I have a good list of schools but I’m having a hard time deciding if they are realistic/ worth applying to
My stats:
UW GPA: 3.93
ACT: 30
Class rank: 22/205
ECs
Yearbook
Newspaper
NHS
Student council
Substance abuse prevention club
Class rep
Community service
I like schools that are mostly all in one place but I wouldn’t mind a spread out one in a city
I’m thinking of majoring in cognitive science/psychology. I may even choose to go to med school later on.
My list so far:
Brandeis (slight reach)
Holy cross(slight reach)
NYU (reach)
UNH (safety)
Vassar (reach)
Merrimack (safety)
Dartmouth (extreme reach, I know)
I also applied to Fordham EA and received an acceptance letter and I applied ED at Dartmouth.
If anyone could give me an idea of what my match schools would be or if you think this is a good list that would be great. Thanks!
If you have an acceptance at Fordham, will you pick it over any of these? Don’t even apply to UNH or Merrimack if you’d pick Fordham over them (unless finances are involved).
Since you have a sure thing, the rest might be worth a shot if the cost of applications isn’t a problem.
Thank you! I’m not sure yet about Fordham but I did already apply to unh and Merrimack (Merrimack was free to apply and I got a fee waiver from Fordham).
Since Dartmouth appears to be your first choice school, you might want to consider similar NESCAC colleges should your ED1 application not work out. The majority of the NESCACs would also be reaches, though, so review them individually. St. Lawrence in turn overlaps with the NESCACs and would be a fairly safe admit for you.
Your chances at Vassar will depend somewhat on whether you are female or male.
Regarding cognitive science, the field is highly interdisciplinary and can essentially be assembled from its component parts. Seeking a college specifically for this major could be counterproductive for you.
Overall, I’d suggest you might benefit from more matches and select low reaches.
@merc81 thank you for your feedback!
You have a great point about the cognitive science major.
About Vassar, how does gender play a role if I’m a female?
Also do you have any suggestions for matches or low reaches?
Though both female and male applicants to Vassar tend to be well qualified, far fewer women are accepted as a percentage. This makes Vassar a near automatic reach for even highly qualified female applicants.
For matches to (somewhat high) reaches, look into Mt. Holyoke, Smith, Barnard, Bates and Hamilton. Academically, all of these colleges would be excellent for your interests.
Holy Cross, already on your list, makes sense for you. Though in an entirely different environment, NYU would as well.