<p>@mepilokisazt – Do you have particular interests within biology? You noted that you like the paleontology offerings at Chicago. If that’s something that interests you, both the geology and biology offerings at Columbia are top-notch, and Lamont-Doherty is reasonably accessible. The opportunity to volunteer or intern at the AMNH is pretty awesome as well. The Claremonts are great for biology…but only Pomona has geology, and it’s a small program at that. </p>
<p>A few thoughts…</p>
<p>(1) Plan your applications strategically.</p>
<p>UDub and Berkeley are good bets, but Chicago, Stanford, and Yale have <8% admit rates (<5% RD admit rates for the latter two). I recommend applying SCEA to Stanford or Yale.</p>
<p>Pomona and especially Columbia are extremely selective (13% and 5.5% RD rates, respectively) and reject many highly qualified applicants. If rejected or deferred in the early round, you may want to consider aiming slightly lower than these two if you want to maximize your options in April. That said, there’s something to be said for applying to several hyper-selective schools if you’re a highly qualified applicant, as there’s always an element of chance involved. </p>
<p>(2) Look for merit aid.</p>
<p>All of your schools except CU Boulder will be quite expensive. Even if you can afford to pay full freight, cheaper options never hurt. I strongly encourage you to consider applying to a college that’s generous with merit aid. Tulane comes to mind in particular. Many very good colleges would throw money at an applicant with your stats. Talking your mother into an additional app or two (especially if they waive the application fee) might pay off handsomely in April with hefty merit scholarships. </p>
<p>(3) Check out Canada. </p>
<p>Even the best Canadian universities are noticeably cheaper than good American private universities or OOS publics. UBC in particular would be well worth a look given your interest in Berkeley and U Washington. It’s pretty tough to beat an extraordinarily scenic location in close proximity to a vibrant city – with strong academics to boot! A downside is that a good marching band is harder to find in Canada, and UBC’s has only a dozen or so people.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/sites/www.nrcan.gc.ca/files/energy/images/eneene/science/prog/images/UBC_Campus_Aerial_View-lrgr.jpg”>http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/sites/www.nrcan.gc.ca/files/energy/images/eneene/science/prog/images/UBC_Campus_Aerial_View-lrgr.jpg</a></p>
