Since Yale’s admission’s rate is ridiculously low, and I’m not a recruited athlete or some child prodigy, I know that I need some solid backup schools if Yale doesn’t work out. I really don’t want to end up at my state university, though good, of UT Austin. I was wondering if schools like Notre Dame, Northwestern, and Rice might be considered good “backups.” Of course they are also hard to get into, but I think I have a better shot there. Does anyone else have any other good schools that I should consider applying to?
Hahaha! None of those are “backup schools”, especially not Northwestern. My friend, you need match and safety schools. Google or search this site for how to find match and safety schools. Basically, you cannot be assured admittance to any college with a less than 25% acceptance rate. Those three schools you mentioned are NEVER safeties or matches, even if your stats are in their top ranges on paper. For match schools, depending on your stats, look for colleges with acceptance rates in the 30s, and for safety schools, look for 50% and higher. Good luck.
maybe focus less on “prestige” (do not name shop) look for a great fit.
some great all around schools are muhlenberg college and lafayette college. (IMO)
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was wondering if schools like Notre Dame, Northwestern, and Rice might be considered good “backups”?
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Well, they could have been back-ups for Malia Obama, but not for us mere mortals.
Back-ups are safeties, or maybe matches if you’re pretty certain you’ll get in.
What are your stats?
I know that those schools aren’t safeties, that’s why I put backups in quotes. I meant I was looking for some other solid academic schools that aren’t HYPSM and are low to mid reaches that I may not have considered before. Sorry for my wording. I hadn’t even considered Rice before they came to my school and now they are one of my favorite schools.
I have a 2400 Superscored on the old SAT. 2 attempts. Highest sitting 2320 with 800 CR 800 W and 720 M
4.336 GPA
1 or 2 out of 130
As you had been with Rice, you may not be familiar with NESCAC or Claremont schools. Though generally not “back-ups” statistically, they offer the advantage of a purely undergraduate-focused environment – often in a natural setting – and admission to them would be less competitive than that for Yale.
Good back up schools are ones with low yield, a sign your actual interest in going is not of paramount importance to the admissions process. Case Western is an idea. Wash U maybe.
Notre Dame is very much a profile school. Legacy and sibling attendance is very high, over half the students were varsity captains in high school and hundreds of hours of community service and personal character awards are the norm. Yield is well over 50% so they accept kids that want to attend and trust me schools like this can you see a mile away.
Typo? Those schools care about interest very much.
Yield is 16% so apparently not.
I don’t know what you’re implying. They’re trying to raise their yield by making interest very important. Probably why I, with a 4.0 and 2330, was waitlisted at Case Western. It’s “important” on their Common Data Set. This is well documented.
I’m not implying anything. I am just stating a fact that 84% of those accepted do not attend. This illustrates that the admissions process is not sensitive to actual interest and the school doesn’t mind being used as safety. It is astonishing a school of this quality has such low yield.
There is no other explanation. What the school says is not reflected in those numbers.
I think it just means that the schools have a hard time judging actual interest because students have become very good at gaming it. WashU is notorious for rejecting high stats kids – they know that a lot of Ivy applicants add them as a relatively “safe school”. So yes, interest does matter for both of this schools.
So by interest… what does that entail? Does that just mean not reuse a Why X college essay over and over? It’s kind of hard to show intrest in 15 schools. I like Notre Dame, my parents both grew up in Catholic schools, and I’m comfortable in that environment, so it’s not like I have no interest there.
Re: Interest
Look for "Common Data Set " . You’ll find lots of information about a school, including whether “interest” is important or not.
To show interest, you could sign up for a mailing list (email or snail mail), go on a campus tour, interview (if they interview), do an overnight stay…These are some of the ways you show interest.
10-1 at Yale
4-1 at Rice, Northwestern
2-1 at Notre Dame
Showing interest means different things to different schools. Many like students to visit, interview in admissions or with a local alumni.
Post #13 sums it up. If you want another great but less competitive Catholic school then BC or Holy Cross might work as backups.
Yale is a high reach as you know. the other schools you list are lower reaches. you need matches and safeties. Texas Austin may be a safety.
Of the three “back-ups” in your first post. I would say your chance is best at Rice and ND and Northwestern are tied but none are back-ups. Don’t go by acceptance rates alone and don’t be complacent. Above a certain test score level there is virtually no benefit.
UT Austin is one of my safeties. I will be an automatic admit under state law, and UTD (University of Texas at Dallas) is another safety that I would get a full ride from. OU is another, since I’m probably going to be a National Merit Scholar I get a full ride there too. I’m just looking for some more good low-mid reach schools to check out
There are absolutely no sure things on your list other than ones you have mentioned above, but that is probably OK. If UTAustin is affordable, you are an auto-admit, and you could be happy at the school there is really no need to apply anywhere you like less – so it is fine to aim high. I’d look through the USNWR list of colleges and see what other schools appeal to you.