<p>Hi! I am a current junior, who will be going into senior year next year. However, I'm not too far into the college process yet. What I would really like is some help in narrowing down my very long list of schools (the list is very tentative + I have a LOT of "reach" schools). I hope to major in economics, but, who knows, things can change :)</p>
<p>Some Stats:
*Weighted GPA: 4.1 (Only freshman & sophomore year though...my junior year isn't over yet so those grades haven't gone in...I've done quite well this year, so hopefully it will go up to a 4.2 or 4.3)
*My school doesn't do unweighted GPA or class rank
*2220 on the SAT I
*640 on chemistry SAT II :(
Still waiting on scores from June 2011 (Math I and US History)</p>
<p>ECs:
*Speech and debate team (treasurer, national qualifier, state finalist)
*Piano (national guild auditions)
*School clubs (grade representative)
*National Honor Society
*Lots of volunteer work with kids with disabilities, my library, adult day care center</p>
<p>Colleges:
Princeton
The University of Chicago
Tufts
Swarthmore College
Northwestern University
Boston College
Carnegie Mellon University
University of Notre Dame
Colgate University
College of William and Mary
Vanderbilt University
Vassar College
Cornell University
Georgetown University
Bucknell University
Brandeis University
Babson College
Lehigh University
University of Pennsylvania
Johns Hopkins University</p>
<p>^ I am aware that this is TOO MANY :)
Eliminations? Or even additions? Please discuss ANYTHING you wish to share about ANY of these schools, but I would ESPECIALLY like to hear about the school's economics program. Thanks SO much!!</p>
<p>Well I have read the economic programs at Princeton and UChicago are spectacular.You should also consider: Swathmore, UC Berkley, Umich, and University of Wisconsin Madison as a safety. I would eliminate Carnegie Mellon because it doesn’t have a good social science program. If your planning on applying to Princeton, I would retake the SAT. Good Luck!</p>
<p>miss, what’s your financial situation? Do you need financial aid and if yes do you qualify for need based aid?</p>
<p>The best way to narrow down your list is to start from the bottom up: find one or two safeties that you are comfortable with. Non-restrictive EA schools are also good as safeties. Once that’s established you can apply to as many reaches or high matches that you have the energy for.</p>
<p>You might also narrow in on ambience – your list varies widely in physical environment (e.g. Cornell vs Penn) and political environment (e.g. Boston College vs Swarthmore). You’ll have a better feeling after you’ve visited.</p>
<p>You hardly need another very selective, but I would suggest you look at Williams. Excellent economics plus they place a high value on musical talent, even for non-majors.</p>
<p>Wherever you end up applying be sure to submit a piano performance tape, again, even if you don’t intend to major in music.</p>
<p>It may be a good idea to visit some of these schools if you have time and can afford it to get a sense of what you want. In making a final list, it is a good idea to apply to at least one school that has a non-binding early action or rolling admissions policy so you will have a bird in the hand early in the process. Indiana University is a good example of this type of school. If you apply early you may know in early October - this is a good stress reliever. You should then pick a few schools that you really like even if they are not slam dunks - you should have at least some chance of getting in. Pick a few schools that you really like that are better than 50-50 chances of getting in. If cost is a concern, then you should have a school that you can afford to go to and are likely to get in to. You should also consider which schools are likely to meet demonstrated financial need or give merit aid.</p>
<p>@seattlebulldog - Thanks so much! Swarthmore is already on my list 
Something I forgot to mention, however, is that I do want to stay closer to the East Coast. I would prefer to stay closer to home.</p>
<p>@momrath - My financial situation is confusing. I need financial aid and I might qualify for need based aid (my dad quit his job to start something on his own…) However, my parents said, I should try to get as much financial aid as possible, but if I get into a good college, they’ll make it work. I already have two safeties that I did not mention in the list above, which are state schools in my home state. Thank you for all of your advice!</p>
<p>@res ipsa - Thank you! I plan on applying ED or EA somewhere…I’m not quite sure exactly where…</p>
<p>Does anyone know how the economics program is at Johns Hopkins? I visited the school and LOVED it, but I haven’t heard much about the economics program there.</p>
<p>I think you’re being a bit too ambitious. Your EC’s are good, but not tier 1 quality. Your GPA isn’t very good either.</p>
<p>However, if you’re going to ignore that, then I hope that you did REALLY well on your Math and US SAT II’s, because a 640 isn’t high enough. Your SAT I is good, but unless you have a great hook then you might want to consider retaking if you want to be considered for admission to the tier 1 schools you listed.
Good Luck!</p>
<p>Miss 0002 - You mentioned that you have 2 state schools on your list; if you’re not in Pennsylvania, did you consider Temple as a fall-back? It has some very strong departments, an urban environment, honors program, and is surprisingly affordable (even for out-of-state students). Your record sounds excellent, but the environment is so competitive that I’d recommend a few more mid-range choices like Pitt, George Washington, Villanova, et al.</p>
<p>philbins – How can you possibly think a GPA over 4.0 is not good enough?<br>
OP has not given the context if the max at his/her school is 4.5, 5.0 or 6.0. Some high schools only give a .5 weighting for AP courses and limit the number of AP. Without context you really can’t make a judgement.</p>
<p>OP – Consider taking the ACT as well. Many schools accept ACT instead of SAT II if you are concerned with the SAT II scores.</p>
<p>Thanks for the input!</p>
<p>@Philbinsfirst - I know what I’m doing. I understand that the tier 1 schools are “reaches” for me, but those kinds of schools are reaches for anyone. Besides, my school is the most rigorous school in the state, so a 4.1 GPA is pretty respectable, also considering that we were not allowed to take any AP courses until our junior year (this year), which I mentioned, has not been factored into my GPA. I don’t expect to easily get into any of the tier 1 schools I mentioned, but it’s worth a shot.</p>
<p>@Stagemum - Thank you for the suggestions :)</p>
<p>@Longhaul - Thank you for completely understanding. You totally just described my high school without even knowing, haha!! And I am actually taking the ACT in September :)</p>