Final College List

<p>Reaches: Haverford, Swarthmore
Reach/Match: U. of Rochester
Match: Skidmore
Safeties: Susquehanna U., Alfred U., Duquesne</p>

<p>Are there some schools that seem like they don't belong on this list with regards to the typical student?
What are some schools similar to Haverford that I might be able to get into?</p>

<p>SAT: 1330
ACT: 30
Taking 3 SATIIs January 22 (I definitely procrastinated with those, but it's not too late for swarthmore and haverford)
4.2...weighted GPA
Hardest classes, a bunch of extracurriculars
top 5% of class</p>

<p>U of Rochester kind of sticks out as a sore thumb amongst schools like Haverford, Swarthmore, Skidmore. It's a great school but attracts a different sort of student than the other three. I assume you've visited and found something you like about it.</p>

<p>Actually I haven't visited Rochester. Or Skidmore, Alfred, or Duquesne. (I was saving the visiting for spring.) I'm looking for a liberal school with interesting people who do care about their studies- Is Rochester more of a career- oriented party school?</p>

<p>Some liberal arts colleges in your area less selective than Haverford and Swarthmore include Kenyon, College of Wooster, Dickinson and Allegheny. I'd definitely check into the first two.</p>

<p>I would add Denison, Franklin and Marshall, and Gettysburg to the list as well.</p>

<p>I would disagree with Denison, FandM, and Gettysburg as being more conservative and very different from Haverford. I would dump the major major safeties (the last three...they arent even worth applying to) and add 1) Macalester, Vassar, Hamilton, Middlebury, Bowdoin (they dont require SAT), Bates (same), Grinell, Kenyon. All of these are matches (except Kenyon, more of a safety). Honestly, you need more matches. Your list isnt very good, probably one of the worst I have seen. Sorry. You have the major reach, major safety, no match syndrome. </p>

<p>Swat: Highly Unlikely
Haverford: Maybe
Skidmore: Safety
UofR: Match but do you really want to go there? Very Tech oriented.
The rest: WAY beneath your abilities and needs (no offense) </p>

<p>Looking at your current list and what is likely you will end up choosing between Rochester and Skidmore, and based on what you said you will end up at Skidmore. </p>

<p>Wouldnt it be nice to have options?</p>

<p>Thanks for the suggestions, Kenyon is definitely on the list now, and maybe Hamilton. Considering applying to two of the following- Bowdoin, Bates, and Colby. They seem like very similar schools, are there any major differences between them?</p>

<p>Totally a great move! Your list will be alot better. Those last three are actually pretty similar. My advice is to look at the Fiske college guide, it has pretty good information on them.</p>

<p>If you are looking for a liberal environment, I would rethink Hamilton, Bates, and Colby: they tend to be very homogenous, conservative atmospheres (good schools, though).</p>

<p>I would keep Skidmore and Kenyon, and maybe add Oberlin.</p>

<p>skigurl - Bowdoin, Bates and Colby are excellent LACs, but I would rate all of them reaches in the RD process, as are Middlebury, Vassar, Oberlin and Macalester. No reason not to apply, as admission would be possible at one of the less selective in that group, but they are not going to add likely acceptances to your decision process. </p>

<p>Some of the less selective in this group might become matches ED (or ED II - which I believe most offer) though. Of this group I'd favor Bates, which does not require standardized test scores and is marginally more liberal than Bowdoin and Colby.</p>

<p>Some other "liberal schools with interesting people that care about their studies," and are matches or safeties for you would include Connecticut College, Occidental and Earlham.</p>

<p>Skigurl: we don't know what you would like to major in. Rochester is strong in science and engineering but also is known for its political science and history departments. Overall it is a very good school. For you, a match/reach based on what we know.</p>

<p>For Reach/match I would replace Rochester with Union, Bucknell, Hamilton, Conn College. FOr the safety/match categories I would consider Mulhlenberg, Ursinus, Juniata, Gettysburg, Dickenson, Wheaton in Mass, Goucher. Also some all female schools might be worth a look see for you.</p>

<p>I disagree, I think she will get into Hamilton, Colby, Bowdoin, Bates, etc. My brother got into two of those (Colby and Hamilton) with a 3.6 1310 last year.</p>

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<p>I am not sure about that.
Oxy's getting much harder to get in.</p>

<p>(the average SAT includes its 40% minority scores. Without them, it should be
much higher.)
My scores were GAP 4.38 Sat I 1510, SAT II( IIc 790, 760, 730) and Lots of EC's.</p>

<p>wow, that wasn't a racist comment...</p>

<p>"(the average SAT includes its 40% minority scores. Without them, it should be
much higher.)"</p>

<p>I'm sure the inferior minority scores bring down the average by a lot.</p>

<p>How can people make recommendations to this girl when it doesn't seem like she has told anybody anything about herself? My suggestion would be that if she feels uncomfortable with her list maybe SHE needs to talk to her guidance counselor who hopefully might be able to talk to her a little about other factors - such as does she want to be in a cornfield or a city? Is she a musician? Service oriented? Liberal/conservative? Does she know her major or possible fields of study??? It just doesn't feel like there is nearly enough information here to rattle off lists.</p>

<p>Schools similar to Haverford, and liberal school with students serious about studies in an intellectual as opposed to only career oriented manner is a pretty strong base to recommend schools.</p>

<p>more info about me- undecided in major, so I definitely want to go the LAC route. I'd prefer a suburban school with access to a city, that's one of the reasons Haverford is high on my list, though it's a big reach. It seems as if a lot of LACs are in the middle of nowhere, though, so I'd consider going to a good rural school. I just want to have options of things to do on campus or in the area, not just drinking, frats, etc. I'm unsure if I'm going to apply to Hamilton for that reason. Any thoughts would be appreciated</p>