College suggestions for a sopohmore with multi-interests?

<p>Hey everyone.</p>

<p>So, the pressure of college admissions is beginning to take its toll on me, and I figure that it's about time that I begin picking out some colleges that interest me. But, since I'm an only child and my parents have no set expectations for me, I really don't know which colleges would be the right fit. Part of me feels like I'd really thrive at a New England LAC, but then again, I go to a relatively small school already and I might prefer the diversity of a well-standing university.</p>

<p>Here is some info about me: (it's pretty qualitative, but oh well)</p>

<p>~I have around a 95/96 average.</p>

<p>~I'm on high honor roll and have been for the past two years</p>

<p>~As a freshman and a sophomore, I opted for the only honors class that was offered: Math Honors.</p>

<p>~I'm extremely interested in writing, photography, art, and music.</p>

<p>~This summer, I may be attending Boston University Tanglewood Institute for their vocal division. (It's an extremely competitive summer music program which requires an audition. I'm about second or so on the waitlist, so I may be accepted.)</p>

<p>~I'm awaiting notification from this semester-school program that I applied for. It's called the Mountain School of Milton Academy (Has anyone ever gone to this???) and it's an academically rigorous school that rising juniors apply to go to for one semester of their junior year. It's extremely hard to get into, but the school called my teacher recently and hinted at my acceptance, so it's looking positive so far. On their website, they say that the top seven schools most frequently attended by their students in the past seven years are: Brown, Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Middlebury, Williams, and Bowdoin. So, yeah.</p>

<p>~I take private voice lessons and have been playing the flute seriously for eight years.</p>

<p>~I participate in almost every single of the music groups in my school: band, orchestra, chorus, and madrigals (the select chorus).</p>

<p>~I will have really good recommendations from teachers.</p>

<p>~I'm applying for a prestigious music program in New York City which meets every Saturday, and offers tons of performance opportunities, ear training classes, and private voice lessons.</p>

<p>~I'm not athletic. I enjoy being physically active, but not through sports.</p>

<hr>

<p>I really don't know where I'd like to go. The only places I've visited (and they were very casual visits) were:</p>

<p>NYU--I went because my cousin wanted to look at it)
Yale--which I had very mixed feelings about)
Amherst--I didn't take a tour here but I LOVED the feeling of the campus. I'm a bit worried that it might be too preppy...</p>

<p>I'd like to be somewhere that offered a strong humanities curriculum but which also had good music and art departments. I wouldn't necessarily mind going to a university. I'm open to all options! </p>

<p>In terms of what I'd like to study, I'm thinking maybe anthropology, history, creative writing, or art history. Something like that!</p>

<hr>

<p>So, please, please, please, can you guys give me some advice? I promise to read it all and respond to it!</p>

<p>Thanks so much, guys!</p>

<p>pretty please???</p>

<p>Any advice you could give would be GREATLY appreciated.</p>

<p>Why do you not want to study music? That seems to be your passion.</p>

<p>Creative writing programs from Rugg's Recommendations:
Agnes Scott
U Alabama
Bard
Middlebury
Beloit
Barnard
Bennington
Brown
Carlow
Carnegie Mellon
Columbia
Creighton
Dana
Denison
Dominican
Eckerd
Emerson
Fla St
Grinnell
Hamilton
Hobart
U Iowa
John's Hopkins
Kenyon
Lewis-Clark State (ID)
Linfield
Long Island U Southhampton
Lycoming
U Maine Farmington
U of Michigan
SUNY New Paltz
NC State
Northwestern
Oberlin
U Oregon
U Pitt
Redlands
St Andrews (NC)
San Fran St
C of Santa Fe
Sarah Lawrence
Stephens
Susquehanna
Sweet Briar
Temple
UVA
Washington Coll (MD)
Webster
Wheaton (MA)
Wichita State
Wittenberg</p>

<p>US News graduate creative writing programs:
1. University of Iowa 4.5
2. John Hopkins University (MD) 4.2
3. University of Houston (TX) 4.2
4. Columbia University (NY) 4.1
5. University of Virginia 4.1
6. New York University 4.0
7. University of California, Irvine (CA) 4.0
8. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (MI) 4.0
9. University of Arizona 3.9
10. Boston University 3.8
11. Cornell University 3.8
12. University of Massachusetts, Amherst (MA) 3.8
13. University of Montana (MT) 3.8
14. University of Washington 3.8
15. Washington University (MO) 3.8
16. Brown University (RI) 3.7
17. Indiana University, Bloomington (IN) 3.7
18. University of Arkansas (AR) 3.7
19. University of Utah 3.7
20. Arizona State University 3.6
21. Emerson College (MA) 3.6
22. George Mason University (VA) 3.6
23. Hollins College (VA) 3.6
24. Sarah Lawrence College (NY) 3.6
25. Syracuse University (NY) 3.6</p>

