Hello everyone. I’m going to get straight to the point. I will be majoring in Physics or double-majoring in both Astronomy and Physics (depending on the university). I believe I have too many colleges that I am applying too, and that I will not have enough time to manage all of them. How do you feel about my college list? Here are the colleges (in order of decreasing priority):
UC-Berkeley - DREAM SCHOOL
Cornell University
University of Chicago
Johns Hopkins University
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Rice University
Reed College
University of Rochester
University of California - Santa Barbara
UCLA
Grinnell College
Rennsselaer Polytechnic Institute
University of Arizona (Honors)
Arizona State University (Barrett, the Honors College)
Info about me:
GPA: 3.95 UW, 4.51 Weighted
ACT: 34
Planning to take SAT Physics and Math II
Leadership Positions:
-President of Science National Honor Society
-VP of STEM Club
-Co-president of AP Student Association
-Secretary of Physics Club
-Secretary of Unitown (Leadership Camp representing the school district)
I think you have a nice selection of schools with lots of diversity in size and location. But that’s only my opinion. Which school fits best with your goals and interests and likelihood of financial assistance is far more important. After that which schools have the programs, recreational and social aspects you would love, what about climate, distance, internship opportunities, all the things that make you you and what you want for yourself. I see you have schools in the southwest and schools who have lots of snow (Rochester, Grinnell). Personally I think if you want to eliminate some schools, start by figuring out what you really want (large/small/; private/public, climate, nearby places to go, etc).
As far as managing them all, write a solid essay that you can adjust for different schools. Add stuff, subtract stuff, but save everything. Same with the letter. DON’T FORGET to CHANGE THE NAME OF THE SCHOOL ON EACH LETTER. Have seen this mistake multiple times. About the application. Develop a good basic letter and then add points that fit the particular school. I kept reminding myself that I was not writing the great American novel and points were not awarded for originality. Think of a resume. You modify style and vocabulary over time, but a well-thought typo-free letter and essay really helps manage time and control your presentation.
Love to know what you choose. It’s your life. Personally, I really enjoyed attending Illinois–Des Moines not so much.
@zannah Thank you for such a dedicated, honest response. However, I’m really struggling with the main essay/s itself. I have written one for UIUC (which I can easily adapt for ASU). I’m actually getting tutoring for it on Saturday (essay help, not writing obviously). And regarding school sizes, I’m really not too social, so I huge school or a small school in that regard would be fine. I like the cold and the heat (except for Arizona’s. I hate it here so much). My list will remain a mystery :D. Thank you once again.