<p>I am getting my associate’s degree when I graduate from high school. So, I am not considering two-year colleges, like Deep Springs. Moreover, do you think Shimer college is a good choice?</p>
<p>[Big</a> Trouble at Little Shimer: What’s happening to Chicago’s Great Books college? | The Chicago Weekly](<a href=“http://chicagoweekly.net/2010/03/03/big-trouble-at-little-shimer-whats-happening-to-chicagos-great-books-college/]Big”>http://chicagoweekly.net/2010/03/03/big-trouble-at-little-shimer-whats-happening-to-chicagos-great-books-college/)</p>
<p>Hang in there, Jussmall. Take a few deep breaths and imagine yourself in a college that meets your basic needs: that gives you financial support, including loans and a work-study job for money to spend on books and incidentals; that offers courses you want to take; that has students you like and want to spend time with/learn from; that has professors who like you and want to help you learn; that is in a place where you would like to live. </p>
<p>The deadline has already passed for application to many colleges. But you need to apply to some more. College prep counselors advise students to apply to several schools in these categories: “reach” schools, that have standards above the student’s credentials; likely schools, which have median scores/grades that match those of the student; and “safety” schools, for which the student’s scores and grades are above the median. By applying to some from each category, the student can take a chance on a reach school while still applying to schools in his/her ability level and hedging his/her bets by having almost guaranteed admission to a safety school, in case nothing else works out.</p>
<p>College admissions are a lottery! Maybe you are lucky, maybe not. Find some schools with an applications deadline you can work with, and keep moving toward your goal. By the way, the median ACT for Reed is, I think, 31. Reed was a “reach” school for you. You need to apply to some schools for which the median is 28, and some schools with a lower median. This is the way the process works. I hope this information is useful to you.</p>
<p>In addition, selective colleges make more offers to applicants above their median than to those below it, because applicants above the median are more likely to decline the offer and accept one from a higher ranked (as perceived by the applicant) school, making it even harder to get an offer from what appears to be a 50/50 “match” school. :(</p>
<p>Do not worry. I have my new and improved Why Reed? essay and 28 ACT to help me get into Reed. My score may not meet the median, but it shows improvement. In addition, they deferred me so they must still see potential in me to become a Reedie. Also, hopefully there will not be a lot of African Americans to apply to Reed, so my chances can increase. There is still hope! 
But even then, I am considering St. John’s College over Reed College, which is much easier to get into than Reed. Which do you think is better, Reed or St. John’s?</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure this has already been said, but the reason St. John’s acceptance rate is so high is because the group is ** intensely ** self-selecting. You don’t apply there unless you really want to go. That being said, the high acceptance rate isn’t a suitable reason to apply. St. John’s is a really good school, though, because of its unique curriculum and intellectually charged student body. </p>
<p>What you have to decide is whether or not you want to commit yourself to ONE curriculum and ONE way of studying, a way you’ve never fully immersed yourself in (the last part is an assumption, but a pretty solid one in my opinion). It all depends on how you want to learn, and if you want to learn that way for everything. Yes Reed has a conference-style education system too, but St. John’s takes it to another level entirely. I personally recommend Reed, but I haven’t visited St. John’s, and so my opinion is overly biased.</p>
<p>Well said. Jussmall, your question on which is better completely misses the point. The question would be which is better for YOU. Being an URM may be a factor in any admission decision but ultimately neither school will want to admit an applicant that will not be a good fit, either because he/she is not well enough prepared academically or is not ready for the independence of thought required or did not illustrate a full understanding of the culture of that particular institution.</p>
<p>“Should I tell Reed College about this mistake like my Reed College essay?”
No, I wouldn’t. It’s not a big deal. Just send in the corrected essay and a note expressing your continued interest in Reed and then put your Reed app to rest. You’ve done the best you can.</p>
<p>Are you still applying to the other schools you had mentioned earlier in the thread? As others have said, it’s good to apply to a range, I’d say at least 6. It’s great to have top choices (and Reed and SJC are excellent schools) but wise to have a plan B as well. If application fees are an issue, most schools have a form your guidance counselor or dean fills out to waive them. </p>
<p>Something you should probably take into consideration when narrowing down your list is financial aid. Some schools, like Reed, meet 100% of your demonstrated need (the difference between what you can afford to pay and the cost of attendance). Others will meet a portion of your need and expect you to take out private loans to make up the rest. Almost every college will include federal subsidized loans in your FA package that totals to $16k over 4 years. In general, schools with larger endowments offer better financial aid and schools for which you are overqualified (or who are seeking more diversity) offer better scholarships. Though you can research schools and find out what kind of aid students usually receive, you won’t really know until you are accepted and offered a fin aid package. So it is good to apply to several schools in case the FA doesn’t work out as well at your top choices. Additionally a lot of schools require the CSS PROFILE in addition to FAFSA.</p>
<p>Once you find out where you’ve been accepted, I would highly recommend visiting all the campuses you are able to. Admissions booklets and online sources can only tell you so much and you might surprise yourself by falling in love with a completely unexpected college.</p>
<p>Another factor in financial aid awards is that some schools use some form of “rolling admissions policy” which means that they assess applications as soon as these are submitted, and make admissions and financial aid decisions on a first-come, first-served basis. I don’t know how pervasive or significant this process is, but I know for a fact that students waitlisted under regular decision are often selected, or not, based on their ability to pay, because there is no more financial aid available. I am reasonably sure that this can happen during the regular admissions phase, as well–at some schools, at least.</p>
<p>Probably, these admissions committees assume that those who apply earlier are showing eagerness and are more interested in attending.</p>
<p>First of all, I have decided that Reed and St. John’s College are my top two colleges. On the subject of St. John’s College, I would really want to go there. I am in love with the college, not because of its high acceptance rate. I feel that I can handle the intense academics at St. John’s College and have a good time while at it. Moreover, I have applied to six colleges, but will apply to a few more; because you all insist that I have back up colleges.</p>
<p>Moreover, I have applied to six colleges, but will apply to a few more; because you all insist that I have back up colleges.</p>
<p>hmm
Already you have applied to as many schools as both of my kids put together ( & neither applied ED)
;)</p>
<p>Also, I hate colleges with little diversity, like St. John’s College. About 99% of its students are white from my knowledge, and I really do not like its curriculum (no freedom!)</p>
<p>One thing you may find as you get older is that diversity is more than ethnicity.</p>
<p>*Jussmall, Reed, Oberlin or any other competitive college that you apply to will want to see evidence of solid critical thinking and research skills, and are interested in applicants with an open mind.</p>
<p>To be honest, evidence of this does not always come through in your posts. I would be careful not to jump to conclusions on why you were deferred by Reed*</p>
<p>I agree with this.
