<p>Pls suggest colleges for my D within 2 hours of Phila area (Bucks county). She has chance at a more selective college I think.</p>
<p>Her info:
- graduating HS one year early
- 4.1 GPA
- 5 AP classes
- 32 ACT
- 500 hours community service
- JV softball team 3 years (large school 2500 students)
- marching, symphony, and pit bands (section leader)
- church youth group</p>
<p>Interested in criminology, criminal justice, pre-law. She wants a more conservative college.</p>
<p>Why limit herself to being two hours from home?</p>
<p>The farther away the college she applies to from Pennsylvania, the more attractive her application will look (geographic diversity)</p>
<p>And in general, with some exceptions, the less the competition will be.</p>
<p>U Penn has a criminology major. [Penn</a> Department of Criminology](<a href=“http://www.crim.upenn.edu/]Penn”>http://www.crim.upenn.edu/)
U Maryland has a top-ranked department, at least at the graduate level. [Department</a> of Criminology and Criminal Justice](<a href=“http://www.ccjs.umd.edu/]Department”>http://www.ccjs.umd.edu/)
Cornell recently started a joint graduate program in psychology and law, so there’s the possibility that program faculty also might offer relevant coursework at the undergrad level. [Law</a>, Psychology, and Human Development](<a href=“http://www.human.cornell.edu/hd/graduate/psychology/law_psychology_human_development.cfm]Law”>http://www.human.cornell.edu/hd/graduate/psychology/law_psychology_human_development.cfm)</p>
<p>Criminology is also a subfield of sociology, so you might look at schools with strong depts. in that discipline. Some sociology depts. also offer a subspecialty undergrad major in criminology.</p>
<p>There is no such thing as a “pre-law” major. One can major in any field. GPA and LSAT are key factors for law school admission. Certain majors tend to score higher on the LSAT.
[Legal</a> Blog Watch](<a href=“Legal Blog Watch”>Legal Blog Watch)
[TaxProf</a> Blog: Physics/Math, Economics Majors Ace the LSAT; Criminal Justice, Prelaw Majors Bomb the Test](<a href=“TaxProf Blog”>TaxProf Blog)</p>
<p>Criminology isn’t really taught at most highly selective colleges, nor is it taught at most small schools. Best bets in that field in your general area would be Penn, U Maryland, Penn State, Rutgers, CUNY John Jay College, Temple, UDel. </p>
<p>Your D has good stats. I’d suggest a broader range of schools and a broader range of undergrad majors if she’s determined to go to law school. Law school admissions is so thoroughly driven by US News rankings these days that pretty much all that matters is GPA and LSAT scores. Also keep in mind that most undergrads change their major at least once, so it makes sense to choose the best school and not necessarily the best program. Best schools w/in 2 hours of Bucks County would include Princeton, Columbia, Penn, Swarthmore, Haverford, Johns Hopkins, Bryn Mawr, Bucknell, Lehigh, Lafayette, Penn State, Franklin & Marshall, Dickinson, Gettysburg, in roughly that order.</p>
<p>But I also have to agree with floridadad55. Why arbitrarily limit your D to 2 hours from Bucks County? With all due respect, Bucks County isn’t exactly the center of the known universe. And what if her dream school is 3 hours away, or 4, or 5? She’s not likely to be home more than 3-4 times per academic year at most. So what are the few extra hours of travel time worth to you, or to her? Expanding the range to 4-5 hours brings in a ton of schools in the DC area, New England, and upstate NY, plus potentially some great schools a non-stop flight away from Philly. I don’t know whether the 2 hours is your D’s criterion or yours, but either way it seems pretty short-sighted.</p>