trying to cut down my list, which schools WOULD you eliminate?

College Search & Lists
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<p>well i am trying to cut down my list of schools to apply to. i have broad interests but mainly my career goals lie in the health professions (ex pharmacy optometry, etc etc but not M.D.) and in journalism.
*i know that some school have journalism/communications but other schools have a strong focus on developing writing skills and stuff like that and that journalists don’t necessarily have to major in journalism/communications.</p>

<p>here is the list (the first two are mainly because i live in-state)
UF
FSU
Boston U
Pitt
Barnard
Emory
Boston College
Claremont McKenna
Columbia
UNC-Chapel Hill
U Penn
Pomona
Yale
*then there are some schools I’m just not sure about - Harvard, Duke, Vanderbilt, Brown, NYU, Lehigh)</p>

<p>Which schools should stay and which should go? thanks CC.
(there is a different part below that takes my stats/scores into account but thats more of a chance me thing if u wanted to do that)</p>

<p>Given my stats, which schools should stay and which should go? i like them all but which ones are better and wont be a waste to apply to (as in i would never get in at all lol)</p>

<p>Gender: Female
Ethnicity: African-American
State of Residence: FL</p>

<p>School Type: Public
Class Rank: at least Top 5% (850 students), have not got rank yet
Unweighted GPA: 3.60
Weighted GPA: 5.50
ACT: 30
(math 26, reading 31, science 28, english 36, essay 10)
SAT Critical Reading: 700
SAT Math: 590
SAT Writing: 710
Combined SAT: 2000
SAT II US History: 710
SAT II Literature: 680
AP US Government: 4
AP US History: 5
AP World History: 4</p>

<p>IB Diploma Candidate
Math Studies SL - Group 5: 5
Psychology SL - Group 3: 4</p>

<p>-Took two extra classes online - Latin I and AP US Gov’t

  • Took one college course - Macroeconomics, got an A</p>

<p>Activities: Varsity Cheerleader, Badminton, Multicultural Dance Ensemble, National Honor Society, FBLA, NHS, Senior Class, Student Government, FCAA</p>

<p>Honors-
top scholar
most improved (cheerleading)
super star student award
original essay bronze medalist</p>

<p>leadership:
VP fcaa north miami teen chapter
Treasurer Dance Ensemble
Historian fcaa north miami teen chapter
Secretary of the Pioneer Cheerleaders
Senior Class Secretary and Student Government Participant</p>

<p>volunteer work -
-neonatologist’s assistant at University of Miami/Jackson Hospital (about 60 hours)
-tutoring
-recreational therapy and clerical work at nursing home (60 hours)</p>

<p>employment -
summer 07, camp counselor
summer 08, intern at nursing home</p>

<p>I’m interested in doing either Journalism/Communications or a health profession like pharmacy or optometry etc.
Chance me for these schools or suggest your own!</p>

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<p>thanks and sorry its SO SO SO long</p>

3

<p>thanks again and sorry its SO SO SO long</p>

4

<p>You have a bunch of schools on your list that seem to be <em>somewhat</em> at odds with an interest in pharmacy or optometry: Yale, Columbia, Barnard, Pomona (And Harvard and Brown from your “maybe” list.) Those places are mostly big reaches, also, although frankly your URM status will probably help you.</p>

<p>Are you REALLY interested in those professions, or are you thinking about them mostly because you figure they would be more practical in terms of being more of a sure thing income-wise than journalism? Your scores indicate a lot more talent for and interest in writing than in math-oriented professions.</p>

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<p>I say…take off Pitt, Claremont McKenna, and at least one of the boston schools because those are unnecessary applications. UF would be a better value for what you wanna do. Maybe I’m wrong, but would you really move all the way out to Cali for Pomona? Ivies are a huge reach for you, and I’d leave one or even all of them off. Add Northwestern maybe since journalism at that school is top notch (ivy-level at least). Add Vandy because it’s a great school that’s still in the South and you’d have a decent shot at. </p>

<p>Too bad AP scores aren’t taken into much consideration because yours are great. However, your test scores hold you back. I’d limit yourself to 1 top 10 school unless you get your scores higher. Everything else puts you in good position to get into a great school though.</p>

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<p>Consolation: </p>

<p>“Are you REALLY interested in those professions, or are you thinking about them mostly because you figure they would be more practical in terms of being more of a sure thing income-wise than journalism? Your scores indicate a lot more talent for and interest in writing than in math-oriented professions.”</p>

<p>maybe, maybe not? i don’t want to count myself out of anything just based on how things seem because of my numbers (scores and grades in different subject areas) from high school. i am interested in broad things like i said before…</p>

<p>“You have a bunch of schools on your list that seem to be <em>somewhat</em> at odds with an interest in pharmacy or optometry: Yale, Columbia, Barnard, Pomona (And Harvard and Brown from your “maybe” list.) Those places are mostly big reaches, also, although frankly your URM status will probably help you.”

  • yea i know ur right about that part but some of those u jus mentioned are really good schools so they will most likely spark my interest in another field and if i go there i’ll get a great education like no matter what the field. oh are they a waste of time/money though? the reaches are too big? i dont want to sell my self short but i do want to be realistic.</p>

<p>well thanks 4 replying anyway…</p>

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<p>Why are you applying to Pitt and UNC, but also some liberal arts colleges? Decide which size you want and eliminate schools accordingly.</p>

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<p>obeythecougar:
thanks. it hurts but thanks. i know my scores are too low…
i’m taking off pomona and claremont mckenna now…
thanks a lot for ur response, it was good.</p>

9

<p>lgellar: idk what size i want. i keep changing my mind so much that at this point it doesnt really matter…
if i had to decide i would pick a bigger school most likely. sorry im so ambiguous.</p>

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<p>With you’r current stats, I would reconsider:
Columbia
UNC-Chapel Hill
UPenn
Yale</p>

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<p>oh… okay. thanks</p>

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<p>anyone else?</p>

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<p>What about FA? Is that an issue for you?</p>

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<p>I just want to let you know that your reading and writing scores are still very good, just work on your math and you’ll be fine =)
My scores are almost the same as yours, haha.</p>

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<p>BU and BC can be extremely expensive. If cost is a factor, you might want to re-examine those two.</p>

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<p>yea FA is an issue…
thanx.
especially u MissJoy, for your positivism. lol
thx thx</p>

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<p>

Well, I would only recommend applying to LACs if you’re absolutely sure that’s what you want.

UNC-CH isn’t THAT hard to get into out-of-state.</p>

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<p>k…</p>

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<p>I would reexamine your idea that journalists don’t need to major in journalism. Technically true, maybe. From what I understand internships are one of the biggest ways to get into journalism, and you won’t get journalism internships if you’re not a journalist.</p>

<p>Your list of schools is all over the place, you should probably narrow down what you’re looking for in a college.</p>

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<p>The following schools would be reaches for you:</p>

<p>Claremont McKenna
Columbia
UNC-Chapel Hill
U Penn
Pomona
Yale</p>

<p>But unless money or time is a problem for you, you dont necessarily need to take them off. There is always a chance you will get in.</p>

<p>You inclusion of small liberal arts colleges is strange. You seem to be looking for a preprofessional education. In general small liberal arts colleges provide a broad education, and then you are forced to eventually go to grad school to get a professional education. Most Pomona and CMC grads go on to grad school.</p>

<p>If you really want to study the things you want, and dont want to go to grad school, then you should pick a larger state school.</p>