That's really interesting information..and I apologize if I came off arrogant or anything, but I have (by complete chance) run into my UChicago admissions officer multiple times (like 4-5) and she told my mother and me that the UChi admissions office holds my school in good regards and that there is a slight edge for local applicants. I based my statement of Naviance, and quick correction, a few 32 ACT's were rejected but all the rest made it, so honestly I would be a bit surprised if I did not get accepted into either. I know this sounds bad haha but guess it's a local thing.
Don't get me wrong, I certainly wish you the best.
My concern is seeing what's happened over the past couple of years with students that on paper looked fine but come spring ended up with denials and WLs to what they thought were match schools.
I definitely see your point, it's just I know that I only have 2 categories (Safety and Reach), but for argument's sake felt I needed to put down some targets. Most of the schools I am applying too are very competitive, so you really never know and I more than acknowledge that.
If anyone has some target schools to reccomend, that would be nice, but I still see the odds in my favor for NU and UChi. (Just a side note, but my AP Lang teacher will be writing one of my letters of rec and he has sooo much NU pride haha he went there fairly recently too).
One more thing, I know that I would be happy at any of the colleges I am applying to, so any feedback helps(:
They are all great schools so it's no surprise they get so many applicants!
True except UChicago and NU typically attract different type of students. My son applied and was accepted to NU but would never have considered UChicago. If he didn't get into Yale he would have been a Wildcat.
Very true, in the past 3 years at my hs there have been 3x as many NU applicants than UChi applicants. For me personally, I visited both and would be thrilled to be a student at either, but liked UChi a little better simply based on the beauty of the school. NU has, in my opinion, a better student life though with the Wildcats, Pensa, and Dillo Days.
Looking over your schools in post #10, I noticed something that may (or may not) be of concern. Do you need financial aid? Northwestern, Georgetown, Duke, UPenn and UChicago do not offer as much financial aid to middle class families as Yale. Many students who are accepted to the above schools are disheartened to find out that they cannot afford to attend due to the high cost of attendance.
Right now, I plan on EDing to Penn and my family tried out the net price calculator and it was much better than expected. If I don't get in there, we'll have to see what other schools offer. Who knows? If U of I gives me a good deal, I wouldn't mind going there. Like I said, I can picture myself at every school I plan to apply to, some more than others, but if money became the deciding factor, I would make the best choice for me (I am covering most of it and definitely getting a job in college too).
Ever consider the possibility you'll end up at UIUC? Your ACT science score of 28 is weak. It indicates you may have trouble as a pre-med especially at Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Duke, Penn or Chicago. Secondly, what are your actual grades? If your school uses numeral grades, you can calculate your true average. Weighted GPA's are meaningless outside of high school and to admissions officers. If you get a 88 in an AP course or "honors" course that's a 88 not a 98 - period. Further, the University of Chicago has always been less of place for Midwesterners than NU. Don't count on being from Chicago as meaning anything at the U of C. UChicago now gets more applicants from California than Illinois. Northwestern now has a 15% admit rate. Don't count your chickens before they hatch, despite your Catholic prep's record of success!
Eliminate Yale, Harvard and Stanford from your list and add JHU, WUSTL and Rice instead. Rice is an extremely well-endowed small university that may be more affordable for you than NU.
^^ Did I misread something? OP took ACT twice; first time scored a 33 composite, 2nd time scored a 31 composite. The science section is not science per se, it is more timed science reading/chart reading. And Yale, Harvard and Stanford pay little attention to a student's intended major, as the vast majority of accepted students end up changing their major at least once during their four years of college. Apply away OP, don't let the turkey's get you down. That's not to say you will be accepted, it's a challenge (and sometimes a crapshoot) for most everyone.
Hahaha thanks, gibby! I know the admissions process can be grueling, but (for lack of a better phrase) YOLO! Also, the program at Stanford I am going to next week will be a real test for me. It is basically an undergrad for 8 weeks program, so I will see how I feel about the whole experience (TA's, office hours, timing, not being one of the "smart ones" in my class). I think that after the experience, I will really know whether or not it is worth applying to so many competitive schools.
Did I misread something? OP took ACT twice; first time scored a 33 composite, 2nd time scored a 31 composite.
While those scores are good, they might be low for Yale. My son was wait listed with a single sitting 35 (36 Science and Reading, 34 English and 33 Math).
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