Any suggestions for daughter who wants to go to a serious scholarly school?

College Search & Selection
21

<p>She really does sound like an LAC candidate, and the Midwest has a cluster of excellent LACs, some mentioned by tk21769. I hope you won’t rule them out based on location. </p>

<p>LAC admissions are much less by-the-numbers (although her numbers sound fine to me). They want students just like your D: curious, serious, interesting. In fact, IMO some of those schools would not only admit her, but offer her merit money.</p>

<p>Here’s a list of high-quality, under-the-radar LACs: [Colleges</a> That Change Lives](<a href=“http://ctcl.org/]Colleges”>http://ctcl.org/)</p>

22

<p>"Pomona is on the west coast.</p>

<p>Hate to quibble, but it’s one of our few big deal LAC’s!"</p>

<p>Ah yes yes yes. Brainfart there, my bad.</p>

23

<p>Have you checked out UNC-Asheville (NC’s public LAC)? I don’t know about the sciences there, and you may have the same issues with loans as you have with Chapel Hill … but it’s an option to keep in mind if you want a small school.</p>

24

<p>Have to agree with those who mentioned Grinnell for your daughter. One of the only top LACs that offers merit aid, in addition to financial aid. The school is exceptionally strong in science/math, has amazing facilities and outstanding faculty mentoring. The students are intellectual, quirky and unpretentious. Less preppy than Davidson, no frats/sororities, so she’d have to decide if that was a fit culturally.</p>

25

<p>I agree with adding the midwestern schools! Happy East Coast Grinnell parent here! Also, loved Oberlin, Carleton and Macalester when we looked. And, I would add Tufts and Brandeis to the list. They are universities, but mid-size, so a smaller feel.</p>

26

<p>My daughter goes to the Illinois Math & Science Academy, which is very similar to the NCSSM - a highly selective state-supported boarding school for STEM education. I would imagine the college admit situation at the two schools is very similar, so let me share what I know about the situation at IMSA.</p>

<p>IMSA admits only academically strong students, many of which are 4.0 from junior high through first semester ninth grade (2-1/2 year average GPA for next year’s admitted class is 3.92), but on average, only about 3/200 graduate three years later with straight As. The course work is truly college level, very challenging, with rigorous requirements and high expectations. Like NCSSM, they do not report class rankings (or, for that matter, GPA). Every course is considered an honors course; there are no AP courses, but most kids take multiple AP exams and do very well on them.</p>

<p>Almost every top school in the Midwest is familiar with IMSA, and they understand that GPAs are going to be lower because the course work is so much more advanced than it is at even a good public HS. Many top colleges outside the Midwest also are IMSA-aware. The record of IMSA getting kids into top colleges is excellent.</p>

<p>A couple of examples. Each year, about 80-85% of the class applies to UIUC (most as a safety); 96% of those applying are admitted. This year (2011 grads) saw 15/30 admitted to Vanderbilt (overall acceptance rate ~15%). Six are going to MIT; three to Princeton. Historically, the admit rates to Northwestern and UChicago have been above the averages for those schools. Case Western has historically admitted about 95% of IMSA kids who apply, including many with sub-3.0 GPAs (CWRU’s overall admit rate went down this year, and so did its IMSA admit rate). USC admits a ton of IMSA kids; the admit rate at CalTech is quite good. There are a couple of exceptions, schools that do not understand the situation (or who choose to ignore it), most notably Harvard and WashU-StL.</p>

<p>I would second the recommendation of several previous posters: talk to the college counseling staff at NCSSM, which I’m sure knows what schools really value their kids. And good luck!</p>

27

<p>For science and math, you’d be hard pressed to miss at “IT” type schools. Rensselaer, Rochester, Stevens, CMU, Clark, and really any of the state Unis can provide a sky is the limit academic opportunity. I was impressed with the caliber of the courses at UBuffalo when I perused the books used for the maths, sciences and engineering courses. With a graduate school for the discipline, you can study a subject way up to the highest level. So there a quite a few safety schools that your D can select. Then it’s the fun matter of cherry picking from the top name schools which are lottery tickets in terms of admissions.</p>

28

<p>If you visit Maine would also check out Colby and Bates.</p>

29

<p>hey,
Certainly don’t be discouraged, but definitely get her SAT up. I got into ivies (not what she’s looking for, but also very selective,) with a rocky GPA. I’m not a minority, no “hooks”, and m gpa (from a similarly rigorous place) was littered unmentionable letters.
However I did have a high SAT, which coupled with the rigorous nature of the school helped paint the picture of a smart kid willing to take on challenges.
I’m sure you’re daughter can have a great chance at any of these schools if she gets her SAT up.
(W&M and UChicago both seem like good fits.)</p>

30

<p>

Interestingly, my alum interviewer for Chicago several years ago was a professor at Davidson. Although ostensibly interviewing me for Chicago, he did his best to convince me to apply to Davidson - a school he considered to combine rigorous academics with an excellent social scene. He was also rather fond of Swarthmore.</p>

<p>

UNCA would not have enough serious students for her, I think, and their financial aid is rather poor thanks to Chapel Hill getting the lion’s share of state funding. The sciences are quite weak relative to the humanities.</p>

<p>Reaches/Matches
You’ve had some good suggestions so far, so I don’t have much to add. </p>

<p>I would, however, consider adding Vanderbilt to the list. It would be a reach, but it is strong in the sciences, and financial aid (as with Davidson, no loans) is generally excellent. </p>

<p>Tulane might also be a good option. It is fairly strong in the sciences, particularly biology, and has the advantages of no application fee and early action admissions. </p>

<p>Safeties/Safe Matches
UNC Chapel Hill needs to stay on the list. I ended up at the school I did because its merit and financial aid made it cheaper than in-state Carolina, so I’m aware it’s not always very generous, but it may still be a fairly cheap option - especially if you qualify for Carolina Covenant. The number of S&M kids at UNC has dropped a bit since they eliminated free tuition, but there should still be enough serious students for her there. </p>

<p>For safeties/safe matches among LACs, one may need to dip down a bit in selectivity and look for colleges with good merit aid. I second TK’s suggestions of Earlham and Wooster and would add Ohio Wesleyan (OH), Denison (OH), Knox (IL), Rhodes (TN), Centre (KY), and Franklin & Marshall ¶ - Rhodes and F&M are particularly strong in the sciences, and the Ohio LACs are pretty good for biology. On the west coast, I would add Whitman (WA), and Lawrence (WI), Hope (MI), and Beloit (WI) in the Midwest are also good bets. Most of these are admittedly less rigorous than Swat or Haverford and contain many of the “kids who make Bs with a sprinkling of As in high school.”</p>

31

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32

<p>Bryn Mawr, Smith etc – </p>

<p>Smart, intellectually driven women, with plenty of opportunities for co-ed experiences. I am a Bryn Mawr grad from many years past and experienced an extraordinary focus on our education rather than our entertainment. I have friends with daughters at other women’s colleges presently who describe a similarly extraordinary commitment to the intellectual development of the student. Worth a strong look, as stats are likely to be a match at many of these.</p>

33

<p>i love this video:
[YouTube</a> - ‪Grinnell College "That’s Science. This is Grinnell"‬‏](<a href=“Grinnell College "That's Science. This is Grinnell" - YouTube”>Grinnell College "That's Science. This is Grinnell" - YouTube)</p>

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<p>Absolutely look at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Carnegie Mellon. WPI is also good.</p>