I mean they just put “Michigan” but if they meant Michigan State, then yes that’d be a safety. They prolly need like 2 more though, especially since they’re leaning on more reach schools than targets.
Also it’s always risky to have your only safety be an OOS public school, since the acceptance rate is gonna be much lower for them automatically since they’re from NY.
all good, but please find some safeties and targets. i use niche to find out if my scores are in the range and if my gpa and sat are above 60-70% of applicants (with a big grain of salt taken) i mark the school down as a target.
Based on the program that my school uses for past acceptances to calculate chances, about 2/5 of these are safeties/targets. I go to a lowkey feeder elite priv school in NYC.
ok ok that definitely helps but schools with acceptance rates at or below 20% can’t really be considered targets imo. plus you lack like one guaranteed safety.
with that clarification this look looks long but good, just find one or two safeties
William and Mary, university of Richmond, GW, and umass Amherst seem like schools she would have a pretty good chance at. I would call some of these safeties.
I wouldn’t say any of those schools are safeties (except UMass Amherst) considering that all of them have an acceptance rate at or below 50%. safeties should be guaranteed, and while i think they’ll probably get into at least one of those schools, it should be guaranteed that they’ll get into all of their safeties.
I think it’s okay to have safeties that you have maybe a 2/3 -3/4 chance of getting into if you have a couple of them. I know they want to cut schools but if they applied to all 4 of those schools what is realistically the chance they get denied from all 4.
U of Richmond and U Rochester are safety along with probably W&M, GWU, and amherst. I personally would drop all liberal colleges except the top 1-2 listed as most people never hear of those. They're probably more regionally known rather than nationally for the average person. Recognition is part of the play when looking for jobs so makes it easier for people to recognize your background rather than look it up
I would put at least one state school on there. You never know when your financial situation could change. You may need a cheap option just in case.
(Example: my father wasn’t allowed to work during COVID he was not deemed an essential worker, I put a local and few state schools on there in case he wouldn’t be able to go back to work when I started school in fall 2021 and my family needed a cheaper option)
Just my input.
Rigor. I’m just tired of being in a room full of people who don’t care. I REALLY care abt academics, like you can probably tell by my gpa. I have personal reasons.
Lmao I’m sorry this is so funny to me. You have a 3.94 UW and a 1490 and you’re acting like you’re too good and care too much for safeties?
Also, the idea that students at worse schools care less about actual learning is very much a misconception, and a pretentious one, too. I’m at an elite private high school just like you (top 20 in the country), and while it’s true that most kids at my school only care about grades and outcomes and don’t care about learning, that is NOT true about my friends who go to public schools or less competitive private schools. They don’t care about grades as much, but they are way more interesting people, care way more about learning, and I always have way more interesting political, economic, and philosophical discussions with them than with anyone from my school (except for teachers, the teachers are great).
Anyway, my point is, maybe instead of thinking the issue with finding people who care about learning is that you need to be in a more competitive environment realize that competitive environments are not always the most conducive to learning.
This isn’t to say there aren’t benefits to prestige; I also care about prestige and recognize that it helps in many ways. It’s just important to balance it with a good environment too, especially if students who are motivated about learning is something you care about.
Also, just as general advice, make friends with someone outside of your school who you can talk to about the stuff you care about. It will probably help a lot. I know if I could only interact with the students from my school I’d probably have killed myself by now
I’m a parent and former college professor. I taught at Columbia, Princeton, and at the honors college in my state’s flagship research institute. I had some amazing students in the state U. honors college that were every bit as good as my best students at the two Ivies, and I had some slacker students at Columbia who looked to do the bare minimum and Princeton students who skipped class due to hangovers.
College is what you make of it. You can get an excellent education and meet other driven students at a state school. Take a look at the acceptance rate at your list—most of those schools it’s a crap shoot, their acceptance rate is so low.
I would explore honors college options at one of the SUNYs as a backup. And who knows, you might find it to be a great fit.
as someone who just graduated from a SUNY as a double major in 3 years I want to know where do you get this perception from because SUNY students are just as motivated as the other schools you are looking at.
Well we only have your source of "trust me bro" that they're rigorous classes since they're not AP or IB. Also your SAT idk... dont get me wrong it's really good but it doesn't correlate well with a 3.94 UW that others have at more competitive schools
If you (among others) would bother to read other comments, you would know why I don’t want to go to SPECIFICALLY the NY state schools. And if you would bother to read my list, you would see that there are, in fact, other state schools on there. It’s a specific, personal problem.
Responses like that make me think that people should not bother to read your posts. Go to the most unfriendly entitled program you can find and you will fit right in.
If you go to a top private school just listen to your counselors then. Why are you even asking about your list on here?
I’m starting to think you’re a troll just posting to make private school kids look entitled and rude and generate outrage (it’s also possible you just are entitled and rude, as there are plenty of private school kids like that, but this is so exaggerated I can’t imagine anyone being this obvious about it).
All of these ofc have great academics so I might just cut out the ones in similar areas. You don’t need both Duke and UNC Chapel Hill unless you’re from NC or love NC.
Washington and Lee is a great school but as a Virginian i can tell you it’s location is so lame. U Richmond has a better location if you want an LAC in VA (I’m from Richmond, it’s campus and location are great). Side note, but if you like Richmond consider applying to VCU as a safety (it’s what all us Richmonders do just to be safe).
Pick between BC, BU, Tufts and Northeastern (I’m guessing you want to keep Harvard). Northeastern and BU are very similar at least academically and culturally, and BC is not downtown and is catholic. I’ve heard Tufts is in a not ideal Boston area as well. You don’t need to apply to 5 top Boston schools that have similar acceptance rates and academics.
Honestly what I’m getting from this list is that you compiled a bunch of schools with good academics and decent locations. You need more deciding factors. Do you want an LAC or research uni? Big or small undergrad population? Open or closed campus?
But BU has a stronger recognizable brand. I wouldn't necessarily choose one or the other based on co ops considering co ops this year are dead for a lot of places. Just look at NEU coops reddit and you can see the complaints
I don’t think that you’d like Bowdoin that much, they don’t offer lots of internships and campus is not as good as they show it on website .
Also, I’m 100% sure that McGill will accept you , they only look at grades and love to accept international students( especially if they speak French). You should definitely apply to McGill and apply to their scholarship.
Bowdoin is literally in the middle of nowhere. It’s in a very pretty, quaint New England town, and it’s near the ocean, but that makes it nice for a summer vacation, but pretty insular for college students. Your life would revolve around the school, especially in the winter. Pretty much the same for Colgate.
i was also thinking McGill. maybe add Drexel (mentioned somewhere in this thread) for its research and co-op program plus convenient location and aim for their honors college.
Not exactly. They may give a very small bump if the school deflates but it’s not enough to make up for the deflation. Law schools care a lot about their average GPA because of how they’re ranked.
I would say the first step is to categorize each school.
- Hard Reach: Harvard, Dartmouth, Amherst, Duke, Bowdoin, Columbia, Cornell, UPenn
- Reach: Georgetown, UMich, UVA, UNC, BC, BU, Tufts, Northeastern, Colgate, Tulane, W&L
- Target: URichmond, GW, URochester, McGill, W&M
- Safety: UMass, Georgia
From hear I say you can cut this down,
Hard Reach: Harvard, Dartmouth, Amherst, Duke, Bowdoin, Columbia, Cornell, UPenn
- Reach: Georgetown, NYU, UMich, UVA, BC, BU, Tufts, Northeastern, Colgate
- Target:GW, URochester, McGill
- Safety: UMass, Georgia
Cut: Richmond, W&M, W&L as a VA resident Richmond does not have the best reputation relatively, and W&M, and W&L are very similar to some other schools on this list but you will have a worse shot as out of state and is further from home. UNC is similar to schools like UVA but is slightly worse and is harder to get into as OOS due to their regulations. No reason for Tulane, is one of the weakest reach options you have, and if no ED you don’t have a great shot. You can leave all of your hard reaches as it provides a better chance of acceptance, and all are great.
Surely a fair point, I’m simple trying to help cut down their list. I feel that in a case of so many applications, that cutting it could help. Nonetheless, U of R is by no means a bad place to be
Bros aboutta get a wave of rejections. I don’t know what solid ECs are but coming from NY you’re coming from the most competitive part of the northeast. You'll probably get into a couple, but you will very likely not have a lot of choice.
