Anonymous
08/25/2025 18:44
Subject: Pls suggest 2 each for reaches, targets, safeties for this student
Some of this depends on whether she is interested in ED/REA. Some of these schools take a lot of kids in early rounds.
Reach - brown, northwestern, Vanderbilt, Pomona
Ed2 if willing washu
Target: William and Mary, Wesleyan
Likely: macalester, Carleton, haverford, Bryn mawr
No to swat and Chicago
Reach - brown, northwestern, Vanderbilt, Pomona
Ed2 if willing washu
Target: William and Mary, Wesleyan
Likely: macalester, Carleton, haverford, Bryn mawr
No to swat and Chicago
Anonymous
08/25/2025 18:42
Subject: Re:Pls suggest 2 each for reaches, targets, safeties for this student
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:OP: thanks for very helpful suggestions so far. Question:
Are Swarthmore, Carnegie Mellon, Pomona, Rice and Harvey Mudd where-fun-goes-to-die schools? Those seem to be the level of “reachiness” DD wants to aim for. She wants high rigor (truly happy when around nerdy smart kids who like to talk science) but we hope she doesn’t jump right from an intense HS to another 4 years of intensity.
Rice is hard. Kids there are absolutely hard workers. But the professors are extremely helpful, and the students are very collaborative rather than competitive.
40%+ Asian at Rice. So, I know someone would call it a place with lots of bots. The truth is. It’s a nice place.
Rice scores very high on happiest students lists.
Anonymous
08/25/2025 18:38
Subject: Re:Pls suggest 2 each for reaches, targets, safeties for this student
Anonymous wrote:OP: thanks for very helpful suggestions so far. Question:
Are Swarthmore, Carnegie Mellon, Pomona, Rice and Harvey Mudd where-fun-goes-to-die schools? Those seem to be the level of “reachiness” DD wants to aim for. She wants high rigor (truly happy when around nerdy smart kids who like to talk science) but we hope she doesn’t jump right from an intense HS to another 4 years of intensity.
Rice is hard. Kids there are absolutely hard workers. But the professors are extremely helpful, and the students are very collaborative rather than competitive.
40%+ Asian at Rice. So, I know someone would call it a place with lots of bots. The truth is. It’s a nice place.
Anonymous
08/25/2025 18:38
Subject: Re:Pls suggest 2 each for reaches, targets, safeties for this student
Anonymous wrote:OP: thanks for very helpful suggestions so far. Question:
Are Swarthmore, Carnegie Mellon, Pomona, Rice and Harvey Mudd where-fun-goes-to-die schools? Those seem to be the level of “reachiness” DD wants to aim for. She wants high rigor (truly happy when around nerdy smart kids who like to talk science) but we hope she doesn’t jump right from an intense HS to another 4 years of intensity.
Not Rice.
Anonymous
08/25/2025 18:31
Subject: Re:Pls suggest 2 each for reaches, targets, safeties for this student
Anonymous wrote:OP: thanks for very helpful suggestions so far. Question:
Are Swarthmore, Carnegie Mellon, Pomona, Rice and Harvey Mudd where-fun-goes-to-die schools? Those seem to be the level of “reachiness” DD wants to aim for. She wants high rigor (truly happy when around nerdy smart kids who like to talk science) but we hope she doesn’t jump right from an intense HS to another 4 years of intensity.
Swarthmore and CMU yes - fun goes to die all day long.
Pomona, Rice are generally a bit nerdy but still not bots. More social.
Anonymous
08/25/2025 18:23
Subject: Pls suggest 2 each for reaches, targets, safeties for this student
Chemistry department and undergraduate research at Northwestern is fantastic! Amazing new building for nano chemistry.
Anonymous
08/25/2025 18:15
Subject: Re:Pls suggest 2 each for reaches, targets, safeties for this student
Swat, yes. CMU, kinda. The other three, no.Anonymous wrote:OP: thanks for very helpful suggestions so far. Question:
Are Swarthmore, Carnegie Mellon, Pomona, Rice and Harvey Mudd where-fun-goes-to-die schools? Those seem to be the level of “reachiness” DD wants to aim for. She wants high rigor (truly happy when around nerdy smart kids who like to talk science) but we hope she doesn’t jump right from an intense HS to another 4 years of intensity.
Anonymous
08/25/2025 18:11
Subject: Re:Pls suggest 2 each for reaches, targets, safeties for this student
OP: thanks for very helpful suggestions so far. Question:
Are Swarthmore, Carnegie Mellon, Pomona, Rice and Harvey Mudd where-fun-goes-to-die schools? Those seem to be the level of “reachiness” DD wants to aim for. She wants high rigor (truly happy when around nerdy smart kids who like to talk science) but we hope she doesn’t jump right from an intense HS to another 4 years of intensity.
