Hi, I’m a current senior trying to find places to apply. I am applying at Yale SCEA for sure, but (obviously) I’m going to need to branch out more during regular admissions.
STATS:
4.25 weighted GPA
3.89 unweight GPA
2260SAT (800R 780W 680M)
800 LIT SAT
800 BIO SAT
5 on AP Art History
5 on AP Bio
ECs: Very good, but not very diverse (all significant positions in one organization).
Recs: Great
Hooks: Single parent, URM
I am more interested in the small school feel and liberal arts colleges. I’m really looking for a place with a very accepting social scene where everybody gets along and there is absolute trust between students, professors, and the administration. A good academic reputation is essential of course.
Home state? Geographic preferences/constraints? City vs. suburbs vs. rural? How important is merit/need-based aid?
Are you in-state for the UCs you mention on another thread? Do you still intend to study marine biology? Denison has great merit aid but I don’t think it has that major. I’m not sure of many/any LACs that do.
@gandalf78 My home state is California but I would strongly strongly prefer going out of state. My preference is somewhere on the east coast or in the south. Would strongly prefer rural. I would like to go to a school know for giving out a lot of aid.
@“Erin’s Dad” I am in-state for them but I am not targeting any of the UCs aside from UCSC as a safety. I do not intend to study marine biology any more, right now I’m thinking more poli-sci/economics.
Here are some suggestions:
Lafayette College (small town; competitive merit aid)
Kenyon College (rural/small town; competitive merit aid)
Davidson College (small town; Davidson Trust non-merit aid)
Check out Hamilton and Colby
There are quite a few small liberal arts colleges in the northeast that are located in rural areas or small towns. Many, however, only offer need-based aid, so the first step is to run a few net price calculators to make sure that you will be eligible for enough need-based aid to attend. You can be reasonably assured to get the amount of need-based aid indicated by the NPC. If that works, then look at Bowdoin, Bates, Colby, Hamilton, Skidmore, Middlebury, Williams, Amherst.
If you don’t qualify for enough need-based aid, then you have to move on to schools that offer merit aid. In addition to those already suggested, look at Smith and Mt. Holyoke,