What colleges should I take off my list?

College Search & Lists
1

STATS:
3.88 GPA, UW
2190 SAT (690 math, 710 reading, 790 writing)
Subject tests: 800 US history, probably 700 in literature
AP tests: Language and composition (5), us history (5)
Senior course load: AB calc, AP bio, AP gov, AP spanish, journalism III honors, writing
EC’s: managing editor of school newspaper, junior leader, captain of varsity basketball, a lot of community service.

Major: International relations (from Israel with mostly Brazilian family)
White and hispanic female with no legacy or other hooks
Applying to top tier schools (ivy, top liberal arts)

COLLEGE LIST:

Reach: (8)
Brown
Harvard
Tufts
Bowdoin
Wesleyan
Middlebury
Williams
Cornell

Match: (7)
Northeastern
Brandeis
BU
BC
Babson
Colby College
Skidmore-

Safety: (2)
Simmons
Emmanuels
Bentley

What schools will I probably get into on this list? What should I take off? (1 safety, 2 match, 2 reach)

2

Are you Catholic or Jewish, or both or neither? One way to cut the list would be to remove the colleges that are overtly religious. Another way would be to remove the colleges that are too far away from a big city – or conversely in the heart of a big city without a campus (in other words, think through your preferences here). Are you applying as an international student or a US citizen? That could affect your choices also, because admissions, tuition and scholarships can vary for internationals, and you would want to compare what these schools offer. Are finances a concern? You could reduce the list that way as well, by comparing likely costs. Were there specific languages you wanted to study in college to go with your major, or other special programs? If so, comparing the choices can also lead to removing some options from the list to focus on your favorites.

3

Can you afford them all? Have you visited any of them? (Especially have you visited your safeties?) What criteria did you use to select these schools other than all located in the NE and have IR?

Off the top, I’d say to remove Harvard from the reaches. Your test scores are low per the Common Data Set, Section C (http://oir.harvard.edu/files/huoir/files/harvard_cds_2013-14.pdf) and your hook isn’t going to make up for it. Your ECs are also not going to make you stand out. And Cornell is huge compared to the others (14,400 undergrads alone) - it seems you are looking for a mid-sized or small school. Is there a reason why it’s on the list?

4

Well, I like Cornell’s Arts&Science school, which is a smaller school within a large one. I also don’t really care about school size. I am going to visit them all. I am a US citizen, not an international student. Finances are a concern but I have to see what packages I get.

5

I don’t think the OP needs to remove Harvard. Their scores are within the 25th to 75th percentiles for Harvard.

6

If finances are a concern then how are Simmons, Emmanuels, and Bentley safeties? For a school to be a safety it must be affordable. Can you afford those? Have you run the Net Price Calculators to make sure?

7

Drop Harvard and Williams because you’re not likely to get in.

I would also drop BU as it is nothing like any of the other schools on your list.

I’d drop Brandeis if you’re not Jewish.

I’d probably also dump the three safeties and add your local state flagship school instead (would you really attend any of those three if you had to? If not, drop them.).

You could probably drop a few more.

Revised List:

Babson
BC
Bowdoin
Brown
Colby
Cornell
Middlebury
Northeastern
Skidmore
Tufts
Wesleyan
[State Flagship]

8

That’s an ill-informed comment. Brandeis is less than half Jewish and the number is falling every year.

9

Agree with @soze. I am a Brandeis grad and it’s a great school. Plenty of non-Jews there then and even more non-Jews now. Although, I have a feeling @basketball135 is Jewish because she says she’s from Israel.

10

you have 18 schools listed. D applied to 20 this year, my advice would be to limit the number of reach colleges you apply to and focus your energy on creating applications for each reach college that reflect your best work. It is not like carpet bombing where you can saturate a bunch of reach colleges and get lucky. Your stats are strong enough that you can apply to a lot of safety and target colleges and your stats alone will get you in. I won’t challenge your ethnicity but being Hispanic will help. What D found is she was accepted across the board at all safety and target colleges and rejected or waitlisted at all reaches. I think she would have been better off applying to only 3 or 4 reaches