Checking in:
Finished two first drafts for two ideas for the Common App.
Decided to apply for Economics at UK universities instead of Computer Science.
Feeling more hopeful now.
Not sure if anyone is still following but another update:
College list is finalized:
CMC (ED)
Northwestern
Cornell
Harvard
Georgetown
JHU
Colgate
Oberlin
Davidson
Vanderbilt
Northeastern (EA)
University of Rochester
I have finished my common application, including the essay, although I have not submitted yet. I am still working on the supplements, starting with CMC. More stressed with SATII Chem than my application so far.
Of course people are still following. Those threads that students keep over the whole process are the most interesting and the most useful.
What are your matches and safeties though?
@MYOS1634 I am treating Colgate, Oberlin, Davidson, and Northeastern as matches. UofR would be my safety. However, I expect to get in NEU so if I get deferred or rejected early, I will add an even safer safety.
Does your school have a particular relationship with UofR, perhaps a history of admissions for students from the school with your stats? You’re competitive*, but not a shoo-in.
Otherwise, I’d classify all of these as reach, except perhaps Northeastern because they’re more stats-based, simply due to acceptance rates that make things too unpredictable. If your school has a special relation with UofR then you’re good, too, but I’d consider it more of a stretch than NEU.
Did you give up on GTech EA + Penn State as a safety (priority deadline is Nov 30 I believe)?
I guess you can just wait and see what CMC says, and since apparently you have other applications ready to go just in case + will have your NEU decision in December you should be good outside of GTech and Penn State.
- you're in the top 25% applicants for stats (scores, gpa, rigor) but they admit only 30-ish percent, so you have a good shot, but you can't count on it. If you count on it because of your school's relationship and Naviance profile, that's another matter of course.
@MYOS1634 Yeah, my school has a history of getting kids into UofR, and I’m easily on the top side of the acceptances from our school. My counselor has said that it is a safety for me.
I didn’t really like GTech and Penn State after more research, but I would be happy at either NEU or Rochester, so I just want to make sure I’m applying to schools I wouldn’t mind going to. Hopefully, NEU will be a yes, so I have less worries.
I have finished CommonApp, the CMC Why Essay, and NEU doesn’t have a supplement, so I am set for my early round, although I would like to make a video for CMC. I am starting to work on all the other stuff, but I’m pretty unstressed about applications. I am stressing over school work and the SAT Chem.
CMC and NEU applications have been submitted! One essay left for Georgetown, but I won’t submit that until later anyway. I’m working on Cornell and Northwestern applications next. One “Why” type essay each. Hopefully these won’t be needed, and I’ll be accepted to CMC ED.
Hey! Remember me? I see that you have finalized your list, which is pretty cool. Are you still planning to major in Industrial Engineering and Operations? I have a couple of things and regrets that I want to advise to you.
Why are you applying to Georgetown or JHU? I know that they are top schools but are they really a fit for you? When I was a senior, I wanted to apply to those two, but I realized that JHU is all about the medical fields and hard science, while Georgetown is all about social sciences and international relations. Do you think that you can fit into that type of community?
Definitely apply to Cornell and Vandy. I regret not applying to those schools. Also, check out Duke and UMich. I’m currently going to UMich and I absolutely love it. I thought that I wanted a small community since I went to a small high school, but now, I’m at Michigan, I realize what I was missing. You get to meet all kinds of people here and if you have a bad experience with one of them, you can choose to not see them everyday. You can dress whatever you like and do whatever you want because no one is going to judge you. If you have any questions about UMich or large universities, don’t hesitate to contact me.
Be sure to plan out your applications and to choose colleges where you can truly see yourself at.
Note that JHU is also very very good for foreign languages and IR/poli sci.
@Hawkace Hi! Industrial Engineering is definitely an option for me, but I am primarily going for economics now.
I visited JHU, and the environment really suites me. I know that it has a reputation for medicine and the sciences, but they do have some awesome speaker series and good social sciences. I had doubts before I visited, but I’m fairly set on it now.
Georgetown has some awesome features for me, including the Corp, the largest student run company in the nation. I am going for the social sciences, but I do want to learn some computer science as a skill and as a way to continue math and logic. Since my main focus is still on economics and the social sciences, I think Georgetown does fit well.
I considered Duke a while back, but my counselor advised me not to, because they traditionally do not accept students from my school without a sports commitment. While I will have played tennis for all 4 years of high school, I am no where near the best at my small school.
I also considered UMich a huge while back. I still have worries about the huge school population, and for the next four years of my life, I’d prefer to safely apply to small-mid size schools, or schools with LLC/residential colleges.
Thank you for commenting though, and the points you make are all things I have considered and do concern me, so thank you!
@MYOS1634 Awesome! I’m interested in continuing foreign languages, so that’s good to hear.