<p>Gourman Ranking for art history:
NYU
harvard
Princeton
Yale
Columbia
UC Berkeley
Stanford
Bryn Mawr
U Michigan AA
Johns Hopkins
U Penn
UCLA
U Chicago
Brown
UNC Chapel Hill
Cornell
U Pittsburgh
Indiana U Bloomington
U Delaware
UVA
Boston U
U Maryland College Park
Northwestern
Rutgers NB
U Minnesota
Penn State
U Kansas
U Iowa
U Texas Austin
washington U St Louis
U Wisconsin madison
Ohio State
U Washington
Case Western
U new Mexico
U Oregon
U Georgia
U Missouri Columbia
Florida State
USC
Ohio U</p>

<p>Gourman Report ranking for undergraduate anthropology:</p>

<p>Michigan
Chicago
Berkeley
Penn
Arizona
Stanford
Yale
UCLA
Harvard
Northwestern
Texas Austin
New Mexico
Cornell
Illinois UC
Columbia
UC SB
U Washington
U Mass Amherst
Wisconsin
U Fla
Penn St
Pitt
Duke
Rutgers NB
Indiana Bloom
Hawaii Manoa
UC Irvine
UNC CH
UVA
SUNY Buffalo
Arizona St
Brandeis
UC Davis
Colorado Boulder
Tulane
NYU
Princeton
Washington St Louis
U Conn
Bryn Mawr
U Oregon
UC Riverside
U Minnesota
Brown
Southern Methodist
U Kansas
Missouri Columbia</p>

<p>Gourman Report ranking for undergrad history</p>

<p>Yale
Berkeley
Princeton
Harvard
Stanford
Michigan
Columbia
Chicago
Johns Hopkins
Wisconsin
Cornell
Indiana U
U Penn
Brown
UNC Chapel Hill
UCLA
Northwestern
UVA
U Texas Austin
U Rochester
U Illinois UC
U Notre Dame
U Washington
U Minnesota
U Iowa
Duke
Rutgers
UC Santa Barbara
UC San Diego
NYU
Vanderbilt
Washington U St Louis
U Maryland CP
Ohio St
Missouri Columbia
Emory
U Pitt
Rice
SUNY Stonybrook
Dartmouth
Brandeis
U Kansas
Boston U
UC Davis
SUNY Buffalo
Michigan St</p>

<p>Rugg’s Recommendations for Art History</p>

<p>Barnard (NY) …….
Bowdoin (ME) …..
Brown (HI) …..
Bryn Mawr (PA) ….
California, U. of (Los Angeles) ..’
Case Western Reserve U. (OH) …..
Chicago, U. of (IL) …
Columbia (NY) ……..
Harvard (MA) ,…..
Johns Hopkins (MD) …..
Michigan, U. of …..,
Mount Holyoke (MA) …..
New York U. ……..
North Carolina, U. of ……
Qberlin (OH) …..
Pennsylvania, U. of …….
Princeton (NJ) ………
Rochester, U. of (NY) ….
Skidmore (NY) ……….
Smith (MA) …..
Swarthmore (PA) ….,
Trinity (TX) ……
Vassar (NY) .,
Washington U. (MO) …
Wellesley (MA) ………..
Willamette (OR) ……..,
Williams (MA) ……
Yale (CT) …..,</p>

