<p>Hi, I have been doing a lot of college research lately and have come to the point where I need a safety school.</p>
<pre><code> I will be a junior in the 2014-15 school year. I am a female (if that comes into play).
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<p>I have taken Honors Courses and one Pre- AP (only one offered) in my main subject areas for my first two years in high school (AP classes are only offered to juniors and seniors)
Through the end of my Sophomore year my unweighted GPA was a 3.5 Weighted GPA: 3.9
My PSAT ( only form of standardized test I have taken so far and it was at this point the first and only time) was 182 { 1820 in SAT terms}(I have not yet taken a second PSAT or any SAT)
IQ: 147</p>
<p>I will be taking 3 AP courses for my junior year and at least 4 (maybe 5) as a senior (7/8 total) </p>
<p>I played Volleyball (Varsity [starter/ Co-Captain] will have played for four years when finished with HS) Hockey (Varsity for Four Years when finished with HS) and Lacrosse (JV freshman, remaining 3 years Varsity [starter/ CoCaptain])</p>
<p>I also am the head of the makeup department for school plays (3 per year) </p>
<p>As a rising junior, I have started figuring out what schools to apply to and would greatly appreciate some recommendations for a safety school. Thank you so much for your help! </p>
<p>Well I’d like something small. New England area but Pennsylvania and Maryland are fine too. I’m not too worried One way or the other with much else</p>
<p>I haven’t looked too much at that stuff yet but somewhere like Bryn Mawr would be a match as my actual SAT will be higher than my PSAT which I took in October of sophomore year as per college guidance guy at my school). The school I go to isn’t a k-12 situation so it is recommended that students take an IQ test to level the playing field. For example if a good student has an A in a tough class at a tough school, they won’t be grouped with a lazy student who got an A- in a very easy class. So all the students are on the same scale. Good question though</p>
<p>You might be better off waiting until you get SAT scores to do this. Also, do you need merit aid? And what schools are currently on your list so we can get a sense of what you are looking for. Personally, I like to have at least one safety with non binding EA or rolling admissions so you are certain you are in before December. Offhand, I’d say you can consider Fairfield or Siena. And you can look into Muhlenberg but I don’t think they have an early plan that is not binding.</p>
<p>Agree that this is tough to do without test scores. Also, what is your financial situation? A safety MUST be affordable. And what is your proposed major? What is your home state? What schools are on your list that aren’t your safety (could help us suggest similar schools that are easier to get into/afford). Without this info, people can toss out school names, but there is no way to tell if they would be a fit.</p>
<p>I can assume that I’ll need financial aid. I live in New York City in New York(duh). Schools like Vassar, Wellesley, and Amherst are on my list so far. Small-ish schools. I want to do something with law so my major is up to me completely but it would be something in History or Political Science </p>
<p>Unless the SAT or ACT is much higher than your psat would suggest, the schools you name will not be accepting you. You need to crack some books.</p>
<p>–I can assume that I’ll need financial aid-- This is no help. We cannot run the net price calculators, so we cannot suggest safeties to you.</p>
<p>^^ This is true, but your GPA is also a little low for these schools. What is your course schedule for next year? Schools like Wellesley and Amherst want lots of honors and APs. </p>
<p>You certainly have the potential to get a high SAT score. I had like a 183 PSAT but a 2200 SAT score (granted, I didn’t study for the PSAT). You just get better as you take difficult English classes.</p>
<p>What kind of financial aid do you think you will need? If it’s not substantial (~20k?), Sarah Lawrence could be a good safety school.</p>
<p>Yes, the PSAT score is meaningless, really, especially if you take it in the 10th grade (unless you do really well on it, in which case it means that you will probably do very well on the SAT too.)</p>
<p>Sarah Lawrence has relatively limited academic offerings; its main emphasis is in visual and performing arts, history, literature, writing, and psychology.</p>
<p>I think you’re doing all kinds of good things to start thinking about college. However, you don’t need to rule anything out anywhere. </p>
<p>Frankly, it’s hard to pick a LAC safety school, especially in the northeast. </p>
<p>Because of the size, they try to admit people who really want to go there, and because showing interest is important, it’s really hard to find one where the probability of admission is close to 100%. If your stats are too good, they might waitlist you and give your spot to someone more likely to attend. If your stats are average, then it isn’t a safety. </p>
<p>I’d say focus on the reaches and matches for now and what you really want in a school. Try to find a LAC with early action. See if there are any SUNY colleges that you might like like New Paltz, or Purchase. </p>
<p>There are very good LACs with early action but few in the Northeast. Maybe when you are a year older, traveling to the midwest might not be so out of the question. </p>
<p>I will be taking 4 AP courses this coming year and 5 as a senior. I figured the PSAT meant very little but was just hoping to give you some more background. Thanks for the advice everyone :)</p>