I’m a rising junior and would like to get a better idea of where I should apply and consider.
I am from the northeast and looking for liberal arts schools (although not limited to). I am interested in science and math. I know how competitive admissions is and would like many options.
Any ideas/suggestions/advice?
What can you afford? What does the FAFSA think you can afford? What are your GPA and ACT/SAT?
- Most important step in finding colleges. Ask your parents how much they are willing to pay each year $$ amount. If you are in-need of financial aid and/or merit aid, then you can start looking at colleges that may fit your needs and not waste time on schools that may be unaffordable. Each school will have a net price calculator on their website so you can plug in your financial data and get an idea of costs. Also your parents need to calculate their EFC (Estimated Family contribution). This is the minimum amount that your parents will be expected to pay towards your college expenses.
- Home state? Best deals for schools are usually in your backyard.
- GPA? Test scores? EC's? Intended major?
- Would you prefer a rural, suburban, or urban setting?
- Do you prefer a more structured curriculum or a more open curriculum?
- Do you care about weather? If so, would you prefer a northern/plains/mountain temperate climate, California climate, Southern heat and humidity/mild winters, etc.?
- Are you politically active? Do you care if others are/aren't?
- Do you enjoy going out on the town, nightlife, etc.? Would you characterize yourself as socially outgoing?
- Are you a sports fan and would you enjoy a campus with school spirit... or a more low-key sports atmosphere?
These questions will help us to provide some schools that might fit you well.
I don’t know the amount I can afford. I think I would need somewhere with generous financial aid. GPA is around a 4.4 weighted I believe, maybe 4.5. PSAT was lowest in the 97th percentile and highest 99th percentile in various categories.
MA so backup is UMASS. I would like an open curriculum. I play in an orchestra and dance. I also am in Mock Trial and the young democrat club. I don’t mind the cold. I hate extreme heat. I wish to be somewhere with a thriving political atmosphere. I am not a fan of Greek life.
Knowing your family’s EFC is very important since you and your parents may think you need generous aid, but colleges may have a different idea. You have excellent stats so far, so looking at merit aid is where you might want to focus for now, until you know your EFC.
Try this site for merit possibilities. This has not been updated, so check each school’s website to make sure that all the information is correct.
Private colleges have been suggested by parents, so I believe I am OK financially.
Again, I cannot stress this enough, ask them how much $$/year they are willing to pay. Many parents will say that you can apply to so and so school until reality hits and they find these schools are unaffordable and you are out of luck next year with no affordable options. Lock them into a dollar amount now.
Often parents don’t know how much the schools cost or how their financial situation will be viewed by colleges in determining financial aid. You need to work that out.
But besides that, answer prezbucky’s questions in post #3.
- No preference so far
- Open
- Don't mind the cold but hate humidity.
- I am politcally active and would like to be surrounded by activists.
- I'm an ambivert leaning introvert. I would like a moderate social scene. I hate Greek life. I do not want a party school.
- Sports are not important to me, I prefer the arts.
Oh also still need GPA (unweighted, but tell us whether you have high course rigor) and ACT or SAT.
Unweighted around a 3.75. Most of my classes are honors. This year I am going to take 2 AP (one is physics 1 and 2 which is held as the most difficult class in the school-- will not be brightest in that class btw) and honors where AP isn’t offered excluding regular history.
Suggestions:
Amherst
Wesleyan U (CT)
Hamilton
Vassar
Grinnell
Oberlin
Reed
Smith
Whitman
Beloit
Pitzer
Hampshire
Thanks
Do you not have test scores yet? Have you taken practice tests?
At the moment, Earlham, Trinity CT, Conn College, Lafayette, Grinnell, Bates, Oberlin, Wesleyan, and Vassar have come to mind. The first four are less politically active, but are a bit less reach-y than the rest. Also maybe Clark, which is a small research u and will probably be a low match/safety; its students are pretty politically active.
Are you male or female, and if female, are you open to women’s colleges?
Given that there are thousands of colleges and universities in the U.S. alone, posting “I would like a liberal arts school, go!” isn’t very productive for you or posters. Go to your local library or bookstore and find Princeton Review’s 380 Best Colleges or Fiske’s College Guide (anything from that general section). These types of books will prod you to start thinking more specifically about what you’d like in a college. Furthermore, each school’s page will list the cost of tuition and stats about financial aid, stats of admitted students, well-known programs/majors, anecdotes about student life and culture, and any applicable superlatives (i.e, great dorms, students are party animals, nobody cheats, etc.)
I found these books immensely helpful in learning more about colleges across the country that I wouldn’t have considered, in ruling out schools I’d heard of but didn’t realize didn’t offer my program, etc.
Sure thing. Those are all quality LACs outside of the South/Southeast/TX, with fairly (or completely) open curricula, with varying levels of the arts and political activism – but all have some of those things. And I don’t believe any of them are much into the Greek scene, if at all. Amherst has some rah-rah school spirit, but you could probably deal with it. 
I took the new PSAT, don’t remember the score but I mentioned the percentile. Female. Would my interest in science help when applying? PS thank you for the suggestion
Thank you. I will keep an open mind