<p>I am a junior from NJ. (Female and white)
As of now, I have a highschool UW GPA of 3.6, and a weighted of 4.39, but these are expected to go up senior year to a 3.7 and 4.42 respectively.
My grades have gotten progressively better over the course of highschool and my GPA is brought down by poor grades in history (B-, B, B+), but I plan to pursue a career in the sciences or math
I have taken all honors classes and 2 aps (stat and english), and i am taking 5 more aps senior year (bio, physics, english, calc bc, spanish)
Projected SAT scores (based off psats)
Math: 740
Reading: 680
Writing: 730
Total: 2150</p>
<p>Extra Curriculars
Soccer: 3 years
Winter Track: Three Years
Spring Track: Four Years, Captain for one year
Clubs: Model UN (advisor for one year), Spanish Club, Chemistry Club
Volunteer Work: EMT 300+ hours, Food Pantry ~60 hours
Jobs: Soccer Referee (since 8th grade), Lifeguard (since 9th grade)</p>
<p>I want a smart school with a good party scene that I could get into.
Dartmouth would be ideal, but I don't think I could get in there. What do you think my chances are? What if I apply early decision?
Anywhere within the United States is fine</p>
<p>Many state flagships have a “party element”. However, many are also expensive since they charge non-resident rates.</p>
<p>With your stats, many of the schools listed above (such as UT, UVA, UCLA, UNC, Penn State, etc) do **not **give merit scholarships to make their schools affordable. </p>
<p>Have you asked your parents how much they will pay each year?</p>
<p>If your budget is limited, there are schools with a “party side” that do give merit scholarships to students with your stats - which can make their costs very affordable. </p>
<p>Re…chances at Dartmouth are probably not too high. Your GPA will likely hurt you. Your M+CR is a 1420 which is low/middle for the school and you’re not from an unusual state…so competition will be more fierce. </p>
<p>Middle quartiles for Dartmouth.
SAT Critical Reading: 670 - 780
SAT Math: 690 - 790
SAT Writing: 690 - 790 </p>
<p>Check out Sewanee. It’s a work hard/party hard kind of school with a big greek presence. They also have a student EMT group which you may find interesting.</p>
<p>If my child were asking for advice on finding a “party school”, there would be no college applications going out just yet. If partying is a primary factor for you, you need to re-think your short-term goals. Get a job and have fun for a while, then in a year or two when you are ready to commit yourself to academic work start looking for a college that matches your longer-term career goals.</p>
<p>Work hard/party hard actually meets many career goals. Social skills are very high on many lists for hiring all but highly technical people. You can do both and thay have been from the Ivy League on down for generations.</p>
<p>Sam Houston State University in Texas is a HUGE party school.
However, I would suggest you rethink putting ‘a good party scene’ that high on your priority list, especially if your parents are paying.
Instead of worrying about parties, you should start by looking for colleges that are the best for what you want in major in. If you find one that has a nice party scene, then that’s great. But I think going into the search thinking, “I’m only going to look at schools that are known for partying” would be a huge mistake.</p>
<p>Check out Rutgers. For someone with your SAT scores, you are definitely eligible for scholarships. The top 5% of people in their class, have the option to go there almost for free.</p>
<p>I’d rather go to good school with no debt after graduation, than 25 years of owing someone else money. </p>
<p>As with any school, prestige doesn’t mean your guaranteed a job. Nothing is guaranteed. Your best bet is to go to a school that fits your family’s financial situation. The larger the school the more opportunities you have to expand your resume. Just think, the more people means the more potential contacts you could make in the job world. </p>
<p>It’s good you’re looking for backups. UVA would be a reach. What do you like about the school so we can propose others? Similar to UVA doesn’t narrow things down much.</p>
<p>If I were you I’d send an app out to Michigan in September. Admissions is rolling and easier early in the cycle. You probably will get in and it will put you off to a great start. I’d then try to ED a school like Vanderbilt, where you might get in. That would be my playbook!</p>