I would love some help in identifying some great “target” colleges in the East for my son to apply to. He has a great list of colleges to apply to so far and although he is a great candidate, I would say that they are all “reaches/high targets” given their lower acceptance rates and the popularity of these schools at his own school (he will have a lot of competition).
He takes mostly honors/AP classes and gets mostly As (should have up to 6 Bs/B+s cumulatively through junior year), his current SAT score is a 1390 but hopes to get up to a 1450 but probably not higher?, he is very involved in extracurriculars/athletics and has held some leadership positions (and is in NHS, etc.). He prefers a “medium-sized” college but will also apply to smaller and larger schools although smaller probably better suited for him as he likes the smaller classroom experience and likes getting to know his teacher and participate in class, etc… He is very social and athletic but is not a “partier” and is not sure if he will participate in Greek life.
Budget is fortunately not an issue and major will likely be business but he has not decided on a major. He really seems to like a variety of subjects! Thank you for your suggestions.
He is open to both urban and rural but I would say would prefer “suburban” - close to a city but not IN the heart of the city. We are trying to keep him in the “east” for a variety of reasons. He seems to like a variety of subjects and is undecided but he will probably want the option to pursue business and/or economics. There are no budget considerations at this time. Thank you for your help!
Small classes are tough. You might look at a Bentley which is business focused.
Others - College of Charleston (safety), Brandeis (target if don’t require aid), American (same as Brandeis), Elon (likely) but while not far from society, it’s not in society - not much nearby), Bryant (likely), Mercer (likely, Baptist).
I’ll give a plug for my school Stetson University in DeLand, FL. Our business program is top notch and there are a lot of different opportunities to do internships, continue on to the MBA program, and they have an avenue to pair law as well. It’s a division 1 school, but there are tons of club sports and intramurals. I play on the women’s club volleyball, softball, and soccer teams and played intramural flag football. For the club teams we play Florida Atlantic, Embry Riddle, UCF, Florida Gulf Coast, Tampa…it’s a great way to still play sports without the commitment and time constraints of playing on the school team. We are about 25 min from Daytona, and an hour from Orlando. From campus you can walk into downtown DeLand which is small but has restaurants, bars, ice cream shops, stores, and there is always live music and things happening.
I really like the suggestion of Fairfield from earlier. Seems like it checks a ton of the boxes for what you’re describing. About 5k undergrads, strong business offerings, and a 45% (Edit: now 33%) acceptance rate.
Some other possibilities include:
College of the Holy Cross (MA): About 3k undergrads, 21% acceptance rate (Edit: now 18%)…this has dropped significantly over the last few years.
Franklin & Marshall (PA ): About 1900 undergrads, 32% acceptance rate
Hampden-Sydney (VA): About 900 undergrads at this all-male college. More of a rural location, but on the Wall Street Journal’s reports on positive outcomes, this school really seemed to be hitting above its weight. 50% admit rate.
SUNY New Paltz: About 6500 undergrads, 59% admit rate.
Villanova (PA ): About 7k undergrads with a 25% admit rate, so definitely on the reachier end.
William & Mary (VA): Seconding this school of about 7k undergrads with a 33% acceptance rate (37% for males), but realize that those percentages drop for students who are not Virginia residents.
Some schools that might have more Greek life or be more urban or more something than is ideal, but could still be contenders include these schools (several of which have been previously mentioned):
Fordham (NY): About 10k undergrads, focus on the Rose Hill campus rather than the Lincoln Center one. 56% acceptance rate.
Furman (SC): About 2300 undergrads, 53% acceptance rate
Lehigh (PA ): About 5800 undergrads, 29% acceptance rate
Providence (RI): About 4200 undergrads, 49% acceptance rate
Union (NY): About 2100 undergrads, 44% acceptance rate
U. of Richmond (VA): About 3100 undergrads, 23% acceptance rate
Wake Forest (NC): About 5500 undergrads, 22% acceptance rate
Wofford (SC): About 1900 undergrads, 59% acceptance rate
I was not aware. College Navigator, the feds’ website, has date for the entering class of fall 2023 which was a 45% acceptance rate: College Navigator - Fairfield University. But it looks as though Fairfield, like College of the Holy Cross, is having some significant drops in its admissions rate. I’ve edited my earlier post to reflect the new information.
I would think it may still qualify as a target for the OP’s son, but maybe on the harder end. Although I guess we should see what happens this cycle . . . .
Thanks for letting me know about Holy Cross. I’ve edited my post to reflect the new admit rate that College Navigator doesn’t yet have (it still has admission info for the class entering in fall 2023).
This year Fairfield’s RA acceptance rate dropped to 29%. I would imagine the RD would be even lower. They had a very big number of EA applicants apply this year. Avg gpa was 3.95?
Stetson University in DeLand, FL. Our business program is top notch and there are a lot of different opportunities to do internships, continue on to the MBA program, and they have an avenue to pair law as well. It’s a division 1 school, but there are tons of club sports and intramurals. I play on the women’s club volleyball, softball, and soccer teams and played intramural flag football. For the club teams we play Florida Atlantic, Embry Riddle, UCF, Florida Gulf Coast, Tampa…it’s a great way to still play sports without the commitment and time constraints of playing on the school team. We are about 25 min from Daytona, and an hour from Orlando. From campus you can walk into downtown DeLand which is small but has restaurants, bars, ice cream shops, stores, and there is always live music and things happening.