Trying to figure out safety schools (will chance back)

Hi,
I’m starting the college search and, while I have colleges that I would really like to get into (if you’re feeling generous, feel free to also chance me for Uchicago, and WashU in St. Louis), I’m trying to find safety schools, or schools that I would be a match for. The school that I’m looking at right now is NYU, so could I logically call that a safety school?

Also, if by looking at my stats you think of other good safety schools for me (I want to major in political science), please tell me!

HIGH SCHOOL:
Freshman:
Honors English 9
Honors Biology
Honors PreCalc
Honors Modern World History
Spanish 2
Debate/Forensics

Sophomore:
Honors English 10
Honors Chem
AP Calc AB (5 on AP test)
AP Euro (4 on AP Test)
Spanish 3
Political Science
Debate/Forensics

Junior:
AP English 11
AP Chem
AP Calc BC
APUSH
AP Spanish 5 (Took Spanish 4 over the summer at the local community college)
Political Science
Debate/ Forensics

Projected Senior Year Schedule:
AP English 12
AP Bio
AP Stats
AP Gov
Journalism
Physics
Political Science (I’ll be doing a research project this year, probably a social experiment of some kind)
Debate/Forensics

I’m a straight A student.
Weighted GPA: 4.65
Unweighted GPA: 4.00
Class Rank: 1

TEST SCORES
SAT: 2330
Reading: 770
Math: 770
Writing: 790
Essay: 9

ACT: 34
English: 36
Reading: 36
Math: 36
Science: 29
Essay: 10

ECs
DECA

  • participating for all 3 years
  • Currently am DECA Vice President
  • I have won many awards in various competitions
    STUCO
  • participating for 2 years
  • Currently am STUCO Treasurer
  • Was a Homecoming committee head
  • Was a Relay for Life committee head both years
    Debate/Forensics
  • participating all 3 years
  • Have won many medals
  • Qualified to nationals last year in Congress
  • Qualified to nationals this year in Congress
    Spanish Honor Society
    National Honor Society
    Presidential Service Award for past two years
    Bollywood Dancer for 10 yrs

So, please chance me! And I will chance back! I understand that this is all speculation, but I’d really like some feedback.

Thanks!

I don’t think NYU could be considered a Safety. They have a 25% acceptance rate, so you never know… I mean Safety means you are 100% sure to be accepted.

In the same style, You should apply to UNC chapel Hill, and University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. These schools aren’t safeties for anyone I would say, but they’re on par with NYU, and they are very nicely ranked for political science.

I don’t think NYU could be considered a Safety. They have a 25% acceptance rate, so you never know… I mean Safety means you are 100% sure to be accepted.

In the same style, You should apply to UNC chapel Hill, and University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. These schools aren’t safeties for anyone I would say, but they’re on par with NYU, and they are very nicely ranked for political science.

Thank you for the advice!

Great scores!

NYU would be a match/low reach. UNC Chapel Hill and UMich are great suggestions. They’re OOState schools but you have the stats to back it up. UChicago and WashU are reaches of course, but low reaches. Safeties can range from your small local school, to smaller but nationally known schools such as George Mason, James Madison University, and George Washington University, and state flagships.

Hmm…with your grades and test scores, NYU is all BUT a safety. Seriously, they would have to be looking for something to not accept you. Their 25-75 SAT range is 1890-2190. Just because they only accept 25% means little to YOU. They don’t just accept 25% of people with YOUR stats. Technically NO college is a guarantee, but it would be SHOCKING if NYU didn’t accept you.

Inline with the level of schools you seem to be looking at (I mean, some Ivies are legitimate ones to apply to, and many have great political science programs), you might consider Emory and Johns Hopkins, and Northwestern and University of Rochester.

More on the safety side of things but still with good political science programs would be:

Indiana University
SUNY Stonybrook
George Washington University
George Mason University

With your stats, shoot for the moon! Depending on family income, you may find that the Ivy League schools are the most affordable. Good luck.

I think NYU Arts & Sciences is close to an academic safety; Poly and Stern are more in the match/high-match range. Are finances a concern? If so, what is your state flagship university? That should be a safety, especially if they have a good honors college or generous merit awards. Otherwise, Tulane is probably close to a safe (match/low-match), and you’d probably qualify for a nice merit scholarship. They have the advantage of offering a free application and non-binding Early Notification. That way, you will hear from them by Thanksgiving. Pitt is another college which should be a fairly sure thing for you.

I totally think nyu would be a saftey for you I’d be shocked if you didn’t get in
Other safety’s good in political science maybe american or gwu or emory(more of a match not saftey maybe)
I think you have a good shot at wusl I know someone who got in Ed with a 33 act but schools like wusl and U Chicago are like impossible to predict you never really know. That’s why it’s always good to have those saftey schools! Good luck! Please chance me back!
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1753683-gtown-duke-wusl-chance-me-please.html

p.s. Once you’ve settled on one or two safe schools, then you should aim as high as you’d like, since you certainly have the academic chops for any college in the country. Unfortunately, there are more qualified applicants than slots, and so you need to find some backup choices where you would be happy to attend.

You can’t consider any school with less than 30%admission a safety. It’s too much of Russian roulette.
You’re perfectly qualified for NYU and your odds are good, but not at safety level. (Safety would be SUNY Bing, SUNY Geneseo, UAlabama - since you automatically qualify for Honors and full tuition - and any LAC ranked 40+ where you’ve consistently demonstrated interest starting now and until Spring 2016.)
Also run the Net Price Calculator on all of your choices to make sure they’re affordable.

I think you have amazing stats for sure, you will be a good shot at any college you look at. Georgetown would be a good low-match for you, their school of SFS is world renowned. Chance back?
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1754028-chance-me-for-range-of-schools-boston-college-georgetown-brown-etc.html#latest