<p>I used to have this neat little list of schools to apply to, but after being on this site for a while and reading Loren Pope’s books, I became really unsure of everything.</p>
<p>Hokay, so here are my stats</p>
<p>Gender: F
Location: South Carolina
College Class Year: 2013
High School: Public
High School Type: rarely sends grads to top schools
Will apply for financial aid: Yes</p>
<p>Academics:</p>
<p>GPA - Unweighted: 3.66
GPA - Weighted: 4.45
Class Rank: top 5 students
Class Size: 448</p>
<p>Scores:</p>
<p>SAT I Math: 650
SAT I Critical Reading: 750
SAT I Writing: 630
ACT: 30
SAT II U.S. History: 770
SAT II Biology - M: 780
SAT II Chemistry: 600</p>
<p>Extracurriculars:</p>
<p>Significant Extracurriculars: Literary Society
Youth Action Council
Dance
Guitar
Lacrosse
Internship at Chamber of Commerce
Leadership positions: Student Council Senate
Winter Project Co-chair (2007)/Chair (2008) Prom Co-chair
Science Club President
Scholars Symposium Councilmember
Public Library Advisory Board
Athletic Status - list sport and your level: Varsity Lacrosse
Volunteer/Service Work: 150+ hours
Honors and Awards: National History Day awards
Golden Palmetto Leadership Award
Duke TIP
Beta Club
Science National Honor Society
Venture Scholar
College Summer programs: SC Governor’s School</p>
<p>Desired College Characteristics:</p>
<p>I really like Carleton and UChicago, but they’re both reaches and Carleton isn’t need-blind. Are there any match schools that have similar atmospheres?</p>
<p>Similar to Carleton? Grinnell, Oberlin and (bigger reaches) Pomona and Swarthmore. Grinnell especially offers generous financial (and merit!) aid due to their huge endowment.</p>
<p>I’m into various schools listed above and as low matches/safeties I’ve got Goucher and Knox.</p>
<p>swhite32791</p>
<p>In summary excellent SAT I m+cr, ok SAT I w. Very good ACT. Great SAT II USH, and Bio., good Chem. The unweighted GPA of 3.66 seems too low to me for someone ranked about top 1% in their class, almost 4.5 weighted GPA, with your SATs, in a school whose students don’t go to top schools. Was that a typo? You have no music awards, or special scholarship awards, but your ECs make up in variety and volume for a lack of a particularly outstanding area. Outside the southeast your location will also be a plus. If the 3.66 should have been 3.96, HYPSM are far reaches, but not extreme ones. Most of the rest of the top ~20 NUs (including Chicago), and top ~10 LACs are reasonable reaches. For matches I would look at the rest of the top ~40 NUs, and 30 LACs.</p>
<p>You don’t give areas of interest/potential majors. Unfortunately the schools I perceive as being most similar to Chicago tend to be reaches, but they are sometimes in consortium with match schools. Columbia has some of the characteristics of Chicago, and Barnard, although it does not share Columbia’s core curriculum, should be a match for you, perhaps a low match. I think Tufts and Brandeis would be matches, Tufts being more similar to Chicago, Brandeis possibly a low match. Pomona (similar to Chicago) would be a reach, but the rest of the Claremont schools should be matches. Swarthmore (similar to Chicago) a reach, but Haverford and Bryn Mawr should be matches.</p>
<p>Definitely consider:</p>
<p>Haverford (need blind + replaced loans with grants)
Bowdoin (need blind + replaced loans with grants)
Vassar (need blind + replaced laons with grants for families under $60K)</p>