<p>If you’re a Tanglewood-caliber vocalist, are you planning to study voice in college? That opens a whole range of different opportunities, but suggests an entirely different crowd than the intellectual one you described.</p>
<p>I’m looking into options such as Oberlin or Peabody, for double degree, and even some pure conservatory choices such as Eastman or Msm, etc. But for this particular thread I’m looking for colleges where music is irrelevent. </p>
<p>I really liked reed but Princeton Review says that the average GPA there is 3.9, and yeah I’m faar below that. But thanks for the suggestion. </p>
<p>Wow all of these suggestions have been phenomenal, thanks so much for your help. </p>
<p>I have to admit I’ve been looking at Reed’s website in particular and their professors seem so articulate. Especially the Freshman humanties seem really thrilling. The idea that your investigating the root of western civilization and can look at such important works such as the Bible and the Aneid with a ciritical tilt. I mean, what more could you ask for. </p>
<p>Seriously. Check out St. John’s College. They are not always so picky about grades and test scores. They are looking for students who desire exactly what you seem to desire.</p>
<p>OK Vasafaxa, now you kick it into high gear and pull straight As next fall, and write your Reed essay on how inspired you got after looking at their website, and how you dedicated your fall semester to showing them what you’re capable of doing. Also, call the chair of their Music Dept., tell her or him of your interest in the school and indicate that you’d like to record a CD with three of four selections and send it to him or her to evaluate.</p>
<p>I was accepted into chicago with a higher act (30) but a lower gpa (3.4-5ish). if you demonstrate in your essays a commitment to learning and your desire to be in an intellectual atmosphere, your numbers, especially standardized test scores, become less important. chicago truly makes an effort to consider the applicant as a whole. if numbers reigned supreme, i wouldn’t have been accepted, but both i and they saw how good of a fit the school was for me. if you can demonstrate that you have the commitment to thrive there, you stand a decent shot.
provided, that is, that you believe chicago is right for you.</p>
<p>“The idea that your investigating the root of western civilization and can look at such important works such as the Bible and the Aneid with a ciritical tilt. I mean, what more could you ask for.”</p>
<p>St. John’s has an integrated curriculum based around the great books. Check it out! Oberlin also has a very intellectual bent, so that’s another reason to consider it.</p>
<p>This definitely counts as a frequently asked question here. College Confidential’s keyword search is your friend. </p>
<p>I will note for the record that my conclusion about this issue, which is important to my children, is that a good fit comes from a medium-size or larger research university with a LOT of high-scoring students enrolled in a vibrant, diverse urban area. (Caltech is high-powered enough intellectually to count even though it is smaller than other colleges of interest.) I don’t get the impression that little liberal arts colleges in small towns in rural areas can match research universities in large urban areas for intellectual life. </p>
<p>After edit: to better match the specifics of the OP’s question, I would say, seriously, use your reading time to learn about math. It’s possible to learn enough math over the summer and do enough reading over the summer to substantially boost all your ACT score, especially in the math section.</p>
<p>Look at University of Rochester. It has a good music program. It is first tier but does take people with pretty low statistics at times. Look at Goucher- I think that they have cross registration with Hopkins and Peabody and they are pretty intellectual themselves. I agree with Bard, Skidmore, Sarah Lawrence. Ohio Wesleyan may work, too.</p>