<p>Dartmouth does welcome AIs. So that’s a good one to have on your list. </p>
Guidance counselor said I have no chance at top schools. Native American female artist w/ a 3.4 GPA?
<p>Again, best help can happen when you tell your HS; trend of grades; discovered LD in 10th/11th grade; ACT & SAT scores; intended major(s). I think you have some twists and turns that an admissions committee will see that those trying to help you do not know. Also, do you have interest in going to a women’s college such as Mt Holyoke or Wellesley? Clark University in Worcester (a “40 colleges that change lives”, great for Psych.)?</p>
<p>@ItsJustSchool I love Wellesley! Do you think it’s also too much of reach though?</p>
<p>So, so far you have Cornell ED, Northeastern and UMass EA. You like Dartmouth, Tufts. (I’m not going to address Harvard because I think it’s so far out in reach-land that it would be a throw away. Apply if you need to know the outcome.) </p>
<p>You don’t like the safeties that have been suggested. I would think that UMass would be a safety, and you’ll know soon enough if it is. Is there a reason that you wouldn’t use UMass as your safety? Some other safety ideas would be Clark and Wheaton (MA).</p>
<p>I think you need to take a step back and proceed along two different tracks – what you want in a college and which colleges will be interested in what you have to offer. Hopefully they will intersect and give you a few more options.</p>
<p>First, what is that attracts you to Cornell CALS? Is it the prestige of the university, the major, the culture and location? Or a combination of all? Once you identify what you want in a college you should be able find others in the same general personality type. Dartmouth to me has quite a few overlaps with Cornell. Tufts less so. Less selective medium sized colleges with overlaps with Cornell: Rochester, Syracuse. If you venture out of the northeast, you’ll have more choices. </p>
<p>Second, how strong are your hooks? I think the answer is variable from school to school. The Native American demographic is a positive just about anywhere. Smaller, less well known schools will be especially responsive.</p>
<p>The impact of artistic talent varies from school to school. At the schools on your list so far, I wouldn’t think that it would carry much weight. At smaller liberal arts colleges that have strong arts cultures and strong studio art departments it could be a big plus, even if you don’t intend to major in art. (I assume you’ll submit an art supplement.)</p>
<p>In this category I would include Williams, Wesleyan, Hamilton, Vassar, Haverford, Skidmore, Conn College, Smith. Of these, Williams, Hamilton and Skidmore have a lot of overlap with Cornell in personality and location.</p>
<p>If your grades and scores are lopsided (e.g., you do better in humanities than in math/science) this needs to be reinforced by your counselor in his/her letter of recommendation, along with an explanation of how your learning disability impacts your performance. </p>
<p>@momrath Cornell has 8,000 undergrads, unlike some of the other schools you compared it to in similarity. Thanks for your thoughts! I will put down Williams, Vassar, and Skidmore. However, I don’t like the preppy-ness of a lot of the schools that you listed. 
I posted this thread also hoping to have some matches suggested – not safeties and more reaches.</p>
<p>My son went to Cornell for graduate school (and Williams for undergrad), so I have a good idea of the culture and environment.</p>
<p>Cornell is a large university and has a wide range of personality types, but you should be aware that the Greek influence is predominant in the social scene (as it is at Dartmouth). “Preppy” is to me a fairly meaningless characterization these days; even prep schools are not preppy any more. If you like the atmosphere at Cornell and Dartmouth and want to get credit for your artistic accomplishments then I wouldn’t let a dated preppy reputation deter you. </p>
<p>If you’re only looking for medium to large size universities, then disregard the LAC suggestions. If you interested in schools that have similar cultures and personalities, then you might include some northeast LACS. Hamilton has a lot of overlap and has a strong art department. Vassar is strong in arts but very different in culture.</p>
<p>LACs are not for everyone, but the advantage in your case is that they tend to admit more holistically than most larger universities and can make allowances for perceived weaknesses in light of strengths that they feel will contribute to the campus community.</p>
<p>Matches: Rochester, Syracuse, Smith. Also Colgate, that I didn’t mention before.</p>
<p>Most of these colleges are reaches, and big ones at that. A 31 in English isn’t impressive for most of these schools, when their average composite is above a 31 itself. Being Native American only gets you so far, try retaking the ACT.</p>
<p>If you love Wellesley, I definitely think you should look at Mount Holyoke. My daughter originally wanted to be an art major (she’s since changed) and she chose it. The art museum’s permanent collection is just phenomenal. Their admissions process is very holistic and they spend a lot of time really looking at the applicant, rather than just going by the numbers. It’s a wonderful, supportive, artsy, seriously academic community. And easier to get into than Wellesley ;)</p>
<p>@momrath I’m curious that you list Smith and Colgate as matches. Is that solely because of the AI hook? Stats-wise, they are big reaches!</p>
<p>I see @momrath recommending Smith, and now @staceyneil recommending Mt. Holyoke. Is there a place where the (5?) seven sisters are discussed and compared/contrasted? Is there a way to get the flavor? I guess there is Fisk, but other ways?</p>
<p>Oh my goodness, there are so many threads on CC about that exact topic! You can do a search in the Search bar for the college’s names.</p>
<p>Here are a few to get you started:
<a href=“Mount Holyoke vs. Smith (academics, social scene) - College Search & Selection - College Confidential Forums”>Mount Holyoke vs. Smith (academics, social scene) - College Search & Selection - College Confidential Forums;
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/womens-colleges/”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/womens-colleges/</a>
<a href=“Smith College - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/smith-college/</a>
<a href=“Mount Holyoke College - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/mount-holyoke-college/</a>
<a href=“Wellesley College - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/wellesley-college/</a></p>
<p>You should definitely check them out, they are all such wonderful schools. They do each have their own flavor, and you should try to visit if possible. </p>
<p>Never let someone else set your boundaries. Apply if you like. The college will determine your acceptability, not this counselor. But also choose some others that you like that are matches and safeties, so that you will get some positive responses no matter what. </p>
<p>Thanks everyone. Still, no one has helped me find matches. 