Are Swarthmore, Carnegie Mellon, Pomona, Rice and Harvey Mudd where-fun-goes-to-die schools? Those seem to be the level of “reachiness” DD wants to aim for. She wants high rigor (truly happy when around nerdy smart kids who like to talk science) but we hope she doesn’t jump right from an intense HS to another 4 years of intensity.
Anonymous
08/25/2025 18:10
Subject: Pls suggest 2 each for reaches, targets, safeties for this student
You have some good suggestions and I like Brown for a reach. You might consider Emory or Tufts for an ED2 option. And Pitt honors college is a great likely for a kid like yours (even though it may seem bigger than she wants.)
Anonymous
08/25/2025 17:53
Subject: Pls suggest 2 each for reaches, targets, safeties for this student
Anonymous wrote:- Ideal small to medium-sized interdisciplinary college in a city or suburb
- chemistry major, also wants to take classes in AI and applied math
- wants high exposure to professors and research opportunities
- has strived in high rigor environment but doesn’t want the kind of place where fun goes to die or everyone is studying for grades
- collaborative, highly intellectual culture where students love learning, not all about jockeying for IB connections or the next IPO opportunity
- Female, unhooked, non URM, from a top private, full pay, quiet nerdy but has lot of friends
- 1580, 3.88 from a school that’s known for rigor/doesn't grade inflate (no one gets a 4.0), decent ECs (STEM leadership, part time job year round, volunteer year round, some regional math and writing awards)
Reach: Alabama, Ole Miss (any top sorority going to be difficult here).
Target: Any Patriot League school (very accessible lacrosse scene.)
Safety: Carnegie Mellon, Haverford, Bryn Mawr, Yale, Wellesley, Swarthmore (Gonna fit right in with the STEM grinds if that's your sort of thing).
Anonymous
08/25/2025 17:50
Subject: Re:Pls suggest 2 each for reaches, targets, safeties for this student
Pick any super reach Ivys or MIT.
For more realistic options, I'd also look at:
CMU
Northwestern
Rice
WashU
Pomona
William and Mary + UVA (if in state)
Reed
Case Western
Rochester
-Chem PhD
For a chemistry major, the most important thing to look for is access to quality undergraduate research.
For more realistic options, I'd also look at:
CMU
Northwestern
Rice
WashU
Pomona
William and Mary + UVA (if in state)
Reed
Case Western
Rochester
-Chem PhD
For a chemistry major, the most important thing to look for is access to quality undergraduate research.
Anonymous
08/25/2025 17:41
Subject: Pls suggest 2 each for reaches, targets, safeties for this student
I think for kids like this (and like mine), there are no targets -- only reaches and likelies.
I think this kid sounds like a Swarthmore student -- it's collaborative and not IB focused.
For a somewhat risky likely, I'd say Haveford. It's not as science-y but they'll do fine with chem. Students are v smart, collaborative, and more joyful than Swarthmore.
I think this kid sounds like a Swarthmore student -- it's collaborative and not IB focused.
For a somewhat risky likely, I'd say Haveford. It's not as science-y but they'll do fine with chem. Students are v smart, collaborative, and more joyful than Swarthmore.
Anonymous
08/25/2025 17:31
Subject: Pls suggest 2 each for reaches, targets, safeties for this student
Haverford.
Hamilton.
Mount Holyoke.
Hamilton.
Mount Holyoke.
Anonymous
08/25/2025 17:22
Subject: Pls suggest 2 each for reaches, targets, safeties for this student
Anonymous wrote:DP here. Why stay away from Duke?
Because it sucks.
Anonymous
08/25/2025 17:14
Subject: Pls suggest 2 each for reaches, targets, safeties for this student
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Reaches: Brown, Yale, Harvey Mudd, Stanford (stay away from Cornell, Dartmouth, Penn, Harvard, Duke).
Targets: Hamilton, Haverford, Middlebury, Bowdoin, Bates, Davidson, Wake, W&M
Safeties: Beloit, St. Olaf, Denison, Kenyon, Colby
(Given stats and a small elite private school, these targets are different than what many would suggest for a public school student).
Colby is not a safety, and it’s in the middle of nowhere.
Colby is 100% a safety for this kid from a strong private. They will take down to a 3.4 or so from ours. My kid was one of them this year.
Colby takes the lower 1/3 of our private too.
And almost no one from our W public. Ditto Middlebury.
Both Colby and Middlebury are very clear they are all about the private school students, and not bright public school students - even from the high income W schools.
It's a choice. And applicants should be aware.