qualified
check me out
we could be classmates
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1797562-changing-one-thing.html#latest
Not a good plan.
Read some of the ‘hindsight’ threads/posts like this recent one:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/18692666/#Comment_18692666
@arwarw I’m fine with applying this way because it’s a shotgun approach. I’m trying to just get acceptance into one of these schools. Which one doesn’t really matter, it’s all about having more options when it comes time for me to make a decision about what school I’ll be attending.
@turbosloth - Ok, the reality for you is that your grades and test scores are top of the top. This makes you a viable candidate to any of the schools you have on your list. ALL of them are a reach for anyone though, so they remain that for you as well. Still, you should definitely apply.
My one bit of advice though is to research these schools before you blindly apply to all Ivy League schools and Stanford. That’s 9 different colleges, and some of them are wildly different from each other. I don’t think most people could be equally happy at Brown and Dartmouth for example. While college does seem to go by quickly, it is still 4 years of your life, and it’s good to find a fit for you. You may just find that the best fit for you is a college outside of the Ivy League, and there are GREAT schools outside of the Ivy League (and Stanford).
I am certain that a lot of students have perhaps the best time of their life so far at each of those schools though, so if you think you would like to be at one of them, go for it.
Here are some things (other than they are all very different from each other) to consider:
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All of those schools are Universities with graduate programs meaning undergraduates don’t get undivided attention and you likely WILL be taught a class by a graduate student at some point.
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All of those schools are of a decent size. Not really a problem, but some students prefer smaller student body, smaller class sizes, smaller campus, etc.
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All of those schools with the exception of perhaps Brown have a reputation for being pretty cutthroat academically; not just in the classroom but with fellow students too. Some thrive on that. Some get stressed out by that. There are excellent colleges all over the country where you can get a great education that don’t have that same level of pressure.
Then, you just need to figure out what you like:
City or not
Good food?
Good housing?
Fun things to do on campus?
Fun things to do off campus?
Academic programs you want?
Anyway, good luck with your decision and your application process.
@stepay thanks so much for such a constructive comment! These are definitely all things to consider and part of me applying to so many schools is probably because I’m not sure exactly what I want so I might as well keep my options open. Also, I did a summer program at Cornell and everyone seemed very helpful to one another and not cutthroat at all (this may just be the summer program). I did love Cornell and exactly like what you said I liked the food, housing, and the campus. However, I would love to be in a city and closer to home if possible (I live about 40 minutes from Columbia). Thanks again for all of your help and I may have to consider removing some schools because I wouldn’t like to even go there!
Let me give you my perspective. This year my D went through the selective college admissions process. LIke you, she had a perfect 36 ACT score and strong grades. She tried the shotgun approach and applied to Brown, Yale, Harvard, Princeton along with some other reach schools. In total she applied to about 10 reach colleges. She got into all her safety and target colleges but none of her reach colleges. Now maybe there was some glaring defect in her application that made her a less than competitive applicant to Ivy League colleges. There is no shortage of wealthier white females applying to these schools. My suspicion though is that these colleges can sniff out an applicant who is applying to a ton of reach colleges. Maybe it’s possible to attend every college admissions visit to your area for 10 coleges and engage 10 admissions officers in an ongoing dialog and write 10 perfect “why Yale, Brown, Harvard and so on” essays. I feel that as an applicant you would be much better served by applying to no more than 3 or 4 reach colleges and really taking the time to draft a compelling application tailored to each school. I also feel, as has been expressed on college confidential in the last few days, that these colleges are really looking for that something extra. By all means apply to some of these schools. You have very strong academic credentials. What you don’t have, or at least have not communicated, is anything that sets you apart from all of the other brilliant students applying to these schools
@turbosloth - I would say a summer program probably isn’t indicative of the actual atmosphere while school is in session, and sometimes reputations don’t really hit home with everyone. One person might find it cutthroat while another doesn’t. BUT, the good thing there is that you enjoyed it (Cornell) mostly (not big city). Columbia sounds like a good target for you then considering your preferences. Depending on what you mean by “close to home”, UPenn might also fit. I don’t know about Biology programs at either though. Good luck!
@Wje9164be, I think that’s good advice. Consider this “hindsight” thread:
Many qualified applicants who don’t particularly stand out and who don’t have a clear focus and plan often end up in the situation you describe. Some will get in, but it’s largely a matter of chance. Differentiation and focus both help improve the odds, though there are never any guarantees.
@Wje9164be @stepay @renaissancedad I just want to tell you guys and everyone else who has replied thank you so much for your time to give me this advice and I am blown away by how strong the community is on here. Thanks again and I’m definitely taking away from this that maybe applying to all of these schools isn’t a great method and I should definitely eliminate some of them that I’m not crazy about.
@turbosloth - Cool. If you decide that being further away from home is OK, some excellent “big city” schools include University of Chicago, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, NYU, Carnegie Mellon, Washington University in St. Louis (though a bit away from the “city” part).
That’s smart! A highly targeted application could give you the edge you likely need to get in to any one of the nine schools you listed.
You mentioned attending Cornell one summer. Do you have a dialogue going with your regional Cornell admissions officer? Have you asked what he or she is seeking from your region? If so, have you conveyed that information to your teacher recommenders? Will you be incorporating that information in to your supplements? Did you connect with any Cornell professors over the summer? Do you have an ongoing dialogue? Would he or she be willing to write a brief email on your behalf to your admissions officer?
For an unhooked applicant like yourself, I think that’s the level of intensity it sometimes takes to get a ‘yes’ at any one those nine schools,
Again, you’re wise to reconsider the shotgun approach.
Best of luck!
@stepay Yeah, I am applying to JHU and NYU both are awesome schools, my brother goes to NYU.
@arwarw Thanks and I don’t have any of those things going right now but maybe I should :D! Thanks for the suggestions!