We’re both undecided :/// I applied for psychology but I don’t know if I’m still interested in that as a career
You might want to look into Mc Daniel and Goucher, nice LAC colleges that I’m guessing are not too far from you ( both in Maryland near the border of PA ) that can be generous with financial aid. Goucher is in Baltimore, but in a suburban edge, I think, with lots of green space. McDaniel has a charming campus in a small town ( very close to Gettysburg PA). McDaniel has its own study-abroad campus in Prague that many McDaniel students attend if that would interest you … I believe they have special financial aid for this (or charge the same tuition… something like that). If you’re willing to look further, consider College of Wooster in NE Ohio, a few blocks away from a small town that many students seem to like . All still are accepting applications.
Any chance you want to study atmospheric sciences/meteorology since you’re off psych?
MIllersville is well know for this.
Honestly, they are two regional schools and very equal and I’m not sure why someone would trash it - especially vs. West Chetser - but kids will be kids.
It’s smaller obviously and in a less populous part of the state.
I haven’t looked at % living on campus but I’d think W Chester would be more commuter. You might look at that.
@waterbottle321 , I just peeked at your other thread and saw your SAT score. I don’t know how many schools with open spots still have merit aid available but if they do, I think a great many nice colleges would want to be generous (I.e. perhaps Wooster and McDaniel.) I know a student at McDaniel (a friend’s child) who has a full ride there and I doubt that her reading score is anywhere where yours is. My own D had a very disproportionate math/reading split almost identical to yours and it didn’t hurt her at all.
I am sympathetic to your twin issue but I do think you could likely find distance from your sister at West Chester, if you find you want to stick with it. My D is an only child but she had a concern about a high school friend that she wanted to gain breathing room from, that went to the same small university she did (it is less than half the size of West Chester). You know what? They barely run into each other… months go by when they don’t catch a glimpse. Especially if you cut/ highlight or style your hair very differently from your twin I think you could find that separate identity. It won’t be the same as growing up for years in a school/ neighborhood community, where everyone has seen you grow up together. Students at West Chester will be coming from all over and your “twin-ness” to them will be just a mild curiosity if you live in different dorms and take different classes.
These are all great suggestions. Particularly Wooster. If the OP is interested, she should have her parent call the FA office at both schools on Monday.
We are from SEPA and very familiar with all these schools. Our HS sends a lot of students to all three for various reasons. Kids seem happiest at WCU. I think about 15 of my daughters friends are there and they all love it. Her then BF transferred from Temple to WCU after freshman year. Anecdotal, I know. If the only drawback is your twin being so close, I would try not to let that affect your future plans if it feels like the best fit for you.
I’d suggest doing a deeper dive into the various programs that Temple offers. If you’re not committed to graduate study in psychology (either on an academic/research PhD track or on a clinical PsyD track), then some of the programs Temple offers, in a more practical vein that could help get you into jobs you would enjoy after undergrad, could be really good. For example, the Human Development and Community Engagement major has multiple tracks, and includes a year-long practicum and internship. There’s also an undergraduate Social Work major. There are allied health possibilities, like Recreation Therapy and Speech, Language & Hearing Science (although the latter requires a masters degree to become a clinician). Public Health is another great major with a lot of social sciences built in. There are psychology-related majors in the business school, like Marketing and Human Resources Management… and in the school of Media & Co, like Advertising, Public Relations, and Communication & Social Influence. If having a wide range of options like these sounds appealing, then it may be worth considering Temple, even if the urban setting isn’t what you most prefer.
Applying to McDaniel is another great suggestion. It has a really nice, non-urban campus environment, but it also has a wide variety of interesting programs that might work for you. In addition to a psychology major, they have majors in social work, education, communications, business/marketing, and other interesting fields like food studies. https://www.mcdaniel.edu/academics/programs-degrees?keyword=All&type[24]=24 They tend to be quite generous with merit, too.
I’m thinking Wooster, as well ( as a National LAC) might set you up well if you decide to consider graduate study. Wooster’s claim to fame (other than ties to all things Scottish, including a bagpipe ensemble) is that all students do a major senior research project, each with a mentor-professor to advise them, to be completed senior year, so students are well-prepared to pursue graduate studies should the want to go in that direction. I guess your super-strong reading score has me wondering whether you’d like a learning-for-learning’s sake environment for awhile
rather than something more practical/ pre-professional. I did notice at first glance that Milllersville’s degrees seem to be predominantly along the lines of nursing, education, business, etc. NOTHING wrong with that, but maybe you’d like a bit more intellectual exploration.
