Hi CC community! I am reaching out for guidance/advice in helping my D25 develop a well-balanced list of colleges to explore. She hopes to stay in the northeast, but understands her odds might be greater outside of the northeast. I think she would consider opportunities further south/west if they are affordable and easy to access by either direct flight or train.
D25 is seeking a medium-sized college/university with an academicky vibe (as @NiceUnparticularMan would say 
), preferably in a small city or town (ie., she really does not want to be in the middle of nowhere.) Her interests (at the moment) are applied math, but she has also expressed an interest in engineering, so I’d like to keep that an option during her college search (thus eliminating many smaller LACs.) She would also like to continue with her foreign language, so we are leaning more towards liberal arts colleges/universities with engineering degree options – in case she decides to go that route. We will be chasing merit – would love a price tag to not exceed 32k/yr. Her stats are 4.0 UW/1560, she has somewhat typical ECs (for CC, that is) – capt of her v sport, pres of some clubs, first chair in music, etc. She is incredibly self-driven and motivated and has been enjoying the beginning of her college search, but she is really struggling to find that “hidden gem” that is affordable, a likely/probable admit, checks both the engineering and foreign language box, and has the right vibe (more collaborative/less competitive).
So far, her list is top-heavy, with many “unlikely” schools (pie-in-the skies!). She loves the academic vibe she gets from these schools, as well as the campus diversity and engaging student body. (I know these can be found at many places…) Based on the NPC, D25’s “unlikely” schools are affordable …. Unfortunately the NPCs have her reach and likely schools as much more expensive – many are not financial options.
I’d love to hear any ideas you might have of places she should consider. Here’s what she has, so far, in addition to her “unlikely” list:
WUSL (also a bit of a pie-in-the-sky; NPC has it affordable for us; she loves the size, residential college system, majors, will attempt to visit before applying)
RPI (had a positive visit; bummer no foreign language option tho; NPC indicates this is too expensive without scholarship; also a bit cold – but she has agreed to keep it in the running)
Georgia Tech (she could minor in foreign lang if she wanted, so that is exciting; NPC indicates this is a bit expensive as well - we are oos. Also, getting competitive for oos applicants.)
U Pitt (don’t know much about this yet but D25 will investigate it)
U Conn (generally positive visit; great engineering department; D25 didn’t love how the campus is quite isolated/remote and it feels very big)
U Mass (D25 hasn’t visited yet….I know she feels this is just so big, which is unfortunate.)
Other schools D25 has researched or visited and is currently leaning away from (price, location, or vibe being the main reasons) include:
WPI, Fordham, Northeastern, George Washington, U Rochester and RIT (unfortunately, way too cold), SUNY Stoney Brook, Lehigh, Bently, Case Western, CMU and Drexel.
Thanks for taking the time to read through all this, and for any thoughts you can share! I’m hoping this can help others looking for similar schools as well.