As the title may suggest, I am indeed a clueless 17-year-old from England who is trying to find an intellectual college. I’m dead set on going to college in the US - as much as I love Philosophy which I’m currently planning on majoring in, I also love English, history, politics, classics, and so many other fields I don’t want to give up the opportunity to study at university level. The problem is that my school often has a dozen or so students go to Oxbridge and is very good at helping students apply there and with navigating UCAS (the British version of the Common App) but has never had a student apply to college in the US. I went to my school’s uni counsellor and asked her what she knew about US colleges. She told me I could go somewhere like UCLA or NYU or an ivy like Harvard or Stanford, which is the moment I realised that she knew virtually nothing. Hence why I am here asking for help.
I took the SAT in October and got a 1580 (800 CR, 780 M). I took two SAT subject tests in November and got an 800 on literature and 750 on US history. I took my GCSEs last summer and got 9s in maths and both English lit and lang. I got an A* in my 7 others. I’m currently in 6th form studying for my A-Levels in English lit, history, and philosophy.
I spent my summer researching what exactly I need for the Common App and the ins and the outs of what different types of colleges there are. I know all about LACs vs research unis, urban vs rural, Greek life, and whatever else. I’m got to the point where it’s time to start actually looking at which colleges I want to apply to. I’m also still confused about the whole reach, match, and safety thing.
The most important thing to me in a school is an intellectual atmosphere. I want to go to a school where students don’t on average spend their Saturday nights drinking at parties and going to American football games but watching The West Wing or a documentary on the battles of Ypres, or debating which of Fitzgerald’s novels are the most underappreciated or the usefulness of Cartesian skepticism.
My other preferences are:
- Either small or medium sized
- I don’t want to be in a rural location
- I don’t want to be somewhere where the social scene is dominated by Greek Life, partying, or Sports
- I would prefer to be in the northeast but I’m fine with anywhere
- I don’t mind religious affiliation as long as it isn’t your face and I will be okay being pretty vocal about my atheist views
- I’m a female and fine with women’s colleges
- Cost is not an issue; I have discussed it with my parents who make close to 300k so financial aid isn’t an option and paying full price fortunately isn’t too much of a strain on our family
- I will most likely be majoring in philosophy
- I am currently planning on going to graduate school and getting a PhD in philosophy
- If I don't major in philosophy it will be in English or Political Science and become a political correspondent or go on to law school
So I reach out to you, oh, mighty College Confidential, to help my very lost self compile a balanced college list.