Recommendations for Matches and Safeties

HalfPastThree
Sun, 24 Jul 2016 07:23:59 +0000

Hi there,

I’m looking for some recommendations on mostly safeties and some matches.

Here are my stats:
GPA: 3.95 (Valedictorian)
SAT: 2200
SAT II: Math 2 - 730, World History - 730
APs: Calc AB/BC (5), Comp Govt (5), Human Geo (5), US Govt (4), USH (4), Physics (3)

State: Mississippi

Criteria:
-Strong program in Economics mainly and Politics/International Relations if possible (Very necessary)
-Good job placement in finance, investment banking, management consulting, etc. (Somewhat necessary)
-Suburban/urban campus (Very necessary)
-Preferably warmer weather (Not absolutely necessary, I guess I could survive in the cold North)
-Moderate student body - not overly left-leaning, but ok with moderately left (Somewhat necessary)
-I would like smaller class sizes, but I also enjoy having many students around campus (Necessary more to have smaller class sizes if there are no colleges that can simultaneously fit both requirements)

-Student body likes to have fun on weekends, parties and has a generally relaxed atmosphere, while students are still motivated. Basically, not an overly nerdy college where students always spend time studying (Necessary)
-College that has a connected, traditionally enclosed campus and is not disconnected like say NYU (Very necessary)
-Co-ed (Very necessary)
-Presence of frats is welcome, or any other institution that serves its purpose (Somewhat necessary, but willing to overlook this point if it comes at the cost of the other factors in my list).

I can afford 5-10K per year. Would really like some safeties/matches that are generous with merit or financial aid. I really like the warm coasts (Florida and California especially), but I know finding affordable safeties in Cali would be kinda hard since most of those types of schools are CSUs/UCs.

Colleges I’ve generally considered: University of Florida (though may be too expensive), University of Alabama (generous scholarships to OOSs and generally manageable class sizes), Rhodes College, University of Arkansas (for business), and Miami University. I know Rhodes doesn’t really fit into this list, but I do really, really like the idea of an suburban/urban LAC, yet I can’t find many of those that are matches and safeties (Trinity and Pomona, the only other ones I could really find, would both be reaches or low reaches I guess). Also, I am a male.

Please let me know if you need anything else! Thanks!