<p>You ask about Brown and Dartmouth:</p>
<p>“- < 10,000 undergrads (Ivies could be ruled out with this, most likely)”</p>
<p>The only Ivy with more than 10,000 undergrads is Cornell, at about 13000. The only other one that is close to that figure is Penn, at 9,000+. Both Brown and Dartmouth are Ivies. </p>
<p>“-Big fish, small pond.”</p>
<p>It takes an awful lot to be a “big fish” at a place like Dartmouth or Brown. For one thing, the pond isn’t that small. For another, all of the other fish are highly accomplished, outstanding fish.</p>
<p>“-I can get in.” </p>
<p>I think that this is your problem with both of those schools. Both are super-reaches for you.</p>