<p>So, I just got my results from the November SAT and my Math score went up by 70 points (Verbal stayed the same). Now, I made a list with my old score (1450) but kept taking all of my safer schools off, leaving me with:</p>
<p>Princeton ED
University of Pittsburgh (already accepted)
Dartmouth
Wesleyan
Swarthmore
Columbia
NYU
And maybe UChicago.</p>
<p>I now have a 1520 (800 V, 720 M).<br>
740 Lit, 740 Writing, 640 Bio E
97% GPA = 4.0
5 or 9 / 121…
Is my list okay?</p>
<p>You don’t list any of your EC’s on here, but on scores alone you have a really good shot at these schools. However, you never know…</p>
<p>If you don’t really see yourself at any of the other schools that were on your safeties, you shouldn’t apply. You’ve already been accepted to one, so at least you have your backup.</p>
<p>If you will be happy at Pitt then your list is okay; othewise it would seem you have all either reaches or match/reaches (NYU is probably something of a match). The cosmetic difference between a 1450 and a 1520 is considerable but I don’t think the difference is that significant in terms of your overall app, especially given your good but not outstanding SAT II lineup. It is always great to have a 97 GPA but at most of the schools on your list it takes more than statistics to set you apart from the very talented crowd.</p>
<p>It’s fine as long as you would be happy at your safety (Pitt?). If not, you need to find some matches, or be disappointed.</p>
<p>It looks good.</p>
<p>Celebrian, what schools would you consider matches? I don’t know what would be a match, selectivity-wise. If you gave an example, I could find other schools that are on par in selectivity that might fit me better.</p>
<p>You look good for all those schools. Princeton ED is a reach. Swarthmore, Dartmouth, Columbia, Wesleyan and U of Chicago cover a range of matches, and depending on school/program, NYU could be a safety or a match. Assuming solid essays and some decent ECs I would expect acceptance to at least three of your schools. With Pitt, that will give you some good options. </p>
<p>However, I would not eliminate a school you like from your list just because your SAT scores went up. If you like the school and it looks solid in your academic areas of interest I would put it back on the list.</p>
<p>Just a thought here. I don’t think schools that have as low acceptance rates as Swarthmore or Columbia should be regarded as a match by anyone. They are still reaches.</p>
<p>I totally agree with you mackinaw. Your schools are all reaches, and though you have a fantastic chance at getting in somewhere, UChicago is the closest to a match.</p>
<p>Yeah, none of those are definitely matches. I would suggest adding at least 2 matches just in case you want more options than Pittsburgh.</p>
<p>Reid, sorry if I was unclear, I took some schools off prior to getting my scores back because I lost interest. I was just wondering if I was okay now, since my SAT went up a little. But, gauging from everyone else’s answers, my list isn’t okay.</p>
<p>So, I started looking at Pepperdine, Tulane, Gettysburg, and William and Mary. However, I don’t really know anything about any of the schools.</p>
<p>I can’t see that 70 pts on the SAT should change anyone’s list. It should just confirm your footing, but congrats anyway. I agree that Prince, Dart, Wes, Swat, Columbia an UChi are all reaches for you, even though you are in-range. With luck (good essays, good recs, good Ec’s) you will have a few offers. I’m guessing NYU is a match/safety.</p>
<p>But if not, UPitt seems out of place. I don’t know about it. But there are many colleges that would be more similar to your picks, I think. Why not look at some esteemed but less known LAC’s, for instance? I think you can do better than the schools in your last post, although they are fine. You did go from a very elite tier to a couple rungs down (but still good), without examining anything in-between.</p>
<p>You are in at NYU and Wesleyan. Add Vassar, its a match and from your list a perfect fit. I have spent a lot of time at Vassar and Wes and I personally liked Vassar a lot more. I would also add Brown as another reach.</p>
<p>Takeheart: with a 3.9/4.0 and SAT I scores in the 70-85% Swarthmore, Columbia, Dartmouth and Wesleyan are matches. But since students are not guaranteed of getting into their matches, having a safety (Pitt) and adding one or two less-selective good-fit schools would be a good conservative admissions strategy. </p>
<p>What are your academic and career interests? What sort of campus culture (studying and socializing) appeals to you? Answers might help posters recommend some less-selective schools you should investigate.</p>
<p>Why do you necessarily assume that schools that are more difficult to get into are better schools FOR YOU? They might be - but they might just as well not be. Your list is just fine - but you might have interests that are not well reflected in any of these schools. For all I know, you might be happier at Pitt than at Swarthmore (and I can think of at least a dozen reasons why that might be the case.) Of course, I don’t have to know, but do you?</p>
