Junior perfecting her prospective list while attempting a witty title...help?

College Search & Lists
1

<p>Hi :)</p>

<p>I’m currently a high school junior out to make my list before summer so that I can spend summer in peace (hopefully TASPing - cross my fingers and knock on wood!) before major procrastination and all-nighters the day before apps are due :P</p>

<p>I’m looking to major in English (and possibly Economics). I’m not TOO sure about what I want to be, but I’m thinking a secondary school English teacher :slight_smile: So Education <em>might</em> be in the picture as well. Journalism is also a pretty big prospect, but I think I might save that for grad school, because I don’t really want to go to a big school for undergrad, and I heard that going into journo definitely doesn’t require a degree in it :P</p>

<p>So far my list is comprised of:</p>

<p>University of Chicago (EA)
Swarthmore
St. Johns (I think Great Books sounds fascinating and pursuable, not sure if I want to do it, but hey, the application’s free :D)</p>

<p>And my “err, maybe” list includes:
Dartmouth
Davidson (I don’t know why, it just seems cool…haha)
McGill (I’m a Canadian…yes, I would be an international applicant :/)
WashU (my sister’s going there for med school, and it sounds cool too)
Carnegie Mellon (Sounds cool, too? :P)</p>

<p>And I might apply to one journalism school, just in case I change my mind. Probably Syracuse, just because their school colour is orange :P</p>

<p>Yeah, can anybody make any recommendations? Safeties? Matches? More reaches? Thanks :smiley: And tell me if my “er, maybe” list is terribly off, because I may simply be biased towards certain names…(Carnegie Mellon and WashU and Davidson all do sound awfully fascinating, after all. But I am somewhat clueless about how much of a “fit” they’d be for me)</p>

<p>What I’m looking for:

  • a school with an “intellectual” environment (LAC? But doesn’t have to be…as long as it fills requirement number 2 :P)
  • small undergrad population (<5000, 1-2 thousand = :D)
  • (preferable) offers major merit scholarship money (a full ride = MY DREAM even though I expect it’ll never come true, not with my stats :()
  • I’m not too picky about surburban/urban/rural, all seem an awfully large adventure to me :D</p>

<p>Thanks, and hearts to you :)</p>

2

<p>What about the other top-notch LACs like Williams, Amherst, Pomona?</p>

3

<p>William and Mary/Carleton come to mind</p>

4

<p>Check out Brandeis University, a very intellectual university, with only about 3200 undergrad…</p>

<p>Or maybe that’s just my shameless plug…</p>

5

<p>Amherst, Grinnell, Wesleyan all slightly less intellectually intense tan your top picks but very strong schools. You migh like the College of Letters at Wesleyan.</p>

<p>Intellectually intense: Johns Hopkins?</p>

<p>Maybe for matches a women’s college or two (if you are female)-- Barnard, Smith, BrynMawr?</p>

<p>I would say the intellectual environment characteristic of your top choices is not as characteristic of your “maybes” other than perhaps CMU. The others are more laid back, funloving.</p>

6

<p>and yes, I agree with Carleton.</p>

7

<p>If you’re interested in merit $ what are your stats? That would also help tell us whether you are aiming correctly on the colleges.</p>

8

<p>Hmm. Stats, bummer. I hate talking about myself. Well, grades aren’t final yet, neither are APs nor SATs.</p>

<p>GPA (current):
4.0 UW
4.4-4.5ish W
School doesn’t rank but I’d probably be top 5%ish</p>

<p>Scores:
2260 (10 essay). Might be retaking in October…
Bio 770 (taking USH, Chem, Lit, and Math IIC in May/June)
Taking 3 APs this May
Take 4-5 APs next year </p>

<p>ECs:
School Newspaper: Section editor (11), Editor-in-chief (12)
Community Service Club: VP (11), Co-President (12)
CSF
FBLA - random regional/state awards
Cross Country
Basketball
Track
(not close to good enough to be recruited :))</p>

<p>I don’t want to stay in California, nor do I want to go to a woman’s college :stuck_out_tongue: Johns Hopkins = more science oriented? And I’ll look into Carleton :slight_smile: And yes, my family’s rather well off, but I don’t want to make my parents pay, nor do I want to take out loans, thus good merit aid is (almost) a necessity to me personally.</p>

9

<p>You’re list looks awfully similar to what mine was (I’m probably an econ major). FWIW, I was also looking at Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, Sewanee, Rhodes, Carleton, William & Mary, Washington & Lee…though I would add my stats weren’t as high as yours. Most of those would probably be safeties for you.</p>

10

<p>No, I disagree, college admissions these days.</p>

<p>Do you happen to know which ones of those give out merit aid and which are need-based only? And have strong departments in English and/or education?</p>

<p>Which college did you decide to go to?</p>

11

<p>Davidson sounds like a fit for you, or maybe W&L.</p>

12

<p>Might look at Colgate and Holy Cross both good LAC’S with sports programs like Davidson. HC is located near Boston.</p>

13

<p>Haha, please excuse my ignorance, but why would Davidson seem to be a fit for me?</p>

<p>I realize it’s on my list but I know very little about it, other than that…you know, I don’t even know how it got there.</p>

14

<p>tako, the merit money requirement will definitely slant your list. Many of the schools on your list do not give merit money as a rule (Dartmouth, Swarthmore). Others that do provide “incentives” to academically qualified students tend to limit the the funds they provide to internationals unless they can benefit from the diversity aspect. As a Canadian, you’re not particularly “exotic”. You don’t state you ethnic or racial background. If you are white, you will not have a demographic edge.</p>

<p>So, if you’re fixed on the merit money, then I’d suggest that you drop down a tier, as your academic and extracurricular accomplishments would be appealing to many colleges. Take a look at the thread at the top of the Parents board called “Schools known for good merit aid” for ideas.</p>

<p>If on the other hand your family is willing and able to fund your education, you’ll have plenty of choices. After you’ve done some more research and visiting and settle on the type (or types) of school that you prefer, you can extrapolate into a list that includes matches and safeties.</p>

<p>Good luck and let us know how you do.</p>