Generous aid/merit & a quirky student body

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hey. I'm a junior just starting to research various colleges and thought it'd be a great help to see if I could get some invaluable advice from all you lovely people.</p>

<p>White/hispanic female NC resident, average public, income bracket is 20-40k; dad is unemployed, parents are divorced, brother is at the local community college; money is obviously a huge factor.</p>

<p>3.8 UW
2290 SAT
Unsure of ranking; most rigorous schedule
A few awards for writing and the like
ECs -</p>

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<p>So, I hope all that was necessary to list out, heh. If not, feel free to ignore my rambling.</p>

<p>Anyway, I'm not picky. I'm sure I could find happiness wherever I end up attending, but there are a few traits that would make finding said happiness far easier:
- Quirky, nerdy intellectuals. My biggest passion is learning. In my school, I'm the kid who likes school among those who are undoubtedly intelligent but care little about what they're learning beyond grades. A school where debate and discussion is part of the culture would be ideal.
- Wiggle room. I'd like to explore and broaden my interests without being hindered by a completely inflexible core/requirements/what have you.
- No farther west than Colorado.
- Smaller, more intimate classes. I'd like to discuss more than listen to a lecture.
- I do not want a pressure cooker. I want a collaborative environment, not cutthroat.</p>

<p>That's it. Urban, rural, southern, northern-- it's all good.</p>

<p>Suggestions, anyone? Thanks for reading, glancing, clicking, whichever.</p>

2

<p>Shoot for the best need-based aid at the best schools; in that income bracket you should qualify for a full ride, although be aware that your father’s income will be counted equally when he finds a job.</p>

3

<p>University of Chicago. It does have a core, but it was surprisingly more flexible than I thought. Yes, you have to fulfill all of the requirements, but there are usually courses to fit everyone’s interests.</p>

4

<p>Keilexander always has great advice.</p>

<p>Quirky has many definitions.
A broad search of LACs sound ideal for you. Not all are “quircky” but many LACs have strong academics with discussion based classes and would permit you to explore various majors.</p>

<p>Aside from LACs that have “no loan policies” such as Amherst & Williams (do a search here for “no loan policy” I think your stats and minority status would also make you a great candidate for LACs were your SAT scores are in the top 25% to receive merit - Schools such as Ursinus (in PA outside of Philly) and Rhodes (in Memphis, TN).</p>

<p>Don’;t let the “sticker” prices scare you – Though you must be sensitive to price you need to sort through schools and look for a combination of merit money and financial aid.</p>

<p>Check out Keilexander’s posts in the financial aid section for great merit schools.</p>

5

<p>U Chicago</p>

<p>Oberlin</p>

<p>Also Grinnell (lots of aid there of both kinds) </p>

<p>what keilexandra said about need-based is true: the schools you apply to can include both the “need-only” and the “offer significant merit aid” </p>

<p>your stats are good enough for you to shoot as high as you wish to, particularly for LACs </p>

<p>Kei</p>

6

<p>You may want to look at Questbridge: [QuestBridge</a> Home Page](<a href=“http://questbridge.org/]QuestBridge”>http://questbridge.org/)</p>

<p>A lot of these schools would fit you (I suggest Brown, Wesleyan, Oberlin, and Swarthmore), and you would get a full scholarship–though even if you didn’t apply through Questbridge, most of those schools would give you a full scholarship anyway given your income bracket.</p>

7

<p>On second glance, you DO look like an excellent candidate for QuestBridge.</p>

8

<p>Have you gotten your PSAT score back yet? It would appear that you’d be a likely NMSF and/or NHS.</p>

<p>Questbridge is a good idea! </p>

<p>You’re a very appealing candidate for many schools…many schools will want you. :)</p>

<p>Cast a wide net…ivies, other elites, elite LACs, big merit schools. With your stats (as a junior!), you’ll be wanted by many. :)</p>

9

<p>College of Wooster.</p>

<p>The author of Colleges that Change lives called it: …“the best-kept secret in higher education”</p>

<p>In the top 10 for the 8th year in a row for Undergraduate Teaching from the U.S. World News and Report. “Wooster was also recognized, for the eighth consecutive year, for having “outstanding” undergraduate research opportunities and a “stellar” senior capstone experience: Independent Study”</p>

<p>Lots of aid: You would get their top scholarship and they’re great with financial aid (92% had their entire need met with an average financial aid package of 28k for a school that costs 34k – they know how expensive college is.)</p>

<p>The student body is very quirky – and is comprised of three groups of students: 1) students who didn’t do ‘exceptional’ (ie. 3.4-3.6 but not as high as they could have gotten) because they were not challenged, 2) students who turn down top 10 and top 15 schools to come there 3) internationals who think the place looks like Hogwarts. The school averages internationals from 30 different countries every year (two years ago it was 29, last year it was 34, unsure for this year). For being in the middle of Ohio, it’s very diverse.</p>

<p>Wiggle Room: VERY lax requirements, but still is a liberal arts college. ie. Most humanities you can not take a math at all besides some basic statistics in your Research Methods class Junior year. One year of foreign language that you can test out of. One year of science. One year of Writing. The rest is up to you, including the design of your senior thesis that everyone has to write – no honors program. Great study abroad program.</p>

<p>Most classes are seminar based. Classes I’ve had there range from 6 students to 25. The GenEds can go up to 30 – and that is only in the sciences. Quite simply you won’t have larger classes than that because there is no where for them to be taught. If you have any questions about it, feel free to message me me.</p>

10

<p>I’m going to recommend Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. While it is a little below you if we’re looking at the resume, you have a pretty decent shot at some really good scholarships (maybe even one of their full rides). They give out very copious amounts of both need and merit aid.</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Definatley is a quirky school from what I hear. Not very diverse in terms of cultural backgrounds, but a very strong study-abroad program compensates and there is definite parity in student interests. The main focus is definatley learning as class sizes are kept small and intimate.</p></li>
<li><p>Study Abroad program lets you broaden your horizons, but relatively low number of major selections is dissapointing. Strong in the areas they do offer, though, particularly social sciences.</p></li>
<li><p>Kentucky is a little obscure of a state, but it isn’t west of Colorado and it definatley is an environment in which there are four seasons.</p></li>
<li><p>The workload is a little high when you consider that the admission standards aren’t 1st tier, but I haven’t heard that it is overwhelming at all, and, in fact, is looked upon favorably when compared to some other high ranking LACs in the south like Davidson.</p></li>
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11

<p>Well, your description matches Rice University.</p>

12

<p>Carleton in MN (very good FA), Knox, Reed, Oberlin</p>