Any last minute schools, preferably LACs, I should add?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I've finished my applications but I still have a feeling that there are a few schools I'm missing out on. I haven't submitted my applications yet. I'm not looking specifically for reaches, matches, and safeties, but I think I've covered my safeties so I'm more looking for reaches and matches, probably up to three more schools. I'm already apply to a lot of schools, but I've gotten a decent number of fee waivers from them so it's not too bad in terms of cost (plus I set aside a lot of my own money just for the college application process). </p>

<p>Criteria:</p>

<p>1) I prefer LACs though if it's an undergraduate focused university, then I'll definitely consider it.</p>

<p>2) They should have good academics and accessibility to professors (which is why I prefer LACs in the first place, but there might be some LACs that don't have those qualities).</p>

<p>3) I also want a school that balances their social life and academic life well, so something that embodies the work hard-play hard mentality.</p>

<p>4) I prefer more liberal schools (socially and politically), especially ones that are LGBT-friendly. </p>

<p>5) I don't want neither a super preppy school nor a super hipster school, somewhere in between, maybe a little more towards the preppy side, but I don't really mind as long as it's not an extreme.</p>

<p>6) In terms of location, I don't really mind as long as it's on the east coast. While I would like something that's not super rural like Williams and something that's more like Haverford or Bowdoin, I don't mind. I just don't want transportation to be an issue, especially since Florida is kind of far away from the LACs I'm applying to. I'm lacking schools in the south especially.</p>

<p>7) Financial aid is a must! Either they give great financial aid or my stats earn me at least a full tuition scholarship. </p>

<p>Stats:
GPA: 3.79 UW, top 5% (I'll have taken 14 APs by the end of this year; 5 APs, 1 honor this year)
SAT: Super scored 2230, 740CR/770M/720W
School type: Large public (graduating class of around 600)
ECs: Founder/President of Gay-Straight Alliance, VP of NHS, Secretary of Model UN, 300+ hours volunteering at hospital, worked at a restaurant for 3 years.
Awards: NMSF, National AP Scholar, won best delegate twice, winner of local essay contest, published in school's literary magazine
Essay: About growing up with a trans sibling, I think it's unique and pretty well-done. My English teacher said it was great and very well-written and I trust his judgment.
Recommendations: Two very good ones, one from a teacher I've known since freshman year and also sponsors the GSA and another from my BC teacher who is known for giving very good recommendations. My counselor should be good enough, since I started talking to her last year.
Ethnicity: White
Income: 50-60k
Gender: Male
Location: Florida</p>

<p>Schools I'm applying to:
Yale (super super reach!)
Duke (dad is a huge fan so this is for him)
Williams
Amherst
Haverford
Middlebury
Bowdoin
Hamilton
Franklin and Marshall
UF</p>

<p>Safeties (all state schools):
NCF
USF
UNF
UCF</p>

<p>Thank you for your help!</p>

2

<p>You may want to consider Oxford of Emory which is a meets full need school (although your determined need may be more than your family believes it can afford). It’s about a 45 minute to one hour drive from the Atlanta airport and combines both a small LAC with a medium sized research university. I found the professors extremely approachable which makes sense as all classes are limited to 33 or fewer students. </p>

<p>I don’t really get the East Coast stipulation. I’m from CA and have family in FL so I’ve flown there quite a few times. IMO it’s easier to get from LA to say, Ft. Lauderdale, than it is to get from Ft. Lauderdale to Williamstown, MA. </p>

<p>Other schools you may wish to consider:
-Hendrix College (not on the East Coast, but near enough to the Little Rock airport)
-Brandeis (not a LAC but a very small university)
-Bates College
-Rhodes College
-University of Richmond
-Occidental College (other side of the country, but may actually be easier to reach than some of your other choice. Was just there two days ago. Nice campus and very diverse with quite a bit to do in the surrounding area)</p>

3

<p>try colby 10char</p>

4

<p>Is Davidson too rural for you?</p>

5

<p>Agree with whenhen to expand beyond the east coast, especially if you want merit aid. Hendrix would be a great choice for you and you would qualify to compete for the Hays full-ride scholarship. You might also add Knox, Beloit, Earlham and St. Olaf if you are willing to consider the Midwest.</p>

