Colleges for a Nerdy/Creative Thinker?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Me:
I'm posting in the chances forum too because I feel like I keep hitting a roadblock. I have a list of schools, but keep being scared they're too much of a reach or may not be what they seem, or just not a good fit for me, so I want to hear other options (and possibly that I need to calm the heck down because my stats are (hopefully) good).</p>

<p>I'm a writer, actor, huge geek (Whedonite, Trekkie, Whovian, etc...), and reader. I enjoy yoga, sustainability (I'm a pescetarian of 5 years), swimming, movie commentating and my favorite writers include Chekov, Orwell, Palaniuk, and Gaiman. </p>

<p>The Schools:
-I'm looking to stay in the Northeast, but can stretch into the Midwest. I'm a bit more iffy about the Southeast and West, and between the two have only considered North Carolina, Oregon and California.
-I like smaller schools as teacher/student relationships are important to me. I'm okay with urban/rural/suburban, as long as there is stuff to do in the area, and a large city/town is accessible. (For example: Hampshire College's location was not daunting to me).
-I like schools with a lot of opportunities and that have sustainability.
-I like academic schools with an artistic side, not necessarily crazy unusual, but able to find people for deep conversation willing to branch into topics they may not be overly familiar with. Very interesting people, that fall over all different spectrums. I like schools that offer me the opportunity to take control of my own studies (design your own major is a positive), and do interdisciplinary studies.
*all of that being said I'm not looking for Ivy League, but more so reaches like Brandeis, Oberlin and Amherst.
-My planned major is either a double of Theater/Business or Communications/Creative Writing </p>

<p>My Stats:
I'm a Caucasian Jewish girl living in New York City. My parent's are "upper middle class" (though I can't afford college, the irony)
My high school is an audition-based arts school where I'm a drama major
SAT: 1910 (superscored 1930) ---- CR/M: 1310
ACT: 27
GPA: 3.7
Rank: #6
Classes this year: Precalc<em>, AP English</em>, Video Production, Senior Rep (acting), Government/Econ, Italian* and Health
<em>my school offers limited class opportunities. I've finished my science curriculum (bio/chem/physics), but dropped Robotics for AP English. It's the only AP offered to seniors, I took APUSH last year, got a straight 97 average but a 2 on the AP exam... I've been in my school's only two honors classes: honors global and honors English.<br>
*</em>*I'm also taking a college (now) course at CUNY Hunter College in Media Studies</p>

<p>My EC:
-School Activities: SGO (3 years; member), Community Service Club and GSA (1 year; both ended and no one picked them up), Stage Management (1 year, twice; usually unspeakable for a freshman - which I was at the time), Senior Leadership Team (exclusive and application based; on poster committee as of right now); Peer Mentoring (2 years); National Honor Society (since sophomore year)
-Out of School Curriculars: Writing Club (1 year; president), The Anglerfish Magazine (since March, published online monthly, have done 12 articles so far*)
-Internships: ~I've interned at an off-broadway company for three years, and have been invited back after each year to continue working; ~also a summer internship with Bloomberg Philanthropies - where I worked at a city park helping as an artist's assistant, created a worker evaluation form and planned and managed their Halloween festival's performance segment until my internship ended.
-Community Service: Mentoring, and Grading for teachers
*Some of those articles will be in my portfolio (possibly along with some personal writing)</p>

<p>Apps:
I have three teachers who know me incredibly well and have written recommendations for me in the past on board, as well as my guidance recc down, and my theatre internship boss is willing to write me one as well
Really good common app essay in it's final drafting phase, just planning on running it by a few teachers, but have received a lot of praise on it.</p>

2

<p>I would try looking at this list of schools for ideas:</p>

<p>[Colleges</a> That Change Lives | Changing Lives. One Student at a Time.](<a href=“http://www.ctcl.org/]Colleges”>http://www.ctcl.org/)</p>

3

<p>Actually, that’s where most of my schools have come from. But hearing some stuff about them from people is causing my fear. Initially I’ve looked at Hampshire, Guillford, Allegheny, Reed and Lawrence U.</p>

