<p>I'm a junior who will be applying to colleges spring 2013, and on my tentative college list the least selective schools I have are Reed College and Occidental College, both of which have around 40% acceptance rates. I will also be applying to my state school where I know I will get in, but I really don't want to go there. Anyway, I'm wondering whether I can consider schools like Reed or Occidental safeties or if I should find less selective schools that I like to be safeties. My stats are:</p>
<p>School:Public
Gender:Male
Race: Caucasian
GPA:3.97 (unweighted)</p>
<p>ACT Composite (with writing): 35 </p>
<p>EC:
-Debate Captain-won numerous tournaments
-Have my own volunteer radio show on local community radio station
-first student and then assistant teacher for Radio DJing class through a local youth multimedia instruction organization where I live
-multiple film production classes at the same organization
-9 years private piano lessons
-4 years private guitar lessons
-very involved in school drama dept. for four years
-planning to write a full length film this summer
-NHS
-Will be teaching Sex Ed to jr. high students through Planned Parenthood this coming year</p>
<p>Course Load:
Ib student, I've taken the most challenging courses available</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>You should have at least 2-3 safeties.</p>
<p>Safeties are Schools…</p>
<p>1) that you like and would attend and has your major.</p>
<p>2) that will accept you, so the schools should have a high acceptance rate. </p>
<p>3) that you know for 100% certainty that you have ALL COSTS covered thru ASSURED Grants, ASSURED Merit scholarships, small student fed loans, and/or family funds.</p>
<p>(Reed is not a safety, Occidental may not be either…especially if you’re not sure of how costs will be covered.)</p>
<p>Do you know how much your family will pay? If not, ask them. Don’t assume that your parents will pay any amount without asking them. </p>
<p>Have you run the Net Price Calculators on the schools’ websites?</p>
<p>What is your budget? Can your family afford the full cost to attend Reed or Occidental? If not, have you estimated your “Expected Family Contribution” (EFC)? Can your family afford its EFC? </p>
<p>For most students, financial considerations need to be part of the “safety” assessment. Admission to Reed and Occidental may be likely enough in your case (depending on your risk-tolerance, since admission to private schools with “holistic” admissions is not guaranteed even for high-stats applicants). If you cannot afford to attend without significant financial aid, then you may want to have another safety. You may also want to have a couple of “match” schools that are a little more selective but also need-blind & full-need (such as Grinnell).</p>
<p>I am very fortunate in that the cost of the school will not be an issue for me, so I am really only wondering about this from an admissions standpoint, not a financial standpoint</p>
<p>O.K., great. Then I come back to risk-tolerance.
If you’re at all risk-averse, then I would not consider Reed a safety, and probably not Occidental either (even w/your excellent qualifications). For real safeties, consider some less selective LACs. Check out some of the other “Colleges That Change Lives” besides Reed or Whitman, which are the most selective of that group ([CTCL</a> Members | Colleges That Change Lives](<a href=“http://www.ctcl.org/colleges/list]CTCL”>http://www.ctcl.org/colleges/list)).</p>
<p>If your app is strong enough, you can pretty much consider any school ranked 25+ on USNWR as a safety.</p>
<p>Reed/Oxy are both safeties for you (and you have your in-state anyways)</p>
<p>U Southern Calif is a “safety” for you IF your PSAT scores qualify you for MNSF status in your state [ approx 50% of NMF’s are accepted at USC] AND you express a strong interest in USC. If you are a NMF AND are accepted ther you would also receive a 1/2 tuition scholarship for 4 years.
USC has great Honors programs in the Humanities and Sciences that are open to top stat students, a vibrant film and music scene due to the top rated School of Cinematic Arts and the Thorton School of Music. USC has more NMF’s than any U save Harvard.
