<p>Hi, parents. I'm a high school junior participating in a brand new program set within a community college. The program is still getting off the ground, and as a result, the guidance counselor is not as available as she wants to be. I'd really appreciate some advice on my college selections.</p>
<p>All of my courses are college-level and my GPA is 3.8. I have not taken any AP tests, but I'm taking the equivalent of five AP courses this year (plus five other non-AP college classes). I scored 2310 on my SAT. I run a blog that receives ~3000 unique visitors each month, tutor someone with developmental disabilities, act as secretary of the creative writing club, lead a small human rights group (we mostly do fundraisers, petitions, and smaller projects, e.g. stands at festivals to raise awareness and sponsoring a homeless person), work, and volunteer as an interpreter and scribe for the deaf student group. I haven't received any awards, but I'm working on honing my writing skills in anticipation of app essays and I have very good relationships with my teachers.</p>
<p>The most research I've done on the college subject is financial. I'm only interested in schools that meet full need or offer considerable merit aid. I'd rather not go into full detail of my family's financial situation, but we do need financial aid and I have looked into the situation thoroughly enough to have a decent grasp of the situation.</p>
<p>Besides affordability, the most important thing to me about a college is the overall feel of the campus. I'm looking for an intelligent, laid back kind of place where competitiveness and being cutthroat are frowned upon. I love to collaborate and talk about ideas; a school where class often overflows from the classroom would be amazing. I feel kind of silly generalizing about this, but hopefully what I'm saying is making sense. I'd prefer small to midsize colleges. It wouldn't hurt if the architecture is gothic, either.</p>
<p>So, what schools am I looking for? Any input is fantastic. Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>If you are low income, you should check out Quest Bridge. It might help you worry less about funding.</p>
<p>If you like gothic architecture, and small to mid-sze, U of Chicago or Northwestern might be a good fit, and your GPA, courses, ECs and SAT should qualify you for them.
You should look at any and all schools that indicate they are Need Blind.</p>
<p>" I’m only interested in schools that meet full need or offer considerable merit aid" - You sound like a good researcher and probably already know this… but just wanted to point out that colleges meeting “full need” per FAFSA/CSS calculations often don’t give as much as families had hoped. You can use online calculators to get ballpark estimates for FAFSA schools. Some colleges have their own calculators online.</p>
I hope this is true. There are many families who need FA who do no qualify. You must be low income and have assets comparable to that income to qualify for “good” FA. With your scores there are many schools that will offer $. Reed is very collegial and has good FA. Any chance you will be a NMF?</p>
<p>Middlebury might work, or, perhaps, William and Mary. The latter is a public school and it’s about ~35k OOSS, but they provide the Monroe Scholarship, which gives freshmen a chance to do research. I’m not sure how they treat OOS with regards for financial need, though.</p>
<p>Do apply to your state flagship as a safety. Even with great stats et al no school is a lock. Large liberal research public U’s would suit you. Unfortunately most won’t come up with the kind of funding you are looking for.</p>
<p>Don’t necessarily limit yourself to need-blind colleges. You may well be an attractive candidate for need-aware colleges that meet full need if they accept you. For example, NYU has a well-deserved reputation for poor financial aid, but I know one student who was an absolutely penniless orphan with good grades, scores, and citizenship, and NYU made him a better aid offer than anywhere else.</p>
<p>That said – now that we’ve narrowed the field down to everywhere – do you mind giving some information like gender, interests, areas of the country that would be better or worse?</p>
<p>For instance, if you are a girl, you may want to think about Bryn Mawr and Wellesley – both first-class, beautiful gothic-style small colleges in nice suburbs with decent access to big cities. But not if you have your heart set on studying engineering. </p>
<p>Rice is another great small university that’s pretty and sort of gothic. And don’t forget Yale and Princeton.</p>
<p>I note, however, that “gothic” was not really a must-have for you. It’s just the only real criterion you gave, so everyone is screening gothic colleges for you. That’s probably not what you really want.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Try each school’s “net price calculator” to get an estimate of financial aid.</p></li>
<li><p>What are your intended or possible major(s)? With small schools, it is especially important to check which subjects they are strong in – many are strong in some areas, but weak in others.</p></li>
<li><p>What is your state of residency? Usually, in-state public schools will provide safety candidates. Private schools which consider “level of interest” (see common data set C7 of the school) may reject applicants who appear to be using them as safeties, so they are not really safeties.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I’m in Virginia, in the southernmost rural reaches right on top of the NC border. White and female.</p>
<p>
My family is low-income, yes. No assets. We are in the 30-50k bracket with one kid already in college. Unfortunately, I was sick on PSAT day and missed it.</p>
<p>I have no idea what I would like to major in. I’ve played around with neuroscience, anthropology, linguistics, geography, and gender studies. The only constant is that I love to write. No interest in premed or prelaw.</p>
<p>I don’t want to go somewhere very urban like NYC for one reason: I won’t be able to tag along to all those expensive events or go out to eat or any of that. I also get the impression there’s very little sense of community in that environment. I like cohesion on campus. </p>
<p>I also like quirky. I love being surrounded by smart people and feel happiest when I’m engaged and challenged. I want very badly to study abroad at some point.</p>
<p>W&M seems like a great (and obvious, self) choice. I’ll look into the other colleges mentioned so far. Thank you all very much for your help.</p>
<p>It sounds like you are describing Swarthmore! They are known for their generous need based, no loan, financial aid. When we visited my son was sold when they described the noncompetative atmosphere. GPAs are not calculated by the college and it is considered impolite to talk about grades. The college makes an enormous effort to level the playing field for students from different backgrounds. There is no charge for any entertainment that is offered on campus. There is no difference in what a student pays for housing, a double costs the same as a single. That way there is no stratification in housing. Intellectual? Quirky? You bet! They also offer degrees in neuroscience and linguistics. My son is currently in his junior year and he couldn’t be happier. The only down side is that it is very competative to get in. Last year they accepted about 15% of applicants. Good luck!</p>
<p>Some good schools already mentioned. UChicago would be worth checking out.As a note, most top tier schools offer great financial aid, and a few fit the overall feel you’re talking about. Ex: make less than 60k/year and you pay no tuition or room/board. Make less than 100k and no tuition.</p>
<p>Oberlin College…has need and merit aid; some students are quirky and all are engaged. Much more collaborative than cut-throat in culture (see OSCA and ExCo there). No fraternities or sororities. Rural/suburban small college town. Students stay on campus for weekends, as Cleveland 45 minutes away doesn’t draw them away. Affordable or free to socialize and attend events on campus together.</p>
<p>Architecture is very eclectic. Town and gown share the same center green space, as designed by Frederic Law Olmstead (Granddaddy of American landscape architecture). Buildings range from Victorian to post-modern (the music Conservatory designed by same architect as did the World Trade Center).</p>