Fourteen is too many

College Search & Selection
1

<p>My attempt to find a lot of colleges in two days has backfired, and now I have more schools on my list than I could possible apply to. Could you guys help me out yet again? I need to narrow the list down and get more relaible information as to reach-match-safety status.</p>

<p>GPA - 3.3
ACT - 29 comp
Haven't taken the SAT yet
ECs: Creative Writing Club, Literary Magazine, Autism Advocacy, Gay-Straight Alliance
Hooks: I have an autism spectrum disorder; I am a published poet</p>

<p>Colleges:
Smith College - high reach
Grinnell College - reach
Mt. Holyoke College - reach
Kalamazoo College - ?
College of Wooster - ?
Beloit College - ?
New College of Florida - ?
Guilford College - match
Goucher College - match
Bennington College - match
Hendrix College - match
UT Chattanooga - ironclad safety</p>

<p>Fourteen is too many (I have already applied to Wells and Agnes Scott). Are there any that seem out of place? Are there any that you can de-recommend? HALP!!</p>

2

<p>Hey your stats are almost identical to mines</p>

<p>I’d cut Mt Holyoke,Wooster,Bennigton, Goucher, and Beloit.</p>

3

<p>My two cents, based really just on my opinions :)</p>

<p>Smith College - high reach - I’d keep it
Grinnell College - reach - I’d keep it
Mt. Holyoke College - reach - I’d keep it - a very cool school
Kalamazoo College - ? - not sure
College of Wooster - ? - I’d drop it
Beloit College - ? - I’d keep it - a cool school
New College of Florida - ? - I’d drop it
Guilford College - match - not sure
Goucher College - match - I’d keep it - a cool school
Bennington College - match - I’d drop it
Hendrix College - match - I’d keep it - a cool school
UT Chattanooga - ironclad safety - if you like it, keep it!</p>

4

<p>Cool is my specialty <em>raises one eyebrow</em></p>

<p>Why no Wooster? Just curious.</p>

5

<p>New College of Florida is an excellent choice for students who can take personal responsibility for their own educations and who have outstanding reading and writing SAT I scores (700-800), Otherwise, students would do better to apply elsewhere, UF, U Miami, FSU, etc.</p>

6

<p>^ I’m not from Florida, but I think that NC sounds like a nice liberal arts school. It would also be a financial safety, with the added benefit of some family nearby. I got a 35 on the ACT CR, so I’m not too worried.</p>

7

<p>Have you visited any of these schools?</p>

<p>Wooster and Guilford seem a bit out of place to me, but I admittedly don’t know much about them so that could just be a lack of knowledge. I’d say you’re a match for Beloit and NCF, don’t know about the others. Grinnell keeps sticking out to me and looking out of place, but I can’t pinpoint why exactly.</p>

8

<p>NCF’s 10:1 student faculty ratio, great scholarship programs, and agressive academic expectations make it a great choice for talented students. It’s especially worth a visit if you have nearby family.</p>

9

<p>OK…What are some important differences between Goucher and Guilford? Between Kalamazoo and Wooster?</p>

10

<p>From what I’ve heard</p>

<p>Just from my search, I’ve connected Guilford and Earlham together (for obvious reasons). Guilford has the Quaker vibe and honor code, an activist feel, and extroverted attitude. IF you have already knocked Earlham off of your list I would take Guilford out too bc they are really almost one in the same. </p>

<p>Goucher has the awesome study abroad requirement and has a really creative student body. I would argue it is slightly more academically challenging and less activist than Guilford. It also has more of a campus bubble.</p>

11

<p>In Kalamazoo vs. Wooster, I don’t know any important fundamental differences between the two schools. </p>

<p>I know a recent Kalamazoo student and some older Kalamazoo students. Kalamazoo has a great freshman orientation trip, the K plan, and lots of good study abroad possibilities. These help make up for the fact that it is in Kalamazoo, a location which in my opinion is not particularly appealing.
<a href=“LandSea – | Kalamazoo College”>LandSea – | Kalamazoo College;

<p>Wooster is a very nice college and I know several people who have gone there recently; they like it. I also consider Wooster to be a location that is not particularly appealing. </p>

<p>The College of Wooster is fine. Between the two, just generally speaking, I have a slight preference for Kalamazoo College, so if I were cutting one of the two off a list, I’d cut Wooster first. But it depends on the student and what programs he or she is interested in, and on what he or she is looking for in a school.</p>

<p>Compare colleges based on the specific factors that are important to you.</p>

<p>(Now I want to learn more about NCF.)</p>

12

<p>We know kids who have attended both schools. Kalamazoo’s stats for entering freshman are more impressive but my concern is that after four years the Wooster kids perform equal or better academically. </p>

<p>I think Wooster does a much better job of educating. My choice would be Wooster.</p>

13

<p>We know two kids who went to Kalamazoo and both of them ended up transferring after freshman year. One transferred to Hope and the other to Grand Valley State. Different years.</p>

<p>I’ve heard kids don’t stay on campus much.</p>

14

<p>My S is a sophomore at Kalamazoo this year and hasn’t been home yet and probably won’t come home until Thanksgiving (and we only live an hour away). All schools have freshmen transferring. My S’ has a friend that transferred to Kalamazoo from George Washington after her freshman year. </p>

<p>There are many kids that stay on campus. Junior year, most are gone on study abroad until March, so that accounts for a couple of hundred being gone.</p>

15

<p>There are transfers every year. No offence intended. These are just the only the only 2 we know who chose Kalamazoo.</p>

16

<p>There’s another CC regular whose S goes to Kalamazoo, very happy freshman. I can’t recall the name right now, alas.</p>

<p>If Holyoke is a reach, then Smith is also a reach and Grinnell is a high reach.</p>

17

<p>None taken, ProudMary! :slight_smile: I just wanted to give a different experience.</p>

18

<p>I find it interesting that you list an ASD as a hook - I wasn’t under the impression that colleges were lining up to recruit kids on the spectrum. Will you require any disability services? If so, you should contact the school’s disability services office and get a better feel for how they might handle your situation. Our experience was that some places were well informed about the challenges our son faced and enthusiastic to help him succeed, while others were, um, less enthralled.</p>

<p>You have a great list there, and I don’t see any that stick out as not belonging. Certainly keep your safety, and if anything, have one or two that DON’T fit the pattern of the others. There was something which attracted you to each of them, and when it comes time to make a choice, you might find that what you value most now has changed. Give yourself the opportunity to compare and contrast to help you realize what you value.</p>

<p>Not that it matters, but my 2 cents would be to apply to Agnes Scott, Wells, Smith, Kalamazoo, Beloit, New College, UT-C, and… whatever school you’d feel pained to drop (you can do this exercise with other combinations or numbers of schools, helping you identify how you feel today). Good luck!</p>