Oops, I meant to reply to the OP.
Wow thank you so much for the in depth advice !!! I’ll look into these colleges 
I really appreciate everyone writing back such kind and helpful responses to me btw
Wow thank you! I do think that a big plus of Temple so maybe as I’m undecided I’d be better off going there? Idk it’s a lot to think about rn haha
Yeah I guess my main concern with West Chester would be if we were both in the honors college which is 80 people only and everyone on the same floor and dorm. So Ive heard it’s very tight knit in that way (on my interview they stressed that everyone knows everyone lol) but maybe I shouldn’t take the honors college offer if I went (I’m not sure what exactly it offers and the housing is a lot more expensive…)
While WC might be great for you, that you want to obtain independence from your sibling is enough reason not to go.
Someone said it b4 - those of us not twins can say you’ll rarely see your sibling and it could be true but you’re bound to see them and if you want pure independence, choose Millersville.
This way you’re assured of your independence.
Good luck
If you are open to looking at other schools that may still have seats and funding available, it would be helpful if you could share more about your budget and what you’re wanting out of your college experience (apart from distance from your twin).
I’m honestly not sure about how realistic it is to apply to other schools since the commitment deadline for everywhere Im considering is May 15th—five days from now :((( — so I’d have to somewhere hear back in time to make a decision by May 15
budget wise Im hurting a bit since they don’t consider siblings on the FAFSA anymore … can’t really go above around 20,000 or something and I plan to appeal a lot wherever I go to get my SAI adjusted
You’d definitely have to commit somewhere in the meantime. But if there are schools still taking apps and giving merit aid, that interest you, you can apply, and if you get an affordable offer, you can always withdraw from the school you committed to and switch, the same as people do who get waitlist offers.
Millersville also has a pretty good variety of majors and programs. So compare those with the ones that interest you at Temple. Is Millersville also around the same price as WCU and Temple?
I agree with the statement upthread that you shouldn’t go to Temple with the intention of transferring. But I also agree with your reasoning that you could always transfer out of Temple if you gave it a chance and found you weren’t happy, whereas starting freshman year is the only way you’d be able to afford Temple. So, I think you need to do a deeper dive into whether you could be happy in that environment. Maybe try to get in touch with some current students and get their perspective? And if there are particular programs that interest you, see if you can talk to people in those programs, too.
If you do decide you want to investigate some other options, these are some schools you may want to check out. If you find yourself interested in them, you can reach out to see if they’re still accepting applications and have financial aid available. They’re all in Pennsylvania unless noted otherwise.
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Allegheny: About 1400 undergrads
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Drew (NJ): About 1500 undergrads
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Elizabethtown: About 1700 undergrads
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Juniata: About 1200 undergrads
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Lycoming: About 1100 undergrads
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Marywood: About 1900 undergrads
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Mercyhurst: About 2400 undergrads
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Muhlenberg: About 1900 undergrads
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Muskingum (OH): About 1500 undergrads
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Ohio Wesleyan: About 1400 undergrads
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Otterbein (OH): About 2200 undergrads
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The College of Wooster (OH): About 2k undergrads
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Washington & Jefferson: About 1100 undergrads
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York: About 3300 undergrads
ETA: If you’re interested in a bigger school than the ones listed above, Marshall(WV) has about 8k undergrads and you would get a sufficiently large scholarship to bring the cost within budget, I believe (source).
Are you in the Honors College at Temple too? (A BIG benefit is the Honors Dorm, which not only is nice, but is guaranteed all 4 years, meaning you don’t have to find housing off campus.)
The campus itself is safe, they invest in security so students not only are safe but feel safe, and anytime you want to go somewhere off campus, if you feel unsafe, they have someone who can walk with you. The city of Philadelphia is really cool, with LOTS of things to do, and with a SEPTA stop on the edge of campus (and counting as Center City fare/frequency) you can just hop on with friends and go whenever you want.
Academics at Temple would be better than at Millersville overall but I agree the environment isn’t the same. Have you visited both? Did you like Millersville or are you just generally afraid of North Philly due to reputation rather than from what you saw when you visited?
You could deposit at Temple or Millersville while you wait for your application to be processed at Drew, Muhlenberg, Goucher, Allegheny, Wooster (all TERRIFIC colleges where professors pay a lot of attention to students; Wooster has more academic students often aiming for grad school; Drew has partnerships in NYC if internships and experiential learning is more your thing; Muhlenberg may be easiest for you to visit). If these come through financially, you’ve got choices. If they don’t, you still have the college where you placed your deposit.
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