Where, oh, Where?

Chance Me / Match Me
1

<p>Where, oh, Where?
Please post if you care.</p>

<p>Female
Alabama
Competitive Private School (class average SAT around 1430/1600)</p>

<p>GPA: 3.75
RANK: unranked, but around top 25%tile
SAT: 1450/1600, 2120/2400: 800 M, 650 CR, 670 W
SAT IIs: Math 1 800, Math 2 800, US History 710
ACT: 34
6 APs, 4 Honors classes: most challenging at school</p>

<p>EXTRACURRICULARS/ACHIEVEMENTS:
Class Treasurer
~raised record amount of $20,000 for prom
Tri-M (Music Honor Society) Secretary
Mu Alpha Theta (Math Honor Society) Treasurer
Student Ambassador
Piano (8 years)
Concert Band (7 years): percussion
~District Honor Band (3 years)
~4 superior ratings at Solo & Ensemble
Math Team
~AMC school winner for two years
~AIME qualifier, score of 3
~Mathfax top 15 in nation for 6 consecutive years
~Math Olympiad top 25 in region (Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana) for 3 years
Most outstanding math student award
1st place in University of Alabama’s social studies essay-writing contest
School Literary magazine staff
Writers’ Club
American Cancer Society Volunteer
Relay for Life school team captain
Republican Party volunteer (2004)
Cheerleading (but quit last year because of too many schedule conflicts with math team)</p>

<p>Summer Classes:
2003: Brown Pre-College “Macroeconomics: How a Nation’s Economy Works”
2004: UPenn “Intro to Politics”
2005: University of Alabama “Economics” and “Western Civ”</p>

<p>My passions are math and politics. I want to go to a place where I can follow these passions, learn (for the sake of learning AND for fun!), be challenged, and meet lots of interesting people.</p>

<p>PLACES I’M LOOKING AT:
Boston College
Boston University
Case Western University
Cornell University
Tufts University
University of California-Berkeley
University of Chicago
University of Michigan
University of Pennsylvania
Vanderbilt University</p>

<p>Could you tell me if these are safeties, matches, or reaches and suggest any other schools (in all three categories)? Also, how strong are the math departments at these schools and how much scholarship money (if any) will I get from them?</p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

2

<p>I know BU would take you for sure and youd probably get a decent amount of $$, but you need a for sure safety a la your state school (Bama?) or something.</p>

3

<p>It probably doesnt mean much but you seem to have a very good attitude.</p>

<p>“learn (for the sake of learning AND for fun!)”</p>

<p>We need more people that share that attitude. I wish I could predict your chances, but I’m not very skilled in that. Good luck wherever you go!</p>

4

<p>But I am :)</p>

<p>Predicted Chances:</p>

<p>BC: Match
BU: low match
Case Western: low match
Cornell: low reach
Tufts: high match/low reach
UCB: low reach/reach (OOS hurts)
Chicago: high match
UMich: low reach/reach (OOS still hurtin)
UPenn: low reach/reach
Vanderbilt: high match</p>

<p>I agree…one ultimate safety would be good. Granted, with stats like yours, there’s a 99.99999% you won’t have to go there, but maybe the state school would be a good idea. Easy app.</p>

5

<p>Your chances:</p>

<p>BC: match
BU: safe match
Case Western: safe match
Cornell: slight reach
Tufts: match
UCB: slight reach (OOS)
Chicago: slight reach
UMich: match (even as an OOS applicant since SATs are so good)
UPenn: reach
Vanderbilt: match</p>

<p>As a sideline note: you are a match OOS for UCSD and I give you better chances at Brown than at the other Ivies if you apply there–about match to low reach. If I were you, I would make my safety school either Univ of Alabama, Baylor or American University. Also, if you are heavy into the Republican party thing you will probably hate UC Berkeley–you should apply to UCLA (slight reach) instead (or as mentioned above UCSD).</p>

6

<p>MaryAnn:</p>

<p>UCB/UCLA: Slight Reach (out of state)
UCSD: Match (out of state)</p>

7

<p>Thanks for all the advice!</p>

<p>So, basically, thus far…(sorry, I have to do this for myself so I can visualize a mega-list):</p>

<p>SAFETY:
University of Alabama
Baylor University
American University</p>

<p>LOW MATCH:
Boston University
Case Western Reserve University</p>

<p>MATCH:
Boston College
Tufts University
Vanderbilt University
UCSD</p>

<p>LOW REACH/HIGH MATCH:
Cornell University
UC Berkeley
University of Chicago
University of Michigan
Brown University
UCLA</p>