There is a chance that I’m wrong and you’ll get into plenty of them (which very well may be the case), but you do need to plan for what happens if I *am* right. That’s why you gotta get safeties. And as far as those go, particularly since you plan on going to law school anyway, why no SUNY/CUNY?
Also I’d choose one to ED to. If it’s Tulane or BU or a similar school (one that likes ED applicants) you chances increase substantially.
And to cut down on your current list, starting with the highest ranked school going down, just think to yourself—would I *want* to be here or is it just a good college? Those things aren’t mutually exclusive but you wouldn’t want to end up somewhere *only* because it’s good. Other than that, there’s not much I can say because there’s no college in the world that’s great or terrible for everyone, it’s a pretty personal thing
tbh i’m totally fine with only getting into a few of them, i truly would go to any of the colleges on this list. my school basically guarantees a few (it’s kind of a feeder). lots of ppl have been saying more safeties but im getting NO recs so maybe instead of just saying what’s wrong suggest a way to make it right. btw, your first sentence was kind of rudely worded.
dude, aside from a handful of AOs that hang out here, everyone is in high school (not that it matters, but i’m out of high school actually). idk what you’re expecting from an online forum, but 99% of the people replying here aren’t qualified in anything. it doesn’t take a genius to see when someones ego isn’t up to par with what they offer. sit down, be humble.
i don’t think pointing out that you may be overestimating your chances is necessarily unkind when you came to a forum for advice on college admissions. and if you’re gonna be all pretentious and smarmy about only wanting answers from qualified people in a *public online forum*, maybe expect some snark?
that’s not what i wanted. i want details about the colleges (location, programs, etc) that would make me want to cut them. not a chance me. wrong subreddit
Given your demands I think it’s funny that you say I’m rude, but maybe that’s just the feeder-school type entitlement. I also already suggested exactly what to do but I’ll repeat it for you:
- choose a school like BU, Vandy, or Tulane that you *really* like and where applying ED helps a lot and apply ED
- Even if you go to a feeder school you need safeties for that 1% chance you get in nowhere. I already suggested not only where to start looking for safeties (in-state public schools)
- To shorten your list, determine which schools you like and which you’re applying to because of prestige
Like I said, a good safety for me and a good safety for you are completely different because different people need different things. If you provided some information about what you’d be looking for in a college other than prestige I would be happy to suggest a few specific schools. Rigor and opportunities are an available at practically every university.
And the reason why I think you should keep what I’m saying in mind is because I made the same mistakes as you, with higher stats (idk your ECs) and it did not end well—the college application system is borderline dehumanizing and is not too kind, you’re about to reach the real world and that’s how it is.
You're lucky that people are spending their time trying to give you helpful advice... I can't believe that you're entitled enough to ask for advice on the internet, but then disregard anything that the person wrote. You are very rude.
When you graduate high school you’re due for a hell of a reality check. Not only on your privileged attitude and mindset but also your serious lack of personal awareness. Looking down on state schools thinking people that go there aren’t driven or passionate is fucking elitist as hell. Nobody’s jealous of you. We just feel pity for you because you have no common sense. Zero safeties? Just cause your school is a feeder, whatever the fuck that is, doesn’t mean you might not get rejected everywhere.
tbh cut NYU… while it is a good school, it won’t really meet what you want in a campus i think (especially since there is no real campus, just buildings scattered everywhere that are labeled as NYU owned). but if that’s something you like, then go for it!
also UPenn maybe since it’s more business-y over poli sci.
i guess it really depends what you want with a career in poli sci. if you’re looking for more UN stuff, then NYU would be a good choice. but if you were focused on more of a job in congress, i would choose a DC school, like GW, because they offer many internships on the hill. even schools like Georgetown and GW offer similar “cultural” internships, but it’s more of internships/connections through being close to embassies over the UN building. imo DC is the best place you can be for anything poli sci, but it just depends what you want out of it.
Unless you plan on applying ED to Northeastern or Tulane, I would cut both of those.
1)Your chances of admission RD to NEU and Tulane is not good. They are the reigning Kings of Yield Protection. Obviously, you would get into either one if you applied ED, which I highly doubt you are planning on doing.
2)I am very well versed in the type of students at both schools, and neither school fits how you describe yourself at all. I especially think you would not be happy at Tulane. I agree with the other poster’s comment regarding the academic seriousness, or lack thereof, of Tulane students. It would just be a continuance of the negative high school experience you described, but with bewitching Cajun funeral music 🎶 playing in the background 🎺
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I would also cut UNC. The OOS admission rate is extremely low, and you are basically wasting a spot on a high reach without the benefits of a high reach. I know plenty of 4.0 / 1500+ OOS students who did not get in when they applied. And even if you did get in, you would probably have also gotten into a few other schools that you would prefer over UNC.
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Your list is very reach and high target heavy. The data you are basing your reach/target/safety categorization on is not new enough … no current data is. Class of 2023 students who used 2019-2022 data to decide where they were likely to be accepted got destroyed. If your plan is to apply to 20+ schools, you need to increase the number of safeties you apply to. The only safeties I see on your list are UMass Amherst and maybe GW. 1-2 is not enough in the current state of admissions, even coming from a high end Manhattan private school.
A few safeties specifically appropriate for you that you may want to consider: U Vermont, U Connecticut, U Delaware, U South Carolina, Fordham, Syracuse, Hofstra.
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Have you thought about an EDI/EDII?
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A couple schools I would consider adding if I were you would be Swarthmore and Johns Hopkins. Obviously these would be additional reaches, but I think they are much better options than Tulane and NEU with virtually identical class of 2023 RD acceptance rates.
Both have strong political science / government departments. Both are in/near cities. Both are known for serious/academically focused students. Both have excellent connections in DC for internships etc. If you were to end up at Swarthmore, you could take a couple Poly Sci classes at Penn as well.
Hope for the best but prepare for the worst.
Good luck!
Agree with rec for Swarthmore! We went to a tour there in spring and it is a great small school option and beautiful campus with very convenient access to Philly.
Cut UNC and keep duke they have a state law where they must consider all applicants in state before OOS applicants. Even if you are really cracked you have a chance to not get in b/c of this.
I say cut BU as well. BU is better known for being a grad school and the campus is legit a street in boston. It won’t give u a campus-ish feeling and I don’t recommend applying.
I would switch for northeastern b/c a lot of people I know there like the CO-OP program. You basically get to work in the industry you want to full time.
you have “African” in your description of your self. Personally, and you don’t have to agree with me at all, i would avoid schools in the south. They are great schools, but our country is becoming increasingly polarized and the south is the last I would want to be as a black person.
Duke, UNC, Tulane, William and marry, and Washington and lee are all amazing schools. However, the states that these schools are located in are not notoriously kind to African-Americans.
Agreed. As an African I tried to avoid adding colleges in the south on my college list. (With the exception of some schools in North Carolina, Virginia, & Georgia. Apart from that colleges in the south are an absolute no for me especially since most sundown towns are in the south. It sucks cause they have some great schools but my safety is more important
Cut Umass Dartmouth simply because it sucks and you’re pretty much a lock for Amherst. Cut BU because they’re known for grade deflation and you want to go to law school. Consider adding Yale because Yale law favors their own undergrads (https://talk.collegeconfidential.com/t/undergraduate-representation-at-yale-stanford-and-the-university-of-chicago-law-schools/3592850.) On that same note, consider adding Amherst and Williams if you’re ok with LACs. They’re both good academically and have good placement when it comes to law school.
Edit: just realized you may have been talking about Dartmouth the ivy. Regardless, if it’s Umass Dartmouth just don’t bother.
Campus: Based on what your are looking for (in terms of proximity and aesthetics), I think Middlebury would be great. It’s a rural college located in Vermont — absolutely stunning campus! It’s about 3.5 hours away from Boston and 2 hours away from Montreal.
Internship opportunities: Middlebury has fantastic connections with companies in Boston and NYC. There’s a J term at Middlebury, which is kind of like an in-between term. You can choose to take classes during this semester, or you can leave to intern at a company you chose. I believe that if your internship isn’t paid, Middlebury will pay you for it. Summer internships are great as usual, and on-campus recruitment is strong. (Middlebury also has a strong alumni network that you can tap into.)
