COLLEGE SUGGESTIONS for the depressingly quiet?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>I know some of this has been covered before, but I'd still really like to know everyone's opinions!</p>

<p>I am an extremely shy senior in high school (by which I mean I can easily get through all my classes comfortably not saying a word), and it takes me a while to get comfortable to people and make friends - sometimes more than a year or two. I do eventually open up and get a bit more normal in terms of how much I talk, but definitely not before.</p>

<p>Ok. So while I'm looking at UMichigan, UCBerkely right now, it just seems like I would get completely lost in the 40,000+ people; right now my school is middle school+high school and has about 800. I would like to go to a bigger college than my HS obviously! But tens of thousands of people seems so big to me...anybody have anything similar, went to a massive school and loved it? Or, alternatively, hated it? </p>

<p>And do you have any suggestions at schools I could look at?</p>

<p>Oh, and also, I'm like the most un-fun person ever. I would prefer to be chilling in my room or discussing anything from pointless jokes to world events with friends than at a party. (yes. I hear the sighs already.)</p>

<p>Any advice you have would be very much appreciated, I can absolutely assure you!</p>

<p>Muchos gracias.</p>

<p>Stats:
SAT: 2340
GPA: None
Class rank: None
ECs:
Tennis - NOT as a proper competitive sport, for leisure.
Volunteering with disabled kids for the past 4 years
3 academic competitions (2 national - various categories incl debating, 1 intl - maths)
Horse riding
Piano - Grade 3
Others: A couple of National awards, minor International recognition, school awards for excellence in maths and science, 7th place team in a national competition, UK Maths challenge Gold award
and Duke of Edinburgh bronze, silver and gold, wherever that fits in.
Lead a project to raise money for a local orphanage in Tanzania, climbed Kilimanjaro to raise funds for them.
Jobs: Not easy to get jobs in Dubai for <18s, so it's just some minor tutoring, babysitting, and running arts courses here and there, plus henna. Nothing major, although I hope to sell some of my crafts soon.</p>

2

<p>Are you shy or are you an introvert? Or both. There’s a difference. And nothing wrong with it. Try reading this:
[Quiet:</a> The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Quiet-Power-Introverts-World-Talking/dp/0307352153]Quiet:”>http://www.amazon.com/Quiet-Power-Introverts-World-Talking/dp/0307352153)</p>

<p>Your test score is amazing and you should serious consider the LACs. (Liberal Arts Colleges.) Almost all will be bigger than your HS, but only around 2000 or so students. Difficult to get lost in the crowd, very small classes, lots of professor interaction. You will be required to participate in class. Academically intense. World class education. Lots of introverts as well as extroverts, you’ll have a group. And all have a different feel, you’ll just need to find one that fits you.</p>

<p>Try looking up names like Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, Bowdoin, Middlebury, and Pomona, just to name the Top 6. Go from there and explore the others.</p>

3

<p>Am I understanding your post correctly that you are living in Dubai? Are you limiting your search to American colleges? Will you need financial aid?</p>

4

<p>@MrMom, thanks for the suggestions.</p>

<p>@siliconvalleymon - I’ve been living in Dubai for a few years, but I’m a Canadian citizen and am applying to schools there as well.</p>

<p>I know that no intl. student can consider a US uni a safety (according to past posts where people with almost perfect SATs and loads of amazing ECs are told that they have no safeties :O) BUT are there any, let’s say… “almost-safeties” you can recommend?</p>

<p>So what LACs would you suggest then? I wish I could go visit everywhere but unfortunately I can’t and it’s really difficult to get the feel of a place’s atmosphere over the internet…
But anyway, I would love to be somewhere that accepts/encourages diversity, creative thinking, intellectual discussion…not somewhere really bland and sort of flavourless (I’ve heard Amherst described like that but not sure of the validity of that comment to be perfectly honest)</p>

5

<p>I agree with MrMom’s suggestions, especially the book he suggested you read, it’s really fascinating.</p>

<p>I would also add some all-female schools - Bryn Mawr, Barnard, Scripps as well as Vassar (which is now a bit co-ed). They are all affiliated with co-ed schools but you might feel more comfortable not sharing bathrooms with guys. If you look into Amherst make sure you look at the private school Amherst, not the UMass Amherst.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

6

<p>I’m unclear as to whether you are female, but if you are, please look at a small women’s liberal arts college. I think the warmth and the intimacy of a campus like Mount Holyoke or Smith might be just right for you. These are not big party schools (there are parties, but they do not dominate the campus), and I know that some even have “quiet dorms” for people who want to avoid any raucous behavior at all. </p>

<p>Best of luck!</p>

7

<p>I would really try to come over and visit a few different types of schools and see where you feel comfortable. My S was very quiet in HS – we all felt that a huge school would be too overwhelming, but to our surprise he felt that the small LACs were too intimate…so he ended up liking the mid-sized universities where the classes were small, it wasn’t too big, but if he wanted to fade into the background quietly now and again he could. He also was not a partier and found that schools in large cities offered opportunities to do things with friends outside of the normal college party scene. He lived in a wellness dorm freshman year. </p>

<p>My S found the right college and made a group of wonderful friends – college was a transformational experience for my son. I hope it is for you as well.</p>

<p>Maybe research UChicago, Georgetown</p>

8

<p>The book suggested by MrMom is wonderful. Also, consider requesting a private room.</p>

9

<p>you really need to visit schools to get a feel.
small schools that you might want to look at</p>