<p>REACH:
University of Pennsylvania</p>

<p>Just out of curiosity, why Baylor or American University?</p>

<p>I consider myself a libertarian conservative, although that’s probably fairly inaccurate in some counts (i.e. I’m absolutely pro-life and very pro-gay rights to the point of government action at the same time). Part of the reason I want to leave the South and go to a more liberal campus is because I want to be challenged…people always say that liberal Marxist professors indoctrinate students, but I think if you’re truly an across-the-line Republican, then you should be able to come up with good arguments against the “opposition” and be willing to listen, consider, and even walk in the shoes of other ideas. Thus, four years of “liberal Marxist professors” should make you a stronger conservative or you’ll decide, “Hey, maybe some liberal ideas are right.” Either way, facing opposition helps you find yourself.
That was way too long. Sorry.
HOWEVER, I would like a diversity of beliefs. Is Berkeley so overwhelmingly liberal that you never hear from conservatives, Republicans, etc.? When I was at UPenn for my politics classes, there were only 3 conservatives out of about 30 students, but they still vocalized their beliefs well and the professor considered their ideas.</p>

<p>In terms of math and political science, could you compare the undergraduate experience at Michigan and Berkeley?</p>

<p>Also, I’m applying to Vanderbilt mainly because my school’s a feeder school for Vanderbilt (about 40% apply and more people go there than anywhere else)…I’ve never really understood why it’s ranked so high. When I compare its course guides, etc. with other schools, it has identical classes to the average student’s classes at most of my schools, but lacks to go beyond a typical honors class to the really challenging courses offered at other schools around its rank.</p>

8

<p>I dunno why ppl say Baylor…not particularly good at math or politics. American is supposed to be. Baylor’s more for pre-med.</p>

9

<p>Is Berkeley so overwhelmingly liberal that you never hear from conservatives, Republicans, etc.? When I was at UPenn for my politics classes, there were only 3 conservatives out of about 30 students, but they still vocalized their beliefs well and the professor considered their ideas.</p>

<p>In terms of math and political science, could you compare the undergraduate experience at Michigan and Berkeley?</p>

<p>Also, I’m applying to Vanderbilt mainly because my school’s a feeder school for Vanderbilt (about 40% apply and more people go there than anywhere else)…I’ve never really understood why it’s ranked so high. When I compare its course guides, etc. with other schools, it has identical classes to the average student’s classes at most of my schools, but lacks to go beyond a typical honors class to the really challenging courses offered at other schools around its rank.</p>

<p>Anyone?</p>

10

<p>UMichigan a low reach/high match?
Tufts a match? </p>

<p>When did UMich become more competitive than Tufts? </p>

<p>MaryAnn, Do not take this in any detrimental shape or form, but please refer to my comment on the following thread: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=219534&page=2&highlight=Tufts[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=219534&page=2&highlight=Tufts&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

11

<p>■■■■■. There is no private school in Alabama with a 1430 average SAT. That’s higher than TJ, Andover and Exeter. Are you kidding?</p>

12

<p>That does sound a little iffy if you ask me, a 1430 SAT from an Alabama Private School? I agree with bobby100 concerning the private school…that is as high, if not higher than Groton, Andover, PE, etc.</p>

13

<p>I’ll admit that the SAT average was a rough estimate that I made on a chart. However, out of the 70 people in the class, 2 made perfect 2400/2400 and 15others made +1500/1600.</p>

14

<p>Since Tufts takes a combined SAT score and Michigan takes a single-sitting score AND it’s much tougher from out-of-state, wouldn’t it make it a lot harder for me to get into Michigan?</p>

<p>Your posted Tufts stats:
Class of 2010 overall admit rate: 26% (lower for RD)
CollegeBoard date for Tufts (1st-years – 2009) (combined scores)
SAT I Verbal middle 50%: 660-740
SAT I Math middle 50%: 670-740</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.admissions.umich.edu/fastfacts.html[/url]”>http://www.admissions.umich.edu/fastfacts.html&lt;/a&gt;
Michigan:
Admit rate: 47%
(single sitting)
SAT Verbal 610–720
SAT Math 650–760</p>

15

<p>BC- safe match/match
BC Honors- reach (GPA)
BU- safety (money)
Case Wester- safety (you should get money here)
Cornell- slight reach
Tufts- match/slight reach
Berkeley (OOS)- reach
UChicago- slight reach
Michigan (OOS)- match
UPenn- slight reach (if not wharton, which i assume its not)
Vandy- match/slight reach</p>

16

<p>Please realize that, no matter what your stats, schools that have a 26% acceptance rate or lower (such as Tufts and others on your list) should not be considered “match” for ANYONE. While they may be matches on statistics, as far as the odds of getting in, they’re reaches. Calling them matches is a sure way to get your heart broken.</p>