<p>In addition, cptofthehouse is correct. Your 1% difference in rank will not make or break you. </p>
<p>More importantly, as cptofthehouse said, if you are as concerned with getting a full-ride as you claim you are, I would suggest you add more safeties to your list to ensure a good option for you and your family come decision time.</p>
<p>I already have a bunch of safeties, though I might add a few more. Could any of you please comment on predicted scholarship amounts at the safer-universities I listed (such as AJ Drexel Scholarship, etc.) </p>
<p>Statistically for all of them that I’ve researched, I’m way above their regular scholarship recipients for the factors they listed, class rank not being one of them. </p>
<p>And I didn’t mean full rides at ivies. I meant full rides at a place like Drexel, which is my big hope for one. The others I didn’t expect much money anyway. </p>
<p>Sorry if I sound arrogant, I’m just sortof shaken and thus really inarticulate right now, so I’m sortof blabbering.</p>
<p>I understand there’s things more important than a name. I spent a long time refining my list based on my future plans and environments, and each college on that list is one that I’ve researched for hours and hours to make sure I would be happy there. I researched tons and tons of colleges, so these are not uneducated choices I made based on just prestige and USNEWS rank</p>
<p>I guess I might still get into JHU and Chicago, they got 20% of their class who has ranks not in the 10%…so mabye I’ll get lucky there with sweet essays.</p>
<p>The admissions game is relying more and more on ‘gut feeling’ rather than numbers, anyway, IMHO. But I guess we’ll never truly know…</p>
<p>In any event, I am sure there are other schools you would love to attend that don’t have the brand name. No brand name does NOT equal bad. I’m afraid that this is a mistake you’re making.</p>
<p>Seems to me you’d be a shoo-in for a SUNY or CUNY Honors program, which would cost you – a NY-er – about $0.42 a year. AND give you a great education, to boot.</p>
<p>Stop focusing on the “name,” the alleged “prestige.” Focus on the education you’ll get. </p>
<p>Also, read this link:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/558534-your-dream-school-versus-your-finances.html?highlight=vanderbilt+nasa+nsf[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/558534-your-dream-school-versus-your-finances.html?highlight=vanderbilt+nasa+nsf</a></p>
<p>Sometimes being a big fish in a smaller pond can be a remarkably positive thing.</p>
<p>^ Well, Vanderbilt is a very different thing than a SUNY. If I got into Vanderbilt at all I’d be jumping in joy and satisfied (it was actually on my list until I took it off for some reasons, geographical based). I was actually considering CUNY Mac. Honors College, since after researching that one I felt like I would be comfertable there, but I’m still in the shift on that one. I could always transfer I suppose.</p>
<p>Check it out and take it [CUNY Mac Honors] seriously. If I recall correctly, not only do you go there tuition-free; they also give you a stipend to attend. So, you’re basically making money and getting a great education.</p>
<p>BTW, I think what your mother said was reprehensible. Seems to me if you’re doing the best you can, that’s all she can ask of you.</p>
<p>NY_Democrat, I suggest you do some more research into schools that you would be happy attending. Many users have offered suggestions (with links!) to point you in the right direction into finding your dream school and your dream price (which I know is zero dollars, like the rest of us! :P). Take a gander at some of those links and research institutions that catch your eye.</p>
<p>Vanderbilt, when it costs 40 or 45 grand more than a SUNY, IS a very different thing. :)</p>
<p>I think his mother is being realistic. I’m surprised your counselor is not more knowledgeable in that you say she can’t predict how colleges will look at an 11% rank. Every experiences counselor I’ve run into knows. The school’s numbers are clear and they don’t lie. At Harvard and Yale under 5% were not in the top 10%. When near half the class has a definite hook, what are the possibilities of someone without one being in that tiny group? And unless your ECs are best selling author, Olympic athlete or raising double digit millions for charity, they will be hard to call a hook.</p>
<p>My son’s best friend did this last year. He just didn’t have the GPA but he had a 2380 and impressive activities. He was sure HYPS would see past the GPA and put lots of time into those applications. In the end even mid tier ivies didn’t see past the GPA and he’s at Duke.</p>
<p>It would seem silly to focus any hopes on schools where the odds are that stacked against you. It would be like my hoping to pay my rent next month with lottery winnings. </p>
