Hi everyone, I am a junior in high school and I’m trying to figure out what colleges to apply to. My top choices are Brown and Barnard, which I know are both reaches. I want to apply ED to one, but I’m still deciding that. I want to get more target and safely schools but I’m not exactly sure where to look.
New SAT: 1210 (570 CR, 640 M)
I am currently in prep and plan on getting at least a 1400 which my tutor tells me is likely to happen, if not higher.
I am waiting on my scores for my SAT II in US History and Spanish.
I just took APUSH, AP Art History, and AP Lang. and will get my scores in July. I think I did really well on all of them.
Next year I am taking AP Spanish, AP Gov., and AP Lit. I have been in all the highest classes offered in my school apart from my sciences which are the middle level offered.
My school does not give my GPA through a 4.0 scale, but my GPA is 94.8 so far, and after this year will probably be a little higher.
My school does not rank, it is a competitive private girls high school in NJ.
I would like to be in the northeast, but am open to other places as well. If you could please give me some suggestions on where to look that would be very helpful. Thanks!!
Congrats on your hard work and success in school! Are there financial considerations? Any thoughts on what you want to study? What’s the appeal of Brown and Barnard? That they’re urban? Strong liberal arts program? Liberal culture? All of these? Something else?
You are interested in Barnard? How about Smith, Mount Holyoke, and Wellesley? All are terrific schools, though different from one another.
Brown and Barnard are urban. You might also think about the University of Vermont. Burlington is a spectacular college town with lots of fun outdoorsy things to do close by. At the very least, it’s a beautiful place to visit. Maybe Brandeis if you are intrigued by Barnard and Brown. It’s in a small town outside of Boston.
Faraway options: Colorado College: small LAC right in city of Colorado Springs; liberal place; students take one class at a time. And at the opposite end of the spectrum the University of Washington. Urban state university. It’s right outside downtown Seattle, just 3-4 light rail stops from downtown. Beautiful campus. Tons of city life and nature very easily accessible. It’s extremely competitive OOS, especially for CA residents, maybe less so for East Coast applicants. Have fun exploring and good luck in finding a good fit!
@TTG Thank you! I really like Barnard and Brown due to the fact that they are both liberal arts colleges. I also felt that they were both places full of collaboration between the students rather than competition which I really liked. I just felt really happy at both and liked the people that went to each.
I am not really interested in other women’s colleges because I go to an all girls high school and would like to not be stuck with all girls my whole life, Barnard I feel is different because it is in New York and also has the connection with Columbia.
I am most interested in studying international relations, history, or possibly art history. I am not exactly sure but I know something like that, and possibly a minor in a language because I love learning languages and would like to continue to learn more than just Spanish.
You might like Tufts too. For all of these, you’ll need to pull up your SAT score quite a bit. While you are trying to decide now where to ED, you should definitely work on finding some schools that will be less difficult to get into. Take a look at some of the schools in DC. Your interests in IR and art history might be well satisfied in that city with free museums and lots of internship possibilities.
Got it on Barnard and Brown. That makes a lot of sense for Barnard. Bates and Dickinson are schools that seem like good fits. We were really impressed by both, and for the things that appeal to you. They are in much smaller places. Holy Cross in Worcester is definitely very strong in all your areas of interest. If you wanted to think about a southern, urban LAC, Rhodes College in Memphis is also terrific. The daughter of a friend recently graduated from Rhodes and had an incredible experience. The campus is beautiful. Maybe also Oberlin, Kenyon, and Denison in Ohio.
Seconding Dickinson. American would be another good possibility. Denison is another match, as would be UVermont, Hobart and William Smith, St Lawrence.
For a safety, look at Goucher.
I’m not sure how likely a jump from 1200 to 1400 is so perhaps look for matches for a 1250-1300 that will then become safeties if you get 1400?
What’s your parents’ budget? Can they afford their EFC?
Schools like St. Lawrence (new SAT projected range 1170-1380) would seem to be good statistical matches for you. Skidmore would also seem to be within reasonable reach. As stated above, you can revise your choices as your scores improve, though during these stages you may find that you like some colleges that you hadn’t previously considered, and may keep them on your list even with your higher SATs.
Cast a wide net and realize you can’t predict which schools will admit you but with a balanced list you will have choices. It might not be Brown or Barnard. You should be ok with that.
There are lots of amazing liberal arts and mid-sized colleges in the Northeast. I’d suggest you get your hands on some good college guide books (ex. Fiske, Princeton Review) which can often be found in the guidance office or the library and start reading. Also meet with your guidance counselor to ask for other suggestions. If you HS has Naviance that is a helpful tool as well.
Some specific schools you might research: Skidmore, Lafayette, Dickinson, Franklin & Marshall, Conn. College, Tufts, William & Mary, Fordham (look at both campuses) and maybe Clark or Goucher as a safety.
