<p>I'm a rising senior, trying to decide where to apply, I was wondering what your opinions are given the following list of schools as to where I should apply (and have a realistic shot at getting in.)</p>
<p>University of Wisconsin – Madison
University of Iowa- Iowa City
University of Michigan – Ann Arbor<br>
University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign
University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
Northwestern University – Evanston
Emory University – Atlanta
University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
Georgetown University – Washington D.C
Brown University – Providence, Rhode Island
University of California- Berkeley</p>
<p>Any other suggestions?</p>
<p>Some things about myself:</p>
<ul>
<li>I got a 29 on the act, didn't study much, so I am hoping to study and think I can bump that up to a 30 or 31.</li>
<li>3.78 Weighted GPA</li>
<li>Class Rank is Top 25 Percent</li>
<li>Have a very rigorous schedule. Over my four years of HS, I will have taken:
<ul>
<li>AP European History</li>
<li>AP Language and Composition</li>
<li>AP Government and Politics</li>
<li>AP United States History</li>
<li>AP Psychology</li>
<li>AP Macroeconomics</li>
<li>AP Microeconomics</li>
<li>AP Physics</li>
<li>AP Calculus</li>
<li>AP Literature </li>
</ul></li>
<li>So my GPA is pretty low, but I think (hope) that it would at least be somewhat balanced out by the fact that I have a rigorous schedule and have improved over my HS career. (My low GPA is due mostly to freshman and sophomore year, I had over a 4.0 both semesters junior year.)</li>
</ul>
<p>Consider the SAT, but you seem like a standout. Be careful with ratings of state schools. Chapel Hill isn’t THAT hard to get into if you’re in state, but if you’re out of state it is very very difficult. I think you seem impressive. Write a good essay to tie it all up.
I’m just a kid, I don’t know much, but you’re a leader and you take hard classes; that’s what they always say they want when you visit. good luck :)</p>
<p>Mom2’s question is important, OOS publics usually only work if you’re full pay. UNC is the exception on your list as they do meet need, but it’s a reach.</p>
<p>You need to take a hard look at what percent at any school you look at was not in the top 10% of their class. If it’s under 20%, that school will be very, very tough for you. If it’s under 10% it will be all but impossible.</p>
<p>There are many, many good schools out there more realistic for your stats. What do you want to study?</p>
<p>Your list is too “reachy.” It doesn’t mean you won’t get in anywhere; it does mean you are running a risk that you won’t. I don’t know anything about in-state admissions to UMich-AA, though. If you know you can get in there and would be happy to go there, then there’s no reason to add safeties. I think it has rolling admissions, so apply early so that you hear back before deadlines. </p>
<p>Your class rank and ACT score are both weak for some of the schools on your list, and your ECs are weak for them too. Colleges are interested in having folks who were <em>stars</em> in activities. Thus, if you aren’t good enough to play soccer in college–or just don’t want to–then being on the soccer team isn’t going to boost your application much. Being the captain of your high school debate team and active in speech won’t help much if you haven’t got a few trophies to show for your efforts. Northwestern, Emory, Georgetown, UIowa, and Berkeley all have top policy teams and thus attract applicants who are state champs, etc., in policy debate. </p>
<p>I assume that this isn’t an accident and you do policy and want to continue in college. I’d suggest that if that’s your plan you contact some of the coaches to see if you would be able to participate. I can’t tell you particulars about these schools, but some schools limit participation and folks who weren’t high school <em>stars</em> have very little chance of competing. </p>
<p>If I’m way off base and this has nothing to do with your selection process, pardon the digression. However, even if you don’t want to continue, it might be wiser to apply to a few schools that won’t attract lots of applicants with stellar debate credentials who do want to compete in college.</p>
<p>@mom2collegekids: Yeah, for me, moneys not really an issue at all, just trying to get into the best school possible. </p>
<p>@jonri: Wow. You really are good at figuring stuff out lol. I definitely understand where you’re coming from with regards to the whole “reachy” thing, especially with the bottom half of the list. I think I should get into most of the state schools but would really like to get into 1 out of the following 5, (Northwestern, Emory, GTown, Brown, Berkeley) and then go there. See my line of reasoning is, if I apply to five schools that are reachy, then there is a decent chance (hopefully) that I would get into at least one. And if not, I’m perfectly fine going to U of M AA as the backup. Now, with regards to the debate thing, although I am not a policy debater (I’m an LD’er) I would definitely like to debate policy in college. Now as you may know, LD is becoming more and more like policy and with my success in LD (state semifinalist, national qualifier, toc bid) I was kind of thinking that might help as far as the whole “recruitment” type thing you describe. So with that said, I was wondering if you think I’m far off with the whole 1/5 logic, and that I should select a lower tier of schools or if I should try to improve the ACT scores and stick with my choices.</p>
<p>At Brown and other very selective schools, more than 90% of enrolled students have graduated in the top 10% of their high school classes. I would assume that the remaining 10% generally had other qualifications that were quite unusual.</p>
<p>I have no idea, actually. I want to eventually go to law school, so I’d like to major in something I can fall back on just in case. Business maybe?</p>