I’ve been having a really hard time finding schools I truly like… for me, I’ll like a school when I visit, then I investigate it more and start to dislike it because of the student body type, competitiveness, or area it’s in 
Bucknell is a prime example of that – I’ve been trying to avoid “cookie-cutter” schools haha. Anyways, William and Mary is one of the few schools I’ve loved. What are my chances at it (with interview and early decision), Barnard, Davidson, and UVa? Also, are there any other schools with decent programs in history/politics/economics etc, that I may like?
[ *] ACT: 33
[ *] SAT Subject Tests: Lit: 660 (probably wont send), Math 2: 650 (definitely won’t send), US History: 750
[ *] Weighted GPA: 4.3ish but this is just a guess, have not received updated GPA from this past year (junior year)
[ *] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): top 10% of very competitive high school
[ *] Senior Year Course Load: AP Stat - AP Bio - AP Econ - AP Lit - AP Euro
Junior Year course load: Honors English, Honors Latin IV, Honors Physics, AP Government (5 on exam), AP Calc AB (5 on exam), APUSH (5 on exam)
[ *] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Green team, three season athlete, very involved in church group despite being atheist (president of council, Model Congress
[ *] Job/Work Experience: work at local restaurant about 20 hours a week
[ *] Volunteer/Community service: spend week per summer on service trip, spend Saturdays with disabled children
[ *] Summer Activities: in charge of advertising a blood drive, will be helping out at a children’s service camp, working, going on service trip
[ *] Intended Major : International Relations
[ *] State (if domestic applicant): NJ
[ *] School Type: public
[ *] Ethnicity: white
[ *] Gender:F
[ *] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): have written pretty poignant essay, great recs
What didn’t you like about Bucknell?
I don’t like the fact that lots of kids from my school go there, so it’s sort of like my town (which i also dislike) in a college… But the reason I dislike the fact that it’s so much like my town is I felt it has a lot of kind of entitled, preppy students, but again, that may be because almost every person from my school who goes there fits that mold.
We are from NJ as well. My son just graduated from a preppy all boys school and his impression of Bucknell was the same but it did make his final three.
You will find a less preppy and more diverse student body at schools like Hamilton, Bates, Bowdoin, Wesleyan. Lafayette and Middlebury, even Colby actually. These schools are also excellent with financial aid. Bucknell is not. You have good enough stats to try those schools. I hope TCNJ is your safety?
BTW UVA and W&M are preppy schools too. These will be hard to get into as OOS applicant. Even if you do, forget getting any meaningful money.
So I’ve been seriously looking at UVA and WM myself, so I think I have a good idea on these. The ACT score is high average for both of them, so you gain a few bonus points there but not many. EC’s are a bit lacking, which hurts badly for OOS. GPA is good. And not to mention, UVA is preppiest school I’ve visited (which is saying a lot), and that’s one of the reasons why I personally like it. If you’re trying to get out of the prep feel then UVA is not the way to go. At WM on the other hand, most people are laid back and keep to themselves. You’re not going to have a crazy college experience, as most kids study half the day and you’re in colonial Williamsburg… Now on the topic of financial help, UVA has the Jefferson Scholars program (which I’m hoping to get in), but your EC’s probably ruin your chances for that. At WM, they have the 1693 Scholars, but only 7 get that annually and it’s only the equivalent of in state tuition. All in all, I think your acceptance chances at UVA are very slim, considering they put a huge weight on leadership in high school. WM I’d put your chances at 50/50 as your academics and first gen are appealing. And as a tidbit of info, UVA is one of few big name colleges that allows superscore on ACT/SAT. Hope I could help! Chance back?? http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1791054-chances-for-uva-unc-wake-forest-vandy-george-washington-u-etc.html#latest
I think with your stats you’d be pretty likely to get in to W&M early decision. Also, just a heads up-if you don’t like preppy schools, Davidson might not be a good fit. If you’re looking for more like a liberal arts school, you could check out Vassar and Williams, but those are pretty hard to get in to as well.
Yeah see I don’t have as much of a problem with actual “prep” per se, but I DO have a problem with the like, cookie cutter upper-middle class, not super interesting kids… and I’ve gotten that impression from some schools. And FYI, i didn’t mention ALL of my extra-curriculars haha. I figured I’d just summarize the ones that I like the most 
But thank you all for your very helpful input!!! I really appreciate it.
@BatesParents2019 also yes, I do plan on applying to TCNJ but I feel like it’s too close… I’d rather go to Wisconsin or Pitt. Does anyone have any thoughts on either as a safety?
How about University of Richmond? It seems like a similar vibe to W&M and Davidson in a lot of ways.
Yeah @doschicos yanno, I liked it but thought it was sort of a watered-down Bucknell… I do think I will apply though.
Emory? Vanderbilt? WUSTL? You still need some safeties, however.
For international relations you should be looking at Georgetown, GW, American, Tufts, Johns Hopkins.
Yeahhhh but wouldn’t I only get into maybe GW and American? @doschicos
Well, you can pick a handful of reaches to apply to. Emory might be doable. American could make a good safety and they give decent merit aid. What’s your financial status, btw?
U have similar statistics to me as well as similar schools that interest us so this would be my take on ur chances at each: William & mary (match) Davidson (match) Emory (low reach) Georgetown (low reach) GW (match) American (safe if u show interest) Vanderbilt (Reach)
@doschicos oo I hope so! I do think I’d like Emory. And my financial status is pretty stable, but my parents will take what they can get haha. I’ll probably have to take out some loans of some sort, but not an overwhelming amount. My mom does really like that W&M is cheaper than most of the other schools I have liked. Thank you!
@2016senior Thank you!! I appreciate your help