I encourage you to apply before the Dec 1 merit scholarship deadline, just in case you did not take the PSAT or score hi enough to qualify for NMF. That way you still could qualify for merit scholarships consideration. Quite a few top students who apply early receive early notification of acceptance in mid Feb. And USC give out 150 Full Tuition scholarships to students they really want.</p>
<p>Zonlicht, you are dead wrong. Reed and Oxy are not safeties.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Then it is not a safety.</p>
<p>However, state universities are typically the best candidates to look for safeties, since they are more likely to have numbers oriented admissions. If you do not like your own state’s state universities, some out of state state universities may be worth seeing if you like them if cost is not a concern (or you like the places with assured big merit scholarships for your stats):</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/1314309-how-find-assured-admissions-safety.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/1314309-how-find-assured-admissions-safety.html</a></p>
<p>Note that more colleges are using “level of interest” as a criterion in admissions (see common data set, section C7). Such colleges should not be considered safeties, since the use of “level of interest” is usually because they do not want to be used as safeties.</p>
<p>You could also try applying to several schools that you like early under EA (not ED unless you have a clear first choice) or rolling admissions; any acceptance turns the school into a safety, assuming affordability. But if you get no early acceptances, you must have an assured admissions safety to apply to.</p>
<p>tk21769, thanks a lot for that website, its really helpful. I know that the most certain safeties tend to be large state schools because they run admissions based on numbers, but I would rather not go to a large school, so liberal arts colleges that are less selective are exactly what I’m looking for for safeties. Also, if anyone knows of any state schools that maybe have a more personal touch, recommendations would be appreciated very much :)</p>
<p>I would add Whitman to your college list. And Chapman, as they have a very good film program.</p>
<p>Have you seen any SCal colleges yet ? If possible, you should take a road trip.</p>
<p>There are some public small LAC-type colleges like those listed here:</p>
<p>[COPLAC</a> | Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges](<a href=“http://www.coplac.org/students/admissions.html]COPLAC”>http://www.coplac.org/students/admissions.html)</p>
<p>Among those, University of Minnesota - Morris, Truman State University, University of North Carolina - Asheville, and SUNY Geneseo are commonly mentioned here, and all appear to attract “good” students while having relatively lower list prices; see <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1294383-less-expensive-list-price-less-obvious-schools-attract-good-students.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1294383-less-expensive-list-price-less-obvious-schools-attract-good-students.html</a> .</p>
<p>* [ approx 50% of NMF’s are accepted at USC] *</p>
<p>Interesting data considering people often tell NMSFs to apply there to get half tuition as if admission is a given for NMSF/Fs.</p>
<p>Are you a film major? If not, what is your major?</p>
<p>This admissions season has been especially brutal on those applicants who included only very selective schools on their list, so I applaud you for being very practical in your approach. Those ultra selective colleges are a reach for everyone and many highly qualified students are turned down every year. </p>
<p>There is also the financial aspect of attending college that is every bit as mysterious as the admission process, so unless you are able to pay full tuition, you need to have parents who understand the game, or become educated about it yourself. My son was admitted to all 13 colleges he applied to, but was unable to attend the most highly selective because they gave only need based aid and their method of calculating our need was very different than the reality of what we could afford. One of these was a “need blind/ meets full demonstrated need” school. They used their own unique formula for calculating our need. The middle-class is the most vulnerable to this kind of financial aid gap. My philosophy after several years on CC and personal experience is: expect anything to happen with college admissions, both the good and the disappointing. It might have been a disaster, but because my son researched and visited all his choices, up and down the selectivity ladder, he had excellent options of schools he really liked that gave merit awards.</p>
<p>The schools where your stats are in the top 25% of applicants, and that have an acceptance rate of 40% or more, (and give merit aid if you need aid) can be considered matches. The higher up you’re stats are in the applicant pool, the safer it gets. I see that you’ve already checked out the CTCL schools, and thats a great list. My son is attending Whitman and loves the environment, he’s also finding the academics quite challenging. They have a championship debate team, a fabulous theater program and a student run radio station.</p>
<p>safety schools? The schools it’s safe to you academically and financially, AND, you are willing to attend.</p>
<p>I agree with PVmusicmom here </p>
<p>OP states that the State school is a safety that he really doesn’t want to attend. If OP would consider a gap year rather than go to the state school, it might not be a safety.</p>
<p>One of my recommendations to OP – look at schools that have EA programs. The advantage is that in most cases, you can apply to your first choice ED and still apply to a number of EA programs. If you don’t get into your ED school, you may get into one of the EA schools (which then makes it a safety).</p>
<p>For example, a year ago, D applied to Tulane and Michigan (not really safety schools for anyone) EA and was admitted to both. It took a lot of pressure off when she got in. (PS – if you apply to Tulane, make sure to get your app in early).</p>
<p>My other advice for a top student, with schools like Reed and Occidental, which really aren’t safeties, make sure to show them some love. Visit if possible, attend events sponsored by the schools, if possible. Spend as much time on their essays as you do on your others. I otherwords, don’t take them for granted.</p>
<p>mom2collegekids: At this point, I would like to double major in film STUDIES (not production) and creative writing, or film studies and english. However, I want to go to a school where all of the academic offerings are strong and where I have a diversity of options, because my intended majors may change, and I have a broad range of interests. For that reason, USC’s film school does not particularly interest me, as well as the fact that USC is a bigger school than I would like. </p>
<p>Zephyr15: Can I apply to other colleges EA if I am applying to a college with a binding ED option? I’m planning on applying to Brown ED, but if I did so do you know if I could still apply to other schools with non-restrictive EA?</p>
<p>Zephyr15, I just answered my own question by going to the Brown website. Thanks for the advice though!</p>
<p>Zephyr15: Can I apply to other colleges EA if I am applying to a college with a binding ED option? I’m planning on applying to Brown ED, but if I did so do you know if I could still apply to other schools with non-restrictive EA?</p>
<p>yes you can. but you will have to withdraw all your other apps if you are accepted at Brown ED.</p>
<p>Reed’s a little unpredictable with admissions. Also, the acceptance rate this year was 34%. </p>
<p>[Reed</a> College | Admission | Admission](<a href=“http://www.reed.edu/apply/news_and_articles/fall-2012-admission.html]Reed”>http://www.reed.edu/apply/news_and_articles/fall-2012-admission.html)</p>
<p>That said, I think you have a great shot.</p>