I think what it comes down to, why bind yourself to a school that isn’t your top choice? I think most recognize Bowdoin won’t happen but if you bind yourself to Colby and get in, you can never know.
I think the game is a mistake. Will they ‘love” Colby ? The student is going to get into many fine LACs.
On the flipside, the data shows that the schools need to let in a lot of RD in just to field that have a class. At Wes, it’s 7 RDs to get one to enroll,Hamilton 4.5 or whatever I noted above. Colby doesn’t show data but guessing it’s higher.
So yes ED may be best - but then likely Bates or Holy Cross - but why bind yourself to something you’re not 100% assured of ?
it’s not like this student isn’t going to get into Connn College or Hobart or St Lawrence or many other fine schools. This student is definitely getting into CU and UVM and already may have acceptances.
If you want an LAC with rank, rigor, and a terrific classroom experience apply to Carleton. Multiple direct flights per day from NYC airports into MSP airport and then an easy shuttle to the college. And ~25 min from Buck Hill which has produced more Olympians per foot of vertical drop than any other ski spot in North America
In terms of technical aspects, Hamilton enrolled 2% of a recent class with students from outside of the top quarter of their high school classes, and Bowdoin enrolled 6% of a recent class with students from outside the top quarter of their high school classes. However, this is based on the very limited CDS information of students for whom a high school rank was submitted. Further, I’ve lost track as to whether your class standing will be reported in any specific context? In any case, consideration of the quality and reputation of your high school and of your course selection may supersede undue scrutiny of your class standing.
Academically very challenging. A lot of work. Beautiful location. “Real” winters (and I am saying this as someone who was originally from Montreal). My first visit to Cornell was in February. They got 3 feet of snow and then the temperature plummeted. It was beautiful.
University rankings are useful to sell magazines or to get clicks on web pages. For a student to decide where to go, rankings really are not useful and do not matter. You will get a very good education at any college or university discussed in this thread. You can have a good career after graduating from any college mentioned in this thread. You can get into a very good graduate program, if you want to consider graduate school, with a degree from any college mentioned in this thread. Also, rankings could change at least a bit by the time that you graduate.
I am expecting that by now your ED2 application is probably in. If not, then to me it is not clear that you even should apply anywhere ED2.
If you apply RD and EA to multiple schools, you are likely to get multiple acceptances (and multiple rejections, but we can all just forget about those schools once this happens). Then among your acceptances you can look at the financial offers, think about how you feel about each school, and visit the ones that come near the top of your list. There is something very real about visiting a school when you already have an affordable offer in hand – you know that you really can be there next September if you just choose to do so. Also, if you get to talk to a professor (which can be arranged at many schools) they will also know that you have already been accepted and can be there in September if you just choose to do so.
Of course if you apply ED2 to a highly ranked LAC and are rejected, then you are back to RD applications and the benefits of having multiple offers and getting to choose between them still apply.
You already have some very good acceptances. I expect that you will get more. One way or another it sounds like you will do well.
I’ll add that Middlebury places 26th by selectivity nationally (see post #38), so it may make sense for you to emphasize colleges that are at least slightly less challenging to get into than Middlebury. Bates, for example, at 64th, seems feasible, even in RD. Nonetheless, I wouldn’t say that your reach ideas are inappropriate, although an ED II application would be likely to make one of them more realistic.
I did some reflection and while I haven’t submitted, I’m pretty set on Hamilton EDII. Especially for the schools I’m applying to, looking at data from my specific HS, which has very few recruited athletes and 0 feeder status, ED gives a massive boost over RD, even with similar stats/numbers.
My GPA is definitely my weak point. However, I think that most colleges know that my HS is highly competitive and requires a test to enter. No rank is sent, but I’m still under the average GPA for admitted students from my HS by about 2 whole points (Out of 100).
What about Hamilton? I for sure agree my GPA is a large weak point, and after some self-reflection Bowdoin doesn’t really seem to be my #1, I was just Illusioned by prestige. Colby College is pushing it for remoteness, student/athlete divide, and elitism. I’ve also read that students feel it’s being ran like a business, putting on a flashy show with a low admissions rate and fancy buildings but struggling more in everyday facilities compared to peer institutions. I really liked Hamilton and I’m pretty confident it’s my #1 at the moment.
I’m OK with an unsuccessful ED2 bid, as long as it’s not a complete shot in the dark, because I feel like if I ED to Colby and get accepted, I’ll have a nagging feeling that I could have shot a higher shot and ended up at a school I’d rather be at.
It’s true that I’ve been switching around my #1 a lot lately. It seems like Hamilton has been sticking for a while, but it’s always possible it’ll fall back out. However, couldn’t this also speak to the fact that I really like all of these schools, so I may as well bind myself to one?
I’m sure life would be great at either of those incredible schools, but I’d like to increase my odds of admission at one of few top choices.
There’s definitely a chance I end up at one of these schools and realize that I can’t survive a small rural school and need a large state school. However, I’m pretty confident I want a small rural LAC, and my 3 top choices are all small rural LACs. It’s not that I won’t be happy at Hamilton or Colby, I just can’t decide which one I would love the most, just splitting hairs. Therefore, it seems logical to lock myself down to at least one of them if I can’t deicide. If I got into both RD, I’d have to make that same decision eventually.
Pitzer is definitely on my list, and I already applied to HWS which seems pretty similar to St Lawrence in my mind. My list is: Bates, Bowdoin, Carleton, Colby, Colgate, Colorado College, Cornell, Hamilton, HWS, Pitzer, Pomona, Skidmore, Boulder, UVM, U of Washington, Williams, UCSC, UCD, UCB, and McGill.
I’m not really worried about safeties since I’ve already been accepted to Bing New Paltz and Bard. My targets are U of Washington and Colorado College, Skidmore, and Pitzer which seem like they might be a little harder then a target for me.
I would apply to St Lawrence and Wesleyan but I ran out of space on Common App.
You had what seemed legit concerns about Colby before when it was brought up to you by the college counselor.
I don’t know if it’s true or if it should impact you but you said - but you said:
You also said:
To each his own, but you know if you ask 100 people on the street about Middlebury or Colby or Hamilton or wherever - 95-99 will have no idea what you’re talking about.
You also noted you have need - you didn’t say how much - but Hamilton is need blind. If you need $70K a year, a need aware school can say no. If need blind, won’t.
You really don’t sound like an ED2 candidate - but if you are and it’s Hamilton and it does sound like it, I say great.
But if you were to say to me - I really love Skidmore or I really love Colby - I think but they’re not high enough - is a silly reason for it not to be the choice. In the end, you will be somewhere four years day after day - so you want it to be the right somewhere - regardless of the name or how you get in.
Yeah, there’s some great LACs with great ties - but if you are looking for general public adulation, you’re not going to get it from most any LACs.
Good luck whatever you decide - and if you decide ED2 to Hamilton, the worst that could happen is you get in - which even if you decide is not for you…..you’ll make it for you.
If you miss ED2, don’t fret - tons of great schools - even if they’re not the big names you hope for.
You will make your success - not Colby or Bowdoin.
