At my kid’s non-DMV private, safeties for kids with stats like OP’s kid were the state flagships, honors programs at less selective OOS flagships, and LAC’s ranked 25-50. Some T-50 to T-100 universities were still not true safeties. Find a true safety that your kid likes, because it can be very unpredictable at the top.

2018. Kid applied to 4 Ivies, OOS UVA, Berkeley, Stanford and MIT.

It worked out, but it was an awful wait. I disagreed with the approach h then, and do not recommend now. Find a good match or two and get those apps done.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is considered a “safety” will be different for different kids. Given how competitive the application process is for selective schools, she should apply to a couple that are slightly less selective than her top choices.

Thank you. What are some suggestions for safeties for her at this stage of admissions?

UMBC & Towson. Option to transfer to UMD if she isn’t accepted EA.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is considered a “safety” will be different for different kids. Given how competitive the application process is for selective schools, she should apply to a couple that are slightly less selective than her top choices.

Thank you. What are some suggestions for safeties for her at this stage of admissions?

If you want a relatively local safety for a kid with her stats, consider one of these:

Pitt
Penn State
Delaware

Or maybe Dickinson? A friend’s high stats kid got phenomenal merit money there and is very happy.

Or possibly Lafayette. I think their deadline is a bit later - maybe 1/15? But I’m not sure if they give merit money to bring down the cost.

Anonymous wrote:Maybe some of the Virginian schools, VCU, GMU, JMU. Miami (OH), Delaware, Michigan State, etc (just a few ideas, no need for all of them ofc).

Also Penn State, College of Charleston, UVM, SUNYs

Maybe some of the Virginian schools, VCU, GMU, JMU. Miami (OH), Delaware, Michigan State, etc (just a few ideas, no need for all of them ofc).

Yes, I’m pretty sure I remember postings where parents said they needed ideas for a gap year because their kid had no safeties and got in nowhere.

I think if you have a kid who will apply to some ED or EA or rolling schools that announce early, you can wait and see if they get into those before finding out. Be sure you don’t have a kid who will be so devastated by early rejections that they won’t be able to concentrate

Or you can have a kid like my younger kid who plans to apply to one school (a match) and if rejected work for a year and reapply.

Anonymous wrote:Wasn’t there a thread on this last spring and the student was upset she only got into Pitt. I wouldn’t recommend not applying to any safeties.

Oh, interesting. Do you have the link?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is considered a “safety” will be different for different kids. Given how competitive the application process is for selective schools, she should apply to a couple that are slightly less selective than her top choices.

Thank you. What are some suggestions for safeties for her at this stage of admissions?

Pitt comes to mind

I love Pitt, however would you be willing to pay $50k+ OOS?

I went to Pitt and grad school at Michigan. I live in Michigan and my kid goes to Michigan.

If the choice was $50K Pitt vs. $85K for a non-Ivy, I'd think carefully about Pitt.

The more independent, adult, self-directed the kid, the more they can get out of being a top student at Pitt.

I believe very strongly in large state flagships vs. expensive and not-very-selective private schools.

It seems to be true that many schools have steep undisclosed discounts.

Risky move. A lot will depend on number of schools she applies to and which ones. They could all assume that she will go elsewhere and deny for yield protection.

Apply to rolling admissions school just in case.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Send an app to ASU. Rolling school, true safety. Every year some top kids get shut out and apply there in April. It costs you $55 to take care of it now and will save you months of anxiety.

You can get accepted but are you willing to pay $60k OOS for your safety?

My kid got $25k/year merit, which certainly takes the edge off.

My daughter planned a few safeties, but after being accepted very early to a rolling admission target school she decided not to apply to several targets and all the safety schools she had been considering.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is considered a “safety” will be different for different kids. Given how competitive the application process is for selective schools, she should apply to a couple that are slightly less selective than her top choices.

Thank you. What are some suggestions for safeties for her at this stage of admissions?

Pitt comes to mind

I love Pitt, however would you be willing to pay $50k+ OOS?

If the kid doesn't get into UMD or any reaches, then sure. But I'd encourage U Toronto and McGill applications, to be certain there are a few good options.

Anonymous wrote:Send an app to ASU. Rolling school, true safety. Every year some top kids get shut out and apply there in April. It costs you $55 to take care of it now and will save you months of anxiety.

You can get accepted but are you willing to pay $60k OOS for your safety?