It is SO hard because schools are either too below or too above me.</p>
<p>Thanks! My DD is in 11th grade at a co-ed Boarding School, so I am a bit at arm’s length. I have suggested Wellesley and Bryn Mawr to her (separately, for drastically different reasons- W for focused, self-directed study; Bryn Mawr for small with traditions and sisterly community). So far, she is (ignorantly) wanting to go co-ed only. I would like for her to be exposed to them, so she can make a more informed choice.</p>
<p>@artisticnative, I think you are hard to peg. I think the schools that are “above you” on paper such as Dartmouth, MHC, Hamilton, Clark, Wheaton may be 'Matches" when you tell your story. In fact, the latter couple could well end up being low-reaches to safeties. I actually think it is worth doing a little bit of lobbying to any professors or EC people you met from Cornell. I would not be surprised with your visit there, and any personal contacts, if they got to know you through all that that you would be accepted ED or RD. It may also help that your financial aid requirements are not an issue.</p>
<p>I suggest some schools that are not so selective too such as Muhlenberg, St Lawrence, Goucher, among others. Skidmore is on the reach side, IMO. You should have a good spread of schools in selectivity.</p>
<p>@staceyneil, I would consider Smith a match because of its acceptance rate, because of the diversity factor, because of the strength of their arts programs and because they are known to give borderline students a chance. The same could be said of Holyoke, though my impression is that Smith is stronger in studio art. (I may be wrong there.)</p>
<p>Colgate and Hamilton may be low reaches or high matches. I consider them similar in character to Cornell and Dartmouth (the OP’s top choices) and also appreciative of art as an EC. Williams is in the same personality type, but is truly a reach.</p>
<p>i think a lot will depend on how the OP’s counselor and other recommenders present her, and if that intellectual spark shines through. Also, how her grades breakdown – for example, does she have A’s in humanities and B’s in math/science?</p>
<p>OP, You’ve been given plenty of suggestions for matches. Do you not like them or do you not think they are matches? I wouldn’t quibble too much about whether a school is a low reach or high match or a low match or high safety. Find some colleges that appeal to you that are in the 30-40% acceptance rate range and widen your list.</p>
<p>Maybe do some visiting in the region in the upcoming weeks.</p>
<p>OP</p>
<p>DDs list was very reach heavy last year. She applied to 11 schools and had 9 acceptances. Have you considered Trinity or Conn College? </p>
<p>I haven’t looked but are you looking for lots of FA? Consider an ACT retake. </p>
<p>What are you majoring in?</p>
<p>Native American + top school + phenomenal art portfolio = you have a shot at all your schools. They’re reaches, like for everyone, but they are not “out of reach”. </p>
<p>I’d even add Williams. Yes, totally a reach, but include your art in slideroom. Native American kids with good GPAs and high test scores are very rare. That this would combine with curriculum rigor and authentic, recognized talent makes you “interesting” to MANY colleges.You’ll bring something few other applicants will and that’s why they’ll be interested.</p>
<p>Have you filled out the “request info” forms on all these colleges? Please do. Even if you’ve already received brochures from them, fill out the “request info/join the mailing list”. Those brochures were sent automatically by a third party hired to do mailings to all applicants with certain scores within a certain radius. By filling out the “request info/join the mailing list” you get on the colleges’ radar. This may get you a fee waiver if you don’t already have one*, but most important it indicates interest (taken into account at all of these colleges, to a more or less important degree) and “tags” you.</p>
<p>You could read <em>The Gatekeepers" by Steinberg for an in-depth look into the process, and watch the romantic comedy _Admissions</em> (with Tina Fey) for a light look. The book may be a nice present for your GC, once you’ve been admitted to several colleges.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href=“http://www.nacacnet.org/studentinfo/feewaiver/documents/applicationfeewaiver.pdf”>http://www.nacacnet.org/studentinfo/feewaiver/documents/applicationfeewaiver.pdf</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Still, indeed, you need matches. I agree with Skidmore and Mount Holyoke. I’d add Connecticut College, very “artsy”. Macalester, very vibrant neighborhood, superb for art. Muhlenberg, another match to low match. Pitzer and Scripps in California. I second Clark and Wheaton in MA and consider them matches, too.
If you can go further away, I’d suggest checking out Hiram in OH, Goucher in MD, Earlham in IN, Guilford in NC, Simmons in Boston, Lake Forest and DePaul in Chicago, Agnes Scott in Atlanta, Pacific Lutheran in WA, plus NCF and Eckerd in FL as safeties. I don’t know how UNC-Asheville is with financial aid, but they would also be a good fit for a smart, artsy student.</p>
<p>I don’t trust your GC because she suggested Quinipiac and Drexel to an artsy kid. It’s like suggesting Vassar to a kid who wants a conservative campus, Dartmouth to a teetotaller, or Liberty to a Muslim. These two colleges are super-preprofessional and have bad financial aid - polar opposite of what an artsy kid with financial need would need.</p>
<p>Great post ^^ QU should be not be considered in my opinion. </p>