<p>I've looked through a lot of threads here on CC about this and the message is clear: you want a safety that you would be really delighted to attend. However, I have NO idea what my safeties should be. Does anybody have any resources they have used to find safeties that they would love (average academic stats, average finaid, good qualities of the school, and possibly transfer successes?) If you want my stats, they're at <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/683685-chance-me-plz.html?highlight=chance%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/683685-chance-me-plz.html?highlight=chance</a></p>
<p>Yes, being happy to attend is a must, so is the school being both an admissions AND financial safety. So what’s your financial situation, do you need FA or merit money? Are you likely to qualify for FA at a 100% of need school?</p>
<p>EA and rolling schools can provide rock solid safeties. However, with your stats, I’m assuming you’ll save your early card for Y, S or D. UMichigan has full scholarships for the very top applicants, most of which also get admitted to the very selective schools. They have rolling admissions and you could be admitted by Nov, but OOS tuition is high and some scholarship results don’t come until March.</p>
<p>Look for the same basic qualities in a safety as you do in your other schools. For instance, location, academic system (eg. core vs. open), social life, size, etc.</p>
<p>Don’t even think about the possibility of transferring at this point in time. That’s a whole other ball game, and not one you want to deal with unless absolutely necessary (coming from the parent of a transfer). The top schools you are looking at right now either don’t accept transfers (HP) or accept extremely few applicants (eg. 18 of 800 at Y this year).</p>
<p>Thanks for the extremely informative post, entomom! My finaid situation is O.K., I wouldn’t qualify for that much aid at 100% need schools. We have a high COL and I have a sibling that needs to attend college in a few years, so I’ve since been searching for schools that give great merit aid and some need aid. Does anyone know any? Oh, and I heard some really awful things about people being rejected from their safeties b/c they were “too qualified” and it looked like the school was a back-up plan. Any advice on preventing that?</p>
<p>We need a little more info. What is your home state? Are you a NMSF? There are many great scholarships out there for NMFs.</p>
<p>I was going to say UMich as well, and I really haven’t heard of any strategic admittance. It’s also a pretty sweet school. It’s large, but it doesn’t feel like it. Also great for engineering. And it feels good getting into a college like UofM early (as I found out). </p>
<p>And apply to some of the privates others mentioned on your chance thread. If you apply to five matches (lower ivies, Rice, Cal, WashU, etc.), that basically constitutes one safety in my opinion (although that is NOT sufficient for your safety).</p>
<p>You can’t really affect how a school views your app in terms of the “only a safety, overqualified” logic. What you can/have to do is show your interest, whether through signing up for mail, visiting campus, participating in online chats, or an interview. When a school says an interview is “recommended” it definitely means you should do it. Not doing it tells them you are lazy and/or disitnerested. I had to find that out the hard way.</p>
<p>@ Erin’s Dad: I’m from CA, and I’m an NMSF.</p>
<p>@ Senior0991: I was thinking about WashU b/c I visited the campus and really liked it and have heard great things about the social atmosphere and grad opportunities. I’m also a legacy there, so would that almost guarrantee acceptance? (I’m thinking of using it as a safety.) Hmmm the early UMich thing seems promising. Is it EA/ED or rolling? (I was planning on Y or S SCEA)</p>
<p>Thanks all! I’ve now realized that I need to really start liking my safeties and find perfect “fits”.</p>
<p>Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t Moroccan-American a URM since it might be technically considered African-American?</p>
<p>If if is indeed a URM, you are practically set. 1-2 of HYPS will definitely accept you, which sounds almost ludicrous to say these days, but any hooked candidate with those scores is going to get into the very top echelon of schools. I just feel like pointing that out first.</p>
<p>Even if you are not a URM, you are still very qualified. That 3x USAMO qualifier is very outstanding. With that said, I can’t imagine a school like Cornell not taking you. If that’s not a reliable safety to you, however, apply to Michigan/Berkeley. The latter isn’t 100% safe for someone with your stats, but regardless, they are both amazing in the fields of engineering and I may be wrong but given your strengths that would seem like an appropriate major for you. Both are schools which you will easily make it into and will still highly benefit your education going forward.</p>
<p>A warning: my friend, who had eerily stats as you do, was waitlisted at WashU. He was also a legacy (in multiple ways, I think). He showed a lot of interest as well. </p>
<p>Though, my theory is he didn’t get accepted because of the interview. This guy is a complete bore to talk to and he is very conceited, although he may not mean to be.</p>
<p>@ monstor: I don’t think I’m a URM; the federal definition says white= europe + north africa
