<p>Besides the ivies and state schools, what are some other prestigious (in-between) schools to apply to? Basically, what are the other options for someone who needs merit scholarship? (my parents have agreed to only pay that much $ for an ivy)</p>
<p>In general, this is a good question. What “safety” colleges are this year’s Yale applicants applying to? (You ARE applying to a safety, aren’t you? That’s always a good idea.) </p>
<p>In one of my earliest posts on CC, I defined a safety college as one that </p>
<p>1) is pretty much certain to admit the particular applicant, based on its known behavior in acting on admission applications,</p>
<p>2) has a strong program in a subject the particular applicant is interested in,</p>
<p>3) is affordable based on its known behavior in acting on financial aid applications,</p>
<p>and</p>
<p>4) is likeable to that applicant. </p>
<p>A lot of states have a state flagship university </p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=386216[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=386216</a> </p>
<p>that will meet those requirements for a lot of applicants. How about you? Could you meet your study goals, and could your family afford the bills, if you attend your state university? What other colleges are you applying to that offer better odds of admission (to you) than Yale?</p>
<p>Nice, great question. I am personally struggling to find safety schools. I am thinking liberal arts schools like Vassar and Fordham, but maybe they aren’t safety enough. </p>
<p>Please mention your intended major or program too! Mine is history, international relations, humanities.</p>
<p>If you eliminate the large flagship universities, some of which are quite prestigious, the words “prestigious school” and “safety school” clash. If it’s prestigious, it may not be a true safety.</p>
<p>For a female student with high statistics, Smith and Mount Holyoke are prestigious and very likely, if you would consider a women’s college, but I wouldn’t call them “safety” schools. </p>
<p>I understand that Vassar is very likely for a male student with high statistics; I think my son will apply there someday, not as his first choice but as a likely highly ranked school.</p>
<p>Case Western Reserve, Boston University, and American University are all pretty likely for stuents with high statistics.</p>
<p>You have to look at the majors your “safety schools” offer. Make sure there is a good-sized department in your major, one that is fairly well known and offers plenty of courses every year, on that graduates a reasonable number of seniors in that major each year. </p>
<p>I think it is better to apply to a true safety or two (such as your state flagship university) and then several likely fit colleges, colleges that your guidance counsellor says you are very very likely to get into.</p>
<p>i saw many of my friends make the mistake of considering non-ivy top schools safeties. Duke is not a safety, UChicago is not a safety, Northwestern (which I ended up loving more than food itself after Yale rejected me) is not a safety, the same goes for the top LACs.
Yes, these schools might be easier to get into that HYPS (but really, anything is easier when compared to schools that take less that one out of ten applicants); but they should not be regarded as shoo-ins.
…just thought i’'d give some advice…</p>
<p>I am lucky to have a really great in-state college as my safety, UNC Chapel Hill. I think I’m applying for the Morehead scholarship which covers full tuition. There is also the Roberts Scholarship for both Duke and UNC, but if awarded you must attend classes at both universities.
I’m majoring in international studies.</p>
<p>Range is essential when applying to colleges, especially at the top; however, in the case of the OP, the list needs to be more bottom heavy. especially if she expects merit aid. </p>
<p>Any of the remaining Seven Sister schools would be excellent choices as likely schools (provided she has the credentials to get into Yale); however, merit aid is offered only in a small percentage of cases. Yes, she might get a scholarship, but these schools won’t be financial safeties. A better chance at a merit scholarship might be at a school like Dickinson, which is moving up in the rankings but which still needs to attract top students through merit aid.</p>
<p>After a lot of searching, I’m applying to UMich, Northeastern, and URochester as safety/low match schools. They’re good schools- they just have more likely admission stats than the ivies. Thus, if you have high statistics you will hopefully stand out in their applicant pool and be offered some sort of merit aid.</p>
<p>Notre Dame</p>
<p>A lot of colleges with “rolling” admission are about to begin accepting applications. Some will notify you very soon if you are admitted. Have you chosen your safety college? </p>
<p>Good luck to the class of 2008 applicants.</p>
<p>I don’t know… I don’t know what “saftey” means. It’s not in the dictionary or wikipedia.</p>
<p>Just kidding… :)</p>
<p>U Mich. Georgetown, Tufts, BC, McGill. They are all great schools- none as great as Yale!!!-But as dream4591 said, they just have more reassuring acceptance rates.</p>
<p>I’m not applying to any “safes”–only Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, Cornell, and Williams</p>
<p>I’m not going to any college that’s not ivy or THE top LAC. My standards are too high.</p>
<p>My safety is Princeton. Im only kidding.</p>
<p>I like Umich, UVA, UNC, UCLA, and Boston College</p>
<p>M matches are Cornell and Vassar</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Are you serious? You’re not even applying outside the northeast, if that’s your whole list.</p>
<p>hey, I don’t blame Nuerosurgeon08.</p>
<p>After all, I don’t think its any coincidence that many of the “best” colleges are on the northeast.</p>
<p>An all-eggs-in-one-basket approach doesn’t always lead to admission to ANY college when April comes around. Right now (October) is a great time to put in a “rolling admission” application to some sure-bet safety college, to make absolutely sure you have an acceptance in hand before applying to “reach” colleges like Yale.</p>
<p>any list of top schools for neurosurgeons or otherwise that is all northeastern based does seem pretty myopic at best, provincial at worst. And students with an all-reach type of list are also the ones most likely to be extremely disappointed come April. We’ve all seen this syndrome before, and it often doesn’t end happily. The son of a friend of mine was sure he would be admitted to Harvard, and had this type of list - he didn’t get into a single one of the schools he was so sure of. He too thought he was the exception to all the rules and statistics.</p>
<p>I’m not trying to seem like a pompus butt head—but seriously, my stats are TOO good not to merit admission into one of those schools. (published research, ISEF anyone…published essays and my other hook is so unique–I have over 400+ hours of community service!</p>
<p>(Please note: This post is a joke!–A friend of mine actually talks like this though–and I totally agree with tokenadult and ailey)</p>
<p>It can be hard to distinguish irony from serious statements in short online posts. Thanks for making things clear. </p>
<p>Good luck to this years applicants. Don’t forget to apply to a safety college.</p>