Daughter is finalizing her list. Her reach/SLAC options are fairly set. She is high, but not highest stats (33 ACT, AP Scholar with Honor) artsy, queer, intellectual but laid back. She/we were surprised at how much we liked the vibe at Syracuse (energetic, liked course offerings) and UVM was a lovely, crunchy, outdoorsy fit. She really isn’t even sure if a SLAC would feel too quiet for her. According to her schools Naviance she is at the very top of the stats for admits at those schools (ie she is very likely to be admitted). Curious if anyone has suggestions for other medium sized east coast schools that would fall into a more target range for her. UMass and Pitt are on the list but campuses don’t feel as desirable. Thank you for feedback!
ACT alone doesn’t make a profile, etc - vs. GPA, ACT, ECs, etc. and for Syracuse, a lot of demonstrated interest - which you’ve already started.
It depends - might she like a Lehigh? Delaware? A bit further away an American? Or even further south but with many northerners a College of Charleston? Ithaca College too as a less competitive SU with a lot of cross shop.
What is her major or area of interest?
If UMass is on the list, has she thought about Smith (reachy) or Mount Holyoke (less reachy)? Then she might be able to have the advantages of all the course offerings and energy from UMass while still getting the SLAC options.
Some of the schools you’re mentioning (Syracuse and UVT) seem more medium-large than just medium. I included some schools that I would consider medium (in the 4-8k range) as well as some larger ones that your D may want to check out. There are schools at a range of selectivity here (though most would be likely or extremely likely admits), but that have aspects I think she may find attractive based on your comments above.
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American (D.C.): About 7900 undergrads
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Binghamton (NY): About 14k undergrads
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Fordham (NY): About 10k undergrads
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Howard (D.C.): About 9800 undergrads
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Ithaca (NY): About 4600 undergrads
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Rochester Institute of Technology (NY): About 14k undergrads (there’s tech-y folks but also lots of arts-y folks)
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Saint Joseph’s (PA ): About 5100 undergrads
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Seton Hall (NJ): About 6k undergrads
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SUNY Geneseo: About 4100 undergrads
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SUNY New Paltz: About 6100 undergrads
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SUNY Oneonta: About 4900 undergrads
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U. of Delaware: About 19k undergrads
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U. of New Hampshire: About 12k undergrads
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West Chester (PA ): About 15k undergrads
U of Vermont, Brandeis, Ithaca College (all within the 4000-5000 u/g range with a variety of campus architectural styles.)
Thank you all!
We’ve also been focusing on the mid-size range of schools, and it can sometimes be tricky to find that academicky-but-accessible sweet spot. I find playing with the toggles at College Navigator to be helpful. Here’s a starter for you, showing schools with 3k–10k students, 30%+ acceptance rate, and an ACT middle-range starting at 30, and limiting the range to the east coast. It only returned 7 schools (some of which are likely not the right vibe for your daughter), so you might play with the variables in that search query (e.g. drop the ACT number to 26, etc.) and see what else comes up. Nevertheless, for that set, here’s what came back:
- Brandeis University (Waltham, Massachusetts)
- Bucknell University (Lewisburg, Pennsylvania)
- Emerson College (Boston, Massachusetts)
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, New York)
- Stevens Institute of Technology (Hoboken, New Jersey)
- University of Rochester (Rochester, New York)
- William and Mary (Williamsburg, Virginia)
You are very kind this is amazing!
Might check out Case Western if she’d consider a midwest school, definitely do a virtual visit as they do track demonstrated interest. Also, William & Mary and U of Rochester sound like good potential fits. I know you said you have your reach schools selected, but if Brown isn’t on the list, definitely a great option and sounds like a perfect fit for your kiddo. While it is on the bigger side, my son loves it and says it feels smaller than it is. Brandeis would be a good one to check out, too!
Thank you! She did summer@Brown and really enjoyed it. I think it is likely out of her reach but we will keep in on the list thank you!
Rochester and William & Mary also immediately came to my mind. I agree it can be tough to find good Target-range colleges fitting your parameters, but these are two that I think at least some kids find really appealing. And definitely on my list of, “If you liked Brown, then you might also like . . . .”
I’d also agree with RPI if it is a good academic fit, and Brandeis and Fordham if more of a Big City college would work. All of these can also be very appealing to the right sort of kid.
I would check out University of Rochester
When I think SU and UVM, the last schools I think about are Rochester and W&M…RPI and Brandeis as well.
They’re not like SU (IMHO) at all.
Miami Ohio might be worth a luck - a bit further out and won’t be as “crunchy” but SU isn’t crunchy either.
Fantastic thank you!
Clark?
+1 to the Brandeis recommendation, and although I usually agree w/ 99% of what @NiceUnparticularMan posts, I wouldn’t at all describe this as an urban atmosphere. It’s a modern, quirky campus on a hill adjacent to the rather posh Boston suburbs – easy access to a city but nothing like, say, BU or Northeastern or even the Cambridge schools.
Re: a school feeling too quiet, I think that can depend on setting as well as scale. Some LACs feel quiet by virtue of being small/self-contained/remote. Others (e.g. Oberlin) somehow feel bigger. I would add Wesleyan (although it’s a reach) to your list of places to check out, and also (if she’s willing to consider other locations farther afield) Oberlin, St. Olaf, and Macalester (small but in a city near other universities).
Would she be interested in Holy Cross?
Would Jesuit colleges work – many of them are mid-sized. Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus in particular may be worth a look.
I’m a W&M alum. W&M seems like it could be a good fit. It’s about 70% VA students and 30% out of state. Great size. Super friendly collaborative students. In my area it is considered where the quirky kids go (not as a negative but as a “you can find your people here”). It is also known to be queer friendly. It’s also in a great location. It is an hour to the beach and an hour to Richmond (fantastic artsy city). Between Richmond and Norfolk there are good performance spaces so decent bands come through on tour. There’s an Amtrak station walking distance to campus and airports in Norfolk and Richmond less than an hour from campus.
Also, not sure what type of arts she likes, but W&M opened a new arts center last year.
You are 100% correct, and I really only meant to suggest it was near a bigger city than like Syracuse and UVM, or Rochester and William & Mary (in my haste I was unclear).