<p>I’d be interested to which liberal arts colleges my “non-star” student should apply:</p>
<p>Junior in private boarding school in the Northeast
GPA 3.4uw
Courses taken include-4 APs- (2 English-both writing and lit, american history) psych), all other courses honors. upon graduation will have:
4 years math, 4 years English, 3 science, 3 French, all the rest hardest courses she was allowed to take. Solid academic courseload.
SATS-taking in May, (PSAT reading 67,+ math 53 = 1200 estimated SAT?)
talented artistically-drawing, painting, printing, theatre, dance, but has no awards, etc.
not many ECs (dorm proctor, vounteers in school admissions office, gives school tours)
no volunteer service
smart kid, but teachers usually say “more effort needed” She gets high "b"s, but the teachers know she could get "a"s if she tried. School is NOT an easy grading institution. (20% of grade from class participation and my daughter does NOT like to speak aloud in class)
She attends a private boarding school
her sports are non-team club-type (kayaking, canoeing, hiking, mountain climbing, international outdoor travel club)
So, we are talking about a typical spoiled kid who has potential, but not as much drive as everyone wishes she had.
Thanks!</p>
<p>I have a S who is the mirror image of your D! Let’s make sure we keep them away from each other, or there might be a whole new generation of “needs more effort” x 2. Honestly, how someone who scores in the 95th percentile in reading/english in every standardized test he’s ever taken can still bring home C+/B- grades in English . . . </p>
<p>Anyway, I would also be interested in the replies of the more experienced parents on this board. S is also a B student who should make A’s. 177 PSAT (64V+52M+61W), 27 ACT. Hoping to get to the 2000 SAT/29-30 ACT level before applying. </p>
<p>Been through the Colleges That Change Lives, Harvard Schmarvard and Beyond the Ivies books, which helped a little. Currently has a VERY large list of colleges, including (in no particular order):</p>
<p>Bridgewater (VA)
Lynchburg (VA)
Roanoke (VA)
Winthrop (SC)
UNC-Wilmington (NC)
College of Charleston (SC)
UNC-Asheville (NC)
Lenoir-Rhyne (NC)
Guilford (NC)
Elon (NC)
Mary Washington (VA)
Furman (SC)
Muhlenberg ¶
St. Mary’s College of Maryland (MD)</p>
<p>Also has VMI and Citadel on the list, but those are two fairly unique schools. Hope my list helps a little.</p>
<p>Oh! Edited just to say that while our kids might be a little under-represented on this board, I sure don’t think 3.4 in a strong curriculum and a 1200+ SAT is “average” by any means. Your D has a very solid record!</p>
<p>I’d like to reccomend that you look into Ithaca College in upstate NY. Your daughter is well within their range of GPA and SAT scores. They have wonderful music, theater and art programs, even if she just wanted to take a few classes as electives. They are located in the Finger Lake region of NY and the outdoor activites you mentioned she enjoys would be readily available.</p>
<p>Another thing…if she really enjoys kayacking and canoeing, would she be interested in rowing? Crew has become a very popular sport for women and a lot of colleges are trying to start or have recently started women’s crew teams. Not all of them require experience (face it, not a lot of HS have rowing), some may just want potential. That may be a way to give your daughter other options, and some colleges may even offer her money to row!</p>
<p>Yes, yes, she want to row!!! It is one of the only varsity college sports that require no experience. Bucknell has rowing, but it’s a reach for my average girl.</p>
<p>If anyone knows of a rowing school for non-valeditorians, let me know!:)</p>
<p>Bucknell may be a reach, but you never know. Have her contact the Crew coach and express her interest (this goes for all schools, not just Bucknell). If she is a JR the recruiting process can start now. Her stats are not average, they are above average when compared to the rest of the country. They may seem below because of what you read here, but keep in mind, those represented here are a small percentage of students. Because colleges are looking for women to row, the coaches may have some pull with admissions, and your D may be able to get into a school that she wouldn’t have gotten into otherwise. </p>
<p>You and she also need to check out the NCAA clearinghouse. If she wants to participate in a varisty sport at the DI or DII level, she will have to register with them. There are certain HS classes you have to tak to be eligible, their web site will give you the info.</p>
<p>I should have said that my daughter SEEMS very average after reading so many of these kids super stats that are posted on CC and they still get rejected!</p>
<p>The irritating part for us parents is when our kids don’t live up to their potential. They are great kids with so many talents, but until that internal drive sets in, we just have to sit back and wait!</p>
<p>Goucher MD), Hofstra(NY), Old Dominion(VA) maybe? Does she have a geographic preference or want a geographic “advantage?” Size of school preference? Any idea of major field interest or does she want to explore? Might be able to give more suggestions with a little more on what she’d like.</p>
<p>She is, of course, WAY above average (maybe not for cc), but she exceeds my gS in GPA and SATs. He got into UNH and UMaine, both attractive campuses,with rah-rah hockey atmospher and several good programs,but may not be the type of school she wants. These were the only two places he applied.</p>
<p>Your D can have her pick of a large number of fairly selective schools, imho.</p>
<p>Please also remember the advice of other very wise posters: pick schools that she would like even if the rowing doesn’t work out (injury, doesn’t make team, etc. etc.)</p>
<p>Baseballmom,
The NCAA website has lists of colleges by sport, and can be further broken down into division. DI and DII have specific recruitment restrictions, DIII does not.
