Considering these schools; which ones do I fit best at?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>For next year, I was thinking of applying to either 3 or 4 reach schools, and the schools I have in mind are: Darthmouth, Penn, Brown, Rice, Duke, and Notre Dame.</p>

<p>If you want a few objective stats, my ACT is a 32 (Eng-34, Math-33, Reading-29, Science-32, Writing-31 w/8 essay score). Still waiting on SAT 2's. UW GPA - 3.9. 200+hours service and doing a few hundred more over the summer and quite possibly throughout senior year. </p>

<p>As for the more subjective stuff, I plan on either being premed or prepharm. I want a place where there's lots to do on and off-campus. I'm looking for a place with a pretty lively social scene, where it's pretty common that you see a lot of people socializing - I don't really want a dull, quiet place where people are cooped up in their dorms. </p>

<p>How big the university feels - it's okay to be small as long as I won't feel caged, and it's okay to feel big as long as I won't feel lost in an ocean. </p>

<p>As for academics - all are gonna be hard no matter what, I'm just concerned with the competition. Sure, I'm ambitious and I want to strive for success, but I don't wanna feel like I'm in Survivor where I'm surrounded by competitive students who will get a good grade if it's the last thing they do. I actually learn a lot when my peers help me understand what I don't get, and it would be nice if they're willing to help a lot. </p>

<p>Greek life - ehh, okay. Just as long as not more than like 60% are frat junkies.</p>

<p>I also would like to meet people where I can have deep and possibly "smart" conversations here and there (probably not all the time, since there's more to life than that. Chances are they're all gonna be smarter than me, anyways) and not look like a total nerd. </p>

<p>Athletics - don't really watch sports. I mean, if there's a big game, then I would watch it, but not particularly a sports fan, and if I were to watch, it's probably nothing more than just an excuse to see my friends. Still, it is nice to have a lot of unifying events. But I do want intramurals. I said I don't WATCH sports. Never said anything about playing them.</p>

<p>Weather - I'm okay wherever. Really. I LOVE the cold. I probably shouldn't have a say in this since I live in the south and our winters barely get below 50, but I recently went to Canada for 4 days where it was 20 degrees and liked it! I don't mind walking outside in the cold or walking through snow. Again, not that my home has any, but it would be awesome. Of course, warm places aren't so bad, either.</p>

<p>Research and volunteer - YES, lots, especially for an aspiring premed/pharm.</p>

<p>Professors - I want to know them and I want them to know me by name, not a number. Not expecting to be "buddy-buddy" with them, but I at least want to be comfortable enough around them and I want to get to know them a little bit.</p>

<p>High med. school acceptance rates and good career counseling</p>

<p>And one more thing - good financial aid. Yes, I know they are called my "reach" schools for a reason, but money is a factor.</p>

<p>SO, after reading my long post, which ones do I sound best for? And don't worry, like I said I'm only gonna apply for a few reaches. The rest are matches and safeties.</p>

2

<p>Are you going to test again? A 32 is very good, but you’re chances would be better with a higher score.</p>

<p>If you need FA, then you need to figure out…</p>

<p>1) Will you qualify for the amount of FA that you need.</p>

<p>2) Will your parents pay the amount that they’ll be expected to pay? (for example, if your parents earn about $100k, then they may be expected to pay about $30k per year. Will they do that? If not, that will be an issue. </p>

<p>3) What are your financial safety schools? These are schools that you LIKE and you know FOR SURE that you have all costs covered.</p>

<p>4) Do you know how much your parents will pay each year? If you don’t know, ask them. </p>

<p>Premed and prepharm aren’t majors. What do you plan on majoring in? Frankly, since GPA is very important for acceptance into med and pharm schools, I would avoid the top schools because getting a high GPA at those will be more difficult.</p>

