Too Many Reaches?

Chance Me / Match Me
1

I just wanted to know if I had to my reaches for college admissions and if I should alter the list of universities I am applying to.

35 ACT
1570 SAT
800 Math II
800 Bio M
2 years of biology research at university; published a 18 page paper
doing more research over summer
IB Classes
4.0 unweighted; 6.8 weighted
Class Rank: 2 out of 4,500
Tennis for 7 years
Guitar for 5 years
Volunteer in feeding america, day care for impoverished kids, childrens museum city council, VA hospitals, and launched fundraising campaign collecting school supplies and donating to Africa and Nepal (raised over 5,000 supplies)
Spent a summer working with doctors in Nepal and got to observe surgery and assist patients
involved in math honor society, science honor society, history club, FBLA, DECA, and Generation On. Officer in math, science, history, and DECA. Coach for precalc team, VP of DECA and SNHS and treasurer of History Club
Founder and President Medical Club: Medquest (set up shadowing opportunities for club members, organized hospital tours to 4 hospitals in region, hosted medical debates, set up volunteering opportunities at hospitals and organized a charitable drive for kids in hospital)
Made a paper and advanced to National History Day contest in D.C.
worked at local tutoring center 5 days a week over summer
Moved on to second round in bio olympiad
Heavily involved in Relay for Life and Walk to End Alzheimers - part of planning committees for both

These are the universities I am applying to:
UNC Chapel Hill
UF
University of Miami
Vanderbilt
Washington University St. Louis
U Chicago
Rice
USF
Upenn
JHU

Should I revise my list or do I have a solid chance for at least 6 of these schools?

2

What are your matches and safeties?

3

Your stats are very strong. Assuming your teacher recs and essays are of high caliber as well, I think your list is fine and you have schools you will get into.

4

Reach: UChicago, UPenn
Low reach: JHU, Vanderbilt, WUSTL, Rice
High Match: UNC OOS
Match: U of Miami
Low Match: U of Florida
Safety: USF

It’s a bit reach-heavy, but you do have three match-range schools and a safety, so – not a bad list.

Definitions:
Reach: 5-15% chance of admittance (for you)
Low Reach: 15-25% chance
High Match: 25-40% chance
Match: 40-60% chance
Low Match: 60-90% chance
Safety: 90+% chance (no such thing as a 100% chance, probably… unless it’s auto-admit…)

5

You don’t have any reaches. A reach for you would be Harvard or Stanford.

6

@MyrtleD That is just bad information. Any school with acceptance rates in the teens should be considered a reach or low reach at best.

7

Thanks @doschicos and @MyrtleD . I am expecting great recs and essays. My ultimate goal is a full ride at either UF or UMiami