-liberal arts education
-somewhat small school (under 8,000); open to LAC
-some form of school spirit is a plus
-preferably somewhere different from NYC (where I live)
-study abroad emphasis
-diverse student population
-prefer outdoor accessibility
-ultimate frisbee
-ACT: 34 (35 superscore)
-SAT2: 750 average of 3 tests
-majoring in history, philosophy, sociology, anthropology, etc.
-plan on going to business or law school afterwards
-want to take another langauge
4 Reach, 4 Target, 4 Safety is my goal.
Schools I like so far:
Dartmouth
Georgetown
Pomona/Claremont McKenna
Wash U
Villanova
Bard
Are you asking for recommendations?
Also unless I missed it you didn’t provide a GPA.
Different from NYC? How about the midwestern LACs? Oberlin, Carleton and Grinnell (assuming you have the GPA for it). They meet your other criteria as well.
The schools in New England offer much of what you want, especially access to outdoor attractions, with the Maine schools having the best options like access to the sea, offshore islands, a funky city like Portland, lakes and mountains. I believe all the highly selective Maine schools run buses back to NYC for school breaks for nominal cost.
Middlebury is not far from Burlington which is a phenomenal little city on Lake Champlain and Vermont’s best mountains.
Bucknell. Lehigh and Lafayette in PA have great school spirit as do Colgate and Holy Cross.
Look into Emory if you like Wash U and are interested in those fields. When I attended, my boyfriend was from China, I regularly went biking in the trails near campus, hiked nearby, and rowed in the various Atlanta metro rivers. The student population is very diverse, and the school truly emphasizes studying abroad. Emory also has a very unique school called Oxford College, a two year LAC located on its original campus, 38 miles from Atlanta. I would encourage you to look into it.
Lewis & Clark College in Portland, OR would be an academic safety for you, and possibly a valid option for someone looking into Bard.
Tulane and the University of Miami also seem like potentially good fits for you, although if you like hiking, those schools are not well situated for such activities.
Clark University in Worchester, MA and Beloit College in Beloit, WI might be good options for you. Academic safeties.
Someone looking into Villanova might also find the University of San Diego to be an attractive option.
I would also add SUNY Geneseo as a possible financial safety. Sewanee, the University of the South might also be an attractive option if you don’t mind being in an extremely rural area.
Have you looked at Wesleyan, Oberlin, or Whitman College?
Very vague stats. What is your unweighted GPA? Weighted GPA? What are the specific scores and subjects of the three SAT II?
Assuming the worst (3.3-3.5 uwGPA), take a look at Willamette, University of Puget Sound, Whitman. They will be either matches or very close to safeties (if you have a higher GPA). Consider Kenyon as well for a match (again, if you have a higher GPA). These schools may not meet the diversity criterion.
St. Lawrence is also an interesting school.
Middlebury sounds perfect for you–study abroad emphasis, languages, great econ dept, excellent access to the outdoors.