Correcting some bad advice above:
- DO NOT go to community college and do NOT enroll just for a semester at your safety school since stats can allow you excellent scholarships and you need money (transfers get lousy aid).
- Second: any PhD worth pursuing will be funded. You’ll get a tuition waiver and a stipend in exchange for service (assisting, teaching, correcting, helping with research… it depends). So it’s more important you attend a college from which you can get into a funded phd program.
I’m guessing you didn’t get much college advice since applying to five schools with two (or even four?!!) at a high level of selectivity is a recipe for disaster.
Pm me your essay.
Barring admission from the other 2 schools, you’ll have to rest on the NACAC list of colleges that miscalculated yield. It’s published in early May (check back college confidential or NACAC’S page around May 4-5) and usually includes surprisingly good colleges. Of course these Excellent colleges have few spots and they’re snapped up immediately so you have to have your common app ready to go.
There are still colleges accepting applications but their financial aid may not be tops, what’s your budget and your EFC (as those are often different)?
Look for a thread called ‘i messed up’ there’s good advice there too.