Help Me Make a College List!

College Search & Lists
1

<p>Prospective Major: Math</p>

<p>Class Rank: 4/812, salutatorian
GPA: 4.00 unweighted, 4.95 weighted
SAT: 2320 (Math 750, Reading 790, Writing 780)</p>

<p>SAT Subject Tests:
Math 2: 800
US History: 770
Chinese: 770</p>

<p>AP Tests: Calculus BC, Chemistry, Economics, Statistics, Psychology, US Government, US History (all 5s)</p>

<p>Extracurricular Activities (in-school):
Math League President
Science Olympiad
Political Science
Odyssey of the Mind Captain
Chinese Club Founder and President
French Club
Philosophy Club</p>

<p>Extracurricular Activities (out-of-school):
Teen Advisory Board President
Youth Group Leader
Hospital Volunteer (over 300 hours)
Neuroscience Lab Research</p>

<p>Competitions:
Lehigh University Math Competition, 3rd place
Bloomsburg University Math Competition, 1st place
Delaware Valley Science Fair Competition, 3rd place
Lehigh Valley Science Fair Competition, 1st place</p>

<p>Summers: math classes at CTY and Lehigh</p>

<p>Recommendation Letter from the Chair of the Math Department at Lehigh.</p>

<p>I really like Columbia, Chicago, Swarthmore, Reed, and Pomona. However, my parents told me that I can’t apply to any schools ranked lower than Lehigh (parent works there, free for me). Additionally, I’m not allowed go below Maryland, west of Pennsylvania, or north of Massachusetts for college so that means Chicago, Reed, and Pomona are out.</p>

<p>What other schools would I possibly like? I’m looking for schools that are diverse and nerdy. I especially like Columbia’s and Chicago’s core curriculums. Good research and internship opportunities are also important to me.</p>

2

<p>Would Penn be a good match for me?</p>

3

<p>Haha - your parents aren’t limiting at all. Try to talk them into letting you look at schools outside that narrow area.</p>

4

<p>Tufts, Wesleyan</p>

5

<p>If you like Swarthmore, take a look at Haverford. Smaller but many of the same characteristics and only 20 minutes away from Swarthmore and Bryn Mawr. You can cross register for classes, so even though the school is small you get the benefits of a larger school in terms of choice of classes and diversity of people.</p>

6

<p>Would you consider Princeton? Also, Brown would be an excellent place for math and neuroscience (I noticed your research experience) but you said you liked Columbia and Chicago’s core, which are pretty much the opposite of Brown’s Open Curriculum.</p>

7

<p>ranked by US News? I hope your parents realize that the US News rankings aren’t the end all and be all of a college’s quality. Also, how are they equating National Unis with LACs? </p>

<p>all of that aside, in terms of LACs, Amherst, Williams, Wesleyan, and Vassar are all good choices (although most of these have a fairly open curriculum)</p>

8

<p>If your parents are putting such strict restrictions, does that mean that they’re willing to pay full freight for a school that fits their limits?</p>

<p>Are you assured admittance to Lehigh? Do you like that school?</p>

<p>If you don’t get accepted to any of your other choices, would you be happy at Lehigh? </p>

<p>So, they’re not allowing any safety schools?</p>

9

<p>Definitely no open curriculums (Brown, Amherst) please!</p>

<p>No, my parents are only willing to pay up to 20k a year. So if Columbia accepts me and but doesn’t give me enough aid, then it’s Lehigh.</p>

<p>Lehigh is essentially my safety. While it is a great school, I feel like it’s a little too close to home.</p>

10

<p>You should probably do a financial aid estimator for a couple of these schools (some have their own calculators) to figure out which ones would be viable financially. i don’t know much about the financial aspect of this process though.</p>

<p>ps. hey pennsylvanian - i’m on the main line :)</p>

<p>someone recommended haverford - YES. my impression of swarthmore is definitely nerdy (and studious) but it also takes a certain type of person to go there. anyway definitely look into hford.</p>

<p>anyway, might want to check out carnegie mellon? definitely nerdy :P</p>

11

<p>Penn and haverford</p>

12

<p>Carnegie Mellon is a good suggestion. I would also be wary with financial aid. If you’re upper middle class (I personally define this as $120k yearly income and over) a lot of private schools will make you pay more than 20k/yr to go there (more like full freight). This is from personal experience.</p>

13

<p>Another question: what schools would be good for a joint econ-math major? For example, I don’t think Penn has a very strong math department.</p>

14

<p>I think of Dartmouth for economics and math… but it’s outside of your regional range. Easy supplement too, all you do is fill out info and check a bunch of boxes.</p>

15

<p>OP, why do you think Penn is not strong in math?</p>

16

<p>Penn is only ranked top 15-20 for math. Also, you don’t really see it attracting too many math majors. Most of them go to Princeton, Harvard, MIT/Caltech, Chicago, Columbia, etc.</p>

17

<p>Could you please chance me for Columbia, Swarthmore, and Wharton? Thanks!</p>

18

<p>Also, do I have a good shot at Wharton or should I apply to SAS instead?</p>

<p>If I go to Wharton, then I want to major in Finance.
If I go to SAS, then I want to major in Econ-Math.</p>

19

<p>One more question: is it possible to get a PhD in Econ if you major in Finance?</p>

20

<p>bump…</p>