiate swimmer. I don’t assume I will be accepted, but do you really think my chances are no greater than “okay” at schools like BU and NEU?
Thanks everyone for your suggestions, everyone else is welcome to give more!
It is not that I don’t think you will be accepted a Boston U and NEU, it is that schools with around a 30% admission rate are quite selective. Your stats are competetive, but I think you need a true match and a safety school with a higher acceptance rate on your list.
Look at Clark University. You would be in the top quarter and might qualify for a merit scholarship.
I’m probably a worry wart. My son is a “match” to some very selective schools, but I realize that the low acceptance rates make these schools a reach.
I agree with prezbucky with some of his suggestions. I will say that your reaches are rather high reaches, and I would consider some of the suggestions made here…Tufts, Emory, and the UCs if you can afford the OOS price tag.
“I don’t assume I will be accepted, but do you really think my chances are no greater than “okay” at schools like BU and NEU?”
No, your chances are much, much better than OK. For example, the BU average ACT scores range from 26-30. Your score is substantially higher than that, and you have scholastic rigor on your side.
A school like that may only accept 30% of applicants, but that is in large part because a huge number of people who are underqualified are applying, hoping to get a lucky admit. You are exactly the kind of applicant that matches well with places like BU and usually gets in (especially if they genuinely believe that you want to come there).
It’s going to be a big, big stretch to get in to UChicago or even Brown, however. You should be reaching for schools in between those and BU - places like Emory, Carnegie Mellon, and Tufts. IMO
Don’t worry. You will land in a good place with good opportunities.