<p>Rugg’s Recommendations History</p>

<p>Albion (MI) ……..
Amherst (MA) …..
Barnard (NY) ….
Boston Col. (MA) ….
Boston U. (MA) …….
Bowdoin (ME) …….
Brandeis (MA) …..
Brown (RI) ……..
Bryn Mawr (PA) .,
Bucknell (PA) …,
California, U. of (Berkeley) …
California, U. of (Los Angeles) …
Carleton (MN) ……
Centre (KY) …..,
Chicago, U. of (IL) ….’
Claremont McKenna (CA) ………
Colgate (NY) ……….’
Colorado Co. …..
Columbia (NY) ……,
Connecticut Co. ….’
Cornell (NY) ……..
Dallas, U. of (TX) ……….,
Davidson (NC) ……
Dickinson (PA) ….
Drew (NJ) …..
Duke (NC) …..
Emory (GA) ….
George Washington (DC) ….
Georgetown (DC) “,
Gettysburg (PA) …..
Grinnell (IA) …..,
Hamilton (NY) …..
Harvard (MA) …
Haverford (PA) ..
Holy Cross (MA) ….
Kalamazoo (Ml) …….
Kenyon (OH) ….
Lafayette (PA) …..
Lawrence (WI) …….
Macalester (MN) ..
Middlebury (VT) ……
Mount Holyoke (MA) …
North Carolina, U. of ….
Northwestern (lL) …..
Notre Dame (IN) ….
Oberlin (OH) ……..,
Pennsylvania, U. of ……
Pomona (CA) …….
Princeton (NJ) …
Reed (OR) ………
Rhodes (TN) ….,
Rice (TX) …….
Smith (M~) …………..
South, U. of the (TN) ….
Southwestern (TX) ….,
Swarthmore (PA) …..’
Texas Christian U. (TX) …..
Trinity (TX) …
Tufts (MA) ……
Tulane (LA) …….
Union (NY) ….,
Vanderbilt (TN) ..
Vassar (NY) ….
Virginia, U. of ….
Wabash (IN) …….
Wake Forest (NC) …
Washington & lee (VA) ….
Wellesley (MA) ………,
Whitman (WA) ……’
William & Mary (VA) ……,
Williams (MA) …..
Yeshiva (NY) …….</p>

<p>Rugg’s Recommendations Anthropology</p>

<p>Albany (SUNY) (NY) ……..
Barnard (NY) …………
Brnndels (MA) ….
Bryn Mawr (PA) …..
Buffalo (SUNY) (NY) …..
California, U. of (Berkeley) ……..
California, U. of (Los Angeles) …
Case Western Reserve (OH) ……
Chlcago, U of (IL) ….
Colorado College…..
Columbia (NY) .”
Dartmouth (NH) …..
Duke (NC) …..
Florlda, U. of ….
Grinnell (IA) …….
Harvard (MA) …..,
Illinois, U. of Urbana.Champaign) ..
Lafayette (PA) ……..
Macalester (MN) ……
Michigan, U. of …..
New College (FL) ….
Northwestern (IL) ….
Pennsylvania, U. of …..
Pitzer (CA) .
Pomona (CA) ..,
Rice (TX) …….
Skidmore (NY) .
Smith (MA) …
South, U. of the (TN) ……’
Stanford (CA) …….
Vanderbilt (TN) …
Washington U. (MO) …..
Yale (CT) ….,</p>

<p>I don't want to exclusively study music because I have so many other more academic things that I'm interested in. But, I'd really like to be in a place with either a good music department or in a city where there would be music opportunities, such as Boston.</p>

<p>Thank you so much for all those lists! Based on my stats, which places do you think would be a good fit?</p>

<p>Brown
Columbia
U of Rochester
U Chicago
U Penn
Johns Hopkins
Oberlin
Swarthmore
Harvard (reach)
Carnegie Mellon
Barnard
Northwestern
Cornell</p>

<p>Daydreamer, You should take a look at Williams. In addition to being academically rigorous, it offers, in my opinion, some of the best access to arts programs -- studio art, dance, music of all types, creative writing, theater. Involvement in the performing arts is easily accessible to non-majors and double majors in seemingly disparate fields is quite common.</p>

<p>For an art history major, you couldn't do better. There are three worldclass museums on or near campus and the opportunities for handson involvement are tremendous. They also offer a combined art history/studio major.</p>

<p>Williams is located in an insular mountain village in a profoundly beautiful natural setting. Some thrive in this environment, some find it too isolating. </p>

<p>Some other arts driven schools in a range of selectivity: Wesleyan, Conn College, Skidmore, Hamilton, Vassar, Kenyon, Oberlin and if you are female, Smith. </p>

<p>I'm sure you know that your list should include reach/match/safety. Once you've taken your SATs/ACT you'll have more data to plug in. Your class rank is also pertinent.</p>

<p>How's your family's financial situation? If they are able to pay for private tuition or if they qualify for need based financial aid, then you'll have a lot of choices. If, however, you'll depend on merit aid you're going to have to formulate a completely different list. This is the FIRST question you should ask.</p>

