<p>First, I want to say that CC is completely addictive. I don't understand the stress about the process yet. I'm just plain ecstatic for the college admissions process now. </p>
<p>Second, I'm here to ask fellow CC-ers for help to edit my college list. I'm Asian American and go to a NJ public. I'm a bit worried by the recent news of college decisions (7.1%? Really Harvard??), so I've come to ask for help with safeties and matches. </p>
<p>SAT CR800/M740/W740 (11 essay)
GPA: 3.6UW/4.6W
ECs: hospital volunteer, art courses, 3 season athlete, chinese community leader, farm intern, help w/ autistic children, newspaper editor, yearbook editor... and other things I can't think of at the very moment.</p>
<p>I'm having fun researching colleges, but I have to admit that I don't have the best idea of what I want and I could see myself getting along just fine anywhere with a small-to-mid-sized, politically and socially active, academic student body. I have to say that I'd resent being in a den of liberals bashing Bush day in and day out--slightly liberal to split is just fine. Bring on the quirk, too, but I don't need it. And hold the core curricula. </p>
<p>My list as of now is Rice, Reed (!!), Grinnell, Carleton, Wesleyan, Williams, Yale, Amherst, Brown, and Pomona (in somewhat preferential order). My safeties are St. Olaf, Kalamazoo, and Macalester.</p>
<p>I'm a little suprises to see Reed so high on your list given your preferance for slightly liberal to split. Reed is a great school and I'm sure there is some political diversity, but there school store does sell this</a> waterbottle. If you can't read it, it's a fake Reed crest that has the mottor "Communism, Atheism, Free Love." In fact, they seem to have a whole catagory of such gear. I personally think it's awesome, but it also says a lot about the general leaning of the school (that is, rather left).</p>
<p>Wesleyan, too, is pretty liberal, though I get the sense that we're more poltically diverse than Reed (though I have yet to run into a single Bush supporter on campus...including the conservatives, of which I know a number).</p>
<p>RE Weskid:
I read that Reed's new slogan would probably be "Socialism, Agnosticism, Safe Sex," given the recent, more moderate student body. I obviously don't attend, but I'm holding out for a little more poli diversity than the original logo suggests. I love Reed's academic policies and atmosphere too much to worry about an predominantly liberal environment. I think they balance it out, but I'm asking CC to confirm this.
I think, too, that my "slightly liberal" could easily be Wesleyan. I grew up in fairly... rabidly... liberal family and school system, so I think I can give Wes some slack since it has such fantastic open-mindedness and academics.
Besides, I don't know a lot of conservatives myself who support Bush. He has a pretty low approval rate, if I remember. Oy.</p>
<p>amaryllis88: well, as long as you're aware :D It's probably true that Reed is more balanced that it used to be, though my Reedie friend still proudly toates her communism waterbottle, and I know one person who transfered from Reed to Wes because they wanted more diversity in type of student. Don't get me wrong, I think Reed is awesome, but you should definitly visit overnight if you can, to make sure that it really is the kind of place you want to be.</p>
<p>I think Wes does sound like a good bet for you given what you've said now--your orginal post was less clear about what you consider "slightly liberal," and most people would put Wes in the more-than-slightly-liberal catagory, is all.</p>
<p>Anyway, your list seems pretty reasonable, I think visiting will help you narrow it down. I agree that you should look into Vassar and Oberlin (the latter of which might work as a match type). </p>
<p>Some other more match, low match and saftey possibilites are Occidental, Lewis+Clark, Pitzer, Skidmore, Bates, Colorado College, Connecticut College, Dickinson. </p>
<p>As someone with a lot of the same reaches as you, I particuarlly like Skidmore and Occidental.</p>
<p>Wow, thanks to both of you. Sometimes it's a bit hard to get this direct advice from my GC.
I don't think I want to apply to all the same kind of schools, Claysoul, though, which is why I'm actually pretty excited about Rice. I'm more worried about going to a school where most people share the same views and backgrounds, and since I'm more attracted to the typical LAC, I'm a bit wary of attending a liberal bastion, even though I'm quite liberal myself.</p>
<p>^^sounds good in theory, but it's actually nice to be around like-minded souls. and there will be conservative people at liberal LAC's, there are here at Brown.</p>
<p>You might want to add a NJ state school or a place like Dickinson or Skidmore as Weskid mentioned. Your list looks good, but you want to have a few good solid safeties that you <em>know</em> you'll get into.
Even a place like Skidmore isn't safe though. My friend has similar stats to yours (slightly lower SAT) and got waitlisted! She's still not sure why. She's thinks it's a combination of that they didn't think she'd attend and that they admitted a lot of kids ED.</p>
<p>Also, the schools mentioned above, particularly Vassar and Oberlin seem like other good schools to look into.</p>
<p>Honestly, I'm just another clueless highschooler. :P I'm trying to justify cutting hundreds (thousands?) of schools with theories about college that I'm not even sure about. Anyways, when I do get to college, I hope that passion and dedication would be the likening factors between the students, not just their political views. Too idealistic?</p>
<p>Your list is a good start. I would also think about what subjects interest you most and look at how the strengths of the various schools match up. For example, Kenyon is very good in English. Macalester is very good in international relations. Rice is stronger in math.</p>
<p>Hold the core curriculum? St. Olaf? Lol, I have to take over 10 classes to meet the GE requirements... some of which I'll apply to my major, but most people wouldn't. </p>
<p>Kenyon would be a great fit for you, as might Whitman, both of which are high matches. You might enjoy Colorado College too, which is a bit of a lower match, although not quite a safety.</p>
<p>Personally, Pepperdine was too surreal for me to consider attending. Certainly the definition of "bubble college."</p>
<p>Not going to bash Macalester, but they have some VERY quirky students there, with whom I would not enjoy going to college with.</p>
<p>Again, thank you who replied. I think that this fall I'm going the fish-egg route--apply to as many likable schools as possible and hope to go somewhere I'll enjoy next year. The labels safety and match are constantly getting redefined especially since this year's decisions rolled in.</p>
<p>RE CurrySpice: Whew, thank you for telling me that about St Olaf. The combination of a friend of a friend's recommendation, the attractive PrincetonReview review, and the rolling admissions nudged me to put it on my list. I think I'll still apply, but I'll keep what you said in mind. Sometimes it's just easier to be settle with a school than constantly burrowing online for some dirt.
RE poetrygirl, ricegal: Thanks for the suggestions. I'll take a second look at those schools that I took off my list just to take off my list. </p>
<p>I am a little wary about safeties though. Especially with what poetrygirl mentioned about Skidmore, I'm concerned that schools will realize that they're my "safety" and waitlist me. Or, that I'll take the spot of a friend who would actually attend.</p>