Will any of you offer suggestions for reaches / matches / safeties?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I posted this in the "what are my chances" forum, but did not get many responses. anywho, What schools should I be looking at as reaches / matches / safeties in two cases... I can raise my SATs (I and II's) to over 700 or if my SAT's remain the same? I am retaking them for sure, but I need a worse case scenario solution.</p>

<p>Some Preferences:
School size: anything less than 20,000, but 5000-10000
is preferable
Location: Urban / Suburban
Majors / Programs I am interested in: Biochemistry, Chemistry, Nursing, engineering </p>

<p>GPA: 3.75 UW, 4.0 W
SAT I: 1830
Chem (680), Math IIC (560), Bio (self-study)</p>

<p>[HOPING TO GET EVERYTHING ABOVE 700, I started since the beginning of summer prepping Chem with barrons, Math IIC with barrons, Bio with Kaplan, and CB tests for Reasoning]</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:</p>

<p>Speech and Debate (9, 10, 11)
-Policy Debate
-participated in numerous final / exhibition rounds
-went to stanford national forensic institute and iowa forensic institute</p>

<p>Associated Student Body (9, 10, 11, 12)
-freshman class senator
-sophmore class senator
-junior class treasurer
-ASB (school) treasurer
-Homecoming floats and coordinated freshmen orientation dance (9)
-Coordinated spring fling (10)
-Coordinated father / daughter dance (11)
-many hours put into other dances and pep rallies.</p>

<p>Track and Field (9)
-frosh / soph long jump</p>

<p>Cross Country (10, 11)
-Varsity distance runner</p>

<p>National Honor Society
-member (11)</p>

<p>California Scholarship Federation
-member (11)
-president (12)</p>

<p>Youth Ministry / Confirmation Group
-teen service projects, passion play participant</p>

<p>Christian Leadership - (12)
-member (about 20-30 are accepted out of about 150 apps)</p>

<p>Volunteering:
-Church activites (carnival, fish fry, etc)
-Hospital Volunteer in ER (100+ hours)
-Participated in Sleep Study Program over a weekend.</p>

<p>Employment:
-Countrywide Financial (Intern in IT (Information Technology) Division. CSSD (Countrywide Servicing Systems Development) Department. Rigorous in project participation, analytical, and computer skills.
-Helped manage two family owned internet cafes. computer support and admin.</p>

<p>Thanks in advance everyone!</p>

2

<p>bump.......</p>

3

<p>This list is scatter only because you gave no prefrence of location, climate, or extracurricular.</p>

<p>Super Reach:
Dartmouth would be your ultimate destination</p>

<p>Reaches:
Johns Hopkins
Emory
Tufts
USC
Colgate
Georgetown
University of Michigan</p>

<p>Matches:
Case Western
Lehigh (don't know if they have nursing though)
Boston University
Clemson
Chapman
Gonzaga </p>

<p>Safeties:
Drexel University
Northeastern University
DePaul University
Messiah (a bit smal, but great school of nursing)
Mount St. Vincent (another excellent nursing program in NYC)
Auburn University
Oakland University
Biola University</p>

4

<p>I am open to a lot of places, so the scatter is fine. I just don't want the school in a rural area. Size doesn't matter, but I have a preference for schools between 5-10k. Extracurriculars don't matter either.</p>

5

<p>He says he wants an urban/suburban school with over 5000 undergrads strong in the sciences. Dartmouth is totally rural, has under 5000 undergrads as is not particularly strong in his area!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also an impossibility with his SAT scores.</p>

<p>The math IIC score is going to kill you at any school strong in sciences. I would move heaven and earth to raise it. Right now you're looking at schools in the Purdue range.</p>

6

<p>Look at St. Louis University. It has all of the majors you are interested. It has about 11,000 students, in an urban area. You might qualify for some merit aid, too</p>

7

<p>Suze is correct. Dartmouth should be immediately crossed off your list. It's as remote as a place can get and a difficult school to get into additionallly. I do think, though, Suze was a bit harsh in her post. If you truly do raise your SAT/SAT II scores to the 700 range, which you seem commited to doing, I think you'll have good chances at all the schools you're applying to.</p>

8

<p>How vryptic, the AVERAGE SAT score was a 1480 this year. If he's not hooked, how would 700s help?</p>

9

<p>No, suze, you misinterpreted my post. I should have clarified. I said that with the notion that he was going to cross Dartmouth off his college list since it's an obvious mis-match to his personality. I really meant that he would have good shots at all the schools he listed other than Dartmouth.</p>

10

<p>I think USC might be a good choice... 15000 undergrads, urban (with good police force floating around). They have some sort of quasi-rolling admissions; you may or may not get an early response from them.</p>

11

<p>Thanks everyone for the responses. I am pretty much open to everything, I do have some preferences, which I listed. I like everything about dartmouth after reading the page regarding student life, academics, etc. even if it doesnt match some of my preferences. </p>

<p>In regards to my SAT scores, I know they are bad, I am determined and WILL get them up over 700. For math iic, I think it was just a really bad testing date.. I received A's in precalc both semesters. </p>

<p>Anyways, I know dartmouth and some of the other schools are impossible and since I am new to this whole college searching experience, I would like suggestions on matches and safeties in both situations (SAT's higher or SAT's the same)</p>

12

<p>I don't think this will change anything, but I am ranked 16/341, the rank is expected to move up in January. I am also taking the most rigorous courseload compared to other classmates. </p>

<p>I screwed up sophmore year because of the transition from collegeprep to all honors. I do have marked improvement over time, especially junior year with 4.6 W GPA and 4.4 W GPA. Our school only offers 11 AP's, my counselor won't let me take more than 4 for my senior schedule, so I am self-studying 2. By the end of Senior year, I would have taken 9/11 APs including the ones I self-studied. The only two left are AP Spanish Lit and Lang, which I don't plan on taking at all.</p>

13

<p>Sometimes you know these things, people will have their mindset and preferences already made, then they'll find a school that trumps all those prefences and they fall in love with it. I thought Dartmouth would be that school from feedback of a few former CityKids students that are enrolled there.</p>

<p>I strongly suggest signing up NOW for the next testing daate to retake the Math IIC, but it looks like you already are on track. If you're SAT go up, I think schools like Tufts and Colgate could become more of a reality, but most of the reaches I suggested will probably remain reachs unless your SATs take an unexpected jump (more than the average 50 points a section) or you have a admissions booster like wealth, special talent, or legacy.</p>

14

<p>thanks so much for your posts and offering suggestions. I am determined to get all those SAT's above 700. If not, I'll probably have a UC to fall back on.</p>

15

<p>Cornell is another possible reach, if you're looking for more schools to choose from. University of Illinois- Urbana/Champaign is strong in engineering, if you're willing to overlook its rural location. I don't think so, but I'm just putting it out there as another option.</p>