3

<p>All of these are amazing schools.
Dartmouth may be more Greek than you would like.<br>
I have also heard that one great thing about Rice is the sort of collaborative as opposed to competitive environment.
If I were you, the schools I would apply to would be Brown, Dartmouth or Penn, Rice, and Duke.<br>
However, you probably want to take the ACT again.
I don’t know about your financial situation but I know Dartmouth gives great need-based aid.
Looks like your applying to about the same schools as me. haha</p>

4

<p>Yes, I will be taking the ACT again in September (can’t make it in June. Hopefully it won’t be too late by then to take another test). As for the financial aid situation, I still need to talk to my parents about that, as we haven’t really used any NPCs lately. I’m probably gonna major in biology or biochemistry. A few of my safeties I’m considering are UT Austin (I live in TX), St. Mary’s University San Antonio, Trinity, St. Edward’s, Baylor, and Tulane. A match might probably be Emory, though I know financial aid is still iffy.</p>

5

<p>@Willd1: How greek, exactly? Are any of the other schools I listed as collaborative as Rice?</p>

<p>Btw, I’m open to any suggestions for other schools</p>

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<p>Duke is fairly Greek at about 40% of men in Frats. But it’s great for pre-med.</p>

7

<p>40% is fine. Duke is good for premed I heard</p>

8

<p>I would throw out Notre Dame. You aren’t really into sports so the football atmosphere doesn’t really mean anything to you. Also, you didn’t say anything about being catholic so I would definitely skip that one (I wouldn’t want a university that was ‘this’ close to not letting Obama speak there). Also consider overall social atmosphere. I know this isn’t true of all students but Dartmouth is pretty WASP preppy, Penn is pretty JAP preppy and Brown is pretty hipster.</p>

9

<p>what is WASP and JAP? Plus, it’s not that I don’t like football spirit, it’s just I wouldn’t care about it that much. If they’re into football, great. I AM Catholic, but I’m socially and (slightly politically) liberal, so I guess I disagree with some Catholic ideals (I’m not against gay marriage).</p>

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<p>[Let</a> me google that for you](<a href=“LMGTFY - Let Me Google That For You”>LMGTFY - Let Me Google That For You)</p>

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<p>WASP = white, Anglo-Saxon Protestant
JAP = Jewish-American princess</p>

12

<p>Notre Dame is not in the Big Ten. And that was very off-handed (the Obama comment) and uninformative. </p>

<p>Notre Dame seems to be a nice fit for you. Football is big but not smothering. Weather is a good combo of warm and cool. It has many research opportunities as well.</p>

<p>However, ND is quite expensive but in fairly certain it meets aid.</p>

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<p>lol so I’m guessing WASP translates into “stuffy old-fellow” and JAP means “spoiled rich-kid”?</p>

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<p>WASP and JAP pretty much both mean spoiled rich kids. I mean, you’re not gonna find anyone different at the Ivies haha.</p>

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<p>WASP means christian rich kids from old money and JAP means jewish rich kids from new money. WASP - think Great Gatsby JAP - think that girl you just saw at the mall wearing black leggings, a north face and ugg boots.</p>

<p>Also, efeens44, the Obama comment wasn’t off-handed and uninformative. I’m trying to say that if you are in any way a liberal or progressive thinker Notre Dame may not be the best place for you because the administration is clearly very catholic and conservative as demonstrated by the Obama controversy.</p>

<p>And about Big10, yeah that was my b. I just kinda assumed they were Big10 because they are big rivals with Michigan but then right after I posted I remembered they’re like the only independent football school so I edited it.</p>

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<p>oh ok that makes sense lol.</p>

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<p>A few of my safeties I’m considering are UT Austin (I live in TX), St. Mary’s University San Antonio, Trinity, St. Edward’s, Baylor, and Tulane</p>

<p>A safety is only a safety if you’re certain that you have the funds to pay for it. Without knowing how much your family will pay, and without knowing how much aid/merit those schools will give you, some of those may not be safeties.</p>

18

<p>Judging from what I’ve heard, from my cousin who just graduated St. Mary’s, and from looking up the schools’ financial and merit aid available, I’m pretty sure I can afford them.</p>

19

<p>Bump. Any other suggestions?</p>