I’m currently a senior in the midst of the dreaded college application process and was wondering if anyone could help me find some schools to apply to. Currently, I’m only applying to three schools: Temple (I’m a PA resident); Bard (applying through the entrance exam); and, Bennington. I would describe myself as quirky and offbeat; very liberal and crunchy; and, I am definitely a little shy (which is one of the reasons I find myself attracted to smaller schools). My stats and scores are a little low - actually probably even sour - with my UW GPA being ~4.0 on a 5.0 scale (my school provides neither an UW GPA nor class rank)(thank God) and a 1560 SAT (which I am retaking in October - yikes). I do have some “strong” ECs; but, I don’t plan on posting them on here for privacy issues as they are things that could easily identify me. Financial concerns aside, could anyone recommend a few colleges based off of this, preferable in New England and in Pennsylvania?
Oberlin is likely out of reach for this student ( a 3.2 and 1560CR+M can be pushed to B+/1700 max, so well below Oberlin stats.) Only exception is if we’re talking “selected for the Olympics” or this level of EC achievements.
However, look into Hiram, seems to fit you perfectly and if you pull your scores to 1700 + have good activities, you may even get into one of their service-based or talent-based scholar programs. Good fit.
Allegheny and Earlham are academic reaches but match what you want in terms of vibe.
If you can look a bit further away, Elmhurst (near Chicago), Guilford (bustling town in NC) and Eckerd (on a FL beach) also sound like what you want and would be good matches for you.
It’d help if you told us what area your talents are in and whether you’ve reached national/international recognition in them, as this is the level that would supersede your academics and make reaches more reachable.
Try some of the SAT/ACT optional schools, there are many that might fit your requirements. Also, some of the Colleges That Change Lives schools like Knox and Beloit.
I second Eckerd. It’s in Florida, so outside your d search area but nice campus with friendly students. Hampshire is also a good choice but it has a fairly unstructured curriculum so you need to see if it works for you.
