<p>Hi, I'm a rising junior and starting to look at colleges, but getting seriously confused by conflicting advice and all the different guide books. Any suggestions you have on where to start would be awesome. I have a 4.0 and decent ECs so far, so I hope to have some semblance of a shot at the top colleges, but I obviously need matches and safeties too. Thanks!</p>
<p>-I want to study psychology and hopefully go on to get a Ph.D. A lot of the schools I've been told are best for psychology are huge, like U of Michigan and U of Illinois, but I've also been told that smaller schools are better if you're hoping to get a Ph.D, I guess because you get better recommendations and more research opportunities? I'm kind of confused on that. Fit-wise, I'd like a smallish to medium sized school, like 1500 to 7000 or so, I can deal with bigger but not much smaller.
-I've been looking mostly at schools in the northeast and midwest because it would be easiest, but I'll keep an open mind if I find something somewhere else. Not right in a big city like NYU or something where there's not much unity because everyone goes off into the city, but not so rural that there's nothing to do.
-fairly diverse and laid-back student body...I'm pretty liberal and don't want to be on a super-conservative campus, but pot smoking, dreads, and liberalism to the point that anyone republican cannot possibly be a decent person is definitely not my thing...neither are places where you can't fit in without designer clothes...some kind of balance?
-preferably a traditional college feel with a lot of students living on campus, school spirit, etc
-pretty campuses are a big plus, I love old buildings</p>
<p>Dartmouth college. Only miss is its rural, but the campus is so alive you'd never know it. I never understand why "there's nothing to do" on rural campuses. Tons of parties, tons of social people, all the same activities (movies, etc), a chance to shine at things like the arts, and backyard outdoors stuff like swimming in the river or having a snowball fight to top it off. </p>
<p>Best college experience in the country.</p>
<p>Stanford and Michigan are typically considered the two top psychology programs in the country (Illinois is definitely not). I think they would both fit you really well. Stanford fits well into your desired size, but as a student at Michigan, I can honestly say that Michigan feels like it's that size (except at football games). Otherwise, both campuses still fit perfectly because they have lots of students on campus, lots of school spirit, and are pretty liberal with a laid-back student body. Most people would consider stanford a prettier campus, but michigan has its pretty parts. Almost all would prefer Ann Arbor to Palo Alto, however.</p>
<p>connecticut college has an incredible psych department. just off the top of my head, i can think of 8 students (which is a lot considering the size of the school) currently in phd programs, as well as countless others who are in msw programs, med school, and people doing research at elite institutions (ie brown, columbia, yale, harvard, etc). the professors are very well respected throughout academia, and independent student research is strongly encouraged. plus there are awesome connections throughout the northeast for summer internships.
also, conn is the epitome of the other criteria you listed!
(dont be put off by the low usnews ranking- it is academic quality and admission selectivity are on par with schools like vassar, colgate, hamilton, etc).</p>
<p>thanks for the ideas, everyone...definitely helpful
I don't think I'd mind a big school socially, but if I want to go to grad school, is it way harder to do that coming from a big school where its harder to get research opportunities, get to know professors, that kind of thing?</p>
<p>I think that is absolutely true, its more of a cultual thing as well. Big schools have opportunities but you have to be more aggressive in seeking them out, as opposed to top smaller schools where the professors live for their undergrad students.</p>
<p>university, SAT 75th percentile, total number of bachelors graduates, number of psychology graduates, proportion of psychology graduates</p>
<p>CLARK UNIVERSITY 1305 449 84 0.19
UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER 1410 1174 142 0.12
COLLEGE OF WILLIAM AND MARY 1440 1418 153 0.11
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST LOUIS 1520 1634 186 0.11
EMORY UNIVERSITY 1460 1480 148 0.1
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY 1500 1999 198 0.1
YESHIVA UNIVERSITY 1350 575 60 0.1
BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY 1440 816 72 0.09
DUKE UNIVERSITY 1530 1539 143 0.09
PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY 1310 800 68 0.09
SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY 1300 1397 131 0.09
WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY 1410 1000 94 0.09
GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY 1370 1993 155 0.08
TUFTS UNIVERSITY 1470 1336 107 0.08
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO 1530 1014 78 0.08
YALE UNIVERSITY 1560 1339 110 0.08
BROWN UNIVERSITY 1520 1490 101 0.07
CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY 1420 790 57 0.07
DARTMOUTH COLLEGE 1550 1064 78 0.07
FORDHAM UNIVERSITY 1290 1604 107 0.07
GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY 1470 1670 119 0.07
SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY-MAIN CAMPUS 1320 1614 118 0.07
VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY 1440 1514 101 0.07
BOSTON COLLEGE 1410 2223 137 0.06</p>