Only attended 2 years of high school due to unique extenuating circumstances, will be submitting GED instead of HS transcripts
Intended Major(s)
journalism/writing
GPA, Rank, and Test Scores
3.6 GPA but i do have 3 C grades on my transcript (2 from my first semester, 1 from a math class i took during summer semester) the rest are A’s
In my schools honors program and have taken 3 honors courses (received 2 A’s, third honors course is still in progress)
Awards
None yet but I will likely have the chance to present a history/arts paper at a conference in my school
Extracurriculars
Section editor for my colleges newspaper
Part time work experience
Essays/LORs/Other
I’m hoping my essays and letters of recommendation will boost me. I’ve always been a very strong writer, and I plan to discuss some unique obstacles I’ve faced and overcome throughout my high school years. I also plan to get LORs from my hs english teacher who i was very close with as well as 2 current professors of mine who I have good relationships with
Schools
Currently applying to:
SUNY New Paltz
The College of New Jersey TCNJ
Mt. Holyoke (this one is a bit of a wild card)
also looking for ideas for where else i should apply that have a similar cozy LAC vibe to the schools im already applying to
Mary Washington in VA has a Journalism minor as does Christopher Newport. Millersville, in PA, has journalism. Salisbury in MD has Multimedia Journalism. Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) has journalism too.
So much will depend on budget and limitations - such as geography - if you are tied to NJ/NY, etc.
If you like SUNY New Paltz, and if a private LAC like Mount Holyoke would be in budget, how about Marist, which is only about 20 minutes away from New Paltz, has a similar-sized undergrad population, and has a journalism major: Journalism - Marist University
Emerson would be a big reach, and might be more urban than you want, but it’s particularly strong for your interests and might be worth a try.
Good luck; you have some good options on your list already, and you should be able to add some more in the same vein. More info about budget and aid eligibility would help to narrow down what will work cost-wise.
You can try applying to Ursinus (excellent for writing), Denison (reach but why not at least apply if unique circumstances etc), Agnes Scott (very diverse, Dynamic women’s college in Atlanta with partnership with Emory and their top notch writing program), Sewanee (topnotch for writing but more isolated than the others).
Your odds at TCNJ and SUNY New Paltz are good so you can add a couple colleges that will look into your circumstances (women’s colleges in particular will).
Curious as to why SUNY Geneseo isn’t on your list. Apart from Mt. Holyoke, it’s probably the most LAC of the schools mentioned so far. If you are willing to pay OOS tuition for New Paltz, the tuition is similar and you might even get a merit award as an enticement. It’s a lovely campus with a definite LAC vibe. I know many students who have been very happy at Geneseo.
I’m guessing it’s because New Paltz has journalism and Geneseo doesn’t. I looked last night thinking the same thing - so found some programs with journalism - although the student wants a writing bent vs. much of the journalism today which is multi media.
Not sure of your budget but you might look at Drew in NJ as well as some schools on the “Colleges That Change Lives” list (you can google it) with as Goucher as one example.
The OP can check out any/all of the LACs on the CTCL list to see if some may fit the bill. Agree that the college’s financial condition is a consideration. I believe Goucher is still good with aid if finances are an issue.
OP describes wanting an LAC vibe, but her current list is mostly mid-sized LAC-ish universities (e.g. New Paltz, TCNJ), and Marist fits that pattern. She wants a somewhat more pre-professional major than the most purist LAC’s offer. So my interpretation was that small-to-midsized schools where liberal arts and preprofessional overlap seemed like the sweet spot being sought - hence the Elon suggestion too. But I agree that Ithaca could be a good one to consider as well.