Your opinions seem to be based on your emotional response, not on careful evaluation of facts.</p>
<p>Rather, 100% of demonstrated financial need is met (ie: without regard to how much is needed).</p>
<p>Reed College, actually along with other colleges without a enormous wealthy alumni base- is need aware.
[Letter</a> from the President of Reed College](<a href=“http://www.reed.edu/president/email/june09_email_web.html]Letter”>http://www.reed.edu/president/email/june09_email_web.html)</p>
<p>Okay, I admit it. Greek life and athletics must not be all bad if all of you say that they are not. I have realized that there will be people in the world who do things that I might not approve of, but I will just have to live with them and not denounce them. They must be doing what they are doing, because they have a passion for it, just like I have passions. So that brings me to my question, since I am willing to deal with Greek life and athletics, would the following colleges be good safeties for me: Centre College, College of Wooster, and Kalamazoo College? I have also compiled the list from all the known schools that I can still apply to. So, please feel free to recommend other colleges on the list.
01/21 - Dartmouth College (some applicants?)
02/01 - Alfred University
02/01 - Centre College
02/01 - Cornell College
02/01 - Dickinson
02/01 - Evansville
02/01 - Franklin & Marshall
02/01 - Gettysburg
02/01 - Kalamazoo
02/01 - Lewis & Clark College
02/01 - Miami U of Ohio
02/01 - Michigan
02/01 - NC State
02/01 - Occidental
02/01 - Trinity (TX)
02/01 - Wisconsin-Madison
02/12 - MICA (priority, 03/01 regular)
02/15 - Allegheny
02/15 Catholic University of America
02/15 - Earlham
02/15 - Muhlenberg College
02/15 - New College of Florida (priority, regular 04/15)
02/15 - RISD
02/15 - Rollins College
02/15 - Ursinus
02/15 College of Wooster
03/01 - Agnes Scott College
03/01 - Hanover
03/01 - Ohio Wesleyan
03/01 - Rose-Hulman (Engineering)
04/01 - Colorado School of Mines (priority, regular 05/01)
08/01 - Fort Lewis
rolling - U Alabama (but priority is Feb 1st)
rolling - AQUINAS MI
rolling - Gustavus Adolphus
rolling - Hendrix
rolling - IU - Bloomington
rolling - Illinois Wesleyan
rolling - Northern Michigan
rolling - Illinois Institute of Technology</p>
<p>Lewis and Clark if you’re really set on Reed. I’m not going to say they’re alike academically but it’s a liberal arts school in Oregon and probably a safe bet.</p>
<p>Dickinson’s a nice school that gives lots of merit aid, and my English teacher loved it there. Try using College Board’s “Students who looked at Reed College (or x school) have also looked at…” tool to find overlaps between your list here and theirs, so you know which ones you might also like.</p>
<p>Marlboro College’s admission deadline is 3/01. I don’t know if you have heard about Marlboro, but it’s a tiny (300 or so students) liberal arts college in Vermont, very similar to Reed in its academic rigor. You should definitely look into it.</p>
<p>If you’re looking for diversity, Gustavus Adolphus is not the place to go. My wife went there. She’s white, and so is everybody else. That alone does not make it a non-divese place, but most of the kids are also from Minnesota. It’s not like Oberlin where less than 10% of the students are from Ohio.</p>
<p>marlboro looks like a sweet college. i really wish so many good colleges werent up north. I hate cold weather</p>
<p>I few days ago, I received a notification from Reed College that I had the option of being put into the early decision 2 admisiions pool. So, I accepted their offer and a few days later received good news… I GOT ACCEPTED INTO REED COLLEGE! Reed College here I come!</p>
<p>Excellent! Yes!</p>