UVM is a great school yes, but it is a public and honestly, better for in-state students. Good of you to look at the financial aspect right away.
Have you also looked at Notre Dame, Villanova, Emory, Tulane, or Tufts? Can’t remember if they were mentioned in this thread at all.
Ahh Notre Dame. My entire family has always rooted for them in sports, largely because of our Irish heritage. It’s the school I always dreamed of going to. I suppose that that has actually deterred me from considering it. I would love to call myself one of the Fighting Irish, but in my mind I haven’t been able to separate the school from childhood memories. @TheDidactic do you know how religious the school is? I know it’s a Catholic school, but I’m unsure of to what extent that affects the curriculum and/or the experience.
@MYOS1634 I’ve read that Vassar is extraordinarily liberal, even for a college. Do you know if there’s any truth to that? I’ve got no issue with liberals or conservatives (I personally consider myself Libertarian), but political extremism that leads to conformity is a concern of mine and something I wish to avoid. I’d love to hear another voice on Vassar in this respect.
From what I’ve gathered, Notre Dame has the traditional crosses and statues but it doesn’t affect the academics too much. Notre Dame seems very tolerant of other faiths so I don’t believe you would be alienated as a non-Catholic; however others may have a more accurate take on Notre Dame’s religiousness.
Notre Dame is considered the most catholic of the “big” national Catholic colleges. There are mandatory theology classes which aren’t doctrine but general knowledge, chapel is important but non mandatory, there are parietals ie rules on when men can meet women in the dorms. I’d think that I you’re Christian you’d be fine bit it’d e a bit harder if you’re Jewish, Muslim, or an atheist.
Grew up in the Bronx during the worst days of the 70s. Even back then, it had many very quiet residential neighborhoods with well kept homes. It was a great place to grow up, and allowed me to attend one of the best high schools in the country.
Holy Cross-very good Jesuit school that meets 100% of demonstrated financial need.
I’ve decided to add Macalester College to the list of schools that I plan on applying to.
I do think that I could benefit from applying to one school that I know will throw a lot of money my way. I qualify for full tuition at some of my state universities such as Oakland University, U of M - Dearborn, and Wayne State, but those aren’t really places I want to be. Does anyone have an idea on a college for this role?
There are lots of colleges with full tuition and full ride scholarships. Getting one, however, is rare and difficult.
For automatic scholarships, look into the “Financial aid” forum and check out the pinned threads on top, especially" automatic full tuition/full ride" and “competitive full tuition/full ride”.
Better than U, UofM-D, or Wayne State, you could look into the Cincinnatus at UCincinnati, the UAlabama scholarshops, tOSU scholarships, UMaryland, Pitt, Temple, UMass Commonweath Honors, USCarolina Honors, Clark LEEP, UNC Robertson, …
I have to roll my eyes when people ask why anyone would ever live in STL. There are major issues in the region, but that goes for plenty of other cities in this country that seem to have better reputations. The WashU area is pretty upscale and the city ranks pretty high in terms of urban amenities when compared to cost of living. Forest park has so many free things to do and it’s a 1370 acre park in the middle of the city. The food scene has also gotten pretty good. There’s also the Chess Hall of Fame and a new chess-themed diner just opened next door.
OP, if you can’t make the trip to WashU, you may want to attend any local sessions they host in your area, or see if they would be able to travel grant you.
@kROCK91 U of M, Georgetown, UChicago, Northwestern, WashU, and Kalamazoo all made visits to my high school last year and I think they will come again in the upcoming fall
After some research using their very user-friendly website, I’ve also decided to add Vassar College onto my list. It looks like their financial aid is great, as well.
I feel confident that I will get accepted into and be able to afford a school that I will enjoy now
Perfect.
What school do you mean?
WashU is a great school, but to say the city of St. Louis is on par with other regional cities, is the reason we have the word hyperbole. So, while their neck of the woods is relatively secure, I would not place it on the same level of say Nashville (Vandy), Research Triangle (Duke, WF and UNC) or even the Twin Cities.
There are distinct reasons why St. Louis has an ever diminishing population, and despite its plethora of universities, it is never spoken as the next hot spot for young graduates, ala San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, DC, Boston or Austin. It tries and is certainly a doable 4-5 years, but lets be honest, the single biggest liability of WashU is its location, and people within their own administration would admit that privately.
@MYOS1634 I meant that if I were to apply to all of the schools currently on my list,at least 1 would accept me, be affordable, and be enjoyable.
Add University of Rochester! It has less thn 10,000 students and an eccentric student body! It also meets full need in terms of aid. Boston College does tend to meet full need and so does Boston University. I think Cornell is also a great option to explore, possinly substitute it for WashU.
Figured I’d check back in now that my list is finalized. I’ve visited Chicago, GTWN, GW, Brandeis, and Kalamazoo. I like all of them, so I think my research went well. I’ll have some friends show me around Wayne, but I like the city so it can’t be too bad of a safety.
Reach:
University of Chicago
Georgetown University
Northwestern University
Washington University in St. Louis
Match:
Vassar College (high match)
Brandeis University
The George Washington University
Macalester College
Safety:
Kalamazoo College
Wayne State University
Well my admissions decisions were as follows. Note that I applied Early Action to UChicago and Kalamazoo.
Admitted to:
Wait listed by:
Denied by:
It sure was nice to only have the door completely slammed in my face once out of 9 applications.
My top 3 choices were Northwestern, Vassar, and WSU. Here you can see why I decided on where I chose to attend:
I have been accepted to Northwestern University. It is a tremendous school located in Chicago. It has solid financial aid, terrific programs, a premier network, a wonderful student life, and incredible opportunities.
I have also been accepted to Wayne State University. It’s a school unranked by USNWR located in Detroit. It’s not too hard to get into. George RR Martin didn’t go there. And maybe the food isn’t the greatest in the world.
When adults talk about where to go to college, where their kids are going to college, they talk about prestige. They talk about the acceptance rate. They talk about the ranking. They talk about name recognition.
When I was deciding where to apply, I thought about school size. I thought about cost. I thought about location. I thought about student organizations. I asked myself, “what is the typical student at X College like?” Until recently, I never really envisioned my experience as a student at these schools.
As one of those radical political junkies, I believe the chief consideration for college should be how happy you will be there. Nothing could compare to the joy I expect to have at the college I am officially committing to:
WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY!!!
Wayne State has a vibrant political atmosphere, a strong political science department, and everything else I need to be successful. I’ve looked into their courses and I’m excited for school!
So why Wayne State? I feel like I can really gain from everything Wayne has to offer. It’s the coziest I could be. Detroit is my city. Wayne had the best student organizations of all nine schools I applied to. And Wayne does what most public schools won’t do: they offer astounding merit-based aid for talented kids, giving so many people the fair chance they never dreamed of. Wayne State already feels like home.
For someone who hasn’t always been the most secure in new environments, having some friends at Wayne State is a true comfort.
Wayne is where I can unlock my full potential. Wayne is where I can achieve the most, where I can be a leader, form the finest friendships, and become better in tune with the infinite.
I spent a long time in disbelief. I always thought I would leave this place. All my life, I was taught to get good grades and good test scores so I could go to an elite institution. I longed to head to Chicago or DC. I never imagined that the best place for me would be in my own backyard.
I am proud to be a Warrior!
Congratulations on your choices and your decision!