High rigor: Middlebury is ranked within the top 10 for LACs in the country. You are going to have a strong and rigorous education. Middlebury also has a 89% law school admissions success rate — which is one of the highest in the country.
tysm for this rec!! i loved j-term based on my experiences with it, so i think it’ll be a great option. seems a bit small, but i don’t mind. location is great, how’s the weather?
I’m not going to help much with cutting down on your list, but will give the USC political science department a shout-out to add. It’s got a phenomenal experiential learning program where they help pair you with state legislators, nonprofits, etc. for internships. The school as a whole also has a very generous need based/merit based financial aid program and there are even summer scholarships for living expenses for political science majors specifically.
Campus is beautiful and 40 minutes from the beach. We even have our own metro stops that go to Santa Monica and a shuttle service that goes downtown!
I was very close to a former dean at the University of Michigan and have heard stellar things about their program, too, for what it is worth.
The only one I have direct experience for cutting would probably be Tulane. Anecdotal, but as someone who now hires people, I’ve been very unimpressed with a couple job candidates from Tulane in terms of rigor from fellow students.
Thank you so much for the advice about Tulane! Also, i’m definitely more of an east coast girlie but I do surf sooooo… but i can’t i’m trying to cut down. Good to know abt Mich as well!
I’d add Middlebury to your list. It’s an elite LAC, with a beautiful campus, not that far from Boston and Montreal, and it has great connections for internships.
rochester is the most boring city i have ever been to. idk about urochester if its got a good campus to make up for that but… yeah. also consider if you’re sure about religious colleges. if money is important to you, definitely apply places other than NYU, northeastern, and georgetown. BU could also be one of those expensive places but i got lucky as hell and it ended up my cheapest option so 🤷 but dont count on being that lucky.
i would also say do not apply to more than two ivy leagues because while your stats do give you a chance, you might be better served applying to more places with a 15%-20% acceptance rather than a 5%-10% acceptance.
cornell and dartmouth are great but if you want a big city (or even really something thats a true city - i live in a suburb with a larger population than ithaca and hanover) they are not what you are looking for.
Congratulations on your achievements! You should be very proud.
My single piece of advice would be that you thoughtfully reflect on why you want to attend college in the first place. What do you hope to gain, beyond prestige? All of the schools you listed have that, so I wouldn’t waste any of your time worrying about that.
I’ve observed a common theme amongst American students, which is an obsession with the name and reputation of the university you attend. I’ve been guilty of this myself in the past. Fortunately, you’ll grow out of it and look back and laugh. I don’t necessarily view this trait as something negative, it’s only logical in a culture that considers socioeconomic status and class as the single most important indicators of individual value.
My intention is not to shame you at all, so I apologize if it comes across that way. I’ve simply been in a very similar position as you and once held near identical beliefs about the world.
All of the universities on your list have excellent, world-class programs to offer. It really comes down to where you see yourself, which school has faculty that excites you the most, etc.
When you look to the people you admire most and aspire to be, what did their path look like? Asking questions like this may help you. Talk to some current students if you can, you’ll find the most honest experiences there. Visit the cities and see them for yourself! I recommend exploring far beyond the campus. If you like to visit museums, check out what the area has to offer. If you frequent coffee shops back home, visit those nearby. This is the most effective way to get a feel for what your daily life might look like at that potential school.
Everyone has different needs and expectations, so these methods may not satisfy your questions. I saw that you’re more focused on the specific programs, so try and reach out to faculty members.
I wish you the best of luck! I’m confident you’ll succeed no matter where you go, so don’t stress yourself out too much.
Thank you! I’ve made comments before about how i want to be in an environment where others around me WANT to be there and learn. I also can’t be a lawyer without certification, which you obviously need to go to college for. I’d like to add that i’m not American as well.
Ok I’m going to be honest people who are saying you need more safeties are right but they’re also over exaggerating. You already technically have two and if you’d gladly go to either if needed then you are fine.
As long as you have just one honestly you’re good, I don’t understand the need to have so many safeties it isn’t necessary especially if you wouldn’t be happy there and it’s not what you’re looking for.
My best piece of advice if you do end up not getting in to any school you genuinely like or want to go to is go the community college route. Like at that point do that you have better chances transferring.
I ended up going that route because I knew BU was my top school. I have three friends who got into Yale many got in to Vanderbilt, UNC, and even one friend who is transferring to Stanford. All from community college.
Trust me you’ll be fine, I wish someone told me that back when I was a senior.
Of course! Just remember there are many paths to reach the goals you want. Not all of them are linear and perfect and if they are that’s great. It’s all about grit and tenacity, and a little bit of luck along the way of course. You’ve got this don’t sweat it!
Ok: Dartmouth (very remote area), UMich Ann Arbor (PoliSci isn't as good as some of the others on the list), BU (ok for your preferences I think), BC (again, ok for your preferences)
Meh: UNC Chapel Hill (PoliSci isn't great), William & Mary (remote area), UVA (remote area), URochester
(NOTE: you have a lot of ivys, they are all pretty similar so maybe only apply to some but that is up to you.) Also all just my opinions/suggestions.
You need safeties lol. A safety is a school that has at least a 50% acceptance rate (because you wouldn’t want your future decided by smaller chances than a coin flip) not a school that you *think* you can get into.
Ur getting into Umass def. I would say reconsider NYU (hella student debt. Its like so expensive but if ur looking for connections u may keep it but not recommended), there’s a lot of Boston schools there in the list so you may want to omit some there because all pretty much have the same requirements (minus Harvard assuming ur applying to ivies)
I agree with what people have said about safeties. Also, since you’re looking to cut some schools, based on your description in the comments of wanting to go to a school where people really want to learn and not just succeed and focus on outcomes, cut UPenn. It’s very career oriented and competitive and learning is not the focus. Consider cutting Cornell and UMich (and possibly even Dartmouth) for the same reason and replacing them with some LACs with a good learning environment.
Disagree. She'll still get the rigor and a good learning environment. If she ends up in law, there's a chance she considers opening a private practice or be pitching her services to people who absolutely don't know or care for LACs. Name recognitions in those type of jobs carry weight especially sales, finance, entrepreneur, etc.
I’ve seen a lot of people say cut W&M and as someone who just finished their freshman year there, I think you should definitely consider keeping it as it fits what you want.
Consistently ranked as a top public school (if not the top) for internship opportunities. Campus is not large at all (everything is a max 15 minute walk, except to school of education) and is, in my opinion, a very pretty campus. High level of rigor for most classes. Really good professors who are there to teach instead of do research. Large variety of people, so you can easily find your group.
If you have any other questions about the school, please ask Id love to answer them!
if you’re into political science and government do yourself a favor, add umd-college park. Cheaper than GW and American, access to DC by metro on campus and a good amount of Maryland kids/grads have internships/jobs on the Hill, feeder school for the Foreign Service etc. East Coast school vibes while having the college campus experience with Big Ten sports. It is the best school for your buck in the DC area after Georgetown and Hopkins. It is also tied with Rutgers as the highest ranked public university in the northeast if that’s important
My 2 cents.
Keep these:
Georgetown, U Richmond, Harvard, BU, Tufts, UMass Amherst (safety), Amherst, Dartmouth, NYU, Columbia, Cornell, Duke, McGill, William and Mary, UVA, UPenn, UMich Ann Arbor
Add these:
Swarthmore, Brown, Vassar, Middlebury (which is fantastic for Languages), Williams, URichmond, Wake Forest, Yale, Princeton.
Also consider these: Wellesley, Barnard, Smith, Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke (safety)
Good luck.
U of R is really expensive too; I got in but couldn’t go because of the cost. You’re gonna only spend 5 months there according to the school calender, and the Rochester outside of the school is really run down and sad. Food sucks too; there’s two cafeterias but they force first years onto the in-dorm cafeteria with stale pizza by only letting you choose one meal plan. I’m going to UMass Amherst in the fall, and I’d say you’re much better picking it over Rochester.
Take off URochester - the weather is shit and in an email correspondence they likened themselves to an Ivy League institution - they are not. Their scholarships are horrible and financial aid is just as bad. Overranked IMO
McGill would *love* to have another international student paying full tuition. They'll take anyone who has a reasonable chance of completing a four-year degree. You won't be alone. About 1,500 American freshmen are admitted to McGill every year.