<p>The smart thing would be what someone above said, use your very good grades and scores to go to a school that will offer you generous merit money and where you will be top of the class. From there you’ll have a clear shot at top grad schools and very good jobs. Good luck!</p>
<p>^ Duke is still mad good. I’m just hoping to get into any of my top choices.</p>
<p>If you’re son was still able to get into Duke, I got a bit of hope. I love JHU, UChicago, and Cornell enough anyways : ) If I get into any of them I’d be 100% satisfied. Well, I love all the schools on my list, otherwise I wouldn’t have put them on. Could someone evaluate my chances for UChicago, Cornell, JHU, and NYU Stern specifically? Those are my ‘reasonable’ top choices I suppose.</p>
<p>Also, my school is a bit different. We’re a feeder into Harvard, Yale, and Cornell, so from the past 30 years my counseler has been working she says I have a small chance, but thinks I’ll get into Cornell rather easily since most people from our school who get in are a lot less qualified than I am. </p>
<p>Well, hopefully Drexel, Fordham, or Delaware give me good merit scholarship packages.</p>
<p>If you keep up your grade trend, couldn’t you feasibly move into that top 10% after the first semester of your senior year? When your counselor sends your mid-year report (in January, I think), colleges will see your new rank. That doesn’t help for Early Decision, but it doesn’t sound like you were headed in that direction anyhow.</p>
<p>Best of luck!</p>
<p>^ Thanks!</p>
<p>So, my current evaluation is;</p>
<p>Safeties: Drexel University, Fordham University, University of Delaware, RPI</p>
<p>Matches: George Washington University (Honors), New York University - Stern, John Hopkins University, Cornell University *(Based off my school’s feeder status, getting in as long as you’re in the top 25% with 2000+ SAT’s is easy at my school)</p>
<p>Super Reaches:
Harvard University
Yale University
Columbia University
University of Pennsylvania
University of Chicago
Georgetown University</p>
<p>Is that correct?</p>
<p>Im sorry, but Cornell AEM is not a match for anyone</p>
<p>^ Well, I’m applying to their CAS too as an alternate, which I think I can get in.</p>
<p>Well im just making it clear. I mean you have good stats, better than I had, but you’re starting to sound conceited (imo), and that usually ends up coming out in your essays, and that almost always leads to a rejection. I hope you get in to all though, I swear. I’m also a NY democrat :)</p>
<p>^ Totally agreed.</p>
<p>^ Yea, normally I’m very modest, just when I begin to panic I suck with words and say things before I think them over and come across sounding like a d@#k. </p>
<p>Panic + Me = Don’t take me literally.</p>
<p>So is my evaluation right?</p>
<p>I would cautiously expect similar results to your evaluation, with possibly 1, perhaps 2, acceptances off the “super reach” list</p>
<p>Are you saying that these colleges accept lower SAT scores than their averages from your school because it’s a feeder? That just could not be true. Colleges expect even more from kids attending top schools. While they will look at GPA in context, they certainly don’t lower score expectations.</p>
<p>My kids went to schools at the very top of everyone’s feeder lists, top NYC prep schools. Note that at these schools while 25 plus percent get into very top colleges, it’s not the top 25% that get in. There are legacies, minority students, development kids, athletes, the kids of politicians and so on who comprise a big part of that 25%. Sure, some of those kids may have lower scores, but the unhooked kid from a feeder schools needs high scores because they are seen as having had every advantage in the book and a high score should be a given.</p>
<p>When you go to a school that sends many kids to HPY, your class rank is not viewed the same way as with other schools. Your GC should be telling you what your matches and reaches are. Also, many of your choices are not going to give you merit aid at all and cost $50K+. You might want to check into some schools that guarantee 100% of need where the kids tend to be happy with the aid and the breakdowns of aid given have a lot of scholarships in them. To bank on full or near full rides at any “name” schools is more of a lottery ticket than getting into HPY. They are very difficult to get. There have been a number of threads where excellent students have vied for these rare scholarships and where they got them. There are schools that have good odds for you to get a full ride, but they are not the more commonly known schools. </p>
<p>My son did get merit money from Fordham as did a number of his friends with high stats, but even a half tuition award leaves a lot to have to pay with what college costs these days. I can tell you right now that NYU is not that generous with financial aid, by the way. Do you know if you are going to qualify for financial aid?</p>