<p>"So, the pressure of college admissions is beginning to take its toll on me, and I figure that it's about time that I begin picking out some colleges that interest me."</p>

<p>Look around with the purpose of seeing what's out there. Don't worry too much about finding your dream school...think in generalities. How do I feel about a major university? Do I want to stay near home? Do I need to find merit-based aid? I started looking around at the end of sophomore year, and I came up with my so-called top three choices. Didn't even apply to a single one of them. All three were east coast and in the end, I decided that staying in CA was right for me. The point is, it's great to start thinking, but don't stress yourself out and don't feel pressured. You'll have plenty of time for that in a year, and odds are good that you'll change a lot between now and then, so half of what you dig up now will soon become irrelevant, anyway. The best thing you can do for yourself is just practice looking around in general so that it's easier to do when actually have to start :)</p>

<p>to momrath:</p>

<p>From the way you described it, Williams sounds wonderful. I've, of course, heard of Wiliams, but I never really stopped to consider it as a potential school for me.</p>

<p>How would you rank Williams against Amherst? Is Williams considered to be just as preppy?</p>

<p>As for financial aid, the fact is that we do need financial aid, except on paper, it doesn't look that way. Do you know what I mean? I mean that, technically we have enough money to pay for college tuition, except we really only have enough money if we were to sell our house and use no electricity for weeks. But, we might have a chance at receiving need-based financial aid. Otherwise, I guess I would apply for merit-based financial aid. And if I didn't receive that, I would have to do a lot of pleading for my grandparents to help me out! </p>

<p>The truth is, though, that I don't know how important the notion of financial aid is for me in my college selection. I mean, I think that if I was to apply somewhere that I loved and be accepted without financial aid, I think that we would find some way to deal. Like I hinted at before, we have some family members who are pretty wealthy, even if we aren't, ourselves!</p>

<p>Thanks so much for your advice!</p>

<p>
[quote]
How would you rank Williams against Amherst? Is Williams considered to be just as preppy?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Williams has a reputation for being more preppy than Amherst. I haven't visited either so I can't speak to the truth of that, but that's the sense most people seem to have.</p>

<p>If you like the small LAC feel but want less preppy, you might want to check out: Oberlin (fantastic music conservatory + good liberal arts...you can even get a duel degree), Wesleyan, Vassar, Pomona, Carelton, Bowdoin. </p>

<p>Brown also sounds like it could be good for you. I'm not sure how strong their music department is, but they are right across the street from RISD and you can take art classes there, which is fantastic.</p>

<p>to student 615:</p>

<p>Thanks so much for your advice. I definitely agree that college hunting, especially at my age, shouldn't be a high-stress endeavor, and I'm going to try my best not to get caught up in the college craze, at any age. My cousin is a senior this year and from his experience with college admissions, it's become really clear to me how obscure college admission is, and so I figure that there's no point stressing out about it. Thanks for that reminder!</p>

<p>The truth is, though, that I have no idea, even when it comes to generalities, what school I would prefer. Coming from a school with five hundred people, I can't imagine having two thousand people, let alone twenty thousand people! So, that's definitely an argument to look at as many schools as I possibly can.</p>

<p>Do you have any ideas which schools might be a good fit, based on what I said before?</p>

<p>daydreamer, before you dream any further sit down with your parents and talk about paying for college. Have them use one of those on-line calculators to get an idea of how much need based aid they may be eligible for. If the answer is none (or very little) then you need to come to a VERY CLEAR understanding of how much they or your other relatives are willing or able to contribute to your education.</p>

<p>There are a LOT of very good colleges that offer merit aid. If you read the thread at the top of the Parents Board that's titled "Schools known for good merit aid" you can get a better idea of what's out there. Many of the most selective colleges and universities DO NOT offer merit aid. Therefore, since your financial situation is a little hazy you'd best start thinking about those that do.</p>

<p>Williams and Amherst are very similar academically and have a lot of overlap in the types of students who attend. I like to avoid the description "preppy" as I don't think it means much any more. I mean, even the prep schools aren't preppy any more. Both of these schools attract a wide range of diversity, maybe not as much as you'd find at a large urban school, but still a good balance.</p>

<p>In my opinion, Williams is far far more arts oriented than Amherst, even considering the consortium. For art, art history and music you really couldn't do better. </p>

<p>My advice is straighten out the financial thing and keep visiting. Don't forget those safeties, though, financial and otherwise.</p>

<p>Good luck and let us know how you do.</p>