<p>Hey
i'm looking for a colleges in the middle of the US.. not the west or the east coast.. i already know many of good ones on both of the coasts but i do not know much about the middle.. </p>
<p>i want to hear some recommendations for colleges in the illinois, iowa, michigan area which is good fit for a above average student..</p>
<p>thanks!</p>
<p>More info would be helpful. Also, are you willing to look in WI, MN, IN, and OH? There are lots of small schools in this part of the country, so more info will help us make appropriate recommendations.</p>
<p>colleges? you should consider kalamazoo college in michigan. i think it's pretty underrated...</p>
<p>Institutional</a> Research. Kalamazoo College</p>
<p>most people i've heard of who go there LOVE it.</p>
<p>Just pick a state in the Midwest (besides Ohio) and put "University of" in front of it.</p>
<p>Urban? Suburban? Rural? Big? Small? Sports? </p>
<p>What are you looking for in a college?</p>
<p>Adding Wisconsin and Minnesota but leaving out Indiana and Ohio, I'd say:</p>
<p>To public research universities:
1. University of Michigan
2. University of Wisconsin-Madison
3. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
4. University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
5. University of Iowa</p>
<p>Top private research universities:
1. University of Chicago
2. Northwestern</p>
<p>Top private LACs:
1. Carleton (MN)
2. Grinnell (IA)
3. Macalester (MN)
4. St. Olaf (MN)
5. Lawrence University (WI)
6. Kalamazoo College (MI)
7. Beloit (WI)
8. Knox (IL)</p>
<p>Top public LAC:
University of Minnesota-Morris</p>
<p>There's a lot of educational strength in this part of the country. Carleton, Grinnell, and Macalester are among the very best LACs in the nation. The University of Chicago is one of the very top private research universities and Northwestern is not far behind. The University of Michigan is one of the top 2 or 3 public universities in the country and one of the top 4 or 5 in the world, and Wisconsin and Illinois are easily among the top 10 public universities in the nation. </p>
<p>Admission to the best of these schools is highly selective. What exactly do you mean by "above average student"?</p>
<p>Above-average student in the middle of the country, huh?</p>
<p>Off the top of my mind:
--Universities--
UChicago
Northwestern (Ill.)
WashU (Missouri)
UMich - Ann Arbor
UIllinois - Urbana Champaign
UWisc - Madison
Case Western (Ohio)</p>
<p>--LACs--
Carleton (Minn)
Grinnell (Iowa)
Oberlin (Ohio)
Macalester (Minn)
Kenyon (Ohio)</p>
<p>Those are all top-ranked colleges in the middle of the U.S.</p>
<p>Loyola University in Chicago</p>
<p>There are a bunch of bible thumpin colleges in michigan like hope and calvin, and wheaton college near chicago (ONLY if you enjoy that environment, strictly not for everyone (ie most people))</p>
<p>all other colleges mentioned are also excelent schools</p>
<p>For LACs, look at beloit college if your "quirky"</p>
<p>also it depends what you are looking for, research/engineering/science, first place goes easily to UIUC/Umich and then second place to UW Madison, while journalism at Northwestern is awesome</p>
<p>Keep in mind, alot of these schools are not for the slightly above average, but the top 10% people. Umich for many OOS applicants will be a reach, and UIUC engineering is just a numbers game. (33 ACT, top 7+% oos). Northwestern and UoC are "attainable" reaches for anyone without a 4.0, and ECs that include the curing of aids.</p>
<p>also, Kenyon college is a good match if you are a writer, it is seen as a "haven for writers"</p>
<p>Some ones that come to the top of my head;
Michigan: University of Michigan, Michigan state
Illinois: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Northwestern University, and University of Chicago
Iowa: Iowa state, university of Iowa
Then for other midwestern states, U Wisconsin-Madison and U-Minnesota Twin cities are fairly well known. Wash. U in st. louis is also very well established. It all depends on the selectivity of the school you want though...are you looking for ivy league-substitutes or just good state universities that can give you a great education?</p>
<p>Would recommend Loyola Chicago. Solid second tier in a great location with good internships and the best campus life of the Chicago schools. Most of my friends there were in the honors program and said to have turned down better schools (Northwestern, BC, Notre Dame, etc.) for the merit aid and access to its professional schools in medicine and law.</p>