<p>Elon University :)</p>
<p>Have you looked at Fla. Southern in Lakeland? My D's friend, who was a little shy in high school, is very happy and active there.</p>
<p>I'm reading this with interest as my D will also be a junior next year, august birthday, similar gpa, no idea on SATs yet. I think would want similar social atmosphere, somewhat rah-rah...I've been reading about many of the schools mentioned here. I'd love to hear more about Pitt, Muhlenberg, Dickinson etc. -- Is it the SAT range that makes Lafayette, Wake etc. a reach. What would you need to have to make those more obtainable. Would Lehigh be an option with higher scores?</p>
<p>Think it is the SAT that would make Wake a reach, but if she has something else to make her stand out or an essay that "speaks" it might be possible. Elon has a great campus feel too. I know girls that love College of Charleston--but it is heavily weighted on girls in the boy:girl ration that some don't like.</p>
<p>Muhlenberg College is SAT optional.</p>
<p>I'm a Gettysburg Grad, and when I was there it was a big party school (as in animal house) but plenty of my friends weren't into that then (I was a quiet kid, too, with a Sept. birthday as is my D who's a H.S. Junior). I just visited twice in the last year, including my D's official visit a few weeks ago; there still seems to a place for quieter kids who aren't into partying. Academics are excellent, campus is gorgeous, and the atmosphere is, well, Gettysburg! I'd look into it for your D.</p>
<p>Also have a friend whose S is starting at Wake Forest in the Fall. He's also quiet kid, and won't turn 18 until July, but they say Wake is perfect for him.</p>
<p>Well, all these suggestions might be just fine IF you can afford to pay full tuition and room and board at a $40,000/year school. </p>
<p>BUT you should go to the financial aid calculator and try to get an idea how much financial aid you might qualify for. That will give you some starting point. </p>
<p>If it is minimal or none, AND you don't think you can swing $40K/year, then you better read the thread on schools that offer good merit aid. (Look at the top of the threads here.) You will need to look at schools where her stats place her in the top 20% (or better), and that is just for starters on that strategy.</p>
<p>Or, you can evalutate your state options or maybe an out-of-state public univ.</p>
<p>Yes, Lehigh would be an option with higher scores, imo. Score range was the reason I didn't suggest it.</p>
<p>Another vote to look into Franklin and Marshall...</p>
<p>Starting in 2007 they will be requiring all students to live on campus all four years by erecting enough college-supported apartments to hold everyone. Plus there is definite culture in Lancaster County, Pa!</p>
<p>I think St. Joe's (Philly) is a good recommendation. Another school I think might be of interest is U of Scranton. It's a Catholic (Jesuit) university with roughly 4800 students in the Poconos (PA). Your D comes from outside its normal area, so should have excellent chances of getting in. I honestly think from your description, it might be a good fit. I have NO personal connection with the school and no ax to grind. Just really does sound like it might be what your daughter is looking for. See this link for a description of last year's incoming class: <a href="http://matrix.scranton.edu/press/pages/305.html%5B/url%5D">http://matrix.scranton.edu/press/pages/305.html</a></p>
<p>Another possibility--Goucher. I don't like this college that much, but others are more enthusiastic than I am. It's better known than St. Joe's or Scranton.</p>
<p>Eckerd College in St. Pete, FLA. It's officially Presbyterian...or at least it used to be! Good school. Amazing facilities. </p>
<p>If you would entertain thoughts of going further from home...Merrimack College in Mass. is one of my very favorites for kids like your D. I really think it might be the perfect college for your D, but it's in Massachusetts. It too is Catholic. Another suggestion is Marist in NY. Both out of your suggested geographic zone.</p>
<p>Bridie:</p>
<p>Feel free to PM me any questions you may have about Pitt. I am a recent ('04) alum.</p>
<p>I think that U of Scranton is a very good suggestion. Also, you might look at Elizabethtown College, and Susquehanna University. Both are also in PA.</p>
<p>McDaniel, Elizabethtown & Susquehanna are good choices. A little less selective than Gettysburg or F&M, so that could mean merit $$$. Susquehanna is BEAUTIFUL!</p>
<p>My friend's son went to Susquehanna, and he LOVED it.</p>
<p>I think that weenie has some excellent advice. There are many, many good schools, so why not pick one that will be good for your daughter and would cost less than what many of these suggestions above would be.</p>
<p>My son is attending Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. It has a reputation for very friendly students. We all fell in love with it the moment we stepped on the campus, which is beautiful and has almost a private college feel. Students are required to live on campus for the first two years and many remain in dorms even after that. It's what I would consider a "not-large" size (about 16,000 undergrads): not overwhelming, but large enough for a gazillion activities and lots of choices in case she changes majors. </p>
<p>And with the stats you cite, she would automatically qualify for merit scholarships in addition to any needs-based ones: approximately $5500 oer year (if you are out of state) plus a $750 discount on the room and board.</p>
<p>It might not be what she's looking for, but the point of this post is to agree with weenie that finances should be a part of the decision.</p>
<p>Dickinson offers merit scholarships for students who get over 1350 on the SATs (they don't factor in writing) and who graduate in the top ten percent of their class. Students at high schools that don't rank, or at schools that are so small that "top ten percent" means four or so students, are at a significant disadvantage, of course.</p>
<p>If your D truly wants small to medium, here are some that came to mind:
Drew (Protestant, but good rep for feel and student body niceness. Small, pretty campus.)
Muhlenberg
Susquehanna (very small, but absolutely gorgeous campus. Has interesting semester abroad in England specifically for business majors)
Mary Washington
Loyola in Baltimore
Agnes Scott
Catholic U. (a different approach - in DC, but small private school. Advantages of small school, but access to DC.)
American (also DC, but very nice, private campus. Suburban feel with enclosed space. Pretty)</p>
<p>All small, with nice campuses. Agnes Scott is a bit of an outlier in that it's a women's school, but I've heard good things about it. I think your D will have more good, strong choices than either of you realize at this stage of the process! Very best of luck to you.</p>
<p>My D will be attending Muhlenberg in the fall. We also looked at Marietta which gives very individual attention in a small beautiful campus.</p>
<p>I thought of Scranton immediately when I read the OP as your D's stats are very similar to mine who will be graduating from Scranton next week (I have no idea where 4 years went!). She absolutely loved the U. She lived on campus all 4 years, and got an excellent, very solid well-rounded education. There are many opportunities to become involved on campus in other activities. We always joked that she should have gotten minority preference as we are protestant, but she loved her Jesuit teachers. She knew she wanted to be there from the moment she stepped on campus. Now S is considering it as well since he is so comfortable there. Also, they were fairly generous with merit aid. Oh yeah, and the food is really good! If you have any specific questions, you can always PM me.</p>
<p>Just a note... DREW is not a Protestant school It was affiliated with the Methodist church, but no longer is.</p>