<p>I want to go into either political science or IR and my family does not want me to applying to so many, what they deem, safety schools. I’m scared of course about potentially not making it into any college that isn’t a safety school (or even a “safety” like I’m sure some of you are.</p>
<p>Which ones should I cut from “safeties” or are these even safety schools for me? </p>
<p>Denver (Have to keep in case I get the Boettcher scholarship which is a free ride to any CO college)</p>
<p>American University
Michigan Ann Arbor
UNC Chapel Hill
Richmond
George Washington</p>
<p>I’m most likely going to graduate as valedictorian in a class of 408. I got a 34 composite ACT, but won’t find out my SAT scores until this week (they will not reflect a 34 though). I have lots of political extracurricular activity and am well rounded in music and sports. </p>
<p>Do you live in NC? Because that school is not a safety for out-of-state students. If you really like UNC, keep it, but do realize that UNC requires to have at least 82% of their student population be in-state kids.</p>
<p>I say cut Richmond. It’s a party school and even though they are highly ranked for their alumni network, it really isn’t that great (my older bro went there) It’s not really known for IR or poly sci.
If you don’t like huge schools, then maybe cut UMich.
but keep GW on there; it’s a good safety for poly sci/IR.</p>
<p>Idk about the others. American is okay, but if you had to choose between American and GW, pick GW.</p>
<p>a. You would not like to attend or it is otherwise unsuitable.
b. You are not certain that you will be admitted.
c. You are not certain that you can afford it.</p>
<p>Remove all schools in category a. Schools in categories b and c would have to be moved into the reach or match category, depending on your chance of admission and sufficient financial aid and scholarships.</p>
<p>If you do not have any safeties left, start looking for some.</p>
<p>If you do have safeties, you can go through your entire list (reaches, matches, and safeties) and remove all schools that you would not under any circumstances choose over your safeties.</p>
<p>I live in Colorado, not NC. yearbookstalker, you are many of the numerous people who have now told me to cut Richmond- I will if I don’t like the campus at all, but I’m going to get a chance to visit it so I’m going to wait on that decision. If my choice ends up between GW and AU, I will definitely choose GW. ucbalumnus, thank you for the help. oldfort, I’m going to apply to both Tufts and Georgetown (unless I for some reason hate it there- I’ll be visiting them next week), but like you said, they aren’t safeties.</p>
<p>I’m not clear on why you would definitely choose GW over AU. For Poly Sci or IR they are academically very similar and they have equivalent internship opportunities. However, they have very different campuses and hence feel. GW is very much an urban school with the city mixed into the campus while AU, while still in DC has a much more traditionally defined campus. Based upon the other schools you have listed it looks to me that you want that more traditional campus environment.</p>
<p>No need to have AU and GWU on your list… You’ll get into both, so only apply to the one you prefer. UNC and UMich are not safeties if you’re out of state…</p>
<p>While the student might be “safe” for admission at either, the FA packages could be radically different, and there’s no reliable way to predict which would be better.</p>
<p>The University of California system is actually welcoming out-of-state students like never before, but they are doing it for those tuition dollars, you’d pay full out of state tuition no doubt. However, there are great private schools in California, some that give need-based aid and some that give merit aid.</p>
<p>Michigan is a pretty lame school. I was so disappointed after the visit that I didn’t apply. A safety school is a school that you know you can gain admission to. All the schools you listed are safety schools for you. I’d cut Ann Arbor since it’s pretty dumpy and you might as well attend a private school of you are going to pay put of state tuition.</p>
<p>Don’t expect financial aid at California public schools to cover any of the additional non-resident tuition. Some of the more generous financial aid programs there like Blue and Gold Opportunity at UC are for California residents only. There are not many big merit scholarships at the California public schools.</p>
<p>UC list price cost of attendance for non-residents is typically over $55,000 per year (including the approximately $23,000 per year additional non-resident tuition), while CSU list price cost of attendance for non-residents is typically over $30,000 per year (including the approximately $12,000 per year additional non-resident tuition).</p>
<p>How much will your parents pay each year? THAT ANSWER will likely help determine which schools you should cut. Some/many of your “safety schools” do not give great aid.</p>
<p>If you haven’t asked your parents how much they’ll pay, then do so. That is an important piece of info.</p>
<p>A safety school is a school that you know you can gain admission to. All the schools you listed are safety schools for you.</p>
<p>^^^ Incomplete and misleading advice. A safety isn’t a safety if it’s not affordable (or you don’t like it). Admissions is only part of the issue.</p>
<p>What good is it to get accepted to a school (supposedly a safety) if you can’t afford it? It’s not a safety then, right???</p>
<p>Knowing that you will be admitted means that the college/university in question posts the stats that guarantee admission right on its website, and your personal stats are at least that good. Many public institutions do just that for in-state applicants.</p>
<p>Not an absolute guarantee of admissions, but very nearly guaranteed would be if your own high school has years of records that clearly indicate that no student like you who applied was ever rejected.</p>
<p>The OPs list has several excellent matches, but I don’t see any guaranteed, dead-on safeties yet.</p>