4

<p>Eckerd College, in St. Petersburg, Fl is one of the CTCL. It is a small LAC that has been recognized by Fiske Guide for sustainability, and a green college by the Princeton Review. They offer the International Cinema Series, Presidential Events Series inspired by the Human Experience and art exhibits. A local theater company, A Simple Theater, recognizes the theater at Eckerd as its’ home. Students are welcome and encouraged to participate. They also have their own Palmetto Productions company. You are also able to plot your own major with your mentor. There is a very active Hillel branch with Rabbi Rosenthal on campus. Spring break trips are service learning based and the college works closely with the city of St. Petersburg and local environmental groups. Each winter term, Dennis Lehane sponsors the Writers in Paradise series. Elie Wiesenthal teaches a class and is “in residence” at Eckerd every winter term.There is a Phi Beta Kappa chapter and a large number of NOAA Hollings Scholars. The college has a College Program Series of which students are required to attend 16 during Freshman and Sophomore year. Some of the topices this Fall are: Museum Hours (German Film), Talking about Race and Social Justice, Self Defense for College, Moral Interdependence and Global Citizenship, Faust, Hip-Hop:Beyond Beats and Rhymes, Relay for Life, Sustainability at Eckerd College, Computer Chess, Some Girls(s)(play), Curin Alzheimer’s Disease by 2020, Stolen Desire (Japanese film), Slam Poetry, An Afternoon of Chamber Music. As you can see, it is quite an eclectic collection. Based upon your stats, you look like you would be eligible for a nice merit package. Best of luck!</p>

5

<p>Have you considered American or Brandeis?
There will be people like you and people very much unlike you, but enough of both.
I think that many of the schools that attract the quirkiest tend not to offer business majors, but that might be a misconception of mine, picturing the usual Bard/Reed/Oberlin/Hampshire assortment of LACs.</p>

6

<p>I’m going to crack open CTCL to look at Eckerd. That really does sound in my range, despite being so far down south, thank you!
And I haven’t really researched American at all, or know anything about it really. However, Brandeis is one of my three dream schools.</p>

7

<p>For what it’s worth, Brandeis was my daughter’s dream school as well. Right up until she had to choose between Brandeis and American. </p>

<p>Some considerations favoring American (closer to home, generous merit scholarship) that tipped the balance for her might not apply to you, but give it a look. </p>

<p>There is both a business school and a theater major available. I do not think auditions are required for the theater degree. Sustainability is a big topic.
[Office</a> of Sustainability Green Sustainable | American University](<a href=“http://www.american.edu/finance/sustainability/]Office”>http://www.american.edu/finance/sustainability/)</p>

<p>You can design your own major
<a href=“http://www.american.edu/provost/registrar/pdf/upload/Individualized-Degrees-Final-2.pdf[/url]”>http://www.american.edu/provost/registrar/pdf/upload/Individualized-Degrees-Final-2.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>You might want to re-take that AP history exam–it’s worth 2 semesters of credit (I think) and satisfies a gen ed requirement at AU.</p>

8

<p>A Simple Theater at Eckerd is new this past Spring. My son graduated with a degree in International Business. He was also a member of the SIFE club, (Students In Free Enterprise), they compete nationally. This is a national club and members from different colleges and universities meet in local regions after graduation. It is a great way to network. I agree with Desk Potato about studying for and retaking the APUSH exam. Check with the individual colleges you are intersted in to see what you must score for credit to be applied. Your CUNY course credit should be accepted by most colleges, if not toward a major, then toward a gen ed requirement.</p>

9

<p>You say that your parents can’t afford college, although they likely make enough to qualify for little to no need based aid. If that’s the case, how much can you afford? Brandeis functionally awards only need based aid which might mean that you can’t afford it.</p>

10

<p>I’m guessing based off past discussions 30-35k a year… which may serve as a problem, though with some of my safety/targets, my college guidance counselor says I may qualify for merit scholarships. I recognize that’s a problem with Brandeis for me, but I also know that if I go to school in Boston, after the first year I can knock Room/Board off my bill as I have family who already offered me a room.</p>

11

<p>(thought post $30k may be a stretch)</p>

12

<p>Look at Smith College, although it offers only need-based rather than merit aid; very open, many options, good Theatre program (though small), and very free-spirited. <a href=“- Smith Social Network”>https://smith.collegiatelink.net/organization/ssffs/about&lt;/a&gt; is their scifi-geek club, and it’s active and lots of fun.</p>

13

<p>Lewis and Clark in Portland OR, Denison in OH</p>

14

<p>May I suggest that you look at the travel scedule of the admission counselors for the colleges you would like to know more about. The fall is a huge travel time and I would think that most of the counselors will be in the NYC area during Oct and Nov.</p>

15

<p>Emerson! It’s very creative I’ve heard.</p>

16

<p>Have you tried the Net Price Calculator on the Brandeis website? There is no point in applying if it will not be an affordable choice.</p>