Many schools' online application deadlines are right around the corner—have you submitted all the schools on your list?
When choosing schools, most international students usually compile a list divided roughly into three categories: reach, fit, and safety school.
However, in recent years, even the strong programs at some elite safety schools have started raising their bars. During the last application season, UIUC—a high-acceptance-rate school jokingly called the "University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Cornfield Campus" due to its enormous Chinese student population—saw a massive wave of deferrals.
Prospective students must therefore take this seriously. The safety schools of the past are no longer the steadfast companions that say, "Whether you come or not, I'll be right here, never abandoning you." So how should you choose safety schools for 2018?
1. Principles for Choosing Safety Schools
Seriously assess the application difficulty of prestigious safety schools
Some students are unwilling to choose schools whose average admission criteria they far exceed, viewing it as a waste. They then add a few more "match" schools disguised as "safety"—so what’s the point of having safeties at all?
In early August, Forbes released its 2017 "Super-Safety" school list (see end of article). Although UIUC topped the list of ten super safety schools, many applicants still expressed hesitation about applying there.
As the most popular "super safety" among Chinese students, schools like UIUC, UW–Madison, Penn State, Ohio State, and Purdue have traditionally been very welcoming. But recent trends show a shift: as these institutions develop, application requirements are subtly but steadily rising!
Therefore, don’t underestimate the difficulty of admission to safety schools. Before applying, you must do your homework and carefully review the "admission instructions" on each school’s official website—this is the most accurate firsthand information.
Consider fit
When selecting safety schools, consider whether your profile matches the institution. The best choice is the one that suits you.
Application numbers fluctuate every year at every university. With so many outstanding students competing across schools, competition is fierce. So try to thoroughly understand each school’s requirements to strengthen your application—this applies to safety schools as well.
Don’t choose a safety school just for the sake of having one if it’s vastly different from your expectations. Instead, pick a school where you might feel a slight regret but definitely no remorse. Because you can’t have everything, you’ve lowered your standards in some aspects, but the overall value of the school still falls within your consideration range, and it must have traits that suit and attract you.
Don’t pick safety schools far below your ability level
When selecting safety schools, don’t “settle for less” by choosing universities where your qualifications far exceed the average—you might actually get rejected this way.
For example, if your grades are on par with those of Tsinghua University but you choose a second-tier school as your safety for peace of mind, that second-tier school might reject you, thinking “our temple is too small for such a great Buddha.”
Many universities are highly concerned with yield—whether admitted students actually enroll. So being far stronger than the school you’re applying to is no longer a guarantee of admission.
Many less well-known or slightly less prestigious universities found that after admitting high-achieving students, those students didn’t enroll. With enrollment rates falling short, these schools have become more cautious in recent years.
2. The Ten Safest Safety Schools in the U.S.
In July this year, Forbes released its 2017 "Super-Safety" school list. The ranking took into account location, size, religious affiliation, academic atmosphere, as well as graduate starting salaries and student satisfaction. Naturally, listed schools also met the "safety" criterion: whether public or private, each had an acceptance rate above 60%.
1\
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) is a world-renowned top-tier research university. It is a member of the Big Ten Conference and is hailed as a "Public Ivy," one of the finest engineering universities in the nation. Ranked 44th in the 2017 U.S. News national rankings, it offers over 150 undergraduate programs, houses one of the world’s largest public university libraries, and hosts over 1,000 student clubs and organizations on campus.
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Yeshiva University, founded in 1886 in New York, is one of the oldest comprehensive universities in the U.S. Established under Jewish auspices, it is also known as the Jewish University. Ranked 66th nationally by U.S. News in 2017, it comprises 18 undergraduate and graduate schools, with disciplines spanning the arts, sciences, and Jewish culture and thought. Located near Manhattan, it ranks alongside NYU and Columbia as one of the best universities in the New York area, with a 92% graduation rate among the highest in the country.
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Virginia Tech, located in Blacksburg, Virginia on the East Coast, is a comprehensive public institution of higher learning with a strong focus on engineering. It ranks among the top 10 in the nation for industrial/manufacturing, biological, agricultural, and civil engineering; its School of Public and International Affairs is 37th, and its business school and education school are within the top 100. The university’s System X computer was once the world’s seventh-fastest and the top university-based supercomputer globally.
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Wheaton College offers 40 majors to undergraduates and provides study-abroad opportunities in over 30 countries. One of the earliest female seminaries in the U.S., it transitioned to a women’s liberal arts college in 1912 and began admitting men in 1988. Located in Norton, Massachusetts, the college boasts a student-faculty ratio of about 10:1, with most classes enrolling between 15 and 20 students.
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Texas A&M University is a world-renowned public research university and the sixth-largest in the U.S. Founded in 1876, its main campus is located in College Station, Texas. A member of the elite Association of American Universities (AAU), it consistently ranks among the top 100 globally and top 50 nationally in academic rankings. It has a top-tier engineering school, globally renowned, with five Nobel laureates having studied or worked there. In the 2017 U.S. News engineering rankings, it placed 10th overall nationally, with specific rankings including 2nd in biological/agricultural engineering, 3rd in petroleum, 4th in nuclear, 7th in aerospace, 11th in civil, and 15th in accounting. It is recognized as one of the top 20 public research institutions in the U.S.
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James Madison University is a public research university in Virginia, founded in 1908. Located in Harrisonburg, it features a large quadrangle campus along South Main Street. With 77 programs and over 19,000 students, JMU offers more than 200 degree options, including bachelor’s, master’s, educational specialist, and doctoral degrees. Graduates enjoy strong educational rewards, and the university tends to favor its own alumni in hiring.
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University of Delaware (UD or UDel), located in Newark, Delaware, is one of the oldest premier public research universities in the nation. It comprises seven colleges and offers over 125 major and 100 minor programs, renowned for excellence in teaching and research. Its chemical engineering and marine studies programs rank in the top 10 nationally; physical therapy is 1st; chemistry and urban management are top 10; criminology, public administration, nonprofit management, and its MBA program all rank in the top 25.
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Wofford College, founded in 1854, is a four-year private liberal arts college affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Designated a National Historic District in 1974, it offers 26 major and 22 minor programs. Wofford provides undergraduate and pre-professional courses in fields such as accounting, art history, chemistry, computer science, economics, English, environmental studies, mathematics, philosophy, psychology, religion, sociology, information management, music, geology, gender studies, theater, education, veterinary medicine, and physics. Fraternity and sorority life form the core of its social scene.
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University of Denver is a prestigious private university and the oldest, largest private research institution in the Rocky Mountain region. Founded by John Evans, also the founder of Northwestern University, it started as the Colorado Seminary and now includes 220 graduate and undergraduate programs. According to the 2017 U.S. News & World Report, DU ranks 86th among national universities. Its 125-acre campus resembles a large arboretum, and the Pins Research Grant program offers students opportunities to conduct research.
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Willamette University is a private school, a highly ranked liberal arts and sciences university with about 1,800 undergraduates and 760 graduate students in law, business, and education. Founded in 1842, it is one of the oldest universities in the American West. The campus is adjacent to the 300-acre Zena Forest and houses over 100 student clubs and organizations. Willamette’s College of Arts and Sciences is known for generous scholarships, innovative education, and accomplished alumni.