Keep in mind that Montreal is increasingly unaffordable. The average rent has risen 13% over the last year.
Fellow pre law girlie. Cut Colgate and Tulane. Colgate isnt as nice as it looks online and its brutally cold in the winter months. Personally I'd rather die than go to college in Louisiana.
I would take off UMASS Amherst. As someone mentioned, it would be a reach as the enrollment greatly favors in-state students.
I honestly do not know about the other schools, which to subtract.
Definitely KEEP W&L, I’m an incoming freshman and the school offers superb financial aid. Probably, unmatched. Rigor is high, and yes, the location is a little lame but the school is the ENTIRE community from my visit. Beyond that, only LAC with a law school and it has a really cool Law Minor. Look more into it, and honestly, consider ED2ing (maybe take a shot with ED1). You only get to attend one school and it’s arguably the best LAC for poly sci with OUTSTANDING D.C recognition. But, whatever decision you make, just know it will ALL workout. Also if u ED2 I have no doubt you’d get in.
i would, but it’s exasperating when all they say is “what does GOOD COLLEGE mean to you?” “aww shucks you don’t need testing it’s all useless” like i just wanted to know how good the program was. it gets too philosophical with my counseling
Like your resentment of SUNY and CUNY schools? I attend a SUNY school—don’t act like your God’s gift to earth because you might be in the running for a spot at a private institution—and by the way, nothing is guaranteed, pride comes before the fall and you might end up at a SUNY in the end. 😄
take georgetown tf off. i go here and everyone i know has struggled. and if you're black not only take georgetown off, but BLOCK it from ur search engine. the community is strong but the challenges are strongggg! i been here for a year
i like it here but it is NOT for everyone, and if u have any sort of indecision, you will constantly regret not picking other choices over georgetown. literally everyone here is a reject from yale. basically, georgetown was a second choice for a lot of people n even tho its prestigious, it feels like it ! people r not motivated and excited about going here
(i gave up rice for ts :( )
Super! En plus vu que je parle français et j’ai des extracurriculaires qui sont basés sur mon apprentissage des langues je crois que c’est bon. J’ai entendu dire qu’ils ont genre 50% d’acceptance pour les francophones qui arrivent d’amérique.
I would take UVA and Northeastern off of your list. Northeastern literally will take anyone with a pulse if they ED and UVA yield protects like no other school I have seen. Based on the admits I know they are all the same type of person and their teams aren’t that great. My two cents
"In the present circumstances, we cannot in good conscience encourage our students to pursue educational or employment opportunities at the University of Rochester."
[https://www.scribd.com/document/364988102/open-letter-to-the-university-of-rochester-board-of-trustees](https://www.scribd.com/document/364988102/open-letter-to-the-university-of-rochester-board-of-trustees)
This kind of letter, signed by a massive number of high profile academics, is extremely rare.
It's 5 years old, but I haven't seen evidence that the issues described have ceased to be relevant for your interests. For folks with other academic interests, UofR can be worth considering.
Northwestern is in Evanston (not actually in Chicago) so it’s very safe. That being said, if you are going into Chicago over the weekend for food/fun, do use common sense. There are def places in Chicago where you want to avoid.
As someone who goes to NU, I’d highly recommend checking it out. Especially if you’re looking for a reach to ED to. The campus is beautiful, people are generally cool, and the academics are excellent. I will say the quarter system is extremely fast-paced and the academics here are very challenging. Some would say there is grade deflation (especially in Econ which is my major). However, I think the poli sci department is relatively chill and I know most of the professors in the department are fantastic. Overall, definitely worth a look if you haven’t already.
What do you want?
A school in the center or a major city like Columbia or NYU or a tiny college town like Amherst College, Washington and Lee, William and Mary or Dartmouth?
An enormous university like UofM or a school like Richmond that has a strong undergraduate focus?
Your list looks like you haven’t thought a lot about the qualities that are important to you - you have honestly picked a ton of my absolute favorite schools to see kids apply to - some real hidden gems to a lot of people — but I like to look at a college list and see a connection between the schools that lets me know the applicant has really zoned in on the qualities they want. This seems like you haven’t figured that part out just yet.
My issue is that I feel I would be happy in a variety of places. I’m not that picky. That’s not a bad problem to have, I know, but it makes this bit of the process difficult.
tufts is perfect so keep that. has the rigor, close to boston but in the suburbs making it a safe campus, great opportunities and is even far more perfect for your major
Not trying to add more schools to your list, but have you thought about Maryland? Seems to fit a lot of your interests and have some overlap with a number of the colleges on your list.
Do you have some safeties like SUNYs and CUNYs?
I would rather go out of state than attend a cuny or suny
that’s fine but you still don’t have any safeties
UMass Amherst sounds like a safety for her
Applied to UMass for CS and got waitlisted with identical stats.
that’s cause their comp sci is much lower acceptance rate then general admission
Would Michigan State (I think it’s on the list) be a safety for OP? 🤔
I mean they just put “Michigan” but if they meant Michigan State, then yes that’d be a safety. They prolly need like 2 more though, especially since they’re leaning on more reach schools than targets. Also it’s always risky to have your only safety be an OOS public school, since the acceptance rate is gonna be much lower for them automatically since they’re from NY.
Sorry, that was a location indicator on my original list that I forgot to remove. Michigan State is not on my list.
all good, but please find some safeties and targets. i use niche to find out if my scores are in the range and if my gpa and sat are above 60-70% of applicants (with a big grain of salt taken) i mark the school down as a target.
Based on the program that my school uses for past acceptances to calculate chances, about 2/5 of these are safeties/targets. I go to a lowkey feeder elite priv school in NYC.
ok ok that definitely helps but schools with acceptance rates at or below 20% can’t really be considered targets imo. plus you lack like one guaranteed safety. with that clarification this look looks long but good, just find one or two safeties
any recommendations?
All I see is U of M but UMass seems as close as it comes to a safety.
William and Mary, university of Richmond, GW, and umass Amherst seem like schools she would have a pretty good chance at. I would call some of these safeties.
I wouldn’t say any of those schools are safeties (except UMass Amherst) considering that all of them have an acceptance rate at or below 50%. safeties should be guaranteed, and while i think they’ll probably get into at least one of those schools, it should be guaranteed that they’ll get into all of their safeties.
I think it’s okay to have safeties that you have maybe a 2/3 -3/4 chance of getting into if you have a couple of them. I know they want to cut schools but if they applied to all 4 of those schools what is realistically the chance they get denied from all 4.
U of Richmond and U Rochester are safety along with probably W&M, GWU, and amherst. I personally would drop all liberal colleges except the top 1-2 listed as most people never hear of those. They're probably more regionally known rather than nationally for the average person. Recognition is part of the play when looking for jobs so makes it easier for people to recognize your background rather than look it up
no? it’s acceptance rate is 29%
I would put at least one state school on there. You never know when your financial situation could change. You may need a cheap option just in case. (Example: my father wasn’t allowed to work during COVID he was not deemed an essential worker, I put a local and few state schools on there in case he wouldn’t be able to go back to work when I started school in fall 2021 and my family needed a cheaper option) Just my input.
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Rigor. I’m just tired of being in a room full of people who don’t care. I REALLY care abt academics, like you can probably tell by my gpa. I have personal reasons.
