<p>Great list at <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/881237-ivy-caliber-safeties-matches-condensed-advice.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/881237-ivy-caliber-safeties-matches-condensed-advice.html</a> The OP is now at Swarthmore.</p>
<p>I didn’t get in yet, but I applied, so . . . </p>
<p>My safeties, which I got into with honors colleges and full tuition scholarships are . . . </p>
<p>SUNY Stony Brook
Drexel
Northeastern</p>
<p>Regarging the selectivity of Cal Poly SLO: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/1299775-waitlisted-cal-poly-slo-34-act-4-2-gpa.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/1299775-waitlisted-cal-poly-slo-34-act-4-2-gpa.html</a></p>
<p>A kid on here got waitlisted at SLO, accepted at Caltech</p>
<p>The Mines application was free, took like 10 minutes, and I wanted another safety on my list that could potentially provide me with more aid and lower costs. Also, a good friend of mine (Mine) also applied there, so that was a motivating factor. I would say that I do not exactly fit at Mines cause I am pretty certain I don’t want to go into engineering, but it is still an option for me. Also, why the contrast between Bowdoin and Mines? Does Bowdoin just not have any engineering? I am interested in Biology, so I could like Bowdoin (for non-engineering Biology) and like Mines (for biology related engineering).</p>
<p>I only applied to Rutgers and Princeton SCEA, and then stopped applying elsewhere, but this is how I considered my list and my reasoning along with it:</p>
<p>Harvard - Reach (Low expectations)
Princeton - Reach (High expectations)
Yale - Reach (Mixed expectations)
Penn - Low Reach
Columbia - Low Reach
Dartmouth - Low Reach
Johns Hopkins - Match
Georgetown - Match/Low Match
Tufts - Low Match
Boston College - Low Match / Possible Safety
Rutgers - Safety</p>
<p>–> I basically interpreted my list that I would hopefully be accepted to at least 2-3 out of 6 of my reaches (HYP, Penn, Columbia, Dartmouth), 3-4 out of my 4 matches (Johns Hopkins, Tufts, Georgetown, Boston College), and Rutgers. So something like being accepted to Princeton, Penn, Dartmouth, Johns Hopkins, Tufts, Boston College, and Rutgers would have been something I thought would be a possible outcome given my list and my applications.</p>
<p>My reasoning for my reaches and the nuances that distinguish them:
- Harvard doesn’t take anyone from my school, I wasn’t very invested in it, and I did not believe I fit in there as well as I would at Princeton or Yale. Low expectations.
- Princeton has taken kids from my school and I personally found a great fit with Princeton’s student life and academic philosophy. I’ve wanted to go there since I was a kid and am really familiar with the University and my reasons for attending. So while I knew Princeton was a reach for me, as it is for almost everyone, I had high expectations.
- Yale has taken a few kids from my school, though not as many as Princeton. I only began investing myself in the school after applying to Princeton SCEA and trying to look for other appealing options. I was sort of ambivalent towards my chances of getting in… I didn’t think my chances were as futile since I could see myself at Yale, just not as strongly as I did at Princeton.</p>
<p>My reasoning for my low reaches:
4. Penn has taken kids from my school who are weaker applicants than I am… I wrote essays I’m confident in… I’m very familiar with the school since many people in my family have gone there… I just was not very personally attached to it.
5. Columbia allowed me to put all my interests on the application and highlight who I am as a person. I felt really confident in my application, as did my counselor.
6. Dartmouth was kind of a spontaneous addition to my list since I didn’t have to write an essay. The only reason why I think I had a strong shot of getting in is because my peer recommendation was one of the nicest and best things I’ve read. I could never have written anything as touching as what my friend wrote on my behalf. I’d owe him big time if I got in.</p>
<p>My reasoning for my matches/low matches:
7. I was applying to JHU’s College of Arts & Sciences as an Asian seeking to be an English/humanities major. There is literally no competition for their English department, and I found myself to be well qualified as a potential student in humanities or science. If I had applied for sciences or BME, I’d put it in the reaches/low reaches category.
8. Actually I have no idea why I put Georgetown as a match/low match. I guess I just see it as a very numbers based/straightforward school? I had a boatload of SAT IIs/APs, as well as compelling ECs. I’m not really sure. I never looked into that school. Come to think of it, I probably wouldn’t have gotten in due to my lack of familiarity with the institution, although my interview went pretty well.
9. Well I love Tufts. I was accepted to their Voices of Tufts diversity recruitment thing. I loved their supplement. I poured my heart and soul and all my creative juices into those four essays. Man, the optional essay was like my favorite thing to write. I definitely didn’t treat Tufts’ application as if it were one of my lower choices, so I think I would have gotten in given my school’s track record with Tufts and my demonstrated interest in my essays/application/visiting.