Crew is one of those sports where division doesn’t always determing level of recruitment. Some DI schools fill boats with walk-ons and some DIII schools have only experienced rowers in their boats.
Another considration. Crew is very often a club program at many schools and does not make it to either the NCAA list or the school’s official athletic site. You might need to look at the Campus recreation/club sports links.</p>
<p>she’s looking for a LAC and will likely major in English or Art History. She’s in VT and is hoping to stay on the east coast not in an urban area, and not in Maine or NY. Sick of cold weather! Schools we’ve been thinking of are:</p>
<p>Gettysburg
Dickinson
Eckard
Centre
Wheaton (MA)</p>
<p>I had been thinking of Wheaton (not sure whether that - or PA/NY - gets her out of cold weather LOL). Maybe Loyola, Balto., Muhlenberg,Temple, possibly Lafayette. Others know the more Southern schools and will probably chime in sooner or later.</p>
<p>Emory, William and Mary, Christopher Newport, Catholic University, American University, St. Mary’s College of Maryland all have club crew programs.</p>
<p>Having just gone through the admissions process with a very similar kid I can tell you we had great results including some merit money. My daughter applied to schools that were not high on the radar screen of other kids at her school and I think this helped. We used the Barrons Book as a guide - they break the schools down into categories of competitiveness - we ignored the most competitive category, and picked schools from the next two categories. Good merit aid from Rollins (Winterpark FL), Loyola New Orleans, and St Joseph’s ¶, and a small award from UVM. I believe other similar kids are going to schools such as American, Ithaca, Northeastern, BU (general studies), Syracuse, James Madison, and Fairfield to name a few. They end up with lots of great choices!</p>
<p>As an aside, the kids who row crew are doing very well in the admissions process - especially girls.</p>
<p>jmmom-
If you live in Vermont, Pennsylvania is warm, except for any place with “lake effect snow”.</p>
<p>We are trying to get beyond it and look at non-northeast schools, but I am beginning to realize how much of a Yankee I am! When I look at southern schools I worry how she’d get along! We recently went on school visits in VA and were floored when men kept holding doors open for us and calling me ma’am! Although, she’s a Republican at heart, so she’s somewhat misplaced here in liberal Vermont!</p>
<p>As college president once said, “We like our C & B students as much if not more than our A students. Our A students join the faculty, our C students give us our new buildings!”</p>
<p>St. Mary’s of Md.is on the water and may be about perfect though not a sure admit. Furman will be a reach without test improvement.Would she consider a women’s college? If so , I really like what Wesleyan in Georgia is sending D. Very diverse. Very open sounding. Quite a treat to read their materials.</p>
<p>A number of good southern prospects are already listed. Also look at Wofford and Presbyterian, both in South Carolina, and Birmingham-Southern that hopefully cangel will chime in on. Look at the Colleges That Change Lives website, and a similar site for somewhat similar schools, Colleges of Distinction. There are some wonderful but not that recognizable schools on each list. </p>
<p>You really can start adding criteria as we could literally fill up your page with great small non-urban schools!! (I know I can. LOL.) She will have so many exciting choices to choose from when the time comes.</p>
<p>An un-hooked kid from D’s high school did recently get in at Sewanee with similar stats, and that school is in the top 40 National LAC’s (USNWR).</p>
<p>BTW, I agree with the others who have said a 3.4 uw from a college prep boarding school with no grade inflation and an expected 1200 ain’t that average. It’s a very good high school record and will serve her well.</p>
<p>baseballmom - re Vermonter going south. We are in Maine, have lived all over before S, but S has been here “forever” (since age 2). He is going to Tulane. Tulane, in my words, is “in the South, but not OF the South”, if you know what I mean. Kids and faculty are from all over, not the “preppy” look that I hear of at other southern schools. Nothing wrong with that, btw, but just to let you know there are schools in the south which may not be the degree of culture shock you are fearing. S took to Tulane from almost the moment we landed there for a visit and, at recent admitted student days, just melded right in. Also, Md/Va/DC area, where I grew up, would not be considered “southern” in feel. Just mho.</p>
<p>OTOH, maybe Md/VA/DC are southern: growing up,no sentence ever passed my lips, when addressed to an adult including my own parents, without the ending of “sir” or “ma’am.” Waitress: “Ketchup and mustard?” Me: “Mustard, please, ma’am. Thank you, ma’am.” You get the idea.
Probably explains why curmudge and I are cyberfriends. ;)</p>