6

<p>Reed is exact for 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7 (meets full need), more hipster than preppy, a plane ride is a plane ride.</p>

<p>Sewanee is a good southern LAC.</p>

7

<p>Besides the rural bit, my concern with Sewanee would be that it lacks a critical mass of gay or bisexual individuals should the OP wish to date in college. It certainly embodies a work hard- play hard mentality.</p>

8

<p>

</p>

<p>I believe that is an understatement when describing Reed. Can’t see preppy anywhere on the horizon… it is fairly extreme in the hipster direction, which the OP says they don’t want.</p>

9

<p>All criteria are seldom met! :)</p>

10

<p>Perhaps I wrote too soon. It appears that Sewanee has a Gender and Sexual Diversity House although I’m still not convinced that Sewanee offers a sufficiently large dating scene for a non straight person.
[GSD</a> House, GSA introduce Sewanee Safe Space program «](<a href=“http://thesewaneepurple.org/2013/12/08/gsd-house-gsa-introduce-sewanee-safe-space-program/]GSD”>GSD House, GSA introduce Sewanee Safe Space program)
There’s also a Facebook page for the GSD house which you can find by googling Sewanee Gender and Sexual Diversity House Facebook.</p>

11

<p>OP, what does your experience with the net price calculators show you about affordability of the schools already on your list? Does it look like your family can afford what is shown for at least some of the schools?</p>

12

<p>Thank you for all the suggestions! I’m hesitant about going away from the east coast because I’m just a lot more used to the east coast; if I go to a New England school, I have close family that lives in Boston and Rhode Island so I’m not too far from family. My parents feel like as long as it’s on the East Coast, it’s not too far (though I know Maine is farther from Florida than Arkansas). They’re probably willing to let me go as far west as the Mississippi river states, though, but in the end, we’ll have to see how much each school will cost, transportation included. I live in Jacksonville, and I know JAX has direct flights all along the east coast. </p>

<p>I’ll definitely look into Emory, University of Richmond (one of my teachers actually went there!), Davidson, Hendrix, and Rhodes. I’ve heard of Occidental, mostly because of President Obama haha, but even though it’s in a major city that’s fairly accessible, it still just seems so far away on the west coast. Sewanee looks like a great school but I’m not sure if I’ll fit there. </p>

<p>The NPC that I ran for Amherst gave around 5k as a price. I’ve talked to my parents and they say that at the maximum, they can afford around 11k a year before I’ll have to take out my own loans. </p>

<p>By the way, I’m not gay but I’m just very active because of the experiences I’ve had growing up with a trans sibling.</p>

13

<p>Also, can anyone comment on the English, Psychology, Sociology, or Anthropology departments of:</p>

<p>Emory
University of Richmond
Davidson
Hendrix
Rhodes</p>

<p>I’m undeclared right now, but interested in possibly majoring in one of these in college.</p>

14

<p>I don’t recommend Rhodes only because I live in Memphis and it’s not a fun city</p>

15

<p>might look at holy cross-top25 lac that is need-blind for admissions.</p>

16

<p>Colby college</p>

17

<p>You need to run all the NPC’s, not just the one for a reach school (Amherst) that gives excellent financial aid…</p>

18

<p>I also ran the Collegeboard NPCs for Haverford and F&M, which gave me an estimate of 4000 and around 10,000 a year, respectively. Since all the other schools have financial aid more similar to Amherst’s, I would think that they would hover between that range, maybe even go under Amherst’s.</p>

19

<p>I think you already have a really good list with Williams, Amherst, Middlebury, and Duke. Plus you have UF, which should be a great deal/value with Bright Futures. All are awesome schools; I don’t know that I would add to this list unless you are pretty set on attending somewhere OOS and wouldn’t consider attending UF. Sorry, I guess that may not be of much help; just my rambling thoughts based on your stats, preferences, and current list. Best of luck to you!</p>

20

<p>OP, as far as the schools in #14 go, they’ve all fine English departments. Emory has one of the best grad programs in English. Most of the LACs I’ve seen mentioned in other posts on this thread are also good English depts. I teach in one but not any one of these. I can’t speak to the other depts you mention in #14.</p>