Hi! I’ve been stalking this website for quite a while now, although this is my first time posting on it. I’m a rising senior and I’ll need to have my college list soon. However, I’m an international student and thus won’t be able to visit colleges in the US - which is why I hope the community here can help me out.
As of now, I care more about looking at schools that are a “fit” for me in tebms of the student population and atmosphere more than statistics. I’m looking for a small to medium-sized school that is preferably not too cold in the winter, since I come from a very warm climate where it never snows (although I’m sure I can adapt, so this isn’t as important as the qualities later in the paragraph). I don’t mind whether the campus is rural or urban, as long as I can get what I need to live on nearby (within a 15 minute walk?). I strongly prefer that Greek life and the party scene is not overwhelming - as in, I can still have a fulfilling experience during my four years even if I don’t want to get drunk every weekend. I’d prefer a non-affiliated school or one where religion isn’t overwhelming. Most of all, though, I hope to be among students who are motivated and hardworking but not cutthroat or overly competitive. I know that there are always exceptions to the stereotype, but I’d like a community that is generally collaborative, friendly and not arrogant or cliquey. Of course, quality of the education is important too - I’m strongly inclined towards small class sizes and approachable professors who really care about undergraduate education and are not only focused on their research/get TAs to teach their classes.
I’m looking to major in the sciences, though I’m not sure what yet. I’m leaning towards pre-med, neuroscience, biochemistry or biomedical engineering, so it’d be great if the school was strong in one or more of these areas.
I will post my stats if necessary, but I will refrain from doing so right now so people can suggest any schools that seem to fit the above description regardless of admission statistics.
Thank you so much!
There are too many schools that could likely work, we need to know:
test scores
GPA
home state
how much your parents will pay each year.
Thanks for replying - I really wouldn’t mind a long list of colleges as it’s only for a preliminary list, but here are the stats:
GPA (unweighted): 3.97
SAT I: 2240 (will retake)
SAT II: Chemistry (800), will take Math II and possibly one more
AP: Chinese (5), Chemistry (5), Physics 1 (5), World History (5)
I hope these are enough for now. I’m an international student, so no home state. I can’t be positive about the payment part, but I come from an upper middle class family - if possible, please suggest away without consideration of tuition/fees for now.
Who retakes 2240? Are you shooting for the ivies?
Ehh, it’s mostly because my essay score was embarrassingly low and thus dragged my Writing score down to over 50 points lower than my CR and Math. I will ask my guidance counselor about retaking, but she’s the type who would probably encourage me to do it.
The writing score is the least important, and is frequently not used. Don’t retake. Many posters won’t just “suggest away” because some schools cost $60K+/year.
Rhodes College.
College of Wooster.
Whitman College.
Right. Well, I haven’t been able to find a net price calculator that’s accurate for international students, but my family should be able to pay around $60k per year (I need to check with my parents, but we’re in different time zones right now).
@gandalf78 Thank you for the suggestions! I’ll definitely look into them.
Any of the Claremont colleges; Occidental; New College of FL . . .
You should check out Pomona College (one of the Claremont Colleges), which boasts pretty much everything you listed. However, as Pomona College has become the first LAC to have an admission rate lower than 10% (around 8.7%), you can expect to face some fierce competition this year. I would definitely recommend retaking the SAT if that doesn’t cause you any inconvenience.
Thank you both of you for your suggestions! Pomona and Occidental have actually been in my radar for a bit now, particularly Pomona ever since a graduate came to speak at our school. I’ll definitely do more research on them.
Haverford and Bryn Mawr (if female) both fit your description.
I am female, yes, although I’m hesitant about going to an all-female school. I’ll look into Haverford though - thank you!
Is Rice on your list? It fits small, climate, and medical research (Houston has the most in the US). Also, the tuition is lower than a lot of schools, so you may be fine with no financial aid. And their campus is inclusive with among the “happiest” students.
Actually, yes! It’s the first American college I’ve put on my final list after doing extensive research on it - the environment, academics and overall experience sounds amazing. Thank you for mentioning it, as this enforces Rice’s positive image in my mind.