<p>I'm just about to send a list of colleges to my guidance counselor but I'm having trouble deciding which schools would be good safeties. I'm pretty sure which upper tier schools i'd like to apply to, but some insight on schools a few tiers down would be good. Here are my stats:</p>
<p>Gen. Stats:
SatI: 2340 (780 m, 760 v, 800 W, 12 essay)
SatII: 800 MathIIC, 790 U.S. History, 770 Chemistry
Aps: 5 U.S. History, 5 BC calc (5 AB subscore), 5 AP Chem, 5 AP Gov't
GPA: 4.8 weighted, not sure unweighted but around a 4.0
Course Load: One of two jrs in a class of 750 taking Multivariable Calc, general rigorous course load
Rank: School doesn't rank</p>
<p>Location/Person:
Northeast, Large Public School, white</p>
<p>EC's/Awards:
Honored for one of the top math/science students every year
Captain Varsity XC (been on varsity 3 yrs) Captain Varsity Tennis (varsity all 4 yrs)
Tennis team has won state championship all years that I've been on it, my match record is very good. (I made it to state round of 16 this yr in doubles)
120+ Hours Community Service (Tutoring kids of various ages)
Co-president of community service tutoring club
Member of National Honors Society
Co-President and member of varsity extemp. debate team, various debate awards and 3rd place team at the state level.
Spent summer at Princeton taking classes with JSA.
Science Summer Program concerning physics/astronomy, accepts 36 students internationally
Will apply to Intel STS and Siemens most likely, hopefully will do pretty well
2nd place state team We the People competition
4th place regional Science Bowl team
Working on an independent reserach project for two years
1st place life sciences Ct science fair.
Intel ISEF Finalist, winner of the Albany School of Medicine Scholarship
Winner in of the Gerber Scientific Excellence in Science Award</p>
<p>Im looking for universities that can provide a good liberal arts education because I'm not sure what I want to do yet. The size should be medium to fairly large, location isn't of too much consequence, but mostly in the East.</p>
<p>How about Carleton? A friend's brother is a professor at Cal Tech. He says some of the best grad students he's ever had, received their undergraduate degrees at Carleton.</p>
<p>^^ Though, I'd just like to point out, Wesleyan did only accept 24 percent this year, which makes it a ridiculously good match. I feel like anything over 30 percent is a safety.</p>
<p>But yes, Wes has a great science department... a lot of pre-med kids.</p>
<p>thanks for the quick replies, as to Fusiondogs first comment:
NYU-parents are afraid of NYC
Wesleyan-great school, doesn't fit my personality
Bryn Mawr-all girls school (im a boy), too small
Colgate-i like this one</p>
<p>As to Carleton college, its definitely not a safety for anyone, its equivalent to a John's Hopkins in terms of how hard it is to get in. Granted their applicant pool is smaller, but the pool is very strong.</p>
<p>I think you should have a state school as a safety that is likely to give you a full ride or at least a large chunk of tuition. </p>
<p>If you happen to live in a state where the states schools can't give full rides to merit worthy students anymore (i.e. New Jersey) you should look at schools like the University of Pittsburgh.</p>
<p>Real safeties for you are these private large universities in the Northeast, as you expressed that wish: Syracuse U, U of Rochester, Boston U., Colgate, Hamilton, Temple University. </p>
<p>Also Tufts, Brandeis U.</p>
<p>Haverford and Swarthmore are LAC's. Swat is nobody's safety, but you might like the teaching at the LAC's.</p>
<p>Why are your folks scared of NYC? just curious. It's expensive but safe in the Village neighborhood where NYU is located. If they haven't been there since the l970's or 80's, it's quite different.</p>
<p>My parents are afraid of NYC because of 9/11 stuff, we actually live nearby but they are concerned about NYC and Washington D.C.</p>
<p>As to my matches/reaches,
I am a huge fan of both Dartmouth and Princeton, I'm not sure which will be my #1. Other schools on my list (besides the usual laundry list of Ivys) include Northwestern, Wash. U, and University of Michigan (I think they may continue doing rolling admission which may be nice). </p>
<p>I will definitely begin research on some of your suggestions, thanks again for the quick replies.</p>
<p>Okay there are certain schools that people keep bringing up as safeties that are NOTTT safeties for ANYONE!!! No matter how high your average is or how high your SAT scores are certain schools are not safeties!!! Tufts is NOOTT a safety. I know people with practically perfect SAT scores and a 95avergae that were rejected from Tufts.Take into consideration that they are looking at many other parts of your application (essay,extracurrics,racial diversity, geographic diversity, etc.) Do not use this as a safety. The same goes for Swat, Wesleyan ( there acceptance rate is 25%, how the hell is this a safety???), Carleton,Haverford etc. I would consider a safety any school that you find matches your personality and has an acceptance rate of 40% (altho preferably 50%) or higher!! BC is potentially a good safety. So is Conneticut College. But keep in mind altho these can be considered safeties a lot of very qualified people are rejected every year! Good luck!!</p>
<p>I understand what you're saying, AprilStewart. But the definition of "safety" differs according to one's academic resume--grades, ECs, test scores, recs, etc. From what I could see, the original poster has an absolutely spectacular background. While this doesn't guarantee anything, I think generalobserver has a more than reasonable chance to get into most if not all of the schools mentioned by other posters. "Safety" is probably the wrong word to use, as it implies an absolute certainty, and nothing in this world is that. "Likely" or "Very Possible" might be better.</p>