College List for IB. Need Help.
Hey guys, I would appreciate any advice due to it being college admissions season. I am supposed to be a high school senior but graduated early at 16, so I'm currently taking a gap year. I am interested in IB and PE but unsure where my stats match up and where I should go. My current list of colleges is as follows. The stats are below the list.
College List
University of Michigan
University of Pennsylvania
Harvard University
Yale University
Princeton
Villanova
University of Miami (IMO Top School, but I don't know if they can get me into IB)
University of Florida
Cornell
Columbia
UT-Austin
Northwestern
UChicago
Southern California
UCLA
SMU
Vanderbilt
Penn State
Wisconsin
North Carolina
Georgetown University
University of Notre Dame
Indiana University - Kelley
Stats
- 1570 SAT - 800 Math, 770 EBRW
- 3.85 UW GPA
- 4.40 W GPA
- I graduated at 16, 2 years ahead of my peers; I am unsure if that means anything to these schools.
- Very Strong ECs (why my grades slipped): Ran multiple businesses since I was 14, worked for businesses being the top sales closer there, nationally ranked athlete + recruited. All of my ECs are a big business and leadership spike.
- White male
To be honest, I'm the type of guy that is looking to get a good education and have a good time in school, so if a state school like Michigan or Texas can get me into IB easily, that would be helpful to know.
Also, if someone can let me know if the University of Miami can get me into IB that would be great, I'm undecided whether or not I should apply ED to them since it's my top school.
sure let me spend hours for you doing this
College Confidential is going to have a better idea of what schools you'll actually get into. In terms of finance placement you've clearly done your research. At 23 schools I would probably be looking to cut schools, not add any more.
UM is a good school but I don't think worth EDing to unless it's your absolute dream school. It's a semi-target and they have alums, but you'd definitely have to work for it. ED makes you less likely to get merit aid since you're coming regardless, might as well just do EA and see what other options you have and what kind of money each school will offer you.
Oozma Kappa University should play
Wharton, UMich, Cornell Dyson and other schools with business school will appreciate your early business endeavor + success. Caveat is that a lot of these Yale/Princeton type liberal art-focused schools do not view very highly of one's involvement in business, let alone most types of pre-professional involvement. Don't get your hopes too high for those lac-type schools and focus more on business schools + maybe Stanford. I'd ED Wharton if I were you.
I love how I’m desensitized to these type of stats now-a-days. Carry wall-street to the moon atp bro
IU kelley
Putting my college confidential hat on. Tbh, you'll be selling yourself a bit short with those stats by doing ED to UMiami.
This is where the value of a school's college counselor would come in since they would be able to provide perspectives as to what your chances are and how students from your HS fare at the admissions offices of certain schools. Can't really say for certain how you'd fare at any of these places since we have no idea if you're coming from Andover or some random school no one has heard of.
Unless you are coming from an exceptionally strong, name-brand HS, ED to Wharton really isn't the best option and you are giving up a better opportunity to apply to places on your list where ED really can make a difference, and are strong for IB. These would be ND, Northwestern, UChicago, Vandy, and Columbia, but given how much you like UMiami I don't think UChicago would be a good fit at all.
Just some general college advice: I really think the key differentiator for ED comes down to how well you write the "why this school" essay from the standpoint of how well you research the school by means of what is available online, things from information sessions, talking to current/past students, professors/admin at the school, etc, then how well you can implement that into an essay. So, try to decide within the next month where you plan to ED to get started on the process of an off-the-charts supplemental essay.
Top schools are still a crapshoot so try to apply to as many as you can without stretching yourself too thin and as financially reasonable (application fees add up quickly).
Appreciate the feedback.
I'm coming from the state of Kansas, so that's why I have some Midwest schools on there (Chicago and Northwestern). I'm coming from one of the best public schools in the state, but it's no match to anything on the east coast. I also consider applying to Michigan or Northwestern as ED, with Northwestern getting the better end of the stick.
UMich Ross is very strong for finance - up there with some of the target schools. Not sure what their ED looks like / if you can ED to Ross, but I would put that pretty high on the list if you like the school
You should apply ED to one of UChicago/Northwestern/Columbia/Cornell. Not sure if your GPA is high enough for the first three but you can easily get into one of the state colleges at Cornell (ILR, SHA, CALS) with your stats.
Happy to help. As far as I know, UMich doesn't have ED, but they do have an early action program where you'll find out in January and it is non-binding, so at least you find out a bit earlier if you get in.
Picking schools:
If you want the best chance of getting in ED to a top school, go for UChicago, Cornell, Columbia, or Northwestern ED. If you don't ED I UChicago, definitely ED II. All 4 have great cultures and amazing placement. People on say bad stuff about the schools or cultures, but they are wrong. People's opinions are very polarizing on WSO.
If you want the big state school party experience and still a very very good chance of placing, go for UMich, USC, and I suggest add Berkeley, maybe UVA if you have time. All 3 are amazing. UCLA, UT Austin, and UNC are in the same boat but don't recruit as well as the first 3.
Final advice:
Your stats look good and EC's sound promising. It will be your essays that really drive your story and success. The way you spin your gap year is make or break. Your strong points are your businesses, graduating early, and gap year. The story you tell with these could get you into a lot of these schools. 23 is a lot of schools though. Make sure you spend good time on all of them because if you start rushing, everything could go terribly.
Please do not bother with ED to University of Miami. That is not a target for IB. State schools such as Michigan and Texas would have a better path for you to break into IB by a mile. Numerous Ross and McCombs alum on the street. Chicago and NYC for Michigan. Houston and NYC for Uof texas
Go to a large public and have your mind on recruiting from day one. You’ll make it in. I got in from a non target just by being one of a handful who actually knew what IB was as a freshman.
Where did you attend? I'm honestly considering UMich or UT Austin ED/EA
I went to UCSB
If you’re an athlete, try looking into NESCACs? IB is a bit harder, but if you know you want it u can get it
If Williams/Amherst, would probably place better per capita than the majority of names on the list. Also not too difficult to get in ED. But I recall they had some more difficult to approach supplemental essays.
Williams doesn’t have supps anymore and Amherst is pretty easy ngl. Williams freshman
Currently @ UMiami and you shouldn’t have trouble with IB if you are intentional about it. Plenty of BBs and some EBs/PE placements. With that said, with your stats, you could and should definitely shoot for some of the more prominent targets like the other posters suggested!!
Graduated from Umiami in 2022. With those stats you should no problem getting into a good IB job. Recruitment has been getting better every year and in my class alone we have/had people at GS, MS, JPM, Citi, Barclays, UBS, Piper, RJ, FT Partners, Harris Williams, etc.
Look up "Bermont Carlin" on the LinkedIn and the schools website and that is how you can see representation on the street. Best of luck!
Can comment on UCLA/USC, both have great LA placements if that interests you at all as well as pretty good SF placements although lagging behind UCB. A lot of it is super club and student focused for recruiting. NY is still relatively weak but every year more and more student gets good offers. Also colleges that are in bigger cities like LA usually have local boutiques you can intern with part time during school to give u a unique resume boost.
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