To what other colleges should I apply?

College Search & Lists
1

I know - I should figure this out for myself, and I have. But I want to hear outside perspectives. I applied SCEA to Princeton.

SAT: 2320

GPA: 4.0 UW/4.0; school does not weight (top 10% is the only rank info. I have)

Senior Courses:
AP BC Calculus
AP English Language and Comp.
AP Psychology
AP US Government
Economics
fourth-year foreign language
academic discussion-based elective

SAT Subject tests: 800, 710

Recommendations:
10/10
?/10
?/10

Multiple academic, student government, athletic leadership positions
Local poliitcal action
US government scholarship recipient
Social entrepreneurship founder
AP scholar with honor
National Merit commended

Am I top 20 material? Where else should I apply? I want to study international relations/public policy.

2

Yes, you are top 20 material numerically. It will all come down to how successfully you present yourself in your application. You are a worthy candidate of any university in the country - congratulations for your hard work in high school. I hope you have found the last 4 years to be fruitful and enjoyable, and not just as a means of getting into college, because at the end of this stressful and at times exciting and at others disappointing process, that is what will matter - whether or not you can honestly say you did what you loved to do in high school.

How could anyone possibly tell you where to apply under these parameters? You have given no indication of what you want to study or what matters to you in the school you attend, shy of reputation as a “top 20.” No one but you can decide what schools will fit you, and the very nature of this post suggests that you seek prestige over value and fit, which is a rookie mistake. Don’t make it. Focus on where you will be spending the next four years of your life, not on what fancy name will appear on the sheet of paper at the end.

However, if you would like to give some more information on what you want to study, and what you like about Princeton that made you apply SCEA, along with qualities that may appeal to you in other schools, several people on here (myself included) will surely be only too happy to give you some wonderful recommendations.

Good luck.

3

@Senior2016M

Not many people seem to grasp what you said in your first paragraph. Sure, getting into a college is important, insofar as it allows you to explore your passions and find out more about who you are. But the college itself is less important. I couldn’t agree more that what ultimately matters is making the most of your years in high school. I’m a senior, and a couple weeks ago I though to myself, “Wow, I still love to be involved with the extracurriculars I’ve committed myself to for these four years.” I’ve been able to help others, develop critical skill sets, and really become deeply involved with what I love to do. Realizing that I’ve spent my time doing things I’m passionate about is such a relief, and I don’t think I could have recognized this until now.

At the same time, I think the goal of attending a top school is fair enough, for any student. These schools offer the best financial aid and internship, job prospects, so to say that a student only desires the “fancy name” is unfair. There are very significant pragmatic advantages to going to a highly-rated school, and the vast majority of colleges in the US simply can’t offer these advantages.

As for additional information to help you recommend colleges:

So, I’m really adaptable. Financial aid is important, as is a degree of intellectual freedom. I don’t feel strongly about the size of a school, but nothing more than 15,000 undergrads. I want to stay near the East Coast, preferably urban or suburban (or within about an hour of a city; public transit options would be nice). Politically, I’m looking for a school that leans liberal, perhaps significantly. I’ll probably study some combination of international relations, economics, public policy, etc. Social sciences. Let me know if you want any more info.

Other schools I’m considering are: (top choices) Georgetown, Brown, Dartmouth, Duke, Columbia, Yale; (medium) Penn, American, GWU, NYU. In addition to Princeton, I’ve submitted applications to UVA, UNC, and state schools.

Thanks for your response, and best of luck to everyone!

4

The schools you’ve listed sound like great matches for your aspirations. If size isn’t important to you, but financial aid and “excellent prospects” are, then some elite liberal arts colleges might be right up your alley. Williams, Amherst, Middlebury, Bowdoin, Swarthmore and their peers come to mind. I would also suggest some schools on the West coast, if you decide you would like to explore some of those options (USC, Pomona, Claremont McKenna, dare I add Stanford…) It seems like you don’t really need any other schools based on the list you’ve given! I feel confident that you’ll get into American, GWU, NYU, UVA, and UNC, but the rest are complete crap shoots. That said, I would be surprised if one of them didn’t bite.

5

Schools with respected IR programs that you haven’t listed already include Johns Hopkins and Tufts.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inside_the_Ivory_Tower

Finding good “reach” schools often isn’t as hard as finding targets and safeties that meet your needs.
NYU, American, GW, and your own state flagship might cover those bases, as long as your family can afford the net costs.

6

Do you have affordable safety schools in your list (or already applied to)?

American University is big on “level of applicant’s interest” – presumably, they do not want applicants who appear to be using them as a low choice “safety”.

7

Also, how many colleges should I apply to?? How many is too many, in your opinions?

8

Since you are fully statistically qualified for Princeton, you may not require multiple match schools, in that you will be likely to get into most of your choices. By simply selecting colleges in which you have a deep interest, you may, by default, land on the correct number of schools at which to apply.

For public policy/government, I might recommend Amherst, Bowdoin, Hamilton and Claremont McKenna/Pomona for their undergraduate-focused programs.

Wishing you lots of luck with your Princeton application!

9

Vassar could be an excellent option for you as well.

10

Tufts, while not exactly a match, is great for IR and less reachy than Princeton. Other matches to consider would be WIlliam & Mary, U Mich, and Macalester.

11

Georgetown, and it maybe should have been your EA choice. Absolutely perfect fit for what you are describing. Does GTown have secondary EA if you don’t get into Princeton?