cottoncandy

DISCLAIMER: I am not a huge fan of the whole "admissions game", and do not intend to ask what (to the hundredth place) my exact chances are of getting into a particular school. I've just barely started looking for colleges, and don't really know where to visit or get more info on, so suggestions would be awesome! I'll also place where I've thought of at the bottom. Thanks in advance! (I know that if you go to my school you'll know who I am... sorry!)

School: suburban Phila, v. competitive (sends many grads to "top" schools)

GPA: 3.71/4-- 3 B's sophomore year (Precalc H, Chem H, Spanish 2H- this was a really strange year for me as my father moved out of the state among other things, but I wouldn't include that in an app), 1 junior- AP Calc AB

Junior Sched: Calc AB, Physics H, AP Lang & Comp, Spanish 3H, AP US History, Philosophy, Theology

Senior: AP Gov, Spanish 4H, AP Stat, AP Environ. Science (NOT taking as a joke, I really am interested in sustainable development, etc.), AP Lit, Journalism H
Considering a course at local college (Penn)- one of my teachers suggested it

SAT:
took twice, highest combined= 2360 (800CR, 760M, 800W- 12 on essay)
Will take SAT 2 in US History, Lit, and world history or math/physics in June

EXTRACURRICULARS ( I really do care about the ones I've continued with)
-JV soccer (9)
-Track (Pole Vault, 9, 10, 11, 12)-- JV, then varsity
-World Affairs Club (10, 11, 12)-- sort of a Model UN
-Amnesty International (10, 11, 12)-- Co-Pres (11), then Pres (12)
-buildOn (community service/activism- 10, 11, 12)-- VP (11), potentially Pres (12)
-Theater- Publicity crew one show(9), Crew and then "Crewhead" (10- like vars. credit)
-Culinary Arts Club (10,11)
-Writer for school newspaper (10, 11, 12)
-Features Editor- newspaper (11)
-News Editor (12)
-9 years of piano lessons- no competitions, I just love to play
-Teaching myself guitar

-Member of Student Steering and Advisory Committee for World Affairs Council Phila

COMMUNITY SERVICE (basically, my passion):
-Volunteered delivering food boxes (5 hr/month) with JRA for upwards of six years
-SAT tutor disadvantaged students for 2 hours on most Saturdays
-hundreds of hours with buildOn (www.buildon.org- a GREAT organization) at various projects
-Volunteer Coordinator for the Friendship Circle (11)

- Was selected as one of twelve Philadelphia students to travel on an all-expenses paid "Trek" to Mali through buildOn. We helped to build a school and lived with local families-- didn't count hours, but it was 4+ each day for two weeks. (Another plug for buildOn!)
To where they're needed | Philadelphia Inquirer | 04/04/2009


I really do care about learning and being in an intellectual (though not cutthroat) environment. I'm also very interested in international/global affairs, though a strong IR program is not a prerequisite for potential colleges.
ANY SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED! PEACE!!!!

cottoncandy

I've only looked at two schools: Wesleyan (loved) and Columbia (not quite sure yet, only went at my mother's nagging). Thanks again!

johnwesley

if you like Wesleyan and weren't so sure about Columbia, I'd take a look at:

Brown
Yale
Rice
Vassar
Connecticut College
Occidental
Trinity (CT.)

all offer good, open-ended, liberal arts and science curricula, nearby urban areas and traditions of community service.

poi

Oberlin, Skidmore and Kenyon.

greennblue

University of Chicago.

cottoncandy

Thanks so much for all the suggestions! Could Yale, Brown, and Wesleyan really be feasible options for me, though?- it seems as though everyone here applying to these schools has 4.0s and 2400s. Is this just a skewed representation of the actual applicants?

Hunt

For the most selective schools, your SAT is fine, and your GPA is a bit low. However, it has an upward trend, and you have good ECs. I think it is entirely reasonable for you to include very selective schools in your list, as long as you have a list that includes reach, match, and safety schools that you would be happy to attend. To the list of schools to consider, I would add Tufts.

hmom5

Where you rank in your class would be a key piece of info in assessing your chances. even if your school doesn't rank. When schools send many to top colleges, your first line of competition is your classmates.

JuanEatsPandas

Georgetown! you'd love it there and they have a phenomenal IR program. Also Tufts and Brown.

And don't go to UChicago. That place is an abyss for fun.

cottoncandy

Great, keep them coming!
I've heard Georgetown can skew a bit preppy and conservative, though, and although I am of course open to new ideas and views I was wondering how true this is (and at Claremont McKenna as well). Thanks!

vossron

"I really do care about learning and being in an intellectual (though not cutthroat) environment."

Six schools come to mind: Carleton, Grinnell, Oberlin, Reed, Swarthmore, UChicago.

vossron

^ For women add Bryn Mawr.

MattsMomFL

"I really do care about learning and being in an intellectual (though not cutthroat) environment."

Pomona

cottoncandy

Thanks to everyone who's helped out so far! I truly do appreciate it...

jamiroquai

Really good suggestions so far... I totally agree with Pomona, Swat, UChicago, Georgetown (mostly for IR though... I think of preppy when I think of Georgetown too, and Wesleyan is the antithesis of preppy), Brown and DEFINITELY think you should look into Tufts (it was the first school that popped into my head when I read your description, and is much closer on the similarity scale to Wesleyan than Columbia).

You asked about CMC's reputation vs. reality—it's about 50/50 in terms of relative Republicans/Democrats, which fosters a lot of really healthy debate since I'd say the majority of CMC students are at least interested in, if not pursuing, studies in government and politics (or econ). Pomona is more thoroughly liberal, but isn't quite AS focused on government and econ programs. Also, I've heard CMC is more pre-professional than Pomona, which funnels more students into grad schools.

Good luck in your search! Major respect for not succumbing to the hype of college admissions (needless to say, you're in the minority here haha).