<p>Everyone's heard the horror stories - perfect SATs and rejected. Now there seems to be a growing trend in some "safety" schools. I've heard from others that if they think you'll get in to your first choice schools, more safety schools are denying applicants because it looks better on their statistics -- rejecting more applicants rather than having fewer admitted students reject them. I know someone who was rejected from a small LAC but admitted to Princeton.</p>
<p>So back to my title question. My daughter has 800's on SAT II's (math 2 and physics); 800 CR; 790 Math; 720 Writing. 4.62 weighted GPA; 4.0 unweighted. Probable valadictorian; AP scholar with distinction; NMSF; taking college level math class. Did mathcamp and Ross summer programs. Wants to go to MIT; Harvey Mudd; caltech; maybe u chicago. Also applying to Rice, Reed and Wash U at St. Louis; UC Berkeley.</p>
<p>Is this enough safety schools for her? Her GC and other parents here think she'll get in everywhere, but our public high school rarely sends kids to great schools, so they aren't aware of how smart many other students are.</p>
No, because none of those are really safe schools. She’ll probably get in at several of them, maybe all of them. But all of those schools (except maybe Reed, which I don’t know much about) are very selective and sometimes reject highly qualified applicants. A truly safe school is a school that will almost certainly accept your student (and that you can afford). For a student like yours, the state flagship of the state where you live is probably a safety.</p>
<p>she’s out of state for uc schools. We’re from new york, and none of the SUNY schools appeals to her. Any other suggestions for a safety? She’s really math/science/compsci, heading for a Ph.D., but would like some broadreaching humanities.</p>
<p>I agree that she’ll likely get into several of them, but that there’s no true safety in the lot. However, I’m assuming she’s applying to MIT, CalTech and UChicago EA?? If so, and if she had applications ready (but not sent) to some safety schools, she’d be fine to wait until mid-Dec and see what her EA decisions are. At that point she could send in the apps to safeties if she needs to. Another approach is a rolling school. UMichigan would give her an early answer and she might be in good shape for merit money.</p>
<p>What about ec’s? Our local public is also very weak and may send one kid to an Ivy/Ivy equivalent each year. Usually the person is absolutely perfect grade and scorewise (like your daughter), but they also usually have something significant they do in addition to academics.</p>
<p>I agree with Case Western. Reed is nearly as selective as the other schools on her list (DD1 with 3.92 UW GPA and NMSF with a 2230 SAT was waitlisted).</p>
<p>There really aren’t any safeties on that list. Does she have any awards/research/things outside the classroom that demonstrate the depth of her interests? Did your D apply to FAST at Mudd?</p>
<p>Reed is the “safest” school on her list. Depending on how much math she has already taken, Reed may not have enough math to keep her busy for four years. Given she’s attended Ross and Mathcamp, this may be a real issue for her. </p>
<p>UMich may be a safety, but ONLY if she applies early. As in NOW. S1 (math/CS guy) applied to MIT, Chicago and Caltech EA and that was a good way to get a sense of his strength in the pool. It also enabled him to drop several schools in December. I’d expect CMU would be a likely for her. </p>
<p>Has she looked at UMD? Excellent CS, engineering and sciences, good math, generous credit for AP and departmental placement, and she would be in the hunt for serious merit $$. The Priority Decision deadline is 11/1 (that gets her into consideration for merit $), with admissions decisions in mid-Feb. and merit $$ decisions by the end of March. UIUC would be another suggestion, but from her list, it looks like she wants urban.</p>
<p>Feel free to PM me. We have done LOTS of HW on math/CS.</p>
<p>Her EC’s are mostly out of school things - besides captain of science bowl team and the usual math team, flute choir, honor societies, etc. But she has the 3 years of highly respected summer math programs, does Mandelbrot (math competition) on part of another high school’s team since no one on her school is interested, is AIME qualified. </p>
<p>Our school too sends one kid to a good school each year.</p>
<p>I agree with others who have said that none of these schools are true safety. Also, I don’t think anyone should believe it when someone says your kid “will get in anywhere” (not saying that the OP believes this, just that it’s a bad idea.
Mom22, if you haven’t read the famous cc story about andison, you might want to.</p>
<p>This isn’t an easy one. I would think a FEMALE applicant with those stats and applying to those places with an intent to major in science would be a very strong applicant indeed. However, nothing at the places you’ve listed is a guarantee slam dunk, and that’s basically what a safety school is supposed to be. With any luck, she won’t have to attend the safety but you can’t take that to the bank. So, sit down with her once again, make sure she understands the odds, and pick a safety among some of the ones earlier posters have suggested.</p>
<p>WPI might be a good safety for her. It’s strongly math and science based, but it does require that classes be taken in the humanities and projects completed in them. From what I understand, the humanities departments are fairly decent.</p>
<p>And congrats to your daughter on her accomplishments. Wow. She sounds like everything I wish I could be.</p>