<p>So I am starting to have to think about applying to colleges and I need a list of about 5 or so schools that I'll apply to. I already know i want University of Pennsylvania as my reach school, and University of Scranton as my back up/safety, but I'm not sure what other schools i should apply to. I have been considering going to McGill in Canada because it is cheaper, but I need like two other schools to apply to.
So far I am thinking:
Bucknell (my dad works there, so I'll have an easier time getting in)
NYU
Notre Dame</p>
<p>I'd like to keep the schools in the east, and not too far south (Illinois is my western boundary, Virginia is my norther boundary). My weighted GPA is about a 98.75 (my school doesn't use the 4.0 scale, I'll have to ask guidance about that). So far I have taken AP Euro(got a 4 on the AP test), APUSH(yet to take), AP Econ(yet to take) and AP Language and Composition(yet to take) along with quite a few honors classes, and next year i plan to take AP Literature and Composition, AP Gov, and AP Bio (possibly AP Physics, i signed up for JV Physics but i may switch). My best SATs were 620R, 650M, and 630W, and I plan to take them again because I think i can do better. My class rank is 12 out of about 160, so I'm definitely in my top tenth. If you know of any colleges that would fit me, please let me know!</p>
<p>I think you have to focus a bit more on what you’re looking for in a school.</p>
<p>All three of the schools you mention are excellent, but each offers a different experience. Bucknell is small and VERY rural. NYU is somewhat larger and is VERY urban (meaning it’s in the middle of New York City). Notre Dame kind of splits the difference. Between the two.</p>
<p>Your grades are obviously fine for anywhere. However, your SATs are low for Notre Dame and Low-ish for NYU. They’re average to good for Bucknell.</p>
<p>Anyway, There are probably at least 40 or 50 schools that would be a match for you (maybe more) You can find them using one of the College Data-bases (such as Supermatch, which is affiliated with College confidential).</p>
<p>As I say, we would need more information about what you’re looking for, what you want to study, where your SAT’s wind up, etc. before making recommendations.</p>
<p>PS – if you improve your SATs you may want to rethink the number you apply to. Schools at this level regularly get more qualified applicants than they can accept, so any one becomes a bit of a gamble. I think 7-10 is more common than 5.</p>
<p>Oh and don’t forget to have at least 1 safety school that you’d be ok going to and can afford.</p>
<p>Like you, I was completely unsure of what type of college environment I wanted. For example, my college list included both Scripps and NYU. My biggest piece of advice would be to visit schools, preferably during the school year, to get a sense for what type of environment you want. Once you get that figured out, it’s a lot easier to narrow down a list.</p>