<p>I am a high school junior with a 4.0+ GPA, I am involved in a lot of extracurriculars (band, debate, model UN), my SAT scores could be higher (taking a class to bump em up) hopefully solidly over 2000, got some community service under my belt.</p>
<p>I am trying to decide between which schools to apply to. I am most interested in small liberal arts schools. My top 9 so far consists of:</p>
<p>I want to major in political science, international relations, or history. That general field. </p>
<p>Which college would be best suited for the majors I have listed? I would appreciate it if you guys could help me break down my list and/or give me other colleges to concider.</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>PS: I got a great college essay written and will hopefully get some more service under my belt this summer (volunteering for a presidential campaign). Also attending a NSLC confrence on U.S. policy and politics.</p>
<p>What's Northwestern doing on this list of SLAC? Add Colby and Bates-both in Maine. Hamilton and Skidmore are worth checking out. Another reach: Pomona (part of the Claremont College group). Another safer bet: St. Mary's College (a public SLAC in Maryland-lovely location, solid reputation). </p>
<p>Re: the international relations angle, I know Middlebury touts their strength in this area-but not sure how justified it is.</p>
<p>Good list - I think they all will offer what you want as far as majors go. My daughter applied to four of them and is attending one as a poli sci/IR major. Will you be able to tour any of them?</p>
<p>Yeah, I hope to visit most of them this summer. After my NSLC conference (which is @ American U in Wash, DC), I hope to visit the schools that are in that general region.</p>
<p>Northwestern is obviously the acception to the small liberal arts college rule. They have managed to peak my interest though. Is it unwarranted?</p>
<p>As M's Mom sad, check out Hamilton and Skidmore. Pomona's a pretty high reach (the SAT scores are very high). St. Mary's is a good college too, good reputation (they aren't religiously affiliated, although it sounds like it).</p>
<p>I'd get a couple more solid safeties in there (where are you from? Do you have a good state university?). Hamilton and Skidmore might be safeties for you.
Also, make sure your matches are really matches--I say that simply because a lot of those have fairly low acceptance rates. (I don't know the stats, but just checking. For me with a fairly similar profile, I would consider Carleton and Northwestern to be reaches.)</p>
<p>Tufts and Georgetown have pretty good international relations, I think, but you seem to be aiming for smaller LACs. Those would both probably be reaches too.</p>
<p>I wouldn't say your interest in Northwestern is unwarranted--it's just different than your other colleges. If you are admitted (or maybe before then), you should make sure you go visit before deciding. It's a bigger atmosphere.</p>
<p>Yeah, I definiately agree I need more solid safties. </p>
<p>I'm technically from Texas (moved summer of last year), but my dad telecommutes to Virginia and still pays Virginia taxes. Thus, I can go to both TX state schools and VA state schools. =D</p>
<p>One quick follow up question. I hear that some liberal arts schools (Vassar, Wesleyan, Oberlin) have reputations for drug use and excessive drinking, I would prefer to avoid this. Is it that bad up there? I of course plan to investigate this myself when I go visit this summer.</p>
<p>I don't know about the whole drinking/drug thing (that's a concern for me too--so let me know if you find out anything!)...but if you can go to VA state schools, check some of them out!
UVA, William and Mary, and Mary Washington are all really good schools. I don't know about the majors you're looking for, but definitely check out those schools (UVA and William and Mary are some of the top public schools in the nation). Mary Washinton's got a smaller feel to it, if you're looking for something more intimate.
All three of those schools would probably be solid matches if you're considered a VA citizen. :)</p>
<p>I think you need to visit the schools already on your list if you haven't already done so--Swarthmore and Middlebury, for example, don't have the same feel though both are very appealing to many people. You might prefer Haverford to either one of them, or both, for example, and it is easy enough to visit Haverford when you visit Swarthmore (but also a reach). I concur with the earlier posting that Bates and/or Colby (you may like one more than the other) might work well as matches if you like Bowdoin as a reach. (I find Hamilton's rural upstate NY location very bleak but it is a good school and would likely be a very solid match for you.)</p>
<p>Despite your high GPA and apparent solid credentials, I would say Carleton and Davidson are pretty close to reaches--they are not yet in that "reach for everyone" category, but once a school hits that 25 percent or lower admission point, you never know, so I would think they are high matches at best, especially if your SATs are not yet over 2000. Similarly, Grinnell and Macalester are matches if indeed your application is as solid as you have described--but NOT safeties. Kenyon is also very appealing, but again, no longer in the safety category even for strong students, but at least it might be a realistic match.</p>
<p>I think the schools you've listed as well as others in the solid top 50 or so will all be fine for your areas of interest. Macalester obviously is very strong in international relations, and most good schools have good history and poli sci programs--only limitation would be on course variety, not faculty quality, at a good small school.</p>
<p>I don't see anything wrong with considering Northwestern as a high match/low reach if you really like it--since schools don't have to be small to have a certain feel. I wonder about looking at places like the University of Rochester (not a large school despite name) and Brandeis (excellent history and good location near Boston) as real matches and perhaps Wheaton in Norcross, Massachusetts, as a really safe safety with quite a lot of international flair. American University and GW might also be worth considering--see what you think of American after your conference--it is likely a safety for you, and GW a solid match, perhaps with merit money if your raise your SATs. Larger than what you say you are looking for, but worth a thought.</p>
<p>There will be drinking everywhere, but everyone won't be drinking; there will be drug use in varying quantities--much less at some places than others. That is why visiting is so key--the campus atmosphere and conversations with students will help you figure out whether there is enough variety and social flexibility for people who prefer not to drink or drug to have fun. I suspect that at the schools you've mentioned, there will be room for people who prefer to abstain and that the is more interaction between the various groups than you would expect.</p>
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I hear that some liberal arts schools (Vassar, Wesleyan, Oberlin) have reputations for drug use and excessive drinking, I would prefer to avoid this.
