Help developing a college list

College Search & Selection
1

I posted a few months ago when we were just starting a college list for my rising junior, and got some helpful responses. Now that we have done some visits and narrowing down, I’d love some input on places we might be missing.

TJHSST rising junior ( super competitive public magnet in NOVA; known for grade deflation): GPA 3.66 UW/ 3.97 W. As in humanities, tech and CS. Bs in math and lab science (with a C+ 1 semester of math)

1 AP taken in 10th (TJ does not offer WH AP, Intro CS, Environmental science, etc)

Junior year classes:

Summer School:Spanish III

HUM II (APUSH + English 11)—AP English not allowed in 11th
AP Calc AB
Honors Physics (no AP Physics offered except Physics C)
Band (will take 4years)
Anthropology (1 sem)— the extra non-AP history is required
Advances Analog electronics (1 sem, senior lab pre-rec)
Conventional and Alt Energy systems (1 sem each; senior lab pre-recs).

Summer: hopefully intern in area of interest

Senior year:

AP BC Calc or cryptography (1 sem) and AP stats (1 sem— already took 1st semester)
Geosystems (TJ required class, no AP option)
AP English Lit
AP government
Band
Senior Lab: Energy systems
A semester of non-AP history to finish the graduation requirement
**** a free semester to choose something interesting,***

PSAT 10: 1440/1520 (700 V, 740M) (selection index 214)
May make NMSF this year if he gets lucky with the test

SAT (new)(end of 10th). 1520 (740 V, 780 M) (will likely not retake)

SAT Math 2: 800
(No other SAT subject tests until the end of junior year)

2 very significant, time consuming fine arts ECs.

Interested in studying Geosciences/ Environmental Science. Wants to keep up with music in college, either classes or as an EC. Wants a school with the research facilities to prepare for a PhD program.

Interested in SLACs, but we need at least some merit aid (not NEASC). Not interested in a large Greek scene.

Does not want to go west of the Mississippi.

Has visited and liked Kenyon, Oberlin and Wooster, which is surprisingly impressive. Seems to like the small, suburban campuses.

Did not like Denison.

In state safety is WM (90% admit rate from TJ many years). Will also need to apply to VT College of Science as an instate option.

Upcoming visits planned to Grinnell, Macalester, and Davidson, which I think are all strong options.

Which colleges with at least a shot a merit aid an I missing? What if we go up to slightly larger?

Did not like CWRU (large campus in an urban area). Northeastern? Villanova? Skidmore, St. Lawrence or Dickinson as safeties? U Rochester? CMU as a reach.

I could really use some help filling out this list.

Thanks

2

What about some of the Maine colleges like Bowdoin, Colby and Bates?

3

Grinnell is west of the Mississippi, and Macalester is both east and west of it. Are other colleges and universities in Iowa and Minnesota also options or only those two?

4

Good list. I can’t tell you much about those bigger schools you mentioned at the end.

For LACs, Grinnell def. good for merit aid and seems to fit the bill except it’s pretty isolated. If female, might want to look at women’s colleges known for good merit like Mt. Holyoke.

Carleton could be good addition, but little merit aid. Davidson seems like good fit – more merit than Carleton but very competitive to get it. [Full disclosure - my D is starting at Davidson next month!]

Good luck!

5

I would absolutely love him to apply to these. But we live in a high COL area of the country, and are in the financial aid donut hole. So we need a state school or at least some merit aid. None of these schools offer any merit aid at all. And their NPCs say zero aid.

6

To be clear, this applies to the Maine colleges…

7

Probably. This is just the absolute furthest he wants to go. It helps that Macalester is less than a three hour straight shot to the DMV airports. Grinnell needs a layover in many cases, but still can get him home in <5 hours.

It is more the CA (WA, OR) colleges that we are counting out. Probably Texas too— but wow do I like Rice.

8

Congrats to your daughter. I grew up in NC and really wanted Davidson, but got full scholarships to UNC, WFU and partial to Duke, but nothing to Davidson. I would love to have a kid go. Several of my peers attended, they they are doing impressive things— especially the ones in the sciences.

9

Bates, Bowdoin, and Colby offer need based aid only.

Have you looked into Juniata in PA?

10

Grinnell is relatively generous among the top LACs, but the average merit scholarship awarded to Grinnell students not receiving financial aid is $17,000, which still leaves a COA of $48,000 a year.

In any case, Grinnell doesn’t offer geology. I’ve never understood why, since it purports to be strong in the sciences and has the 6th highest endowment among LACs.

Furman is worth a look. Eckerd is very good if he’s especially interested in marine science. It’ll be hard to beat in-state W&M for bang for your buck, though.

11

How much do you think you will be able to pay per year?

12

Too bad east of the Miss is a requirement. Lewis and Clark might be a good fit and your child might be competitive for a full tuition scholarship. Probably at least 1/2.

13

OP here. Love Carleton. But the only merit aid they offer in $2k/year NM scholarships.

Could also use some advice as to whether colleges on on DC’s list are good targets. It’s hard to line TJ’s curriculum and GPAs up with base high schools.

