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My current list:
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Reach - Columbia, Rice, U. of Chicago
Match - Boston University
Safety - University of Washington
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+ 1360 SAT score (710v, 650m) Taken twice, same exact scores each time, going to take it one last time
+ 4.0/4.0 GPA
+ White and asian, so that's not an issue

AP Test grades: (I'm in 3 of them right now)
Calculus AB - 4
US History - 4
English Literature - 5
European History - 5

SAT II's:
Writing - 710
Math IIc - 680
Chemistry - 650
US History - 750

Ec:

Co-captain of Science Olympiad (4 years)
Chess Club (3 years, 4 maybe)
NHS (2 years)
FBLA (1 year, regional award)
Key Club
Tutoring others

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So, am I applying to too few schools, or is this good? What schools would you recommend?

By Jimjunior (Jimjunior) on Saturday, October 04, 2003 - 03:30 am: Edit

I would recomend 1 more match, unless you feel you would be perfectly happy at your safety

By Ariesathena (Ariesathena) on Saturday, October 04, 2003 - 08:53 am: Edit

I applied to four (this was five years ago) and was fine doing that - for the one reason that my safety was assured by legacy, at a place I really liked. My sister, on the other hand, applied to four, got into two, and didn't really like either safety - a business school and a five-year programme. So... it really depends.

My data might be old, but it seems as if BU is more on the safety/match line than a match - could be outdated info though. So, echoing JimJunior, apply to another match.

In terms of recommending more schools, do you have any preferences (location, size, etc)? In Massachusetts and the area, sticking with city schools which seems to be your theme, there is:
*Brandeis (a bit outside of Boston, also Jewish if that makes a difference)
*Boston College: a bit more suburban, much smaller than BU
*MIT and Harvard, obvious reaches for anyone
*Tufts - on the reach/match line for you
*Holy Cross - in Worchester, highly regarded
*Brown in Providence, probably more of a reach
*moving southwards: Fordham, NYU (which might be good, considering you seem to like BU), Rutgers
*American, George Washington, James Madison
*UPenn (reach), Temple, Villanova, Penn State (in the Philly area)

Hope that helps. Sorry for the large number of East Coast schools.

By Zephyrmaster (Zephyrmaster) on Saturday, October 04, 2003 - 05:03 pm: Edit

Sorry? Thank you for all the suggestions, I'll have to look into them.

I live in Washington though,but I've always kind of wanted to go to college out of state, far away...

By Carolyn (Carolyn) on Saturday, October 04, 2003 - 07:13 pm: Edit

Just read a very interesting article in the Atlantic Monthly addressing this topic (I highly recommend you get a copy of this month's issue)
One guidance counselor at a selective prep school did a research study and found that the students with the highest rate of admission turned out to be those who applied to fewer schools. The likely reason - "the decision to fill out that twelfth or fifteenth application often goes hand in hand with a quality of indifference, almost cynicism, about the applications - and colleges notice."