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</p>
<p>I can only speak for Wes, but I imagine what I have to say will apply somewhat to the others, at least.</p>
<p>Anyway, from what my friends at other schools say, I think there is actually less excessive drinking here than at a lot of larger state unis and schools with large frat scenes. OTOH, there is more pot use. However, in general, there seems to be no more drinking/drug use than most other places. And at these "lliberl hippy schools" people care a lot about respecting everyone's choices...which means that if you don't want to partake, no one will judge you for it or care. It's very easy to not drink or do drugs and have a good time here.</p>
<p>Also, while it might be difficult to find a group of friends NONE of whom do anything, ever (though it is possible if you want it), it's very easy to avoid making friends with people who do a LOT of drugs or drinking if you don't enjoy that. It's possible to enjoy parties without partaking, and there are plenty of other things to do if you don't want to party at all.</p>
<p>So, bascially, don't worry if you'r looking at Wes, and I imagine you don't have to worry at Vassar or Oberlin either.</p>
<p>Uri, After you do some visiting you'll get a better idea of what appeals to you. Putting selectivity aside for a moment I'd group your schools in the following personality streams. All LACs have distinct personalities, but there's a good deal overlap from school to school, so this is just a general impression.</p>
<p>I would say that all of these schools would be good for your intended majors.
And would offer excellent platforms for eventual graduate degree or career in IR.</p>
<p>With the low admission percentages this year (and forecasted for next year) I would bump all your schools up a category (safeties to meets, meets to reaches, and reaches to hi reaches). While your grades are excellent the standard test score is comparatively a little low. Definitely look at some local in state schools or some other LACs on the slightly lower end. Some good ones in Ohio include Denison, Ohio Wesleyan, Wooster. I don't know about their individual programs in Poly Sci/Int'l Relations or History.</p>
<p>The acceptance rate of my reaches are high teens to low twenties. The acceptance rate of my matches are high twenties to mid thirty percent acceptance. My safties are fourty to fifty percent acceptance.</p>
<p>That is pretty much the rationale for listing them where they are.</p>
<p>Of course, this data is for last year, it could be and probably will be lower this year.</p>
<p>Uri, I wouldn't quibble over whether a school is a high-match or a matchy-reach. The point is to have at least one surebet that the thought of attending doesn't give you hives. Good safeties are out there but sometime they take more research and investigation than the easy to love selectives. </p>
<p>In my opinion, you don't have a true safety (in the private LAC class) on your original list. Grinnell and Macalester are great schools that have been discovered. Their acceptance rates are decreasing and will continue to become more selective. </p>
<p>So my advice: Cover your safety first, then it doesn't really matter what category the rest of your list falls into.</p>
<p>Some possible midwest safeties are Earlham, Ohio Wesleyan, Wooster, Hanover, Denison (may be more of a match), Illinois Wesleyan. These are schools my two daughters considered.</p>
<p>Another saftey in the more "socially consciousness, left leaning" catagory could be Goucher in MD. Also Lewis+Clark if you're willing to be on the West Coast. </p>
<p>Also check out Occidental in LA (again, if you're willing to go that far)...it was my saftey a few years ago, though it might have gotton more popular over the last couple of years. Same for Skidmore.</p>
<p>Low Match/Safety: Macalester(41%), Grinnell(50%), Trinity U(52%), St. Olaf(54%)</p>
<p>I think that I could still have safer safeties, and will hopefully end up finding some more good ones. </p>
<p>This list is unlikely to change too much (unless I add even more colleges! O.O) until I get to go visit these colleges during the summer, and narrow the list down.</p>
<p>Everyone's advice thus far has been, again, much appreciated. Thanks!</p>