Hmmm… Economics is a very different field than Industrial Engineering. Econ deals with the theoretical principles of economics and is very abstract. If you like more applications, then Business is the field for you. Industrial Engineering is basically described as a combination of both engineering and business, so if you’re interested in that, you should probably stick to IOE.
If you think JHU is right for you, then go for it. I don’t want to dissuade you, but try to talk to people who have gone to JHU. From what I heard, it’s geared towards a special kind of people.
As for Georgetown, I still don’t see the logic in applying, but, then again, I don’t know you personally or your intentions.
Definitely go for Duke. My counselor told me the same thing. At the end of the admissions process, Duke accepted 2 more kids from our school along with a sport recruit, so I regret it a bit. From what I remember, the application isn’t that hard either. No bad choice here.
Oh well. I tried. Haha. The huge school population might deter people, but you still keep a close-knit community with your dorm, classmates, and club members.
Do you have any other questions? 
@Hawkace I am very interested in both the practical and the theoretical. My first choice, CMC, allows me to do a bit of both, but I think learning the theoretical while having an opportunity at doing the practical (like the Corp at Georgetown or Co-ops at Northeastern) is just as good. If I get into Northwestern, the only school I am applying to for IOE, I will be combining it with Mathematical Modeling in Social Sciences to get the social science part. I don’t want a major in business because I think it is too focused on the practical.
For Duke, the other problem is that I already have 12 colleges, and I really do not want to go over 12 applications. Duke is a great school, but the other schools on my list suit me just as much or more and don’t have that rumor that they go for sportsy students.
Yeah, I just don’t want to take a risk with this college process, especially with so many LACs and mid-size universities to choose from already. UMich does seem amazing though. It was one of my early favorites, and at one time I regretted not living in Michigan for that lower tuition. I hope you’re enjoying your time there.
No questions for now. I’m just slowly plowing through my applications. I will probably need a ton of help from all of you reading this if I get denied by CMC and accepted in a few good-choice schools.
Mini-update: I am taking the SATII Physics this Saturday. I changed it from Chem to Physics last week, so I’ve had this week to prepare. Nevertheless, I think I am more ready for Physics than for Chem, but I am very worried because I am not completely confident going in, as I was for SATI and SATII Math IIc.
After the SAT, I have a few interviews set up, and I will be really moving on with applications. I’ve stopped working on them to work on the SAT for a bit.
I understand. I should give you some advice about Northeastern since I was accepted by them and they were my second choice after Michigan. Understand that if you do co-ops, there is a high likelihood that you will have to stay at college for 5 years. Plus the co-ops are usually at small companies, unless you are top of your class where you can succeed at Apple or Google or etc. If you have any questions about Northeastern, or Northwestern, feel free to ask me as I applied to them last year and they were part of my final choice.
Another thing for JHU, the surrounding area is not the best. My friend who goes there says that there are a lot of robberies, and an armed robbery occurred in broad daylight! Regardless, the campus is quite safe.
^ It’s been awhile since I attended JHU so maybe things have changed. I did not find the surrounding area unsafe when I lived there. And it has many strengths beyond medical fields.
@Hawkace Thanks for the info! That will help me decide when the time comes.
@mamaedefamilia Thanks for your input too. I explored a bit, and I did not feel unsafe. I will do more research if I am accepted though.
Well, hello there, Woandering! I remember you from a couple of years ago…I believe we were part of a thread on College Confidential, which - if i’m not mistaken- was one of my first threads on the CC site. Actually, i think it was my initial thread when i joined this site.
Just wanted to wish you luck, especially at Claremont…LOL!
As I recall, you are applying to some top Ivies (Harvard Princeton, etc), but CMC was your top choice…is that still the case?
Let me know how things work out for you.
@stagalum
I remember you name too! I think you helped me out with CMC stuff, so thanks!
CMC is still my top choice, and I have already applied ED. I do need to start thinking about my video and making it (due coming Thursday).
I am still applying to Harvard, but I took Princeton off because of the eating clubs.
I really can’t wait until this whole process is over. If CMC accepts me, that’ll come a whole lot quicker.
UPDATE:
Only got 730 on my SAT Physics. Officially done with SATs though.
Did not make the CMC video because I ran out of time, thanks to school work. I did go to CMC to do an on-campus interview, so I hope that makes up for it.
Interviewed with a Georgetown alum, which I feel super good about.
Very, very slowly writing up the rest of my application. Can’t wait till December 15th.
So, here is the most exciting post of this thread:
I read, “Congratulations!” and I’m just laughing, unbelieving.
I come back to post on CC, because this has become my life.
My parents are out, so they don’t know yet.
I’m about to email my counselors.
I really can’t believe this.
And throughout, I’ve had to reread the acceptance a billion times.
I’ll post more later. Thanks to all who have followed me thus far.
Congratulations! CMC is a great school. Well done and glad your journey has a happy ending.