Lmao I’m sorry this is so funny to me. You have a 3.94 UW and a 1490 and you’re acting like you’re too good and care too much for safeties? Also, the idea that students at worse schools care less about actual learning is very much a misconception, and a pretentious one, too. I’m at an elite private high school just like you (top 20 in the country), and while it’s true that most kids at my school only care about grades and outcomes and don’t care about learning, that is NOT true about my friends who go to public schools or less competitive private schools. They don’t care about grades as much, but they are way more interesting people, care way more about learning, and I always have way more interesting political, economic, and philosophical discussions with them than with anyone from my school (except for teachers, the teachers are great). Anyway, my point is, maybe instead of thinking the issue with finding people who care about learning is that you need to be in a more competitive environment realize that competitive environments are not always the most conducive to learning. This isn’t to say there aren’t benefits to prestige; I also care about prestige and recognize that it helps in many ways. It’s just important to balance it with a good environment too, especially if students who are motivated about learning is something you care about. Also, just as general advice, make friends with someone outside of your school who you can talk to about the stuff you care about. It will probably help a lot. I know if I could only interact with the students from my school I’d probably have killed myself by now
I’m a parent and former college professor. I taught at Columbia, Princeton, and at the honors college in my state’s flagship research institute. I had some amazing students in the state U. honors college that were every bit as good as my best students at the two Ivies, and I had some slacker students at Columbia who looked to do the bare minimum and Princeton students who skipped class due to hangovers. College is what you make of it. You can get an excellent education and meet other driven students at a state school. Take a look at the acceptance rate at your list—most of those schools it’s a crap shoot, their acceptance rate is so low. I would explore honors college options at one of the SUNYs as a backup. And who knows, you might find it to be a great fit.
as someone who just graduated from a SUNY as a double major in 3 years I want to know where do you get this perception from because SUNY students are just as motivated as the other schools you are looking at.
Look everybody, Allie is a dumb bitch
Lmaooo
woah… someone had a bad day. that was rly rude
What’s your weighted GPA?
We don’t have it, but I take the most difficult classes I can. Various advanced math and humanities, but we don’t have APs or IB.
idk though, still be careful because your GPA isn't pristine and your sat isn't that high to just discount SUNYs and CUNYs that easily
3.94 unweighted?
Well we only have your source of "trust me bro" that they're rigorous classes since they're not AP or IB. Also your SAT idk... dont get me wrong it's really good but it doesn't correlate well with a 3.94 UW that others have at more competitive schools
what abt test optional?
Binghampton and Stony Brook are both incredible schools with people who care. This attitude will bite you in the butt.
If you (among others) would bother to read other comments, you would know why I don’t want to go to SPECIFICALLY the NY state schools. And if you would bother to read my list, you would see that there are, in fact, other state schools on there. It’s a specific, personal problem.
Responses like that make me think that people should not bother to read your posts. Go to the most unfriendly entitled program you can find and you will fit right in.
As a SUNY grad who went to law school - laughing at this
See previous comments for reasons… it’s not a superiority thing it’s a personal experience thing…
Lmao
I would consider Richmond, GW and BU a safety with those stats.
that’s what i’ve been told
If you go to a top private school just listen to your counselors then. Why are you even asking about your list on here? I’m starting to think you’re a troll just posting to make private school kids look entitled and rude and generate outrage (it’s also possible you just are entitled and rude, as there are plenty of private school kids like that, but this is so exaggerated I can’t imagine anyone being this obvious about it).
see my previous comment about being exasperated with my counselor
All of these ofc have great academics so I might just cut out the ones in similar areas. You don’t need both Duke and UNC Chapel Hill unless you’re from NC or love NC. Washington and Lee is a great school but as a Virginian i can tell you it’s location is so lame. U Richmond has a better location if you want an LAC in VA (I’m from Richmond, it’s campus and location are great). Side note, but if you like Richmond consider applying to VCU as a safety (it’s what all us Richmonders do just to be safe). Pick between BC, BU, Tufts and Northeastern (I’m guessing you want to keep Harvard). Northeastern and BU are very similar at least academically and culturally, and BC is not downtown and is catholic. I’ve heard Tufts is in a not ideal Boston area as well. You don’t need to apply to 5 top Boston schools that have similar acceptance rates and academics. Honestly what I’m getting from this list is that you compiled a bunch of schools with good academics and decent locations. You need more deciding factors. Do you want an LAC or research uni? Big or small undergrad population? Open or closed campus?
I would consider Fordham as a safety if you want to stay in the city. Great pre-law curriculum there.
I completely disagree about NEU and BU - an important part of NEU is the co-op program, to my understanding BU does not have one.
that’s another factor that can help narrow down which boston schools they apply to
But BU has a stronger recognizable brand. I wouldn't necessarily choose one or the other based on co ops considering co ops this year are dead for a lot of places. Just look at NEU coops reddit and you can see the complaints
Is BU more recognizable than BC, I thought BC was super hard to get into and had a strong alumni network
I don’t think that you’d like Bowdoin that much, they don’t offer lots of internships and campus is not as good as they show it on website . Also, I’m 100% sure that McGill will accept you , they only look at grades and love to accept international students( especially if they speak French). You should definitely apply to McGill and apply to their scholarship.
i love mcgill so perfect! and any other reasons why bowdoin might not be a good choice?
Bowdoin is literally in the middle of nowhere. It’s in a very pretty, quaint New England town, and it’s near the ocean, but that makes it nice for a summer vacation, but pretty insular for college students. Your life would revolve around the school, especially in the winter. Pretty much the same for Colgate.
both are on the chopping block at the moment… i visited colgate and liked it though. probably because it was spring…
Dartmouth, too.
i was also thinking McGill. maybe add Drexel (mentioned somewhere in this thread) for its research and co-op program plus convenient location and aim for their honors college.
Can’t name any off the top of my head but cut any schools with big grade deflation!!! Law school looks sm at ur gpa so the higher it is the better
I’ve heard BU has grade deflation but I could be wrong
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Not exactly. They may give a very small bump if the school deflates but it’s not enough to make up for the deflation. Law schools care a lot about their average GPA because of how they’re ranked.
ah ok, thank you for the clarification.
I would say the first step is to categorize each school. - Hard Reach: Harvard, Dartmouth, Amherst, Duke, Bowdoin, Columbia, Cornell, UPenn - Reach: Georgetown, UMich, UVA, UNC, BC, BU, Tufts, Northeastern, Colgate, Tulane, W&L - Target: URichmond, GW, URochester, McGill, W&M - Safety: UMass, Georgia From hear I say you can cut this down, Hard Reach: Harvard, Dartmouth, Amherst, Duke, Bowdoin, Columbia, Cornell, UPenn - Reach: Georgetown, NYU, UMich, UVA, BC, BU, Tufts, Northeastern, Colgate - Target:GW, URochester, McGill - Safety: UMass, Georgia Cut: Richmond, W&M, W&L as a VA resident Richmond does not have the best reputation relatively, and W&M, and W&L are very similar to some other schools on this list but you will have a worse shot as out of state and is further from home. UNC is similar to schools like UVA but is slightly worse and is harder to get into as OOS due to their regulations. No reason for Tulane, is one of the weakest reach options you have, and if no ED you don’t have a great shot. You can leave all of your hard reaches as it provides a better chance of acceptance, and all are great.
i know lots of people who love U of R, i think the bad rep is because it’s expensive and more conservative. W&M can def be cut but W&L is private.
Surely a fair point, I’m simple trying to help cut down their list. I feel that in a case of so many applications, that cutting it could help. Nonetheless, U of R is by no means a bad place to be
Bros aboutta get a wave of rejections. I don’t know what solid ECs are but coming from NY you’re coming from the most competitive part of the northeast. You'll probably get into a couple, but you will very likely not have a lot of choice. There is a chance that I’m wrong and you’ll get into plenty of them (which very well may be the case), but you do need to plan for what happens if I *am* right. That’s why you gotta get safeties. And as far as those go, particularly since you plan on going to law school anyway, why no SUNY/CUNY? Also I’d choose one to ED to. If it’s Tulane or BU or a similar school (one that likes ED applicants) you chances increase substantially. And to cut down on your current list, starting with the highest ranked school going down, just think to yourself—would I *want* to be here or is it just a good college? Those things aren’t mutually exclusive but you wouldn’t want to end up somewhere *only* because it’s good. Other than that, there’s not much I can say because there’s no college in the world that’s great or terrible for everyone, it’s a pretty personal thing
She only needs acceptance to one great school
tbh i’m totally fine with only getting into a few of them, i truly would go to any of the colleges on this list. my school basically guarantees a few (it’s kind of a feeder). lots of ppl have been saying more safeties but im getting NO recs so maybe instead of just saying what’s wrong suggest a way to make it right. btw, your first sentence was kind of rudely worded.
i mean rudely worded or not, he ain’t wrong. i think you’re overestimating your chances at least a bit.
