Don't Forget to Apply to a "Safety" College - Page 9

laplatinum · 03-31-2012, 01:55 PM

I am just bowled over at the top quality students who are batting zero this year. I am also bowled over that my son has had to compete for one spot with over 30,000 or 35,000 applicants to begin with. What is going on here, ladies and gentlemen? I was the overzealous parent, making sure my son applied to more than enough "safety" schools and then when he did not get all of his reaches, he was just fine. (He got two of the reaches so far and all of his safeties.) The safeties he applied to were non-binding EA, so he entered the fray of the Spring Admissions Nightmare already happy with four, amazing acceptances. For me, a careful assessment of his hooks was critical. For example, Catholic universities I believe really do look at if you are a Catholic. Boston College's students are 70% Catholic and admission there doesn't get any tougher. I also think your letters of rec can make a huge difference for "less than perfect" grades and top essays that are personalized to the institution (when they have supplemental apps) are critical too. Finally, wait lists are for some students good news if the university has a history of actually taking people off of them. Georgetown took none, but UCSB and UCI took about 40% of their wait list last year. GW seems to have a good record of this, too, but they expect you to TELL them you really want GW. I think parents in helping their kids need to look at the concept of safety schools more carefully so that our kids are ok at the end of the day.

jym626 · 03-31-2012, 02:18 PM

I think waitlists are very variable from year to year, lapatinum. Congrats on the acceptances.

brewplanner · 03-31-2012, 06:35 PM

College decisions this year were depressing. I got into my safeties (UC Merced and Irvine) but was shocked at getting rejected to Calpoly SLO. I was also rejected from all of my reach schools except a spring admit to Cal. I LOVE YOU BERKELEY. But seriously, you can succeed no matter where you go for college. My mother is taking classes at a JC and will transfer to a state school in the fall. Learn to let your light shine no matter where you attend.

laplatinum · 04-01-2012, 06:40 PM

Cal Poly SLO has become more and more selective--crazy selective, along with CSULB. Those, I understand, are the top choice CSUs now. My son's best friend got in with high ACT scores, including a perfect 36 on the math section and nearly straight As from a no-grade-inflation high school, so you can see what the competition has come to. Brewplanner, you are lucky you got spring admission to Berkeley. Really lucky. Take it and run! JYM, you are right. The wait lists are always variable, but now is the time to lay claim to the wait list if you really want that university.

jym626 · 04-01-2012, 07:07 PM

Agreed. If one wants to get in off a waitlist, they have to stay on the waitlist. But making sure the school knows your strong interest in *any way possible* is probably also a good idea.

quakerstake · 04-05-2012, 04:12 PM

Clemson has a May 1 deadline. Freshmen Procedure and Requirements : Clemson University

PghMomof2 · 04-06-2012, 11:16 AM

VADAD, U Oklahoma was a complete surprise to us, in the best way possible. Lovely town, beautiful campus (even if not quite as picturesque as UVA, but what is?), great people, great course offerings, and the merit package can't be beat (it's about even with Alabama). We visited b/c it was a safety for DS (NMF), and I asked him "So is it a good #2?" He says it's a good 1-1/2. In fact, it's still in the running for him.

amycompton · 05-26-2012, 06:19 AM

Hi, tokeadult

Thanks for share your information. OK,Next time will care apply the application of college admission.

samwise3 · 05-26-2012, 05:05 PM

I'm a junior who will be applying to colleges spring 2013. If I have a 35 ACT, 3.97 GPA (unweighted), I'm an IB student (taken most challenging courses available), and I have good but not amazing EC's, could I consider schools such as reed college or occidental college safeties (they both have around 40% acceptance rates) or should I find places that are less selective? I am also applying to my state school where I know I will get in, but I really REALLY don't want to go there.

PAGRok · 05-26-2012, 05:40 PM

Reed is highly self-selective (high admission rate but more competitive average applicant). I had 35 ACT, 3.92 UW, 4.23 W, good EC's and was waitlisted. I believe it was my graded English essay that is required that got me waitlisted, it was from Junior year and sucked cause I didn't have a senior year official essay yet, but I was still shocked because I considered Reed a match school along with University of Rochester. Reed likely over emphasizes writing ability because of its intense liberal arts curriculum, so if you have great writing skills you'll likely do better than I did.

ucbalumnus · 05-26-2012, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by samwise3

I am also applying to my state school where I know I will get in, but I really REALLY don't want to go there.

Then it is not a safety.

A safety must have all of these characteristics:

* Assured admission.
* Assured affordability.
* Good enough fit (academically and otherwise) that you would be happy to attend.

If you are too picky, then there may not be any schools that can be safeties for you.

VADAD1 · 06-04-2012, 10:28 AM

For anyone who is wondering how things turned out for my daughter, she is going to be attending the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA. I think it's a very underrated school, and they were gracious enough to give her a waiver to apply late and accept her into thier Honors program. I think it's going to be a good fit for my daughter.

The only downside is that she would have received tremendous merit money if she had applied early, and now her scholarship is modest. But we'll work it out.

dudedad · 06-04-2012, 10:46 AM

Congrats to her VADAD1. Your persistence paid off. I don't believe Mary Washington was even on the May 2012 list of NACAC colleges with openings.

PAGRok did you get waitlisted at U of Rochester?

PAGRok · 06-05-2012, 01:03 AM

I was happily admitted to University of Rochester with a decent merit scholarship! I was admitted to Vassar, Wesleyan, UChicago, waitlisted at Pomona, Amherst, Bowdoin, Reed. Rejected at Brown, Yale, and Swarthmore. I assumed Reed was closer to Rochester or at least Vassar/Wesleyan and not Pomona/Amherst/Bowdoin

zobroward · 06-06-2012, 12:10 PM

the term "safety" is not a healthy term! if you go to your "safety" school and you arrive with the attitude I am stuck at my safety and never give it a chance you are hurting your chances at happiness and sucess!(not to mention the negative vibe you give off) hit the ground running and you may find great happiness at your "safety" school and you may have been miserable at your top choice! one persons safety is another persons nirvana!