<p>I've been looking for the thread where posters praise their favorite under-appreciated colleges but can't find it. Maybe someone else can. I did find this list of "Good Colleges" but it doesn't have all the personal commentary.</p>
<p>One great school that is on the list of schools with late deadlines is Hendrix College. I just glanced at their website and it still says "Apply Now" so they seem to still be accepting applications. Call them Monday to confirm, cross your fingers that it's true, and don't let your son be put off by the fact that it's in Arkansas. It's a really good liberal arts college. Great social sciences - strong academics with a supportive, close environment. Check out a copy of the book "Colleges that Change Lives". They send kids to good grad schools every year. If it weren't in Arkansas it would be much more selective.</p>
<p>If St. Olaf is still accepting applications, he could go there next year. It is a hidden gem.</p>
<p>There are so many schools that would love to accept a student with a profile like your son's. When the NACAC list comes out, we can see who still has openings. My nephew got in nowhere a few years back and found Knox College on the NACAC list. He got in with merit $$ and had a very good experience there. Is now at UIUC finishing a 3-2 engineering degree. He was painfully shy when he entered Knox and has really blossomed. Another great school for social sciences is Clark U in MA. One of the top schools in psychology in the country and I think your son would get merit $$ there. Even though his GPA is a little low for Carleton or Grinnell, his other stats are so good and being Asian is more of a plus in the midwest for admissions. That would have to be applying for 2009, because they will be totally full and have a waitlist this year, but I think your son could find a good spot for 2008 elsewhere with a little flexibility. With SAT's that high was he a National Merit Finalist? If so, there would be some very open doors for him at some honors programs. Beloit in WI has one of the best anthropology programs in the country and he'd be a very strong candidate there. Again, they're probably full for this year, but there will be some other good ones with openings. Good luck and keep us posted. This was a brutal year for admissions!</p>
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<blockquote> <p>A recent Rhodes scholar came from St. Olaf. <<</p> </blockquote>
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<p>Correction: St. Olaf had <em>two</em> Rhodes scholars this year:</p>
<p>happymomof1, did you mean this thread, perhaps?</p>
<p>There is another thread with a link to schools still accepting applications because another student is also in this situation.</p>
<p>The schools that jumped out at me that your son might be interested in were Eckerd and Hendrix. Please google them.</p>
<p>I'm with the other posters who want your S to find a fit for this year since that was his plan.</p>
<p>Please tell him this is part of his destiny, and that things will be okay. He must be pretty discouraged. When my S was deferred ED (not the same thing I know, but he got a bit down) his interviewer suggested he read the Alchemist and it really helped him. It's not great literature, but it's a simple parable that seems to appeal to young men. Some of my students have mentioned it.</p>
<p>There is also being a non-matriculated student at the Harvard Extention or the New School, but since I don't know where you live I don't know if that would be feasible.</p>
<p>But many schools take non-matriculated students and this would also make him a more attractive applicant.</p>
<p>However, I think finding a fit for now would probably be more supportive.</p>
<p>Maybe Knox also.</p>
<p>Please keep us posted.</p>
<p>There's all sorts of specialized choices too -- like the DigiPen Institute here in Washington (State). Very geeky but, man, do they have employment opportunities. . . .</p>
<p>Oops. I got confused. I was on the thread that I thought was a different thread. Sigh. That's a first. Sorry for any confusion.</p>
<p>Happymomof1--was the thread you are looking for the one about lesser known schools to brag out? </p>
<p>NYMomof2 asked how important the EC's might be...I have not notice anyone mention the book What Colleges Don't Tell You (and other parents don't want you to know) by Elizabeth Wissner-Gross. According to this author and what I have read a number of other places EC's are way after the GPA, SAT, essay, rec's..then the EC's.
I have gotten a lot out of this book. Actually, it is bitter sweet-almost like knowing too much about a subject which can dash the hopes a little.
I think there is a lot of good information here and hope we hear from the poster soon.</p>
<p>EC's vary from school to school. A SLAC will value them much more than a uni because they need kids to do all their jobs. I know my S's EC's were instrumental (haha he's a musician) in some of his acceptances.</p>
<p>Well - my son goes to a large suburban high school. He is in the top 10 of his class - and had decent EC's (he is an athlete so a little one dimensional, honestly). </p>
<p>In our school district you have to be very proactive to get time with the GC. This was my second child at this school, and I do not think I spoke with #1 son's GC even one time. Anything my kids found out about schools and programs, they found out themselves. I am sure had I insisted on a face to face meeting I would have gotten one - but with one GC for 475 kids I felt like my son and I could find out information ourselves better.</p>
<p>thanks to those of you who posted the Brag about your lesser known college link. I'm going to bookmark the thing once and for all.</p>
<p>happily yours,</p>
<p>oregon101,
depends on the level of the college and the level of the EC. For highly selective colleges, it is not true that the e.c.'s are "way after" everything else -- IF they duplicate the level of academic accomplishment in that candidate. The point is that in a tight field with so many similar, even "identical" candidates, they're pivotal to distinguish among applicants. They provide confirmation in a multi-dimensional way of the consistently achieving, motivated, & disciplined candidate.</p>
<p>Mom5 -- Where are you? Are you reading this??</p>
<p>I find it very hard to believe with those scores he didn't get in ANYWHERE! Did you only apply to Ivies? He sounds like a shoo in for most state schools. This is very confusing. Are we hearing the whole story? Those stats would get him into most schools....public, at least! Something doesn't add up!</p>
<p>And I would think someone who would contribute to the college or university environment.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone.</p>
<p>I'm overwhelmed with the supports and infos you"re giving me. Thanks so much</p>
<p>He applied only "TOP" schools. You can name them :(</p>
<p>Somebody in my family is reading this board, doesn't like the idea that I'm telling the whole world about him, so I can not say much. I'm sorry</p>
<p>I have the feelings the "top schools" prefer the "doer" type. His friends, the ones who are club president here and there, 2 with much lower SAT scores, less APs, higher rank (easy classes), got into the Ivies (all girls BTW), and everyone knows he has the sharpest mind among them. He started writting 1-2 pagragraphs journal in a kindergarten class while the other kids were doing ABC, the teacher didn't know what to do with him, and I expressed to her that I wanted my son to learn social skills among his ages. </p>
<p>He agreed to do some volunteer works for the Gap year. We already looked into The City Year web site. We are not going to apply the same schools next year. We're from West coast. He does not mind going out of state. We're not rich we are not poor, but our commitment to quality education is high.</p>
<p>Info like St. Olaf College, Carleton or Grinnell, are very helpul. What do you think about The Princeton Review book ? Should we stay away from schools Princeton said "class rank" and "EC" are very important factors considered" ? What are other good references ?</p>
<p>Although I can not write to everyone of you, but I read every single word on this post. You don't khow how much I appreciate your kind words. Thanks all, from the bottom of my heart. </p>
<p>mom5</p>
<p>St. Olaf, Carleton and Grinnell are also good schools but not the same kind of school as the seven we're assuming he picked this year. </p>
<p>After a gap year he could apply all those again. Or the next seven on his top schools list. </p>
<p>Does he understand the reach, match, safety concept? That seems to be what he missed this year.</p>