College Selection: Any Ideas?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hi,
I'm a rising senior and i'm expanding/formulating my college list. I'm interested in a school with an intellectual atmosphere that is strong in mathematics and the sciences, but not exclusively (so far i've kindof resisted tech schools - but maybe i should be more open minded?). Besides science/math, i'm also really interested in political science and public policy. I'm not really into the frat thing or the drinking thing. I think i might want to be a science teacher in the future. I don't really know though.
I've visited Princeton, Swarthmore, U Penn, American, and Wash U. in StL. I learned that i can't go to a school IN the city (Penn) - i need a little grass/isolation (though NEER a big city is a huge pluss). I also prefer colder climates to warmer ones. In terms of size, i think the best size is around 5000 , but i also like some small schools (~1500-2000). A big school could be cool too. </p>

<p>Colleges i'm considering are:
Princeton, Dartmouth, Swarthmore, Carleton, Wash. U in StL (my mom works there), Michigan, and Brandeis.
However, i think my list may be a little top heavy (to many reaches).</p>

<p>I think my application is pretty strong, but then again, so does everyone.
Weighted GPA = ~4.05 (A+=4.3 A=4.0 A-=3.7 B+=3.4 regular/honors/AP all weighted the same)
Unweighted GPA = ~3.9 (A+,A,A- = 4, B+,B,B-=3) - I had one B+ freshman year 1st semester, but the rest have been A, A+ or A-.
Ranked around the middle of the top decile in a class of around 250.
Rigorous schedual including 4 AP classes junior year (the first year we're allowed to take APs). I'm also a year ahead in math. However, i dropped French to take 2 sciences, so i've only had 3 years of foreign language. Three years because i came to the high school in 8th grade to take math and french.
SAT = 2290 (800M, 800V, 690W)
SAT II = 800 Math 2, 800 Chem, 780 Bio M
ACT = 34 (32 english, 35 math, 34 reading, 36 science, 11 writing)
Five 5s on APs this year (English lang, calc BC, chem, bio, psych)</p>

<p>My ECs are very science oriented:
+I tutor in math and science (about 70 hours last year) - this is how i support myself durring the school year.
+This summer i'm working in a lab at Wash. U (~45 hours/week for like 8 weeks)
+Team captain for TEAMS (tests of engeneering aptitude, mathematics and science). We placed 5th nationally sophmore year and 14th nationally junior year. Both years we won state.
+1st in state, top 50 nationally in the National Chemistry Olympiad
+I'm also an avid rock climber (my dad is a pretty intense alpinist)
+I did debate sophmore year and was pretty good, but i didn't do it this year because i had a lot of school work and debate takes up a LOT of time. I really want to do it next year, but we'll see.
+I went on close up (an academic trip to DC).</p>

<p>I don't play an instrument. I'm not president or editor of anything. And I'm not really involved in community service. (I don't think you can count tutoring because i make money)</p>

<p>Soooooo. If you've read all that (or even if you've just skipped down here)...
What do you think of my list? Is it too reachy? How can i expand it? What super-cool schools have i passed up, glossed over, or missed?</p>

2

<p>buuuuuummmmp</p>

3

<p>If your family gets a discount, you should attend Wash U St Louis.</p>

4

<p>Brandeis should be safe for you. Tufts and Boston College are also just outside Cambridge and Boston. How about Northwestern- great school, outside Chicago. But, you said that your list is top-heavy already, and all of the above are pretty competitive. How about U Maryland-College Park (just outside Washington, DC) and U Wisconsin-Madison.</p>

5

<p>sully, I'd suggest that you take a look at Williams, Colgate and Hamilton, Middlebury and Amherst. Excellent math and sciences as well as excellent political science plus plenty of rocks to climb. At these schools being outdoorsy IS a valuable EC.</p>

<p>You definitely need a safety. Are you instate for UMich? Even if you're not make sure you apply early under the rolling system so that you will learn whether or not you're accepted early on. If yes, then there's your safety (assuming of course that you really want to go there). If no, you can recalibrate your list.</p>

6

<p>Lehigh is a very science and math oriented university in Bethlehem, PA. I would give that a look - you are definately qualified to make it in there, and the student body of 4600 seems like a good match to your tastes.</p>

7

<p>How about the University of Rochester, Johns Hopkins, and Carnegie Mellon? They're all kind of urban, but I think you'll find plenty of green spaces at all three.</p>

8

<p>If your mom is a full time employee at washU for a number of years, then you can attend it for free -- provided you are accepted. I think it is a great deal!</p>

9

<p>Holy Cross, Bowdoin, and Bucknell. Holy Cross has a good location-1 hour from Boston.</p>

10

<p>How about UC Berkeley? It's in a sort-of quaint, no-high-rise but bustling and intellectual city, is strong in the sciences and almost anything else you might want. San Francisco is about 20-35 minutes away. Frats aren't big. Famous name. Price tag is nice, too.</p>

11

<p>Price tag is not nice at Berkeley if you are OOS. Plus R & B is among the most expensive in the country. What about U of Chicago? Beautiful campus, 20 min from Chicago, very strong academics [on par with the Ivy's] , 4000 undergrads, small class sizes, and they accept about 40% of applicants [ quirky application is very different from those at all other colleges]</p>

12

<p>You have a good list. I would consider adding: Middlebury, Bowdoin, Amherst/ Williams, Northwestern, and Duke.</p>

13

<p>After reading your post again, I don't think that your list is too reachy. However, everybody needs safeties and also needs to think about the financial aspects. If you can afford top private schools (other than where your parent works), many of the suggested schools sound good- U Chicago, Carnegie Mellon, Hopkins, U of Roch., Lehigh, the top LACs. If you fall in the middle- need merit aid- better look for schools that are known to give good merit aid. If you can go to WUSTL free, sounds like a great deal.</p>

14

<p>Being top 5% and 1600 SAT, would think that schools similar to the ones you've mentioned such as Tufts, Bowdoin, Colgate, Middlebury, Bucknell should be very very likely bets for you.</p>

15

<p>I'm surprised you haven't put Stanford. It fits pretty well with your requirements</p>

<p>
[QUOTE]
I'm interested in a school with an intellectual atmosphere that is strong in mathematics and the sciences, but not exclusively (so far i've kindof resisted tech schools - but maybe i should be more open minded?). Besides science/math, i'm also really interested in political science and public policy. I'm not really into the frat thing or the drinking thing. I think i might want to be a science teacher in the future. I don't really know though.

[/QUOTE]
</p>

<p>Stanford is very strong in the sciences and also in political science. Only a small percentage of students join frats and I've read somewhere that 50% of Stanford freshman don't drink.</p>

<p>Stanford would be considered warm but not too warm so don't worry ;)</p>

16

<p>hey, about the drinking thing, people change at colleges and at the academically elite schools with large greek life, there are still more people who don't party all the time</p>

17

<p>MIT, Notre Dame, Emory, UMich</p>