Feedback would be greatly appreciated on my college list! :)

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I'm a rising senior, and I'd love some feedback on my college list :) I'm looking at primarily small LACs, but one or two larger schools. I mainly want a school with great undergrad focus, and LACs are the best fit for that bill.</p>

<p>Colleges, by selectivity
• Brown
• Amherst
• Vassar
• Haverford
• Oberlin
• Carleton
• Hampshire
• Allegheny
• University of Arizona (State school)</p>

<p>About Me
• White male from AZ
• Interested in Psychology (particularly behavioral), Neuroscience, and Education(not primary focus). I really want to study Autism, as my brother has that and it has impacted my life greatly and I want to help others affected.</p>

<p>Tests
• APs: Euro 5, US 5, Calc AB 5, Lit 4
• SAT Best sitting 2140 (690 CR,760 M,690 W), super-scored 2190 (690,760,740)
• SAT IIs: US 720, Math II 710 (retaking), Lit 650 (retaking)</p>

<p>For senior year, I signed up for:
• AP Calc BC
• AP Language
• AP Chemistry
• AP US Government
• Self studying AP Psych to place into higher-level classes</p>

<p>GPA & School Stats
• 4.40 Weighted
• 3.91 Unweighted
• 4.63 Weighted Academic
• 3.89 Unweighted Academic
• No class rank, but ~top10% of around 450 seniors</p>

<p>ECs
• Marching Band from sophomore year
• DECA (marketing club/competition) from sophomore year, treasurer this year, 1st place in regional testing/role play, recognized at States for testing
• Science Olympiad from junior year, on the JV team, no personal awards but JV got 3rd at state and Varsity got 1st
• I've played the saxophone for 7 years with private lessons
• Youth leadership team at my church since sophomore year, member since I moved here in 2006
• Co-Founder of non-profit that helps educate the non-tech-savvy about internet safety
• Starting senior year I'll be media chief of the student newspaper
• NHS member starting senior year<br>
• Ultimate Frisbee club approved for next year (founder and president)</p>

<p>For finances, I don't qualify for any need-based aid, but merit would be nice.</p>

<p>Any comments on that list would be fantastic! I'm really nervous about the college application process, and hearing feedback about if I have enough safeties and matches or too many reaches would help a lot (my parents don't really know much about the selectivity of schools... about half of my family applied to only Stanford :rolleyes: if only it were that easy...) Thanks in advance! :)</p>

2

<p>I’m in the same boat as you! Fantastic stats and unsure about how well rounded my college list is. I’m interested in Philosophy and English in a LAC school. I know Brown, Amherst, Oberlin, and Hampshire are on my list, too.</p>

<p>Anyways, here are some others I have been throwing around (minus all girls schools, of course):Yale, Kenyon, Hiram, Hamilton, Lake Forest, and Kalamazoo. </p>

<p>My concern for my list (and yours) is if there enough safeties. The top LACs and Ivys are known for having unpredictable admissions, so I feel like for every reach there should be two safeties haha. I’m probably just over thinking this, though. I would say that you don’t really have financial safeties, just academic safeties. </p>

<p>As far as reaches are concerned, I do not think you have too many. You could be the lucky candidate. Plus you never know have financial aid will pan out at private universities and colleges. Rather be denied than wonder “what if…”.</p>

<p>Good luck to you!</p>

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<p>Brown, Amherst, Vassar, Haverford, and Carleton offer little or no merit aid.
LACs that do offer it include Beloit, Brandeis, Centre College, Colorado College, College of Wooster, Gettysburg, Lawrence, Rhodes, and Richmond.</p>

4

<p>What about Connecticut College for a match? From what I remember from my college search, they tended to give pretty good aid, and it seems like it would fit with the rest of your list (which looks very similar to mine a few years ago). Another possibility for a college on the lower end of the spectrum (where you seem to be lacking) is Pitzer.</p>

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<p>I’d add Grinnell to your list - lots of cross applicants with Carleton and Oberlin - and they offer generous merit and financial aid for which you should qualify with your GPA and SAT. Strong psych dept - with a strong emphasis on lab work - and outstanding facilities.</p>

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<p>It looks like Conn College only offers FA, no merit. <a href=“http://www.conncoll.edu/about/AboutConnDocs/Connecticut_College-CommonDataSet-2010-11.pdf[/url]”>http://www.conncoll.edu/about/AboutConnDocs/Connecticut_College-CommonDataSet-2010-11.pdf&lt;/a&gt; Section H2A.</p>

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<p>@tk Thanks! I know most of my schools don’t offer merit based aid, but it’s great to see some LACs which do! :)</p>

<p>@bruno It seems they don’t have merit aid (thanks Erin’s Dad!), and I wasn’t so wild about them. As for Pitzer… great school, but is 25% acceptance really a safety? Similar to a lot of the other schools on my list in that sense.</p>

<p>@M’s Mom — Grinnell seems great! I didn’t know much about their psych department, but that’s great to hear more about. Thanks!</p>

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<p>I think you need to clarify your position on merit aid and how you will pay for college if you don’t get it. No point in applying to colleges that you can’t afford.</p>

<p>My son was interested in many of the colleges on your list. What were safeties for him then (nearly 10 years ago) could be considered matches now – Hamilton and Kenyon. Although you don’t really need another reach I’d look at Williams because of their strong sciences and social sciences plus an attraction to candidates with music ECs.</p>

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<p>Merit aid isn’t necessary to be able to afford it, but it would be nice to not spend as much of my parents’ money…</p>

<p>Thanks for the suggestions! I know that a family friend’s son is going to Hamilton and that he likes it, apart from being in “middle-of-knowhere, NY.” And Williams is a great school, although I don’t want to apply to too many reaches…</p>

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<p>Arizona State also seems to be respectable for psychology. So is University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, with its relatively low out of state cost of attendance. But they are not small schools. Check their web based schedules of classes to see how big or small classes are. Introductory psychology courses tend to be large due to the popularity of the major and the course for non-majors; the popularity of the major means that advanced courses can also be large compared to advanced courses in other majors.</p>

<p>Lower cost LACs include Truman State, University of Minnesota - Morris, UNC Asheville, and SUNY Geneseo, but you need to check how their psychology offerings stack up.</p>

<p>You may want to check all of the schools’ psychology course catalogs to see if their offerings match your interests well.</p>

11

<p>Any chance for Natl Merit?</p>

<p>If so and you are willing to move down in selectivity, check out Juniata ¶.
They have a competitive full ride. We haven’t visited yet, but on paper my son found it very similar to Allegheny.</p>

<p>Centre (KY) has the Browns Fellows full ride +</p>

<p>Ursinus ¶is very involved with Autism. [Psychology</a> Department @ Ursinus College](<a href=“http://academic.ursinus.edu/psych/philosophy.html]Psychology”>http://academic.ursinus.edu/psych/philosophy.html)
Ursinus offers merit awards of $19k, $20k or $30k for your stat range. You’d bring geographic diversity that they need, so I’d bet on the high end offer.</p>

<p>With your intended focus of study, graduate school will be important. I’d add low match schools to your list and go after the merit in order to save money for grad school. </p>

<p>Overall, I think you have a solid list with AZ and Allegheny as likely admits.</p>

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<p>Sadly no shot at national merit :frowning: I didn’t really prepare for it, so that’s definitely disappointing. But ah well. What’s done is done.</p>

<p>I’ve looked at Juniata and Ursinus before (big fan of CTCL), but I didn’t know much about Ursinus’s psych department. Thanks!</p>

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<p>Any other suggestions?</p>