I’m helping my friend figure out what schools to apply to. Her ACT is a 28, and shes retesting in December. I can easily see her getting a 30. Her GPA UW is around like 3.65 but her weighted gpa is a 5.08 on a 6.0 scale because shes taken a bunch of AP and dual enrollment classes at local colleges.
Colleges I’ve recommended to her so far are USC, Tufts, Wake Forest, Boston College, Brandeis, Lehigh, and Northeastern. She’s also applying to some instate schools (UF, UCF, FIU) and she wouldn’t leave state for a school that isn’t better than UF. She’s interested in smaller, quainter schools that aren’t in the middle of nowhere. Liberal arts colleges I’m pretty certain she’d like are Williams, Bowdoin, and Pomona. I know she wouldn’t like schools like BU or Amherst (not her social scene) or UChicago or Swarthmore (too academically competitive). Any thoughts?
LACs that aren’t in thte middle of nowhere (with a 28-30 and 3.65 UW) College of Wooster and Denison in Ohio, Rhodes in Memphis, TN, maybe Centre in KY. Dickinson in PA, Trinity College in Hartford CT, as well as Connecticut College in New London CT.
A 30 and a 3.65 UW with a most rigorous curriculum is just not going to be a competitive applicant for Williams, Bowdoin, Pomona.
Any LAC in the US News top 25 after removing the service academies with require a 31 - 32 for any reasonable chance especially for a female in the east.
In the top 25 an average chance is no better than 1 in 5.
At a 28, Gettysburg, Dickinson, St. Lawrence, Union perhaps Lafayette as a reach are more likely
Thanks so much guys. Do these colleges all give good financial aid? I know the top 10 LACs are really great for sure, but beyond that I’m not familiar.
I find it interesting that you feel confident she’d like Williams and equally confident she wouldn’t like Amherst. My impression is that those schools are a heckuva lot more alike than they are different. What is the differentiating factor between those two that you’re judging your friend’s potential like/dislike on?
@giraffeinatree Your friend is unlikely to be accepted to many (any) of these colleges with a 28 sat and a 3.65 UW gpa. Even with a 30 act it would be difficult.
Sorry, but Tufts, USC, and Northeastern with a 3.65 UW and a 28 (or 30, frankly) just aren’t going to happen. Also, I don’t find it likely that someone who would like most of the LACs listed here would also like USC or Northeastern, which are two large urban research universities.
Has she looked at New College of Florida (in Sarasota)? It is the honors/LAC college in the state university system and last summer DS worked on an NSF research project at a UC with a New College undergrad, who had very good things to say about it.
Furman is in Greenville, SC. I agree on Rhodes, Wooster and Denison recommended above.
Trinity University is smack in the middle of San Antonio. Southwestern would work, too.
The money is the tricky part, so that is where your friend needs to start, running some NPC’s. With that GPA and current ACT, merit money is not going to be bountiful.
@giraffeinatree St. Lawrence, Gettysburg, Loyola Maryland, Union, Muhlenberg and St. Michael’s look like perfect LAC fits for your friend, at least eastern options.
might look at Holy Cross very god LAC located in Worcester Mass-1 hour from Boston. HC MEETS 100% demonstrated financial need. HC has very nice campus.
New College of Florida, Rollins, Stetson, Eckerd are Florida Schools. New College is a Florida Public, if she could raise her ACT, it looks like a match. I have 2 children who attended Eckerd, she looks like she would be eligible for $17,000 to $19,000 in merit aid plus financial. PM me if you would like more info on Eckerd. You’re a good friend!
I second NCF, Rollins, and Eckerd - she should at least visit.
Also, for her stats, Mount Holyoke, Ohio Wesleyan, Denison, Dickinson, Muhlenberg, St Mike’s, St Lawrence, Hobart&William Smith, Marist, Ithaca, Wheaton (MA), Simmons, St Olaf, Lawrence, Gustavus Adolphus, Beloit, Illinois Wesleyan, Centre, Wofford, perhaps Oxford of Emory or Skidmore.
Is she first gen (neither parent has a 4-year degree) or URM (Hispanic, African American, and, depending on area, Asian)?
Okay, so that’s good :). She should definitely indicate she’s Latina as many of the colleges listed are looking for Hispanic students. It’s called a “hook”, ie., a desirable quality colleges want. It doesn’t change your situation f you’re far from the average but where you’re borderline, it means the push to the admit pile and perhaps preferential packaging