Feedback on college list?

College Search & Selection
1

Hi, I’m a highschool senior (female) and this is basically my profile:

GPA 4.0 out 4.0 throughout school, no ranking in school but transcripts state 1 according to GPA
8 subjects in IGCSE (7 A*s, 1 B), 4 subjects in Alevel (4 As with 95% and above scores)
SAT score: 1430

As for ECAs I have:
• Writing (commonwealth commendations, literary club in school, yearbook contributor, used to write for a weekly supplement of a daily newspaper in 9th -10th grade, 2 online publication for 2 years, blogging on my own and website content writer at present.)
• Teaching (kids at an orphanage, a highschool freshman, and domestic help)
• MUN (mun club, chairing several national ones, 1 international and secretary general of school MUN)
• Voluntary service (orphanage, treasurer of Z Club of Zonta international, helping out classmates in school regarding studies personally and online via blogs)
• Organiser of school soccer, volleyball, handball and basketball tournaments (grade 12) and head volunteer (grade 11)
• Science Club mentor for high school freshmen
I want to study along the lines of Biology (research preferably), Biomedical engineering later perhaps, and creative writing as a minor or electives. (Still pretty undecided)
Could anyone kindly go through my college list and give a brief idea whether I will be a good fit / chances of acceptance? Campus vibes? Etc?

  1. Colby
  2. Colgate
  3. Bates
  4. Brandeis
  5. Smith
  6. Wellesley
  7. Grinnell
  8. Case Western Reserve
  9. Rice
  10. Skidmore
  11. University of Chicago
  12. Vanderbilt
  13. Duke
2

I would say you are in the ballpark for 1 - 10. As for UChi, Vandy and Duke - they are reaches for everyone and your SAT score is low for these 3 schools. Did you try the ACT? Also, did you take SAT subject tests? Duke, for example, says that two subject tests are “strongly recommended.”

Is money an issue? If so, have you run the calculators?

Are you thinking of doing ED or EA at any of the schools?

Good luck.

3

Off the top of my head I see only one school that offers early action (Case, I think), and while there are some reasonable matches, nothing that looks like a straight up safety. Nice list though.

4

My general impression, without having visited any of those three (but many of the others), is that you would find Colgate, Vanderbilt and Duke more traditional/preppy than the others. Skidmore probably tips more on the artsy side. But again, no safeties in sight.

5

For your interests, these articles may offer some insight:

http://college.usatoday.com/the-10-best-american-colleges-for-writers/

http://contently.net/2014/11/06/resources/10-best-colleges-creative-writers/

http://flavorwire.com/409437/the-25-most-literary-colleges-in-america

http://www.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/lists/list/colleges-to-consider-if-you-want-to-study-biology/117/

6

for safeties or schools closer to safeties maybe look at union or connecticut college

7

Agree, the list is fine but nothing looks like a flat out safety. However if you apply EA to Case and get in by December then you are set. If for any reason you don’t get in EA to Case, then I’d add more safety schools.

I do think that Skidmore leans more artsy than science (my D, who wanted science took Skidmore off her list after our visit). Some more science oriented LACs might be Union, Lafayette, Franklin and Marshall. Bucknell to name a few That said, if you visited and liked Skidmore it is a lovely school.

8

FWIW, My understanding is that Skdimore is soon breaking ground on a new science complex, and we thought the current facilities were pretty nice.

http://www.skidmore.edu/cis/

After looking, maybe “breaking ground” was optimistic. Can’t tell from this when it will happen, but it was presented to us as a done deal.

9

Skidmore is building up its science programs and they have some fantastic scholarships. It’s worth checking out.