thanks for the feedback! any specific schools you have in mind?
thank you 
georgetown is definetely on my list, not expecting to get in though. i donât think i like any school enough to ED2, especially with my familyâs financial situation
hmm⊠i wouldnât be above doing this honestly if it works.
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@schang70 cornell is 100% on my list! this looks super awesome, had no idea they were doing this. thanks!!
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@DigitalDad @worriedmomucb sorry if I came off as just wanting to shotgunâi do have specific ivies that iâm aiming for b/c i like their programs/environment, iâm not applying just to apply. the reason why i asked if i had a chance at any ivy was more hypothetical than anything, i wanted to know if it was even worth spending hours on my yale supplements (brown and yale are tied for my favorite schools) if i didnât have a chance at getting in anyways. thanks for your concern, though, i completely agree with your sentiments!
I just keep seeing these miracle success stories on reddit of people with no hooks, high income, no extenuating circumstances, and like a sub 3.5 gpa getting into schools like uc berekely, vandy, emory, and more. it gives me hope for myself, but my question is, is this hope warranted? obviously its a very low chance but if thereâs still a running chance Iâm willing to take it and if thereâs anything i can do to make those chances better then i absolutely will
I would take anything you read on Reddit with a grain of salt. Schools like Vanderbilt arenât in the business of accepting unhooked students with lower than typical gpaâs so Iâm skeptical.
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Update: just found out i got a 10k/yr merit scholarship from upitt!!! was not expecting it as apparently only 17% recieve merit scholarship this year and my gpa isnât really in line with the people who do recieve these scholarships
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Yeah absolutely, but I doubt most of them are lying honestly. some of them probs are but idk it kind of gives me hope to keep going/trying.
Congratulations! Does this put Pitt in your affordable range? Itâs a great college in a very neat smaller city.
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They have less kids ranked in the top 10 pct of their class than their peers.
Exactly my statistical support.
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Congrats on your Pitt scholarship! Have you visited Pitt yet? It does sound like youâve got your safeties covered so long as youâd be fine attending. It also sounds like Yale is now your new âdreamâ school. Trust you saw their numbers for SCEA this year. 709 accepted out of 7,856 apps. 70% denied. Youâve got lots of company. If you will regret not applying, apply! Just know itâs a very very long shot for everyone. Like others have said, Iâd definitely add Cornell. What other schools are you waiting to hear from? Best of luck. One school is going to be lucky to have you!
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At schools with single digit acceptance rates, chances are slim already, even for those who check all boxes. You do have many exceptional points to your application, but some stats also fall below those who are most commonly accepted.
If you fear that youâll always have that nagging âwhat ifâ doubt regarding Yale, then settle it by applying. In reality your odds are slim, and I predict that in a year, youâll likely be happily attending a different great college with great results - and never look back.
UCs are a whole different subject, if you are out of state - not sure that itâs time well spent, but someone else might have factual insights (I donât).
If you run the NPC for schools like Emory and they would be affordable, I think that applying to these schools would be a better use of your time. They are still a reach for sure, but reachable, in my opinion.
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thank you! but pitt is unfortunately not affordable (along with several other schools apparently), as i found out after a very heated conversation w my parents today. i didnât realize how little they wanted to pay, and theyâre expecting me to take out a substantial amount of loans (with one of them cosigning) for college in general. this was just sprung on me today, as rd apps are literally around the corner, so iâm not feeling great, to say the least. this just further exacerbates my feeling of âivy or bustâ because only mason/vcu or an ivy/other prestigous school with some huge endowment will give me enough money to be affordable. iâm really scared. i donât want to be thousands of dollars in debt at 22.
Then you need to apply to those affordable colleges asapâŠand you can also put in applications to generous meets need schools. But pleaseâŠpin down the ones you can afford and get those done!
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thank you so much! yes, i have visted pitt. i did see the scea numbersâdaunting, to say the least. just thought iâd throw my hat in the ring, cornell is definetely on the list and iâve been working on those supplements!
waiting to hear from:
UMich
UVA
VTech
Northeastern
⊠all of those are EA schools, iâve been accepted to mason, fordham, and pitt, rejected from brown. 3 for 1, hopefully the ratio doesnât get too much worse 
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Is George Mason affordable?
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iâve already been accepted at those schools, so those are basically locked.
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yes
Iâm sorry youâre in this position. Youâre right that while a super-reach still might come through, itâs not good to be in a position where your only options will be a super-reach or a local commuter school (although George Mason is a very good school, so youâre in a better position than the vast majority of people who have to choose a commuter option).
I think the first order of business is to line up an affordable safety that youâre happier with. There has already been some discussion of big-merit schools for NMSF/NMF, and a lot of those options are ruled out based on geography and related political/racial climate issues. There are some possibilities, though.
I was just reviewing your old thread and your criteria for where youâd be comfortable going. You said, âTexas is also fine as long as its in a big city like Austin, Dallas, etc.â So, I think an app to UT Dallas should be on the to-do list, as they offer a terrific NMF package, honors college with honors housing, and an excellent multi-track CogSci program. Also majors in International Political Economy, Poli Sci, Public Policy, and Public Affairs. This seems like a good safety-net option to me. They recruit debaters, too. UT Dallas Debate - The University of Texas at Dallas
U of Maine has been mentioned - definitely the opposite of âsouth.â
What are your thoughts about the best case scenario in the big-merit category? I think you need at least one of these in the mix, unless youâd truly rather commute to GMU than attend any of the big-merit schools.
Iâm not saying that a generous need-based aid school might not come through, but I agree with you that having everything riding on a âshoot the moonâ strategy is too scary. And it sounds as if less-reachy âfull need metâ schools do not add up financially for you, correct? (For example, schools like Dickinson and Macalester - which meet need and are strong in IR⊠net cost is too high?)
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