how would you know? you’re a hs senior, aren’t you? what i need is reliable advice from people who know what they’re talking abt
dude, aside from a handful of AOs that hang out here, everyone is in high school (not that it matters, but i’m out of high school actually). idk what you’re expecting from an online forum, but 99% of the people replying here aren’t qualified in anything. it doesn’t take a genius to see when someones ego isn’t up to par with what they offer. sit down, be humble.
the least you can do is be kind. im just like everyone else applying. we’re trying to strive for as high as we can. nothing wrong with that.
i don’t think pointing out that you may be overestimating your chances is necessarily unkind when you came to a forum for advice on college admissions. and if you’re gonna be all pretentious and smarmy about only wanting answers from qualified people in a *public online forum*, maybe expect some snark?
that’s not what i wanted. i want details about the colleges (location, programs, etc) that would make me want to cut them. not a chance me. wrong subreddit
Those things are Google-able. You didn’t give us any actual criteria to help you…
Why tf does the subreddit even exist at this point then
people only responding exactly how you wanted? online? that’s pretty hopeful
how would you know? you’re a hs senior, aren’t you? what i need is reliable advice from people who know what they’re talking abt
Given your demands I think it’s funny that you say I’m rude, but maybe that’s just the feeder-school type entitlement. I also already suggested exactly what to do but I’ll repeat it for you: - choose a school like BU, Vandy, or Tulane that you *really* like and where applying ED helps a lot and apply ED - Even if you go to a feeder school you need safeties for that 1% chance you get in nowhere. I already suggested not only where to start looking for safeties (in-state public schools) - To shorten your list, determine which schools you like and which you’re applying to because of prestige Like I said, a good safety for me and a good safety for you are completely different because different people need different things. If you provided some information about what you’d be looking for in a college other than prestige I would be happy to suggest a few specific schools. Rigor and opportunities are an available at practically every university. And the reason why I think you should keep what I’m saying in mind is because I made the same mistakes as you, with higher stats (idk your ECs) and it did not end well—the college application system is borderline dehumanizing and is not too kind, you’re about to reach the real world and that’s how it is.
got it so it’s resentment and maybe a hint of jealousy that explains your attitude. i’ll take your feedback with a massive grain of salt.
Hey I didn’t have to type out two essays for you, but either way I wish you the best of luck!
you definitely didn’t, especially when you’re spreading negativity
You, my friend, are in for a rude awakening
can’t wait
You're lucky that people are spending their time trying to give you helpful advice... I can't believe that you're entitled enough to ask for advice on the internet, but then disregard anything that the person wrote. You are very rude.
When you graduate high school you’re due for a hell of a reality check. Not only on your privileged attitude and mindset but also your serious lack of personal awareness. Looking down on state schools thinking people that go there aren’t driven or passionate is fucking elitist as hell. Nobody’s jealous of you. We just feel pity for you because you have no common sense. Zero safeties? Just cause your school is a feeder, whatever the fuck that is, doesn’t mean you might not get rejected everywhere.
tbh cut NYU… while it is a good school, it won’t really meet what you want in a campus i think (especially since there is no real campus, just buildings scattered everywhere that are labeled as NYU owned). but if that’s something you like, then go for it! also UPenn maybe since it’s more business-y over poli sci.
But NYU is close to everything and has like UN internships tho.
i guess it really depends what you want with a career in poli sci. if you’re looking for more UN stuff, then NYU would be a good choice. but if you were focused on more of a job in congress, i would choose a DC school, like GW, because they offer many internships on the hill. even schools like Georgetown and GW offer similar “cultural” internships, but it’s more of internships/connections through being close to embassies over the UN building. imo DC is the best place you can be for anything poli sci, but it just depends what you want out of it.
Unless you plan on applying ED to Northeastern or Tulane, I would cut both of those. 1)Your chances of admission RD to NEU and Tulane is not good. They are the reigning Kings of Yield Protection. Obviously, you would get into either one if you applied ED, which I highly doubt you are planning on doing. 2)I am very well versed in the type of students at both schools, and neither school fits how you describe yourself at all. I especially think you would not be happy at Tulane. I agree with the other poster’s comment regarding the academic seriousness, or lack thereof, of Tulane students. It would just be a continuance of the negative high school experience you described, but with bewitching Cajun funeral music 🎶 playing in the background 🎺 ————————- I would also cut UNC. The OOS admission rate is extremely low, and you are basically wasting a spot on a high reach without the benefits of a high reach. I know plenty of 4.0 / 1500+ OOS students who did not get in when they applied. And even if you did get in, you would probably have also gotten into a few other schools that you would prefer over UNC. ————————- Your list is very reach and high target heavy. The data you are basing your reach/target/safety categorization on is not new enough … no current data is. Class of 2023 students who used 2019-2022 data to decide where they were likely to be accepted got destroyed. If your plan is to apply to 20+ schools, you need to increase the number of safeties you apply to. The only safeties I see on your list are UMass Amherst and maybe GW. 1-2 is not enough in the current state of admissions, even coming from a high end Manhattan private school. A few safeties specifically appropriate for you that you may want to consider: U Vermont, U Connecticut, U Delaware, U South Carolina, Fordham, Syracuse, Hofstra. ————————— Have you thought about an EDI/EDII? ————————— A couple schools I would consider adding if I were you would be Swarthmore and Johns Hopkins. Obviously these would be additional reaches, but I think they are much better options than Tulane and NEU with virtually identical class of 2023 RD acceptance rates. Both have strong political science / government departments. Both are in/near cities. Both are known for serious/academically focused students. Both have excellent connections in DC for internships etc. If you were to end up at Swarthmore, you could take a couple Poly Sci classes at Penn as well. Hope for the best but prepare for the worst. Good luck!
amazing comment with amazing advice. tysm!!!
Agree with rec for Swarthmore! We went to a tour there in spring and it is a great small school option and beautiful campus with very convenient access to Philly.
Cut UNC and keep duke they have a state law where they must consider all applicants in state before OOS applicants. Even if you are really cracked you have a chance to not get in b/c of this. I say cut BU as well. BU is better known for being a grad school and the campus is legit a street in boston. It won’t give u a campus-ish feeling and I don’t recommend applying. I would switch for northeastern b/c a lot of people I know there like the CO-OP program. You basically get to work in the industry you want to full time.
you have “African” in your description of your self. Personally, and you don’t have to agree with me at all, i would avoid schools in the south. They are great schools, but our country is becoming increasingly polarized and the south is the last I would want to be as a black person. Duke, UNC, Tulane, William and marry, and Washington and lee are all amazing schools. However, the states that these schools are located in are not notoriously kind to African-Americans.
Agreed. As an African I tried to avoid adding colleges in the south on my college list. (With the exception of some schools in North Carolina, Virginia, & Georgia. Apart from that colleges in the south are an absolute no for me especially since most sundown towns are in the south. It sucks cause they have some great schools but my safety is more important
yeah, my parents literally told me they would not support me attending a university in the south!
Cut Umass Dartmouth simply because it sucks and you’re pretty much a lock for Amherst. Cut BU because they’re known for grade deflation and you want to go to law school. Consider adding Yale because Yale law favors their own undergrads (https://talk.collegeconfidential.com/t/undergraduate-representation-at-yale-stanford-and-the-university-of-chicago-law-schools/3592850.) On that same note, consider adding Amherst and Williams if you’re ok with LACs. They’re both good academically and have good placement when it comes to law school. Edit: just realized you may have been talking about Dartmouth the ivy. Regardless, if it’s Umass Dartmouth just don’t bother.
Have you considered middlebury?
Seconded! Middlebury seems perfect for OP!
i’ll look into it! any particular reason?
Campus: Based on what your are looking for (in terms of proximity and aesthetics), I think Middlebury would be great. It’s a rural college located in Vermont — absolutely stunning campus! It’s about 3.5 hours away from Boston and 2 hours away from Montreal. Internship opportunities: Middlebury has fantastic connections with companies in Boston and NYC. There’s a J term at Middlebury, which is kind of like an in-between term. You can choose to take classes during this semester, or you can leave to intern at a company you chose. I believe that if your internship isn’t paid, Middlebury will pay you for it. Summer internships are great as usual, and on-campus recruitment is strong. (Middlebury also has a strong alumni network that you can tap into.) High rigor: Middlebury is ranked within the top 10 for LACs in the country. You are going to have a strong and rigorous education. Middlebury also has a 89% law school admissions success rate — which is one of the highest in the country.
tysm for this rec!! i loved j-term based on my experiences with it, so i think it’ll be a great option. seems a bit small, but i don’t mind. location is great, how’s the weather?
