Colleges like Pomona, Stanford, and Yale

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hey, I'm a high school senior who has applied ED I to Pomona. Hopefully everything will go well and I'll get in. However, if bad news comes next week, I will have to get the rest of my college apps together.</p>

<p>I'm not satisfied with my RD college list right now. The only schools I really like on it right now are Stanford and Yale. I would really appreciate any suggestions of colleges like Pomona, Stanford, and Yale. I need a range of matches to reaches. I do have at least one safety in mind already. I have already applied to the UCs as well (I'm in CA).</p>

<p>Here are the characteristics that I think Pomona, Stanford, and Yale have in common and that are important to me:
-Some kind of supportive, built-in social system for when I arrive (sponsor group, residential colleges, etc.)
-People - genuinely kind; quirky (but not weird just for the sake of being weird); intellectual, but know how to have fun
-I would prefer a private college/U over a public one
-I would prefer for the college to have good weather, but this is not a must
-Not blatantly liberal
-Prospective majors/interests: bio, chem, or English (NOT a techy school). I'm interested in doing research and perhaps a PhD eventually.
-Good financial aid
-Somewhat well-known</p>

<p>The first two characteristics are the most important to me.</p>

<p>Thanks for the help.</p>

2

<p>Rice? It has a residential college system like Yale but it is very selective.</p>

3

<p>Maybe Rice University?</p>

<p>Putturani, you beat me to it!</p>

4

<p>another vote for Rice. Look into WUSTL as well.</p>

5

<p>What other schools are already on your list?</p>

<p>The most obvious distinguishing features that your 3 schools share is that they are super selective. Many of the characteristics you mention are found in many other schools.</p>

<p>Schools that have the best track record for PhD production are either LACs (not necessarily the very most selective ones) or research universities that feature small classes and a strong undergraduate focus (Chicago is one of the best for this and is less selective than your 3, but does not have all your other desired features such as good weather.)</p>

<p>Davidson College is less selective than Pomona, has good weather, seems to be a tad more conservative than many other selective LACs, and has good financial aid (including merit aid). As for support systems, I understand they even clean dorm rooms and do your laundry for you.</p>

6

<p>Theres lots of school that fit that profile. I agree with Davidson. But Duke and Wake would also fit. Further north and school more like Pomona (except weather) would be Haverford, Williams, and Amherst.</p>

7

<p>University of Richmond.
University of the South (Sewanee)</p>

8

<p>Rice was also the first school that came to mind. These don’t fit with your weather preference at all :slight_smile: but I’d suggest University of Rochester, Brandeis and Macalester. Maybe Emory. </p>

<p>Did you apply to the College of Creative Studies at UCSB?</p>

9

<p>Tufts…</p>

10

<p>We need your stats to tell you what reaches and matches are for you.</p>

11

<p>Thanks for all your responses! I will definitely look into Rice and Davidson based on the multiple recommendations.</p>

<p>@jasonleb1:
Brief stats -
-4.0 unweighted GPA, ranked #1 in my small public school
-Very challenging courseload
-2200+ SAT (790+ CR and WR, low-600s M)
-700 and 780 SAT IIs
-Good ECs (not national award level, but good by normal standards)
-Amazing recs and essays</p>

<p>@tk21769: I agree with the comment about selectivity. Although I am trying to avoid picking colleges solely based on selectivity, it is honestly a factor for me because I want to go to the “best” college that I can. I have worked very hard in high school so I can have options. (I realize that this opinion is debatable, but this is my view at the current time.) However, I will consider all suggestions that you make, as I am looking for both matches and reaches.</p>

<p>Some schools on my current list besides Pomona, Yale, and Stanford are Columbia, Johns Hopkins, and Occidental. I feel that Columbia’s NYC location is great but does not promote the tight-knit, “college bubble” atmosphere that I am looking for. I don’t really like much about Johns Hopkins so I have decided to take it off my list altogether. Occidental is great, but I did not care for the food, location, and some aspects of the student body.</p>

<p>@GTalum: I thought about Williams and Amherst, but Williams was too rural for me and Amherst felt too preppy and small (campus size-wise). However, they do match up with many of my characteristics.</p>

<p>@SlitheyTove: I did not apply to UCSB; I only applied to UCB, UCLA, and UCSD. The reason why I applied to the UCs is because of finances. I am also considering UCSD as a safety. I’m not in love with any of the UCs though, which is why I’m trying to expand my college list with more colleges that I actually like.</p>

<p>As you can see, I’m pretty picky. :slight_smile: I’m really open to suggestions though. I just want to make sure that I like the colleges I’m applying to or else there isn’t really any use to apply to them. Thanks again for the help!</p>

12

<p>I third (or fourth) the suggestion of Rice. It sounds like just what you are looking for.</p>

13

<p>Awesome stats. Rice, Tufts, Davidson, Vanderbilt, Amherst (definite reach, but that’s true for everyone), WUSTL, possibly Haverford (it’s almost exactly the same as Davidson but it’s in Mass). These seem right up your alley.</p>

14

<p>

Um, Haverford is in Pennsylvania.
Keeping in mind your weather preference, I would echo the suggestions of the above posters: Rice, Vanderbilt and add possibly, Duke.</p>

15

<p>^…It’s late lol</p>

16

<p>Taking out the weather, especially if you were considering Johns Hopkins and Columbia, I would add Swarthmore and Penn. Swarthmore is Pomonaesque and Penn has the on-campus community that Columbia lacks, but you’re right in Philly which is actually a great city and NYC is accessible. Your math SAT worries me, though for the highly selective schools.</p>

17

<p>^^^Agree re low Math SAT score.</p>

18

<p>With all due respect, if you aren’t accepted to Pomona ED, your chances at Yale and Stanford are even worse. Suggest you target colleges a few notches down the food chain.</p>

<p>btw: Stanford is big-time research Uni. Supportive social system is not what comes to mind on The Farm. Columbia & JHU are even more research (and grad) focused.</p>

19

<p>VirologyNerd, I’m posting this for any younger students reading this thread, since it’s too late to apply to the UCSB College of Creative Studies for this year…but the CCS would meet a lot of your requirements. The CCS considers itself a graduate school for undergraduates. It offers only 8 different majors, including Art, Biology, Chem/Biochem and Literature. Admission to the program is highly selective (I believe far more so than for any individual UC campus) and the academics are absolutely top-notch. With about 300 CCS students, you get the benefits of being in a small LAC-like environment. Plus there’s the Santa Barbara weather. As a bonus, Freebird’s burritos! :slight_smile: For academic high achievers from California whose academic interests lie within the CCS, it’s well worth considering. [College</a> of Creative Studies, UC Santa Barbara](<a href=“http://www.ccs.ucsb.edu/]College”>http://www.ccs.ucsb.edu/)</p>

<p>Pomona is a wonderful school–rooting that you’ll hear good news on the 15th.</p>

20

<p>Another vote for WashU and Rice. Both of these schools have genuinely kind, supportive environments and generous financial aid. Also, look into the top LACs.</p>