Minnesota

UIUC, Syracuse, Fordham, VA Tech, JMU, VCU

Anonymous wrote:This isn’t a universal question. You have to pay attention to the data from your specific school. My kid was told W&M and BC were safeties. These are not traditionally safeties (and amazing schools) but kids with similar stats had never been denied, even in non-binding admit situations. Most of this board will argue with this though. And kid was applying to UMD and others too in case.

That is interesting. Surprising to me but this is your experience, so it is very interesting. Just curious was this last year? How recently...
thanks!

This isn’t a universal question. You have to pay attention to the data from your specific school. My kid was told W&M and BC were safeties. These are not traditionally safeties (and amazing schools) but kids with similar stats had never been denied, even in non-binding admit situations. Most of this board will argue with this though. And kid was applying to UMD and others too in case.

Anonymous wrote:Barrett-ASU

Barrett Honors College at Arizona State University is an incredible safety school.

Anonymous wrote:There is a difference between a backup and a safety. Schools with acceptance rates below 50% aren't true safeties. Schools that yield protect aren't true safeties. Have a range of backups and some true safeties.

Schools like Tufts and BU are reaches for all due to low acceptance rates. Referring to them as safeties is a misunderstanding of what "safety" means in college admissions.

so true.
I like the poster's idea who suggested aiming for an early accept to Pitt and if denied, dig in to actual safeties.
For some kids, I like Fairfield, Quinnipiac, Sacred Heart as potential safeties (money being poured into SHU lately, will be an interesting one to watch, and Fairfield just built a beautiful new arena).
Colgate, Wake Forest, etc etc that were listed by PP - not safeties for anyone. Very interesting that Bucknell has low yield and is ok with that.
VA Tech not a safety.
I'm not in the DC area but I even wonder about JMU for a high stats kid - isn't the risk of yield protection high, given how application rates have spiked?

Anonymous wrote:Wake
UVA
W&m

thanks for the laugh

What about Purdue?

I’d look at the Northwest. OSU, University of Oregon, University of Washington, Willamette, Whitman, University of Puget Sound, Lewis & Clark, Reed, Gonzaga, University of Portland. Some these aren’t safeties, but a kid from DC brings geographic diversity in a way they don’t elsewhere in the country, so they might be more of a safety than usual.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Public: JMU, Virginia Tech, George Mason, Christopher Newport

Private: Richmond, Dickinson, Wake Forest, Colgate, Bucknell, Lehigh

Some of these are in no way safeties. Virginia Tech, in particular, should not be on this list.

Wake forest had a 20 percent acceptance rate last year.

Anonymous wrote:Our plan for a high stats kid is to apply to places that are probably safeties (but not definitely safeties) that have EA and notify before RD applications are done. Then, if he doesn't get in, I guess we scramble for "true" safeties.

So, for example, Pitt is getting harder to get into. It might not be a true safety, but if you get into Pitt in October, as kids I know did, then it serves as your safety in that you can stop looking for another safety.

This is what my kid did (and did 2 EA applications that were pretty likely but far from 50% admissions rates)...got into all so did not need to apply to more safeties.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fairfield, Bucknell, Drew, and Lehigh

This is a good list.

Bucknell yield is very low and they are ok with it.

And given how low the Asian population is, they are thrilled when Asian kids apply and don’t discriminate

I would target the PA privates - bucjnell, Lehigh, Gettysburg, Dickinson, F&M, Lafayette

Unlike nescac’s they don’t collude and aren’t nearly as worried about yield protection

how do NESCAC collude?

There is a difference between a backup and a safety. Schools with acceptance rates below 50% aren't true safeties. Schools that yield protect aren't true safeties. Have a range of backups and some true safeties.

Schools like Tufts and BU are reaches for all due to low acceptance rates. Referring to them as safeties is a misunderstanding of what "safety" means in college admissions.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Public: JMU, Virginia Tech, George Mason, Christopher Newport

Private: Richmond, Dickinson, Wake Forest, Colgate, Bucknell, Lehigh

Some of these are in no way safeties. Virginia Tech, in particular, should not be on this list.

Depends on the school and major at VT.

Not really. Anyone considering it a safety is most likely going to be very surprised (and disappointed).

Yes, really, for quite a few majors. Lots of UVA rejects at VT.

More like, lots of kids who would never have considered going to UVA over VT...

Barrett-ASU