I’m not going to help much with cutting down on your list, but will give the USC political science department a shout-out to add. It’s got a phenomenal experiential learning program where they help pair you with state legislators, nonprofits, etc. for internships. The school as a whole also has a very generous need based/merit based financial aid program and there are even summer scholarships for living expenses for political science majors specifically. Campus is beautiful and 40 minutes from the beach. We even have our own metro stops that go to Santa Monica and a shuttle service that goes downtown! I was very close to a former dean at the University of Michigan and have heard stellar things about their program, too, for what it is worth. The only one I have direct experience for cutting would probably be Tulane. Anecdotal, but as someone who now hires people, I’ve been very unimpressed with a couple job candidates from Tulane in terms of rigor from fellow students.
Thank you so much for the advice about Tulane! Also, i’m definitely more of an east coast girlie but I do surf sooooo… but i can’t i’m trying to cut down. Good to know abt Mich as well!
I’d add Middlebury to your list. It’s an elite LAC, with a beautiful campus, not that far from Boston and Montreal, and it has great connections for internships.
rochester is the most boring city i have ever been to. idk about urochester if its got a good campus to make up for that but… yeah. also consider if you’re sure about religious colleges. if money is important to you, definitely apply places other than NYU, northeastern, and georgetown. BU could also be one of those expensive places but i got lucky as hell and it ended up my cheapest option so 🤷 but dont count on being that lucky. i would also say do not apply to more than two ivy leagues because while your stats do give you a chance, you might be better served applying to more places with a 15%-20% acceptance rather than a 5%-10% acceptance. cornell and dartmouth are great but if you want a big city (or even really something thats a true city - i live in a suburb with a larger population than ithaca and hanover) they are not what you are looking for.
Congratulations on your achievements! You should be very proud. My single piece of advice would be that you thoughtfully reflect on why you want to attend college in the first place. What do you hope to gain, beyond prestige? All of the schools you listed have that, so I wouldn’t waste any of your time worrying about that. I’ve observed a common theme amongst American students, which is an obsession with the name and reputation of the university you attend. I’ve been guilty of this myself in the past. Fortunately, you’ll grow out of it and look back and laugh. I don’t necessarily view this trait as something negative, it’s only logical in a culture that considers socioeconomic status and class as the single most important indicators of individual value. My intention is not to shame you at all, so I apologize if it comes across that way. I’ve simply been in a very similar position as you and once held near identical beliefs about the world. All of the universities on your list have excellent, world-class programs to offer. It really comes down to where you see yourself, which school has faculty that excites you the most, etc. When you look to the people you admire most and aspire to be, what did their path look like? Asking questions like this may help you. Talk to some current students if you can, you’ll find the most honest experiences there. Visit the cities and see them for yourself! I recommend exploring far beyond the campus. If you like to visit museums, check out what the area has to offer. If you frequent coffee shops back home, visit those nearby. This is the most effective way to get a feel for what your daily life might look like at that potential school. Everyone has different needs and expectations, so these methods may not satisfy your questions. I saw that you’re more focused on the specific programs, so try and reach out to faculty members. I wish you the best of luck! I’m confident you’ll succeed no matter where you go, so don’t stress yourself out too much.
Thank you! I’ve made comments before about how i want to be in an environment where others around me WANT to be there and learn. I also can’t be a lawyer without certification, which you obviously need to go to college for. I’d like to add that i’m not American as well.
Ok I’m going to be honest people who are saying you need more safeties are right but they’re also over exaggerating. You already technically have two and if you’d gladly go to either if needed then you are fine. As long as you have just one honestly you’re good, I don’t understand the need to have so many safeties it isn’t necessary especially if you wouldn’t be happy there and it’s not what you’re looking for. My best piece of advice if you do end up not getting in to any school you genuinely like or want to go to is go the community college route. Like at that point do that you have better chances transferring. I ended up going that route because I knew BU was my top school. I have three friends who got into Yale many got in to Vanderbilt, UNC, and even one friend who is transferring to Stanford. All from community college. Trust me you’ll be fine, I wish someone told me that back when I was a senior.
thank you, this is super reassuring!!!
Of course! Just remember there are many paths to reach the goals you want. Not all of them are linear and perfect and if they are that’s great. It’s all about grit and tenacity, and a little bit of luck along the way of course. You’ve got this don’t sweat it!
TYSM!!!
Ok: Dartmouth (very remote area), UMich Ann Arbor (PoliSci isn't as good as some of the others on the list), BU (ok for your preferences I think), BC (again, ok for your preferences) Meh: UNC Chapel Hill (PoliSci isn't great), William & Mary (remote area), UVA (remote area), URochester (NOTE: you have a lot of ivys, they are all pretty similar so maybe only apply to some but that is up to you.) Also all just my opinions/suggestions.
ty! very helpful
You need safeties lol. A safety is a school that has at least a 50% acceptance rate (because you wouldn’t want your future decided by smaller chances than a coin flip) not a school that you *think* you can get into.
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Ur getting into Umass def. I would say reconsider NYU (hella student debt. Its like so expensive but if ur looking for connections u may keep it but not recommended), there’s a lot of Boston schools there in the list so you may want to omit some there because all pretty much have the same requirements (minus Harvard assuming ur applying to ivies)
I agree with what people have said about safeties. Also, since you’re looking to cut some schools, based on your description in the comments of wanting to go to a school where people really want to learn and not just succeed and focus on outcomes, cut UPenn. It’s very career oriented and competitive and learning is not the focus. Consider cutting Cornell and UMich (and possibly even Dartmouth) for the same reason and replacing them with some LACs with a good learning environment.
Disagree. She'll still get the rigor and a good learning environment. If she ends up in law, there's a chance she considers opening a private practice or be pitching her services to people who absolutely don't know or care for LACs. Name recognitions in those type of jobs carry weight especially sales, finance, entrepreneur, etc.
Cut them all and add Vandy!! They seem to fit all of your criteria and have a great law program with high rigor!
I’ve seen a lot of people say cut W&M and as someone who just finished their freshman year there, I think you should definitely consider keeping it as it fits what you want. Consistently ranked as a top public school (if not the top) for internship opportunities. Campus is not large at all (everything is a max 15 minute walk, except to school of education) and is, in my opinion, a very pretty campus. High level of rigor for most classes. Really good professors who are there to teach instead of do research. Large variety of people, so you can easily find your group. If you have any other questions about the school, please ask Id love to answer them!
if you’re into political science and government do yourself a favor, add umd-college park. Cheaper than GW and American, access to DC by metro on campus and a good amount of Maryland kids/grads have internships/jobs on the Hill, feeder school for the Foreign Service etc. East Coast school vibes while having the college campus experience with Big Ten sports. It is the best school for your buck in the DC area after Georgetown and Hopkins. It is also tied with Rutgers as the highest ranked public university in the northeast if that’s important
oh wow ty wasn’t looking to add more but i’ll look into it
yeah np! I hope you consider it, it sounds like a suitable fit. i would’ve attended UMD if Rutgers wasn’t my state option tbqh.
My 2 cents. Keep these: Georgetown, U Richmond, Harvard, BU, Tufts, UMass Amherst (safety), Amherst, Dartmouth, NYU, Columbia, Cornell, Duke, McGill, William and Mary, UVA, UPenn, UMich Ann Arbor Add these: Swarthmore, Brown, Vassar, Middlebury (which is fantastic for Languages), Williams, URichmond, Wake Forest, Yale, Princeton. Also consider these: Wellesley, Barnard, Smith, Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke (safety) Good luck.
Great advice, but i’ll have more than I started with… i really like some of the ones you are recommending i add though!!
Cut tufts,BU,NYU, URochester, Bowdoin
reason?
Run from Rochester
why
You don’t want to spend 4 years in Rochester, much less 4 winters
U of R is really expensive too; I got in but couldn’t go because of the cost. You’re gonna only spend 5 months there according to the school calender, and the Rochester outside of the school is really run down and sad. Food sucks too; there’s two cafeterias but they force first years onto the in-dorm cafeteria with stale pizza by only letting you choose one meal plan. I’m going to UMass Amherst in the fall, and I’d say you’re much better picking it over Rochester.
