What Colleges should I Apply to?

Applying to College
1

<p>I don’t know where to apply. I mean, I’ve picked colleges. But I’m afraid I won’t get in anywhere I want to go. I want to have some other choices. I just don’t know which ones.</p>

<p>My circumstances are somewhat Odd.
I want to dual major. One in science. And one in Music (Piano).
I want to study abroad in college.
Both universities and liberal arts colleges have their appeals to me.</p>

<p>My grades are all messed up. There is a downward trend from freshman to the end of sophomore trend. I had one C the end of my sophomore year. I was doing the wrong sort of things. Then there was an upward trend and straight A’s at the end of my Jr. year. I’ve taken all the honors classes/AP classes my school has. (7 AP) & 5 Lab sciences. I’m in Upward Bound. I did there summer program the summer before senior year and received all A’s. My Unweighted GPA is only about a 3.7 but my Weighted is almost a 4.2 (based on how my school does things). Also, I was afflicted with Migraines until halfway through Jr. year (when the dr. fixed it)… which is when the upward trend started. The migraines where only part of the issue though.</p>

<p>AP Tests: 3 5’s</p>

<p>SAT:1950. But wasn’t prepared and am retaking it.
Sat2: 800 Biology, 740 </p>

<p>On sat 2 I got a 800 on biology, 740 on history, and 670 on Math 2 (before I took calculus).</p>

<p>I have good extracurriculars. Presidential Volunteer Award. Etc.
I’m a First-generation College student. I have absolutely no money.</p>

<p>Now I don’t know where to apply because I have no idea where I would be accepted. I would apply to Harvard if I thought I had any kind of a shot. Here are the ones I am applying to:
UC’s: Berkeley, UCLA, Irvine, San Diego.
Privates: Dartmouth, MIT, Stanford, Harvey Mudd, Rice, Macalester.</p>

<p>But I feel like I won’t get accepted at any of the ones at any of them besides my safeties. I’ve thought about maybe applying to Northwestern, Williams, or Carnegie Mellon, but I don’t know anything about them really.
What should I apply to that is a good school and I actually have a shot at? (even if it is a reach school). I just need perspective so bad. Help!</p>

2

<p>What is your SAT breakdown? If math and CR are both 650, all of the privates you have listed other than Macalaster are going to be very difficult. You probably need to look at US News 15 - 30 more carefully. Your SAT II’s are good. You might want to think about Middlebury because they allow you to submit SAT II’s instead of SAT I and that would help. But need a lot of financial or merit aid is another problem. Also, you might have to think about how seriously you want to pursue piano because then a school with a conservatory or well known music school (Northwestern, Oberlin) might be in order.</p>