How ambitious should I be?

Applying to College
1

<p>Brief outline:
SAT Math+Reading- 1470, 2270 overall.
SAT II- Mathemetics II 800, US History 720
ACT 34 composite
Ranked 3/700
12 advanced placement classes
National Honor Society officer
Varsity athletics
Plenty of community service hours
Couple other ECs/leadership roles
blahblahblah</p>

<p>Side note, I need ~10k in merit scholarships + 100% need to attend college (unfortunately my EFC does not reflect what I can actually pay).</p>

<p>I have a reasonable core list of colleges to apply to. Most ambitious probably being Duke.
Additionally, however, I’m considering applying to universities like Yale, Princeton, and Stanford. I’m certainly not hopeful about getting accepted, but I kinda want to just to say I tried.</p>

<p>Is this stupid? Given my credentials and finances, is it even worth going through the application process or should I just forget about it? I mean, if by some long shot I was accepted, is there any chance I could get that merit as well? Any schools between HYP and Duke that would be ambitious but not extremely ambitious?</p>

2

<p>you ain’t ever gonna know if you don’t try.</p>

3

<p>HYPS give no merit scholarships (Stanford gives sports only), Duke gives very few. When you need merit aid, you will typically have to aim for colleges where your stats are top of pool.</p>

4

<p>How about you apply to a range of schools ranging from lower tiers that are known for giving money up to Ivy’s in case you get in and your financial situation changes. Hope for the best</p>