I have 2 spots left on my college list and some time left for additional applications, so I was considering adding more reach schools. I am an intl student who needs financial aid and I’ve already selected colleges where I have higher chances of getting aid, but these are some schools I’m also considering: Amherst, Brown, Columbia, Hamilton, Middlebury, Vassar, Wesleyan, Williams, Yale
Some things to help
Leaning towards those which are need blind / meet 100% demonstrated need
English major. Creative writing & journalism/communications programs would be great but not necessary
Location is not an issue although preferably north-east, and not in the south
diverse, liberal
I would prefer a more active and involved student body, and a social and school spirit-y vibe
@intparent Female, 2300 SAT, Top 5%, decent extra curriculars
@merc81 Thank you! I’ve already scoured most of these lists and added those which were financially feasible. I’m now more trying to narrow down the colleges I listed above according to vibe and the elusive “fit”
Amherst: Consortium benefits, perhaps somewhat offset by the collegiate gender imbalance in the area. Substantial proportion of athletes in the student body. Excellent for English.
Wesleyan: As an institution, has proven willing to take chances on societally relevant issues. Their students can be both interested in and capable of questioning conventional thought. An easy school to admire for this reason. Conversely, may have a contentious side that provides little in the way of education or growth.
Williams: Unlike other relatively isolated schools, this excellent college embraces its location and all it has to offer, including the mountainous backdrop.
Hamilton: Substantively differentiated by once having been two colleges of different characteristics and attributes. Benefits curricularly, architecturally, spatially and, to some extent, culturally from this legacy. Former fraternity houses have been converted to beautiful residence halls. Receives real winter snow suitable for the adventurous. Overlooks a valley.
Vassar: Humanities and fine arts veneer laid over a college with strengths extending to the natural and social sciences. Lacks some sports common to peers from the NESCAC. The gender imbalance, though real, differs little from the national average. Beautiful library.
Ouch. I think what @merc81 is referring to is the presence of a significant number of what are sometimes rather patronizingly referred to as, Social Justice Warriors. At 3,000 students, Wesleyan is a trifle on the large size for a LAC, so there is ample room for SJWs and Division III athletic warriors and even a few actual warriors: http://www.courant.com/education/hc-wesleyan-veterans-20151108-story.html
Wesleyan puts them all together on one campus and allows them to sort things out for themselves. Sometimes it’s like watching sausage being made.
@circuitrider, maybe I could soften the line next time. In terms of its foundation, it was partly influenced by Chase’s account of his tenure at Wesleyan, in which the former president implied that at times it could be difficult to perform his job amid various contentious groups. Even at his most diverted moments, though, I believe he respected the deeper principles behind the occasionally fractious atmosphere. Nothing about this, I should say, would keep me from recommending Wes – actually, on balance, the opposite would be true.
I felt sorry for William M. Chace during his tenure as Wesleyan’s president from 1989 to 1995. He was clearly sold a bill of goods by the selection committee. He was expecting to preside over a sleepy, well-rounded, liberal arts college that could be run from his vest pocket and instead found a complicated and ambitious campus that was deep in the process of rebranding itself as a small place with many peak academic experiences. He butted heads with just about everybody and was remarkably bad at enlisting alumni support. By contrast, the present president has raised nearly a half-billion dollars in support from alumni and parents.
For a prospective English major who wants a little school spirit and social conscience mixed in with top academics, Amherst and Yale might be at the top of the list. Williams, Hamilton and Middlebury also are great choices for writing, but are very isolated, which may or may not matter to you.
On the other hand I would not describe Columbia as having school spirit as one of its big strengths.
Let me also correct that, courtesy of @circuitrider : Chace.
Re #9:
Hamilton provides hourly transportation to an essentially contiguous suburban area, and the small city of Utica (population: 62,000) can be easily reached within 20 minutes. It would only be by megalopolis standards that I would consider this very isolated. However, by *aspects*, Clinton's nearby countryside can be beautifully and authentically rural.
@bacman Yale and Amherst are the only schools on your list that are need-blind for international students. (The only other U.S. schools that are need-blind for internationals are Harvard, Princeton and MIT).