overlap schools -- where should I apply?

College Search & Selection
#1

<p>I'm going to be a senior in high school in about a week and I was just wondering if any of you could suggest schools similar to the ones I'm already looking at that lean more towards match-y/safety schools. I have a 3.8ish UW GPA, 32 ACT (my math subscore was lower than I would have liked, so I got a tutor over the summer and am retaking it in September), I'll have taken 6 AP classes including the ones I've signed up for my senior year, and all of my classes (except stuff like gym and health) have been honors, AP, or college level classes. I have over 400 hours of volunteer work and a bunch of "strong" ECs, including numerous ones in which I have positions of leadership. In 9th and 10th grade I was on the varsity swim team and I lettered or whatever (I had also been a member of a year round, competitive USA swim team for about 9 years), but I injured my shoulder and had to either quit or get surgery (I quit -- should I mention this anywhere in my application? I don't want colleges to think I quit coz I was lazy/not dedicated or whatever :/). I'd rather go to college in an urban area, I don't really have a preference either way regarding amount of undergrads, and, while I'm not sure what I want to major in, I'm thinking something along the lines of classics, anthropology, or English. I'm planning on going to grad school (maybe law school? I haven't quite decided yet :p).</p>

<p>Right now I'm planning on applying to Columbia, Barnard (I'm either applying to Columbia or Barnard ED -- I'm not sure which coz I'd rather go to Columbia [I actually really like their CORE! And the whole atmosphere/"social scene" at Columbia is more appealing to me] but Barnard has a higher admit rate and I'm really interested in some of their writing programs), Xavier (safety), UChicago, and University of Michigan (Ann Arbor -- my dad went there for undergrad). I've also been looking into Tufts, NYU, Vassar, Wisconsin Madison, Rochester, and Boston U, buuut I'm not sure if they're really good fits for me nor if they would lean more towards reach schools..I need more safe ones! I've also been thinking about Northwestern's journalism school, but I'm not 100% sure I'd like to pursue a career in journalism, so that probably isn't the best idea. I'd like to apply to about 10 or 11 schools, mainly coz I'm really worried I'm not going to get in anywhere except my safety :/ I'm not going to qualify for any aid or anything, so none of that is an issue regarding schools I'm looking into. </p>

<p>Thanks for any help!</p>

#2

<p>Well considering that Barnard is often a safety for Columbia and that NYU is a safety for both of those, you're already on the right track. Many kids treat UMich as a safety and Wisconsin/Rochester/BU would probably actually be safeties/low matches with a 32 ACT.</p>

<p>Your list is fine, as long as you're OK with those schools.</p>

<p>If not: Bryn Mawr, Wellesley, Mount Holyoke, Connecticut College, Emerson, Sarah Lawrence, and Bates would be good places to look for matches and safeties.</p>

#3

<p>If you like Columbia, you might also like Fordham. It would be a safety. </p>

<p>And if you're going to apply to a public, UNC would probably be the best. They have a really strong journalism program (one of the best), but the rest of their fields are great too.</p>

<p>Also, don't worry too much about safeties. A strong applicant only needs a couple.</p>

#4