<p>Okay, I think my original message has been misunderstood. I had a list that was larger that included other schools that were matches and safeties, but I decided that I really didn’t like some of those schools, so I took them off the list. I didn’t take them off the list because I scored higher on the SAT. I was stressing a lot before I got my results back because I had nothing but reaches and a safety that I was less than enthusiastic about. Then I saw that my SAT went up 70 points, and thought maybe my new list might be okay now. But so many people have told me otherwise that I now realize that I’m still in the same position.</p>
<p>As for what I’m going to study, I’m probably going to major in English/French, and after that maybe go to law school or grad school. So, my schools need to have decent programs in those areas. Also, I don’t want a really small school (if I didn’t like so many other things about Swarthmore, I wouldn’t apply because of its size). And it would be really nice, but not neccessary, if the school was in a location that experienced a real winter.</p>
<p>Mini, I’m not assuming that schools that are more difficult to get into are better for me; they just happen to be the ones that interest me most. They always seem to have the most interesting courses and opportunities.</p>
<p>Takeheart, your list is okay, and you are in a better position now with 70 additional SAT points, but it wouldn’t hurt to add one or two less-selective schools, as long as you like them. No need for any more than that as I believe you will get into multiple schools on your current list.</p>
<p>Many selective liberal arts schools and mid-size universities have very good English and French departments. For those majors and pre-law, I am biased toward smaller schools, mainly due to better access to profs and in many cases, better advising systems. But the midsized schools on your list are excellent choices. </p>
<p>I would look at William & Mary and Tulane, but skip Gettysburg and Pepperdine. In addition, I would take another look at Middlebury, Vassar, Oberlin, Kenyon, Bard, Connecticut College, Vanderbilt and Barnard. Of those, Vassar, Oberlin, Barnard and Vanderbilt are the larger schools. Social and political climates at these schools (and at the schools on your list) differ quite a bit though, so you may want to factor that into your application decisions.</p>
<p>You’re in great shape with your stats. Just check out a few more schools and see if you find one or two you like.</p>
<p>The problem with your list is that it’s quite top-heavy. Princeton is impossible to get into. Swarthmore, Dartmouth, Columbia, and UChicago are all very similar in terms of admissions, Wesleyan just a tick easier. </p>
<p>While NYU is not in the same league with these schools academically, it is a poor admissions “value” – harder to get into than it should be because of the NYC location.</p>
<p>Gettysburg would be a true safety. You don’t really need that with an acceptance from Pitt. Schools like Vanderbilt, Emory, Oberlin, etc. would be nice solid matches.</p>
<p>I would give you a caution on William and Mary. Like UVa and UNC-CH, it is a poor admissions “value” for out-of-state. These schools would be safeties for you in-state, but out of state, they are probably about as difficult as Wesleyan. If you get in, you end up being at the very top of their “stats”.</p>
<p>I thought my daughter had a better shot at getting into Swarthmore than William & Mary, which makes no sense. But, there ya go!</p>
<p>It’s hard to give you precise feedback without knowing your high school. Your class rank would be impressive enough from some prestigious schools to turn reaches into matches. But, if it’s from a normal public high school, then most of the schools on your list would be reaches – as they are for almost everybody.</p>
<p>InterestedDad, I know what you mean about admissions value. There have been many times that I wished I lived in VA just so that I would have an easier way into William and Mary and UVa.</p>
<p>I actually like Emory a lot, but I just wouldn’t survive the Georgia heat. I’m a boy made for winter and 70 degree temperatures in November just won’t cut it. If only the college would migrate north a few states…</p>
<p>I’ve started to look into Middlebury a lot, which isn’t exactly a match, but at least it’s easier than Swat. And in nice, wintery Vermont.</p>
<p>I used to like Vassar very, very much. Unfortunately, another kid in my class likes it very much as well. And will probably end up there. I really was hoping to go somewhere that no one else in my class was headed, but I would stomach one of my classmates if I had to. Except this kid. He is very clingy and Vassar isn’t quite large enough to guarantee that I won’t be forced into helping him through his sure-to-be rocky adjustment to college life. He and I really do not mesh well and despite my now cold shoulder he will not leave me alone. However, I may apply anyway and hope he has a change of heart (maybe he’ll end up in Iowa…).</p>
<p>Might want to look at Duke.</p>