If you’re willing to stay in Minnesota and attend UM, I would definitely apply to Carleton and Mac, assuming your stats make you competitive (and I’m assuming they are since you mentioned Middlebury, Swat and Haverford). These are top schools that attract a national (international really) student body. You might still be in Minnesota, but you’ll have classmates from all over the country and world (especially at Mac).Grinnell is also within driving distance. East coast schools are going to be more competitive for admission solely because they receive so many more applications. If you’re open to Reed, I would consider Oberlin as well.
If you would stay at home for UMN, why wouldn’t you do the same for Mac or Carleton?
On the contrary, the top midwestern LACs get a fair number of applications and are hardly the hidden gems posters make them out to be.
Consider the application numbers for the class of 2019, for example.
8894 Midd
8860 Oberlin
7817 Swat
7076 Kenyon
6721 Carleton
6414 Grinnell
6031 Macalester
…
3468 Haverford
Carleton and Grinnell were on par with Bowdoin and Williams for applications and received more applications than other top 20ish LACs such as Harvey Mudd, W&L, Davidson, Hamilton, Bates, Wellesley, Smith, and Bryn Mawr. Among LACs, only Wesleyan and Midd received more applications than Oberlin.
@intparent - I have a toonnnn of dual-enrollment credits there and that’s where my parents really want me to go
Everyone - It’s a little late for me now to consider additional schools to apply to where I haven’t sent out transcripts, etc (I can’t do that online at my high school). Thank you for the suggestions, but I’m pretty confined to the above schools I mentioned.
Thank you!!!
@warblersrule You need to take into account the size of the school and size of the freshman class, as well as yield. Bates yield is over 40%, Hamilton 35% vs Grinnell at 26%. The first two don’t need to solicit for so many applications. Grinnell last I looked has no supplement requirement Bates has two. Oberlin is a far larger school with a bit lower yield.
If you are spending your money, go to a top public school. There is no advantage to an ‘elite’ private school unless your family is wrapped up with similar ‘elite’ families. You will never get into their groups or cliques and will only be frustrated. Even to go on a scholarship, the social class thing will be thrown in your face. The leftists are as bad or worse than the more conservative students on this front.
After graduation, no one really cares where you went to college. I see resumes from people at ALL levels of professional jobs, and there is no consistency. Lots of CEO applicants are from large public universities.
But, if you are OK with the situation, go to the school that you feel OK with and that will not put you in debt.
My kids have all gone to very expensive schools where a huge percentage of the students were full pay. Many of these students have fancy cars, trendy designer clothes, and endless pocket money. Many look prep school cookie cutter and that can be a little intimidating, especially when you’re attending as a highly aided student.
D1, in particular, was very overweight in college and she had colored hair (many different colors), lots of black clothes, and wore Converse sneakers every day. She looked and felt VERY “weird” at her school. While she didn’t find many others “like her” she still got involved and made an impact on the school and made wonderful lifelong friends along the way.
D2 was afraid to commit to the school she’s currently at because she “heard” that everyone is preppy and wears nothing but Vineyard Vines (gag). So, one sunny day before she committed, we went and visited. We sat on a bench and watched people. Guess what, everyone looked like regular people. Some were dressed up, some wore athletic wear, some looked like slobs. It helped her realize that even if she’s not in the majority, it doesn’t mean she’ll be expected to be someone she’s not.
S1 was very pragmatic about being one of the poorer students on campus, from a low performing school, technically classified as an impoverished community. Because the school was need blind and guaranteed to meet 100% need, he got a world class education for very little cost. He now designates his annual donation to the school to financial aid. He also had a roommate who always shared his gourmet care packages from home. (Yum, fancy cheese!)
@oldindie Yes there is and its a big advantage in many cases, cost. Elite schools for lower income and moderate income families can be cheaper. Not in every state but many.
You have reciprocity with UW Madison, too. They may take your credits. Reed probably isn’t going to take your credits.
I’m in total agreement with the above. A black male I know who attended private schools his entire life, graduated from one of the best private catholic high school (90% white) in the state (with high GPA/SAT scores, full-tuition scholarship, etc.) and when to a private university instate. He was ostracized during his freshman year and he took it personally, even refusing to eat at the residence hall due to the “rich kids from CT” (who dominated his floor) declining his offer to join them for meals. It became so bad, that he spent most of his time in his dorm. This is a kid who had mostly white friends during middle and high school and came from an upper middle class family.
OP, I would at the very least, give some credence to what your mother is saying. If you are very self confident and know how to get around obstacles, you should have no problem at any one of the private LACs. You should look at how diverse these schools, based on a number of factors.
@warblersrule, I should have stated that east coast schools are “more in-demand,” not that they “receive more applications.” My point is that their acceptance rates are generally quite a bit lower than the best of the Midwestern LACs.
Look at the acceptance rates for all these schools. With the exception of Carleton (22.8%), most of the east coast schools are several percentage points lower than their Midwestern counterparts.
Williams 19.3%
Amherst 13.8%
Swarthmore 17%
Bowdoin 14.9%
Middlebury 17.2%
Haverford 24.7%
Grinnell (28%) has gotten more competitive in recent years, most likely due to their generous aid programs, but Macalester at 36% and Oberlin at 32.7% are significantly less competitive than say Bates or Colby.
In any event, it’s apparently moot as the OP is done submitting applications.
Inclusive to who? Schools like Swarthmore are pretty hostile to conservatives.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324216004578483080076663720
Update: I have been accepted into the umn honors program, so i have decided not to apply to any other schools and confirm my registration there 
Someone should tell my D that, as she is in love with her NESCAC school. Her friends include kids who can’t afford to go home for Christmas and friends with second and third homes in resort areas. So far none of her friends care whose family makes what.
This was not my experience as a broke kid at an “elite” private LAC. Quite the opposite, in fact.