<p>This is my second thread and hopefully, I'll gather a bit more to digest. My daughter is a Jr. at a top public school in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. She took the ACT blind and got a 29 and has a 3.7 unweighted GPA and is taking 3 AP classes. She is also scheduled to take the ACT twice more as she wants to improve on the math scores which she doesn't excel in. Her main interest encompasses theatre but she isn't setting her sites on necessarily studying just that as she said she knows how competitive it really is (my husband is an actor so we're very familiar with the competitiveness.) She has focused on small private schools in upstate NY and the upper Atlantic states. She's terrific in English and writing....she has a wonderful singing voice and is in her high school choir although she doesn't take voice lessons.</p>
<p>I'd say we're typical middle class and probably won't get a ton of financial need aid. We'd of course like her to be realistic about where she applies and want to reach for the schools that will give the most aid. Her choices so far have included:</p>
<p>Brandeis (reach), Vassar (reach), Hope in Michigan, St. Lawrence U., Skidmore, Ithaca and Union. Any suggestions from folks on others to consider would truly be appreciated. She's not sure whether she'll want to audition for a theatre program or attend somewhere with a fairly strong theatre program she can take part in and choose a major later on.</p>
@igitur, I think your daughter is in a good place to start investigating what she wants in a college. The first step would be to be very clear on your financial situation.
Do you qualify for enough need-based aid at schools that are need-only, like Vassar and Skidmore? If you’re not sure run the net price calculators. If your estimated financial contribution works for your family, then your daughter could add a few more need-only schools. If she sees improvement in her scores she might add some more reaches like Wesleyan and Williams.
If, on the other hand, the EFCs you’re getting are too high, then you need limit need-only schools and concentrate on schools that offer merit aid. I’d look at Bard, Smith, Holyoke, Colby, Kenyon, Grinnell. Of course these schools also offer need-based aid, so also run the NPC for each one.
She should also plan to submit a performance supplements – for theater and possibly singing – with her application. This is especially beneficial at small LACs, even if she doesn’t intend to major in theater or music.
I was also going to suggest Clark and Muhlenberg. Goucher as well. They are likely to offer her merit. Clark in particular has a strong psychology dept which you mentioned in your other thread. Kenyon is in Ohio but another wonderful option. Less likely to get merit but not impossible.
Muhlenberg has many, many theater majors but also many opportunities to perform, strong music as well as strong theater. And she can get both academic merit and talent $$.