10. My school has been pretty straightforward with getting kids into Boston College in recent years so I would have been a little surprised if I didn’t get in. They also have no supplement so it’s not like they can really make huge distinctions between applicants, and their SAT/ACT median is well below what most Ivy League applicants have. I’m also Asian and they don’t really have that many there, so I’m not sure if that would come into play.
11. Rutgers was my safety. As it is for almost everyone in NJ who is applying to top schools. I got a full ride there the day after I got into Princeton early.</p>
<p><strong><em>I APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE IF MY REASONINGS COME ACROSS AS OBNOXIOUS OR SELF-INFLATED… THEY ARE NOT MEANT TO BE AND I AM WRITING WHAT COMES TO MIND AT 1 AM IN THE MORNING… THEY’RE JUST VERY BLUNT AND POORLY ARTICULATED OPINIONS OF MINE THAT MAY COME ACROSS AS OFFENSIVE AND/OR BELITTLING, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THAT I RESPECT ALL OF THE SCHOOLS ON THIS LIST AND BELIEVE THEY’RE ALL AMAZING INSTITUTIONS AND I’M NOT IMPLYING THAT ANYONE IS BETTER OR ABOVE ATTENDING THEM.</em></strong></p>
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<p>Mines does not have bioengineering as a major – only as a minor under the chemical and biomolecular engineering department.</p>
<p>Bowdoin does not offer engineering, and is not all that strong in the sciences.</p>
<p>It is hard to imagine both schools being a good academic fit for the same student.</p>
<p>Whatever your acceptances, you should check very carefully which schools are good academic fits for you before deciding.</p>
<p>“In case you were wondering, I have a 2400SAT, a 3.74 HS GPA” - aah</p>
<p>Not cool aah. I hope you can get your act together in college. Best of luck.</p>
<p>I was just giving a possible scenario, which is why i used the word “could”, implying that is not the exact reason why I picked each school. Mines does have Biochemistry and Environmental Chemistry (which I could possibly like) and I, like many other applicants, am not dead set on a major. I have many interests that I may be able to explore at CSM. Also, I have heard that Bowdoin has good biology and other science programs. I have looked into their curriculum and biology major as well. Bowdoin supposedly has a great Environmental program as well, which I am interested in. Bowdoin is also in a beautiful location that I would love and has supposedly great food and dorms. The list goes on! I have not made my decisions to apply to schools on a whim. I do not belied you are informed enough to determine which schools are good for me, nor for my academic pursuits because you do not know what I like other than my statement of interest in Biology.</p>
<p>Choosing schools is not just about academic fit for me, and I know of many people who applied to a large range of schools that had different academic feels. I may be interested in the sciences but I may want to be at school that doesn’t totally emphasize science. I do appreciate your advice on choosing a school and value any knowledge you may have of a school. Trust me, my decision of school choice will be made after much research, deliberation, seeking of advice, introspection, etc.</p>
<p>I applied to the UCs, but if I get awarded the Regents Scholarships at Cal or UCLA, I think they could definitely contend with ivy schools.</p>
<p>Could Brandeis be considered a safety if you’re a well-qualified applicant for the Ivies?</p>
<p>^^^ I used Brandeis as my safety school and was accepted with a $10k merit scholarship. My other safetyish school was Emory (and I got in!)</p>
<p>I used Michigan State and UMich as my safeties.</p>
<p>Cool, thanks Tennuggler! Where are you now?</p>
<p>Brandeis is fairly predictable, but ever year there are a squirelly head scratcher decisions. So, very few students would have higher than a 90%-95%+ probablility of admit. (My personal definition of safety).</p>
<p>However, this school would be a solid match (or a ‘should’ school) for many who are applying to schools with <10% admission rates.</p>
<p>@cherryblossom71 I am still in high school, anxiously awaiting March 29th!</p>
<p>I almost applied to UC Berkeley, UCLA and Michigan as my safety schools.</p>
<p>The somewhat holistic admissions of Berkeley and UCLA, and Michigan’s consideration of “level of interest” make these three schools not as safe as a safety should be.</p>
<p>My reach/dream schools are Penn, Harvard and JHOP</p>
<p>My safeties were: UF, USF, FSU, FIU <-all florida in-state public schools. got into all of these but in the event that I do not get into my reach/dream schools then I’ll prolly go to USF</p>
<p>Tufts!</p>
<p>The ultimate ivy reject school</p>