14

Definitely look at Furman. Has really upped its merit aid in the last few years. It has a fabulous Earth & Environmental Science department (nationally renowned for its sustainability program) and one of the best music programs outside of a conservatory. There are plenty of options to either double major or to continue his music without even majoring. Furman emphasizes research/internship opportunities and even funding to students through its Furman Advantage program. Has high acceptance rates into post-graduate schools. If he is looking at Furman, have his guidance counselor nominate him, even if meets the criteria, as a Furman Scholar in the Spring of his Junior year which is an automatic 20k over 4 years.

15

Lawrence University, in Wisconsin, is east of the Mississippi. It’s also a haven for music kids; the music conservatory is very closely integrated with the LAC, with many students double-majoring, minoring in music, or just participating as non-majors. A lot of the social scene seems to revolve around both formal and informal performances - coffee houses, etc. It is vastly easier to span music and an academic major at Lawrence than at other LAC’s with conservatories, like Oberlin. It’s also very strong academically (read the “Colleges That Change Lives” profile) and produces many future PhD’s. The Freshman Studies class has all entering students covering the same reading list, to encourage campus-wide intellectual discourse. They’re generous with merit aid. It was one of the most welcoming places we visited, with friendly, down-to-earth students whose strong affection and support for one another was evident.

It’s a suburban-ish campus (classified as urban in college guides, but it’s less urban than Macalester) adjacent to the small city of Appleton. (They also have a second, gorgeous rural campus, Bjorklunden, that serves as a retreat center - virtually all Lawrence students participate in programs there at some point.) There are a few Greek houses but they do not dominate the social scene at all. The academic majors they offer seem to be perfect:
https://www.lawrence.edu/academics/study/environmental_studies
https://www.lawrence.edu/academics/study/geology
They also pride themselves on offering 1:1 tutorials with faculty, in areas of student interest.

If you are visiting Macalester, I would strongly encourage the slightly-tedious drive across the cornfields of northern WI to Appleton. (Or a not-so-tedious one-hour flight MSP-ATW)

And Lawrence has Early Action, so you could have a merit offer in your hands before the holidays.

16

For another safety, look at St Olaf, more environmentally friendly than St Lawrence and about the same level of academics. You can visit it when you visit Carleton since they’re in the same town.
URochester sounds like a great match academically but she may not like the environment.
What about UVermont? It’s much larger than a LAC but smaller than a typical public university.

17

OP here. We loved in S.C. for While and knew several Furman grads. It’s real hard for me to get past my preconception of Furman as a good ol boys in Frats, conservative school. I’m sure it has changed a lot in the last 15 years, but sending my liberal DMV kid to an S.C. college? That’s hard to imagine. Same deal with Seawanee and Washington & Lee.

Also, to be clear, this is a boy, not a girl. Which may actually help SLAC chances.

As for $$, we have WM covered, which is $34k/year. I think we are looking at about $40k a year being very doable (including R &B). We could probably top out at $45-50k for the perfect school. But it would have to be so much of a better fit than WM that it is worth a big financial sacrifice. Especially since kid 2 is only 2 years behind kid 1.

18

OP here. TJs Naviance is worthless on SLACs. There are no applicants to some of these schools each year, there just isn’t data. I know that if Junior year grades stay stable and get the honors and AP bumps, he has a decent shot at WM as a boy. But I have no idea about Oberlin, Kenyon, Davidson, Grinnell, Macalester. The SAT should be fine, but will he have the GPA to get in? Especially considering the hit he takes for TJ grade deflation?

He has been visiting the schools, interviewing with admissions staff or interns, explaining why he wants a SLAC, etc. he will probably also probably write about that in his common app. In other words, he is trying to demonstrate strong interest.

Grinnell does not have geosciences, but they do have an environmental science that would probably work. Kenyon is similar. Macalester and Oberlin definitely javenstronger geology programs.

St. Olaf’s Is interesting. A couple of his friends went this year. Skidmore and Union College also keep popping up.

19

Has your son visited Rice? Rice combines the strengths of a research university with a small school feel. It is West of the Mississippi but easy to get to nonstop by plane from the NE. While it is not a liberal arts college, Rice has about 4000 undergrads and no Greek life. Rice has great STEM but has strong programs in other disciplines as well. Rice has a fun quirky band called the MOB (marching owl band) he might enjoy. Rice awards some merit aid. Here is a link to the earth science and environmental science department at Rice. https://earthscience.rice.edu

20

I think your son will get a serious look from those LACs and by applying to 5 or 6 he’ll mostly likely get into at least a couple – with holistic admissions it can be pretty arbitrary. My D was accepted to Grinnell, Carleton and Davidson (and some other LACs.) Grinnell offered generous merit, Carleton she only got the NMF $ and a small need grant + work study making the cost almost $60 for us. Davidson did not award merit but gave more need-aid than we got anywhere – putting it barely in our reach (and the upper amount of the comfort range you mentioned). I think part of the more generous than expected need is b/c they have a no loans policy. Our EFC, btw, was $63k so we are a bubble family for sure.

With a solid safety like W&M, I think you roll the dice with some other schools like that are good fits and see how it plays out. My advice is to encourage him to keep an open mind and for the SLACs put it out there that he can apply to see if he gets and at what cost but manage expectations around 'if it’s too expensive, it’s not going to be worth it" We had that conversation with our daughter as she had solid in state flagship (including Honors program) as option as well.

It’s just not a transparent process so the only way to know is to let it play out.

Great he’s expressing interest – that is so important with LACs.