Suggestions for a stuck junior?

blurryfacey
Sun, 07 Feb 2016 20:51:58 +0000

Hi! I am a junior looking to figure exactly where I want to apply next year. I want to be a Classics or Linguistics major, so strength in languages and humanities in general is important. I do not want a preppy school or one with a large Greek scene. I have not liked any LACs I have visited (quite a few) and think a midsized university (somewhere in the realm of 5,000-15,000 undergrads) would be best. I’m also looking for an alternative/intellectual vibe, or at least a place where I could find my sort of people, even if they aren’t the majority. Location is not important. I want to work in museums as a career, so high quality museum(s) with student access/involvement is a must.

Here are my stats currently: (any tips for improvement are also welcome)

Objective:
SAT: 2370 (800 CR, 780 M, 790 W)
SAT II: 760 World History, 780 Literature, will take Italian and Latin this June
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.85 (all As and A-s with one B in honors chemistry sophomore year)
Note: I’m currently taking 3 languages at school: AP Latin, honors ancient Greek 2, and honors Italian 3
AP: US History 5, US Gov and Pol 5, AP Comp Gov 5 (all self-studied)
Major Awards: 3 perfect scores on NLE, perfect scores on National Vocabulary Exam, Ancient Roman Culture Exam, National Etymology Exam, and National Mythology Exam

Subjective: (years predicted for senior year as well)
Extracurriculars: Latin Club (president, 9-12), Varsity Field Hockey (9-12), Model UN (Head Delegate, 9-12), Gay-Straight Alliance (president, 9-12), National History Bowl and Bee (qualified for national finals in 9 and 10), Forensics Club (9-12), Tutor at local middle school (9-12), run an online punk rock/feminist blog with over 5,000 followers (8-12), collect vinyl records
Job/Work Experience: Curatorial intern at major national art museum this summer, work a few hours a week at local record store (9-11)
Volunteer/Community service: Volunteer tour guide at local museum (big time commitment, one of the highlights of my app, 9-12), volunteer at special events at other local art museum (9-10)
Summer Activities: Intensive language classes in ancient Greek and Italian at well-respected college while still volunteering at museum

Other
Financial aid is not an issue
Intended Major: Classics/Linguistics
Located in New England
School Type: Very academic small private w/ great placement at “first tier” colleges
I’m a white male.

Here are the colleges I am currently considering:

UPenn- love the access to their amazing museums and love Philly too, but I’m unsure of its “work hard, play hard” rep
Brown- In general, it’s exactly what I theoretically want, but I’m concerned it wouldn’t broaden my horizons enough, and it may be a bit small
Cornell- really liked the campus feel, did not like location at all
Harvard
Yale
Johns Hopkins- possibly too science-y for me as a big humanities guy
UChicago- like the vibe, but the core is a minus for me
Georgetown
UCBerkeley- great language programs, but too big?
UWashington- I LOVE Seattle
UWisconsin

In general, as a queer feminist punk rock-loving sort of guy, I need to feel safe on campus. I’m hoping the mix of my backround and my interests in Classics and museums will come together well for my applications. Any suggestions for other colleges to explore or ways to improve my app? I’m not entirely sure how to proceed from here, as I especially need more matches and safeties.

Thanks