<p>icy9ff8,</p>
<p>Are the Ivies and premier LACs to ignore my GPA? I was under the impression that GPA was extraordinarily important with that breed of school. Is there a trend otherwise?</p>
<p>There is no perfect applicant. Stop focusing on what you perceive to be your weakness. A 1470/1600 is outstanding. Lead actors are valued by many, if not most, elite schools. Editor-in-chief of newspaper is a strong EC. Apply to any schools which interest you. If schools only considered GPA and SAT numbers, there would be no need for admission committees. There is no automatic GPA cutoff. In response to your question, no, these “most selective” schools will not ignore your GPA; they also will not ignore your substantial strengths. You appear to be a communicator and an opinion maker based on your ECs;these are very strong attributes to offer any community.</p>
<p>icy9ff8 is right, you do have many excellent credentials. Swarthmore (#14) and Williams (#18) are the highest ranked LACs in Foreign Policy magazine’s review ofundergraduate International Relations programs. Williams also has an excellent summer theatre. Dartmouth (#9) has the highest F.P. ranking of universities offering I.R. study only at the undergraduate level. Davidson is also very good but didn’t make F.P’s top 20 list.</p>
<p>I think the OP’s GPA is going to be a substantial problem at places like Williams or Dartmouth (and other top national universities and LACs). The OP’s ECs are very good and SATs are excellent, but there are going to be other applicants with comparable ECs whose numbers, especially GPA, will be much higher. I think it would be okay to apply to a couple of top-rated schools as reaches but, on the basis of past experience, would add a strong note of caution to previous posters’ possibly overencouraging take on the OP’s prospects.</p>
<p>so what would be safeties and matches for me?</p>
<p>…bump…</p>
<p>Which schools are of interest to you? Then an appropriate list of match and safety schools can be suggested. Many students apply to either 6 or 9 schools comprised of one third reaches, a third matches and a third safties. I know of two students last year who only got admitted to their reaches and one safety. Possibly due to the genuine enthusiasm in their applications. Don’t sell yourself short. Which schools are of interest to you? Please note that there are many schools that place a great deal of weight on GPA, but mostly these are flagship state universities trying to serve their state population in a “fair” manner. Please list the schools which you are considering. As a sidenote: I don’t disagree with Mattmom’s cautionary advice; in fact, I think that we are both taking different approaches to a similiar destination. What schools are looking for is not always revealed as class composition changes yearly. Princeton, for example, is looking for more artsy types and more average types “Mr. Princeton”. The Director of Admissions left recently to take a Dean’s position at Northwestern. My point is: find a school you like without thinking about numerical criteria as a true match school, for the right reasons, will admit one whose stats are outside of the middle 50%. In short, where do you want to go and why?</p>
<p>icy9ff8,</p>
<p>Right now, the schools that interest me are:</p>
<p>American, UWashington, UMinnesota, George Washington, Syracuse</p>
<p>I applied EA to UChicago, just to see what font they use for the word “rejection.”</p>
<p>You should be admitted easily to the five listed schools. Last year, however, Minnesota had to waitlist many highly qualified in-state applicants because of too many early applications to this rolling admissions school. Chicago gives great weight to teacher recommendations. I would consider the other five schools to be safeties for you. Regarding Chicago, which I believe to be an academic powerhouse, the application essays are given substantial weight in the admissions process. Make sure to express to each school why you believe that it is the college or university for you. Johns Hopkins and Bowdoin as well as Middlebury may be of interest to you. I think that you are, except for Chicago, aiming too low for a person of your intellect, accomplishments and talents.</p>
<p>…bump…</p>
<p>School that could encourage you to pursue your dreams after you graduate…</p>
<p>GW sounds like a good choice; your non-GPA qualifications probably does make it a match for you, but not a safety. Because of its generous merit aid, GW does manage to attracts high achieving students despite its relatively middle of the road reputation, so I think you would find yoruself surrounded by a lot of very able students there as well as having access to an exciting city. </p>
<p>It sounds as though you want a large schol–otherwise i would suggest Bates, again, maybe a solid match based on your ECs and SATs, but not on your GPA. If you are from New England and Don’t want to stay in the region (you haven’t listed any schools in that area), that would seem to rule out Boson University, but again, in other ways it seems to match several of your other choices and I would think you’d have a good chance at admission.</p>
<p>Might look into Emory as a reach. Also take a look at University of Rochester as a good school that seems to be making a comeback (it was more prestigious in the 1960os and 1070s than it is now but it is still an excellent school). University of Wisonsin/Madison? University of Richmond?</p>
<p>Tufts, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, Bowdoin, Vanderbilt are the types of schools to which you should apply. Northwestern, if you had applied ED, would have been your match school due to journalism, theatre, debate and political science interests. Also you seem to prefer larger schools. Northwestern is much more difficult if not applying ED. Claremont Mckenna College should be on your list. It is part of the Claremont Colleges and you can easily take classes at any of the five schools. Franklin & Marshall might interest you as well. The top two debate schools are Northwestern and the Univ. of Alabama ( which will give you an 8 semester full out-of-state tuition scholarship while housing you in a single in a two person suite- includes a semi-private bath and kitchen with dining area, priority class registration and football tickets, small class size, etc.). This is the Univ. of Alabama Honor’s College.</p>
<p>mattmom,</p>
<p>yes, I should add that I like the idea of larger schools, though I’m not at all opposed to smaller institutions.</p>
<p>The variety of subjects and classes found at midrange to larger universities appeals to me.</p>
<p>icy9ff8,</p>
<p>U Alabama? I’ve honestly never heard anything about their programs, or even that they did debate.</p>
<p>What are the circumstances for the benefits you mentioned?</p>
<p>You need a 1400/1600 or a 32 ACT. GPA is not considered. Beautiful and clean campus. Southern gentlemen, frat/sorority, football, preppy culture. Many students from Atlanta prep day schools. Lots of wealthy kids, beautiful girls, best living accomodations for honors kids includes a private swimming pool and an in dorm Starbuck’s and convenience store. Oldest honors dorms are 4 years. Can also qualify for free room. I forget the requirement-- probably Nat’l Merit Scholars get the free room, but you will get free out of state tuition. I was writing a piece on the nation’s honors colleges when I last toured and, unfortunately, don’t have my notes handy–but you qualify. Rolling admissions. Gorgeous beaches-- best in the continental U.S.- are about 3.5 to 4 hours drive one way. Athletic facilities are unbelievable. Debate has won 14 national championships. Great law school. But you have to love Southern culture. Opposite of Univ. of Chicago, Brown, Swarthmore, Wesleyan cultures. A 1470/1600 SAT is a big deal-- don’t let anyone not connected with MIT or CalTech tell you differently.P.S. You belong at Northwestern, in my opinion, but overall, Chicago may be the best academic school in the country (along with Yale & Princeton for undergrads). Have you visited Chicago?</p>
<p>icy9ff8,</p>
<p>What about Northwestern makes it a fit for me, in your opinion?</p>
<p>bump</p>
<p>does anyone else have suggestions for matches, reaches and safeties?</p>
<p>another bump</p>
<p>third bump</p>