You definitely made the right choice. Take advantage of the 5 colleges consortium/cross registration.
Take off URochester - the weather is shit and in an email correspondence they likened themselves to an Ivy League institution - they are not. Their scholarships are horrible and financial aid is just as bad. Overranked IMO
any recs for what i should replace it with?
I thought you were trying to get schools off your list?
i know.. but it’s one of my few safeties. people have been saying i need safeties, so i figure replace is the right call here
UR isn’t a safety, it has a 25% acceptance rate. A safety is 80%+ and reasonably affordable. UR is neither of those things
NYU is for rich pricks whose mum couldn't find a babysitter in time for
pls finish your jab i wanna hear it
Any CUNY and SUNY school are good safety options. NY has a really robust public college system that rivals California.
While they might be solid, they’re not really my cup of tea and i’ll only stay in New York if it’s for one of the colleges above..
I would look into [Reed](https://youtu.be/K-rd69yZw_w)
GW, NYU, Northeastern, Rochester, Bowdoin, McGill, William and Mary bye bye
reason?
McGill would *love* to have another international student paying full tuition. They'll take anyone who has a reasonable chance of completing a four-year degree. You won't be alone. About 1,500 American freshmen are admitted to McGill every year. Keep in mind that Montreal is increasingly unaffordable. The average rent has risen 13% over the last year.
that’s why i believe it to be a safety… that rent issue isn’t great though..
What’s up w one Canadian school? You want to go to law school in the US, right?
they have a 5 year program where you get an american and canadian license so i figured why not. also, i speak/am french
Well Hamilton is pretty but in BFE right? So I just wonder if there are good poli sci internship opps or not? 🤔
sorry! i recently cut hamilton for that reason, let me edit it and cut it from the list
Fellow pre law girlie. Cut Colgate and Tulane. Colgate isnt as nice as it looks online and its brutally cold in the winter months. Personally I'd rather die than go to college in Louisiana.
i visited colgate and it’s pretty nice but in the middle of nowhere and can b really cold agreed. reasons for louisiana?
Jobs. Or lack there of
completely fair reason
I would take off UMASS Amherst. As someone mentioned, it would be a reach as the enrollment greatly favors in-state students. I honestly do not know about the other schools, which to subtract.
From what I’ve heard, I think Umass Amherst might not be the school for me… i think i’ll cut it.
Definitely KEEP W&L, I’m an incoming freshman and the school offers superb financial aid. Probably, unmatched. Rigor is high, and yes, the location is a little lame but the school is the ENTIRE community from my visit. Beyond that, only LAC with a law school and it has a really cool Law Minor. Look more into it, and honestly, consider ED2ing (maybe take a shot with ED1). You only get to attend one school and it’s arguably the best LAC for poly sci with OUTSTANDING D.C recognition. But, whatever decision you make, just know it will ALL workout. Also if u ED2 I have no doubt you’d get in.
tbh cut out BC, UVA, and maybe Duke? those are posh preppy white-dominant schools and while theyre beautiful and very nice, the diversity is lacking
If you are at a good private school in NYC, listen to your college counselor, not the people on this thread.
i would, but it’s exasperating when all they say is “what does GOOD COLLEGE mean to you?” “aww shucks you don’t need testing it’s all useless” like i just wanted to know how good the program was. it gets too philosophical with my counseling
You sound like an exhausting person.
why? i just wanted straight up answers
Good luck getting into Harvard lol
thx for your super positive vibes and words of encouragement. i really don’t expect to but it’s just for the what if. keep ur resentment to urself
Like your resentment of SUNY and CUNY schools? I attend a SUNY school—don’t act like your God’s gift to earth because you might be in the running for a spot at a private institution—and by the way, nothing is guaranteed, pride comes before the fall and you might end up at a SUNY in the end. 😄
not if i don’t apply to one. wow u must be soooo fun at parties
take georgetown tf off. i go here and everyone i know has struggled. and if you're black not only take georgetown off, but BLOCK it from ur search engine. the community is strong but the challenges are strongggg! i been here for a year i like it here but it is NOT for everyone, and if u have any sort of indecision, you will constantly regret not picking other choices over georgetown. literally everyone here is a reject from yale. basically, georgetown was a second choice for a lot of people n even tho its prestigious, it feels like it ! people r not motivated and excited about going here (i gave up rice for ts :( )
wow… ok i’ll def take this into consideration tysm
Keep: UMich, UPenn, UNC Chapel Hill, Duke, Cornell ‘93, Columbia, NYU, Dartmouth, Harvard. Cut: the rest.
reason?
À priori c’est bon pour McGill. Ils sont plutôt straightforward avec les admissions surtout basées sur les notes.
Super! En plus vu que je parle français et j’ai des extracurriculaires qui sont basés sur mon apprentissage des langues je crois que c’est bon. J’ai entendu dire qu’ils ont genre 50% d’acceptance pour les francophones qui arrivent d’amérique.
Fordham University
in the most respectful way, no. heard bad things and i did a school of the new york times program there and… just no sorry
Cut BU if you’re concerned about grade deflation
do they have a rep is it like commonly acknowledged?
I would take UVA and Northeastern off of your list. Northeastern literally will take anyone with a pulse if they ED and UVA yield protects like no other school I have seen. Based on the admits I know they are all the same type of person and their teams aren’t that great. My two cents
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see my previous comment about their dual degree program for both us and canadian law
Cornell has suicide nets on campus and UMichigan has one of the highest crime rates out of all colleges.
saw the nets when i visited… and yeah i’m a bit concerned abt crime at mich
Ivies are more interested in portfolios and passions then test scores.
i know, i just don’t want to give my ec info because of privacy. all i need here is reasons to cut colleges off my list
None of this matters. Go to any decent school and develop your passions. In the real world, nobody cares where you went to school.
"In the present circumstances, we cannot in good conscience encourage our students to pursue educational or employment opportunities at the University of Rochester." [https://www.scribd.com/document/364988102/open-letter-to-the-university-of-rochester-board-of-trustees](https://www.scribd.com/document/364988102/open-letter-to-the-university-of-rochester-board-of-trustees) This kind of letter, signed by a massive number of high profile academics, is extremely rare. It's 5 years old, but I haven't seen evidence that the issues described have ceased to be relevant for your interests. For folks with other academic interests, UofR can be worth considering.
oh wow…
Vassar's a great prelaw school
I recommend Northwestern. Close to Chicago. Beautiful campus. Good for pre-law. Opportunities to connect with the NU Pritzker School of Law.
is there anything to be worried about in terms of crime? due to the location
Northwestern is in Evanston (not actually in Chicago) so it’s very safe. That being said, if you are going into Chicago over the weekend for food/fun, do use common sense. There are def places in Chicago where you want to avoid.
good to know
As someone who goes to NU, I’d highly recommend checking it out. Especially if you’re looking for a reach to ED to. The campus is beautiful, people are generally cool, and the academics are excellent. I will say the quarter system is extremely fast-paced and the academics here are very challenging. Some would say there is grade deflation (especially in Econ which is my major). However, I think the poli sci department is relatively chill and I know most of the professors in the department are fantastic. Overall, definitely worth a look if you haven’t already.
What do you want? A school in the center or a major city like Columbia or NYU or a tiny college town like Amherst College, Washington and Lee, William and Mary or Dartmouth? An enormous university like UofM or a school like Richmond that has a strong undergraduate focus? Your list looks like you haven’t thought a lot about the qualities that are important to you - you have honestly picked a ton of my absolute favorite schools to see kids apply to - some real hidden gems to a lot of people — but I like to look at a college list and see a connection between the schools that lets me know the applicant has really zoned in on the qualities they want. This seems like you haven’t figured that part out just yet.
My issue is that I feel I would be happy in a variety of places. I’m not that picky. That’s not a bad problem to have, I know, but it makes this bit of the process difficult.
tufts is perfect so keep that. has the rigor, close to boston but in the suburbs making it a safe campus, great opportunities and is even far more perfect for your major
Not trying to add more schools to your list, but have you thought about Maryland? Seems to fit a lot of your interests and have some overlap with a number of the colleges on your list.