I’m definitely applying to Berkeley, however I’m not that into engineering. I’m probably going to be in a math-related major, but I’m currently leaning towards pure math. On the other hand, engineering has a lot of career opportunities… Nothing’s decided yet though. However, I do have plans to go to law school, but that’s a whole other issue…</p>
<p>@Senior 0991: That’s scary! I wonder if it was a bad rec? I need to work on my interview skills then.</p>
<p>Monstor, A school with an admittance rate of less than 20% (Cornell) is not a safety.</p>
<p>OP, Definitely look in-state first (you should be competitive for all the top UCs). I would also look at some of the larger Us that offer full rides for NMF like Oklahoma or Alabama. There is a good list pinned at the top of the Financial Aid forum.</p>
<p>I agree with the Michigan suggestion as a high match/safety option. Also consider Carnegie-Mellon as a high match/safety, Northwestern = high match, Wisconsin - Madison = safety.</p>
<p>Just a rule to follow: A school with less than 20% acceptance rate is never a safety, or even a match. Your stats are great but the HYPS are still reaches.</p>
<p>If you really want to get merit aid, you need to be looking at schools a tier down in selectivity, not the Washus/Cornells of the world (not that those are safeties either).</p>
<p>What are you interested in studying? What are your geographic limitations? What sort of campus feel/social life do you want? </p>
<p>For example, if you were to say that you’re really interested in political science and history and you really want to get into Georgetown, I might recommend that you look into American and GWU because they’re schools that are like Georgetown in many ways but are less selective and might offer you more money.</p>
<p>dirdir, you don’t need a safety! you are absolutely amazing!!</p>
<p>“I’m from CA, and I’m an NMSF”</p>
<p>Your True Safety will be one of the institutions in the California public system. Please take a long, hard look at them. Include the community colleges as well as the UCs and CSUs.</p>
<p>Your True Safety is a place that
a) guarantees you admission based strictly on your stats
b) you can pay for with no financial aid other than federally determined financial aid
c) offers the major(s) you are interested in, or the first two years of your major with a formal articulation agreement with one or more 4-year schools if it is a community college
d) you like well enough to attend if all else fails</p>
<p>To be a True Safety, the place must meet all four of these criteria. Take the time to find it. Please don’t be the author of an “I’m NMF and I didn’t get in anywhere I can afford to go.” thread next spring.</p>
<p>For ideas on finding full-rides if you need one, read about MomfromTexas’ research methodology at <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/291483-update-what-i-learned-about-free-ride-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/291483-update-what-i-learned-about-free-ride-scholarships.html</a> and <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/148852-what-ive-learned-about-full-ride-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/148852-what-ive-learned-about-full-ride-scholarships.html</a></p>
<p>Dirdir,
With your stats, you should be a competitive applicant at nearly all colleges, but as you undoubtedly know, not an auto admit at any of the top privates. </p>
<p>As for choosing a college, and one that can potentially provide attractive levels of Merit Aid, I think that some numbers might inform your strategy. </p>
<p>Look closer at selectivity (SAT 25/75 range, admit rate), cost of attendance, and # and size of merit aid packages for colleges where you have a good, but not certain, chance and for two tiers just below that. Consider the following:</p>
<p>Selectivity by SAT 25/75 and admit rates (data from Petersons.com):</p>
<p>These schools would be considered a MATCH/STRETCH
1340-1540, 22% Duke
1330-1500, 25% Vanderbilt
1310-1500, 27% Emory
1290-1510, 24% Johns Hopkins</p>
<p>These schools would be considered a MATCH
1210-1390, 25% U North Carolina (OOS SAT numbers will be higher)
1220-1440, 30% U Virginia (OOS SAT numbers will be higher)</p>
<p>These schools would be considered as a MATCH/SAFETY
1250-1420, 27% Tulane
1240-1400, 38% Wake Forest
1220-1430, 37% U Michigan (OOS SAT numbers will be higher)</p>
<p>Cost of Attendance (COA) including tuition, mandatory fees, room & board
$49,885 Duke
$49,033 Vanderbilt
$46,098 Emory
$49,278 Johns Hopkins</p>
<p>$29,629 U North Carolina OOS
$37,202 U Virginia OOS</p>
<p>$47,960 Tulane
$49,032 Wake Forest
$43,009 U Michigan OOS</p>
<h1>of merit awards, % of COA covered by avg. merit scholarship</h1>
<p>(# of awards for publics is both IS and OOS while the % of COA numbers are for OOS only)</p>
<p>306 merit awards at Duke which is 5% of undergrads with avg package of $27,719
868 merit awards at Vanderbilt which is 13% of undergrads with avg package of $18,244
1094 merit awards at Emory which is 21% of undergrads with avg package of $18,531
68 merit awards at Johns Hopkins which is 1% of undergrads with avg package of $20,273</p>
<p>2402 merit awards at U North Carolina which is 13% of undergrads (IS/OOS mix unknown) with avg package of $4924
1871 merit awards at U Virginia which is 12% of undergrads (IS/OOS mix unknown) with avg package of $9917</p>
<p>1672 merit awards at Tulane which is 25% of undergrads with avg package of $19,450
389 merit awards at Wake Forest which is 9% of undergrads with avg package of $12,784
7470 merit awards at U Michigan which is 29% of undergrads (IS/OOS mix unknown) with avg package of $6488</p>