<p>So after getting a 36 without much study, I've sort of been thrust into this world of higher education by my parents and advisor. I know to apply to a safety, a couple matches, and a couple reach, but I don't know what sort of a school that would be for me as I'm not sure my test scores match my ECs. I was wondering if I could get some help determining, for instance, whether UW-Madison would be a safety or a match. If Madison would only be a reach, where would I find some safeties that aren't something like Princeton or Standford? Would UChicago meet that?</p>
<p>Here it is:</p>
<p>PSAT (not sure it matters): 219 (might get me in NMS running enough to let stellar SAT finish the job)
SAT: Will take in a month, expecting about a 2300-2400
ACT: 36 composite
SAT IIs: waiting on Math II and USH scores. I'm expecting 800s or very high 700s on both.
GPA: 4.10 W, 3.99 UW</p>
<p>ECs and awards:
school soccer (varsity since sophomore and might make captain next year)
club soccer (select since 8th grade playing almost all year round)
National Honor Society (junior and senior years, sadly lost officer election today)
Yearbook (starting over summer and continuing into senior year)
Theater group (not acting but watching and analyzing, also starting this spring and continuing into senior year)
Community service (about 50 hours per year, mostly working with children)
debate (2 years in homeschool high school level during middle school and 1 year in high school before coach left and team basically collapsed. still managed to find success at novice level nationally: individual and team awards)
soccer refereeing (three years)
high honor roll (all 4 years)
probably going to be at least salutatorian</p>
<p>UW-Madison is a low match (you will very likely get in, especially if you apply early in the fall, since they have rolling admissions). </p>
<p>What state do you live in? What do you want to study? What is your financial situation for college?</p>
<p>U of Chicago is no one’s safety, it is a reach for pretty much everyone (I say this, my kid got in this year, but we were as surprised as anyone given the low acceptance rate this year).</p>
<p>Thanks for the quick reply and congrats on the acceptance! After visiting UChicago, I’m fairly certain I’ll be applying there. </p>
<p>Anyway, I live in Wisconsin which makes Madison relatively easy to get into and cheap enough for my family to afford (we’re at that awkward position with a high enough income to dent aid without enough income to make paying for college anywhere near easy) while also cutting down on the number of times my mom will cry if I end up attending. I’ll almost definitely be majoring in math, probably with a double major or minor in econ or another social science.</p>
<p>Why bother taking the SAT? You earned a perfect score on the ACT.</p>
<p>If Madison rejected students like you, they’d have no one to fill their freshman class. It’s a safety. If you want an assured Midwestern admit, there’s a [competitive</a> full ride scholarship](<a href=“Merit-based scholarships - The Ohio State University”>Merit-based scholarships - The Ohio State University) from Ohio State for students with >34 ACT. Given your scores, you might want to apply and see what happens.</p>
<p>If you’re happy with Wisconsin, you can apply to only those schools considered reaches for everyone, since you’ve got an excellent, relatively low cost school to fall back on. Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, etc would probably give you nice aid even if your mom doesn’t think you’d qualify. You’re also competitive for every full ride scholarship in the country (other than those at single sex schools), so if you don’t like UW, go ahead and look into those schools.</p>