Safeties for Harvard applicant?

College Search & Lists
1

<p>I’m applying to Harvard SCEA in the fall, and I’m wondering what good safeties in the Boston area would be for me. Tuition isn’t a big issue. </p>

<p>Background info: 3.97 GPA, 2360 SAT first try, high SAT II and AP scores, strong ECs and volunteer work</p>

2

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-19.html#post16145676[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-19.html#post16145676&lt;/a&gt; has some obvious safeties, though not in the Boston area.</p>

3

<p>Safties:
UMass-Boston
Boston University
Northeastern (You should get a really big scholarship as well)</p>

<p>Matches:
Tufts
Boston College
Brandeis</p>

4

<p>Thanks guys!</p>

<p>-BUMP-</p>

5

<p>I’m already planning to apply to Tufts (match), Wellesley (match), and BC (low match).</p>

6

<p>Bumpedy bump</p>

7

<p>I know people who got into Harvard SCEA who are really happy. </p>

<p>If you go to a public high school in the Boston area, your chances for Harvard might be higher than it would be for most people because they say that they want to education the next generation of local leaders. You should check on your school’s Naviance what your chances really are. If they are decent, go ahead and apply SCEA. </p>

<p>However, if they are not decent, then you run a pretty good risk of not having any college acceptances until April. It’s a little harder to get into Harvard SCEA than regular, and if you are restricting yourself to Boston, you have little opportunity to be admitted to a safety early (I know that you are not going to UMASS Boston, don’t even bother). </p>

<p>You might be better off applying to Northeastern and BC EA instead of Harvard, and applying to Harvard regular decision. Northeastern requires no essays in their trivial supplement, so if you are applying to BC, it’s trivial to add Northeastern too. You will surely get into Northeastern though, but wouldn’t it be nice to have an EA admittance to BC. </p>

<p>Just food for thought.</p>

8

<p>Definitely look into Tufts! It’s a great school and odds are, you’ll be accepeted!</p>

9

<p>Run the Net Price Calculators for all of the places with your parents. Harvard offers “super aid” which makes it affordable for almost everyone. The other privates (and most publics) don’t. Be sure to have dead-on affordable options (like the guaranteed merit aid institutions) on your list in case money turns out to be tighter than originally expected come April.</p>

10

<p>Thanks for the tips, everyone. I’ve already visited all the colleges I’ve mentioned that I’m applying to, and I’m already looked into my chances based on my school’s Naviance stats and graphs. I know 100% that I’m applying SCEA to Harvard; all I need are some safeties.</p>

11

<p>What about Clark, if you go a little further out?</p>

12

<p>Also Holy Cross if you are willing to to consider Worcester.
There are lots of others (Suffolk, UMass Boston, Simmons, Emmanuel, Fisher, Endicott etc.), but I assume you are looking for fairly highly ranked schools that are just easier than Harvard to get into?</p>

13

<p>Why not other regions of the country? Someone with your stats would likely be bored at the schools that BeanTownGirl listed.</p>

14

<p>Have you considered any other top schools that aren’t in the Boston area? There are a lot of amazing colleges on the east coast that you could probably get into.</p>

15

<p>There are a lot of amazing college everywhere in the country he could get into, many of which would be more generous with merit aid than those in the Northeast.</p>

16

<p>I’m not going to go into the reasons why I’m staying in Boston, because it’s complicated, but I’m not changing my mind on that. </p>

<p>Thanks for the suggestions! I didn’t think of Suffolk.</p>

17

<p>Tufts loves Harvard rejects.</p>

<p>Don’t overlook Babson and Bentley (safeties for you) for business, or Wellesley for LAC. There’s also MIT if you like.</p>

18

<p>I’m planning on going into law (god knows if that will change), so no Babson or Bentley for me… As I said before, Wellesley and Tufts are already on my list.</p>