<p>hendrix college
hiram college
hanover college</p>

<p>maybe carnegie mellon it is bigger but could be a good place to check out.</p>

10

<p>I don’t understand why people are suggesting Chicago and LAC’s. This is a student who does not participate in class. Those schools require it and Chicago is largely seminar style.</p>

<p>OP, you might like the large uni’s because classes can be so big, especially the first couple of years and you can go as under the radar as you like. </p>

<p>Many people prefer to hang out in small groups of friends, you will find that anywhere, it isn’t unusual or sigh-worthy.</p>

11

<p>Participating in class is often a function of whether or not you think anyone has any interest in what you say. Introverts can and do participate when they think there’s an audience for their ideas. Shy people as well, when they get to know their classmates and feel safe.</p>

<p>Flying under the radar is exactly the wrong direction for anyone except fugitives and members of witness protection to ever take in life. Many do, but it rarely leads to success.</p>

12

<p>@happy1, if you don’t mind me asking, what school did your son end up choosing?</p>

<p>I know what you mean, BrownParent, but like MrMom said, I don’t want to actively try to fly under the radar - like a fugitive :slight_smile: - all the time.</p>

<p>I hadn’t actually considered LACs, but I will look at some now, thanks!</p>

<p>Wait, I’m looking to do medicine/surgery; I know it works a little differently in the US than the UK, but I can still apply to med school from an LAC, right?</p>

13

<p>Yes. My daughter plans on being pre-med at a LAC. You can major in anything, as long as you complete the standard list of pre-med courses. Biology and chemistry are popular choices, D plans on doing neuroscience or cognitive science and has considered economics. Others do English or even philosophy. The only thing I’ve heard that’s difficult to combine with the pre-med courses is engineering, because engineers have to take so many courses, they have difficulty fitting in the pre-med courses in a four year program. Most LACs don’t offer engineering as a standard four year course of study.</p>

14

<p>not only can you apply from an LAC to med school, many have 90% + acceptance rates.
schools like muhlenberg college have a joint bachelors/md with drexel so, if you get into that program as a senior in high school and maintain your gpa you roll right into med school.</p>

15

<p>Many LAC graduates go on to medical, dental and veterinary school, just make sure you cover the background coursework, as MrMom suggested. Usually, that means majoring in Biology or Chemistry, but if your school offers majors with low credit requirements, you can even take the pre-med courses with another major. I attended an LAC and one of my good friends managed to take the courses while being a CLASSICS major, and he still went on to Med school after graduation. Another was a dual Math/Philosophy major, she ended up going to Harvard medical school. </p>

<p>My daughter is also a bit introverted, and we’ve been looking at schools with the right “feel” for her. I’ll share some of what we’ve come to because I think you and she may be a bit alike…</p>

<p>We are looking at smaller schools with small class sizes. You don’t have to fight to be heard if you wish to ask a question or participate in class discussion. Also, at a small school, you will likely be acquainted with most of your classmates, so class participation is more comfortable than if you were in a large room full of strangers. My daughter initially resisted the idea of a women’s college, but once she watched a student-led video tour of Scripps, she opened up to the idea. My daughter also doesn’t like a pep rally rah rah atmosphere, so we are looking for schools that do NOT have a Greek system or a sports culture that dominates the social and academic life at the institution. </p>

<p>Consider these schools as you look:</p>

<p>Scripps
Mt. Holyoke
Smith
Reed
Swarthmore</p>

16

<p>I second Zobro’s suggestion of Muhlenberg College. From the sound of things you might be a very good fit there. It has a very strong science/premed program. I is a very accepting school in terms of a persons personality and there isn’t pressure for Greek life. I would say it is worth a visit and an interview with admissions. Best of luck to you!</p>

17

<p>Let’s remember that OP has a 2340 SAT. There is absolutely no LAC she doesn’t qualify for based on test score alone. (Or Ivy for that matter.)</p>

18

<p>OP, check out You Tube for tour videos of the schools we’ve mentioned…there are some rather generic ones produced by admissions offices, but many excellent LACs have some talented students who love their schools and have produced their own videos about the colleges. I find that the student-produced ones help you take a peek at the culture of a school and the “flavor” of student life very well, rather than just showing you the nice buildings, the Quad in October, and a big fancy microscope. I think that with your credentials, you’ll find many excellent schools that are a good fit for a “quirky” and introverted student. I think many students like you find High School to be difficult and not so much fun socially, and then get to college and really find lots of kindred spirits. Good luck!</p>

19

<p>Macalester might work well for you. </p>

<p>Have you said what your financial situation is? Macalester and Mt. Holyoke both give good merit aid. </p>

<p>I don’t really get the “Reed” vibe from this poster, honestly…</p>

20

<p>Wow.</p>

<p>Ok, this may be slightly cheesy, but I would just like to say thank you all so much for all this; I literally did not expect such detailed and fantastic replies.</p>

<p>You all have been such a big help, thank you.</p>

<p>As far as schools go, I guess the only thing to do now is relax and whiz through the admissions process one step at a time…yay?</p>

<p>Yeah, I’m considering applying to an Ivy because I may just have a shot (but let’s be real, they’re so selective they could probably just play darts with their applications and still end up putting together an amazing undergrad class), so obviously not banking on anything happening there.</p>

<p>Anyways, thank you all again, and if you think of anything of course add it!!</p>

<p>WAIT…what is the Reed vibe, and why aren’t you getting it?
I’m getting such mixed results from my extensive googling of Reed that I’d really love to hear what you think!</p>