critique my final college list?? :) also need a couple LACs

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I'm applying to... a lot. I think my mom's made me neurotic, haha.</p>

<p>I'm looking into psychology, economics, or biology... how people work! I'm considering a double major in the first two, but I still have no idea what I'm going to be.</p>

<p>My stats are nice-ish, low by CC standards probably:</p>

<p>Asian female, high income bracket, NJ (triple antihook?)
3.87 UW GPA, like 4.5 W, honors classes and 7 AP classes (kind of sad I didn't get to take AP Psych)
Rank 18/464, top 5% (my SATs are probably the highest)
SAT I: 2340 (800 CR, 750M, 790W)
SATII: Math II and Bio 800, USH 740
AP: 5's for Stat, Eng Lang, USH; 4 for World H
ECs: not good :(... I only started really liking clubs in 11th and 12th; officer of 2 in 12th
NMSF
a mini hook? I'm submitting a pretty nice art (drawing) portfolio - my teacherrecc says I'm better than some of her college students...
nice essay, I think my teacher reccs are pretty good</p>

<p>Colleges! Very/too Ivy heavy... probably just going to hope for the best and apply to all of these</p>

<p>Safety: Rutgers, URochester, UPitt, maybe BU
Match-reach(more reachy?): Northwestern (legacy), JHU, NYU, UChicago, Tufts, Vanderbilt
Very reach: Brown, Cornell, Columbia, Duke, Dartmouth (I just wish it wasn't SO DARNED COLD and in the middle of nowhere), Stanford, Harvard, Princeton, Yale... haha. (HYP are for "fun")</p>

<p>I hope Penn says yes on Dec. 11 and saves me the work of 20 college apps. I'll light a bonfire with my gigantic bucket of college mail, and it will be glorious.</p>

<p>I like the idea of a LAC's intimacy, community, small classes... I'm looking to apply to 2-3 of these. Any suggestions?? :) (I like schools that aren't too tiny, some social life, less competition and more cooperation, decent campus and location, classes not huge)</p>

<p>thanks guys!</p>

2

<p>Penn will say yes to you, rest assured.</p>

<p>Your stats overqualify you, and Penn accepts nearly half of its class through Early Decision.</p>

<p>But, goodness forbid it doesn’t, and you decide to conjure up about two dozen applications, look at Amherst and Swarthmore. Amherst is the best school for the undecided on account of its open curriculum, and, unlike Williams, it’s not too “darned cold and in the middle of nowhere.” Swarthmore is a great choice as well, given its location, but its proximity to Philly and Penn may break your heart. Both are the first among their kind. Good luck–though, I’m sure you won’t need it.</p>

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<p>Thanks kwu, you’re great! :slight_smile: That is pretty reassuring. Amherst does look pretty fantastic! Swarthmore’s a great suggestion too, that was already under my radar.</p>

4

<p>Does anyone else have suggestions? I’m not picky.</p>

<p>I’ll probably pick Amherst, Swarthmore, and Wellesley for LACs.</p>

5

<p>I’d say you’re underrating yourself, and you probably deserve a nap. But I’d look to Swarthmore, Middlebury is probably too small, Amherst, Cooper Union esp. if money’s an issue, Pomona, Claremont McKenna</p>

6

<p>Penn will accept you. But, I’ll just second on Amherst and Swarthmore, Reed is probably too easy for you, but you might also consider it, just for a compare and contrast on places.</p>

7

<p>Yeti, Asian female artist would be a hook for Williams. Williams has one of the best art and art history programs of any of the LACs and even though you don’t intend to major in art your portfolio would be taken very seriously. Williamstown is insular but it’s certainly no colder than Dartmouth, Amherst or Cornell.</p>

<p>Triple majoring is not uncommon. Since Penn is your first choice, I would think that you’d want to stay with colleges in the same culture. Williams, Amherst, Dartmouth, Wellesley all fit. Swarthmore less so.</p>

<p>If the determining factor is urban or suburban then you’re right being Asian will be a negative.</p>

<p>Good luck on Penn. Come back and let us know how you do.</p>

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<p>“I like schools that aren’t too tiny, some social life, less competition and more cooperation, decent campus and location, classes not huge”</p>

<p>Reed (mentioned above) is small (about 1475 total), one of the hardest (along with UChicago and Swarthmore, all three heavy on PhD prep), no competition/all cooperation (grades are not visible, no dean’s list, etc.), beautiful campus on the edge of an excellent city, 73% of classes have 2-19 students. Double major is exceedingly difficult in four years (two year-long senior theses, but it has been done).</p>

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<p>Swarthmore, Haverford, Bryn Mawr</p>

10

<p>Lots of good LAC’s have been suggested. I’ll also throw in a word for my school, Wesleyan:</p>

<p>–Good pysc + sciences. There are small grad programs in both psyc and bio, which means grad-school funding, but since there are only a handful of grad students, there are lots of opportunities for undergrads to do research. You can also apply for a free MA in either subject.</p>

<p>Econ is also strong, as is our studio art, if you want to continue with that at all.</p>

<p>–<i>I like schools that aren’t too tiny, some social life, less competition and more cooperation, decent campus and location, classes not huge</i> </p>

<p>Wesleyan is one of the largest LACs (2,700-ish undergrads, plus some grad students), it has a good an varied social life, Middletown is fine for a college town, and you’re only a few hours from NYC and Boston, and classes tend to be small.</p>

<p>Wes is also slightly less selective than Amherst/Swarthmore, and your SAT would make you very appealing. </p>

<p>In terms of social atmosphere, it is the most like Brown, of the schools on your list.</p>

11

<p>Why do you kids do this to yourselves? </p>

<p>You’re applying to every single one of the Ivies, plus Stanford, Hopkins, Chicago, etc. etc. Now, even though you are ED to Penn and will hear in a few weeks, you’re starting in on the top LACs? Why not go global and toss in Oxford, Cambridge, the Sorbonne, and Beijing University too?</p>

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<p>How about Beaudoin?</p>

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<p>It’s “Bowdoin”</p>

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<p>^^It’s funny, I only just realized I had all the Ivies there too. I’m definitely going to take some of those out later.</p>

<p>I figure if I really put out for the next 6 weeks I’ll have less anxiety in April. :wink: Don’t worry, I’m not CC-super-obsessed with grades and colleges… I’m too laidback for that. I know there are great colleges everywhere and I probably won’t be disappointed with whatever I go to next year. :slight_smile: That and I can’t make up my mind.</p>

<p>Thanks everyone, it’s going to be hard to choose from these! I’m wondering if Swarthmore’s extra dose of intense reading and writing will kill me… but any great college is going to be incredibly intense anyway. </p>

<p>I think you’ve sold me on Wesleyan Weskid…</p>