<p>The main issue I see is that you need a safety school, and UVA may not be quite safe enough (although if your grades are comparable to your scores and you are in-state, you are probably going to get in).</p>
<p>I think you should make a point of applying to a school less selective than UVA, even if you have to pay the application fee yourself out of whatever savings you have or do some babysitting or yard work to get the money.</p>
<p>Are you a National Merit Semifinalist? If you are, you can apply to the University of Maryland at College Park for free. They even give out some merit aid to out-of-staters. This might be a reasonable safety school for you, but you need to apply RIGHT NOW. Some of the better perks (the honors program, merit scholarships) are reserved primarily for people who get in their applications by December 1.</p>
<p>An SAT score of 2100 is very good. However with that score all the colleges you listed in your OP are long reaches uinless there is something else extraordinary you have to offer. Even UVa is a reach if your are an OOS applicant where first generation college will not offer much benefit. You really need to greatly expand your list of colleges or risk the likelihood that you will be shut out come May. How would your dad react to that?</p>
<p>Apply to at least one in-state public where you should be guaranteed admission. And add colleges like Rochester, Kenyon, UMichigan which are all wonderful colleges which could be consider reasonable matches considering the info in your OP.</p>
<p>Unless you live in Virginia, UVA could be as difficult to get into as an Ivy.</p>
<p>Apply to a few Ivies to satisfy Dad, but make sure to find a safety and a couple of matches that you love! Visit the schools if you can. Good luck!</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I think even the most unreasonable of fathers deserves a good-faith application or two. And, honestly, if you are a legitimate candidate for the schools you listed you are a legitimate candidate for HYP or MIT. The thought of "tanking" an application to your dad's favorite school makes me a little sick to my stomach.</p></li>
<li><p>By the same token, I think it's perfectly fair to insist that your parents allow you to apply to other schools as well.</p></li>
<li><p>You have a marketing job to do -- both in terms of managing expectations, and in terms of getting some space to make choices your parents may not like (yet). Basically, if you are being reasonable, they probably will be, too, but you have to convince them that you are being reasonable. </p></li>
<li><p>Being reasonable means, among other things, that you are taking into account both (a) the thing they care about (prestige) and (b) that THEY care (i.e., even if they are wrong about prestige, it should matter to you what they think/want). That doesn't mean that you will do whatever they say, but it should mean that they know and trust you care about what they think and that if you do something different it's because you have really good, really well-thought-through reasons.</p></li>
<li><p>Your really good, really well-thought-through reasons for preferring, say, Dartmouth to Harvard or Princeton (or UVa) aren't apparent from your post.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>"Sounds like a stereotypical asian, but surprisingly he isn't."</p>
<p>THANKS FOR THE BASHING. </p>
<p>I agree completely with what JHS has posted. Are you sure that this is the only disagreement between you and your parents? Do you talk to each others?</p>
<p>lights_out, we can offer some suggestions for safety schools and some assessment of your chances for admission to the other schools on your list if you provide us with more information about yourself. Frankly, we don't know whether or not you are competitive for the schools you have listed. For most students, an SAT I score of 2100 would NOT be competitive for most of the schools on your list, including UVA if you are out of state. </p>
<p>You can still take SAT 2 tests on December 2nd as a standby (i.e., register on site) and have the scores forwarded and, since you are applying RD, you can even take them on the January 27th date and still have them considered. But, remember, if you don't do well, the score gets forwarded anyway along with all other scores of all other attempts. If you do not take a 3rd SAT 2, Harvard will most likely send you a notice that your application is incomplete. I don't know what will happen with the other schools, and some of it depends on whether you plan to submit an ACT score (Yale, e.g., doesn't require SAT 2s if an ACT score is submitted). </p>
<p>Right now, the most important thing for you to do is to make sure you have a well-thought out list of schools to apply to that includes at least one true admission and financial safety. I don't think any of the schools you've listed can be called guaranteed admits for you or for most students, even those with SAT scores of 2400. Remember, Harvard rejects over 50% of applicants with perfect SAT scores. I know this sounds harsh, but 2100 is far from perfect. And may be too far for any of the schools on your list.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone. We've kind of talked, and everything's pretty good to go, I guess. I'm probably going to apply to Harvard, even though I kinda doubt I have a chance. And I need to go talk to my counselor asap now haha. </p>
<p>So sorry if I offended you Padad, that's why I used the word stereotypical. I meant it in a negative conotation towards the stereotype, sorry. </p>
<p>And to all the other concerns, my second SAT came out to a 1520/2230, I am instate for Va, but I also have 2 safeties, one of them being George Mason. From what I've heard, I am almost all but in at UVA, but you never know.</p>
<p>quiltguru, thanks for your offer to size up my chances at my schools, I've had it done before, but honestly, we all know that a wise parent's opinion is much better :) </p>
<p>I am ranked 4/130 with a 4.1/4.2 gpa. I have taken tons of AP's/DE's, always had a hard schedule.
I am on 2 varsity sport teams, 1 for 4 years & 1 for 3; with some minor awards for each.
I am in the FBLA, and have won regional and a state award.
I also have some other minor ec's and about 80 hours worth volunteering.
also, as a note, I don't know how much difference this makes, but I've attended 4 different high schools due to job transfers...</p>
<p>Oh, and like I mentioned above, SAT is 760 m, 760 r, 710 w = 1520/2230 total
My list looks like this right now:
Harvard...
Duke
Georgetown( Early Action...19 more days till i hear..)
Brown
Penn
Dartmouth
UVA
Tufts
BC
Emory
George Mason</p>
<p>sooo I'm lookin at 6 reach, 4 match, 2 safeties (i left one off). Do you think this list is reasonable? Thanks in advance.</p>