<p>The schools I'm looking at right now include:
Gettysburg College
Dickinson College
Skidmore College
Hamilton College
Colgate University
Connecticut College
Colby College
Macalester College
Colorado College
Smith College
Kenyon College
Oberlin College
Vassar College
and possibly George Washington University</p>
<p>I know I have a better chance of being admitted to some if these schools over others, but I know (and my guidance counselor has reassured me) that I have a fair chance at all of them. The problem is I don't really feel a have a safety school. I'd really like to have 1 or 2 schools where I'd most likely/definitely be admitted. The major I'd like to pursue is Women/Women and Gender Studies, and I'd prefer a small, liberal arts college. If anyone could recommend anything to me that's around the New England/NJ, NY, or Penn area that would be great. </p>
<p>Kenyon and Smith are NOT safeties for anybody. Especially in recent years for Kenyon, which has seen a huge surge in applications (and rightfully so).</p>
<p>Actually, we cannot know whether a college is a safety for you in particular unless you share ACT or SAT scores plus high school GPA. All of the above schools are outstanding and reasonably competitive. If you scored 34 on the ACT, or 2250 SAT, and have almost all A’s then many of those are safeties. If you scored less than 28 ACT, less than 1800 SAT, with a GPA of 3.5 or less, then almost none of them are safeties.</p>
<p>"I’m a white female from NJ, probably not applying for much financial aid.</p>
<p>Unweighted GPA of 3.86, weighted is about 4.7.</p>
<p>Ranked 45th out of about 750 (top 6% or 7%)</p>
<p>ACT composite score of 29 (studying and retaking in April hoping for a 30+)"</p>
<p>The schools on your list look like good match schools to me. Gettysburg is the only one I’d pick as a possible likely (a term I prefer to “safety”). Some other schools you might consider:</p>
<p>Hobart and William Smith
St. Lawrence
Muhlenberg
Clark
UVM
Hampshire
Allegheny
Goucher
Juniata
College of Wooster
Franklin and Marshall</p>
<p>I’m sorry if I miscommunicated something. I know that none of those schools I listed are safety schools. What I meant was that those are the schools I’m really liking right now, and I’d like to find a safety school that’s similar to them. They were just there for reference.</p>
<p>Okay, great clarification. I thought for a moment that you did not know what was meant by a safety school (but then again, you seemed smarter than that).</p>
<p>Sue22 has a great list. I can add the following:</p>
<ul>
<li>Ohio Wesleyan University (less than an hour from Kenyon)</li>
<li>Rhodes College (Memphis)</li>
<li>Guilford College (North Carolina)</li>
<li>Cornell College (not the university in NY, but the small liberal arts college in Iowa which has the same kind of “block plan” that is at Colorado College)</li>
<li>Marlboro College in Vermont, is a very quirky but amazing college where you help design your own major. Actually, I am not sure they actually offer any majors, per se. Highly recommend you check this one out.</li>
</ul>
<p>Sort of an off the wall suggestion but if you want a guaranteed cheap quasi-LAC, you may want to look at the Canadian Mount Allison University. Somewhat near Maine (so New England area) and much greater on campus life than most Canadian options. </p>
<p>A few ideas offhand would be: Goucher, Muhlenberg, Wheaton, Siena, College of Wooster, Clark University, and Juniata, and SUNY New Paltz (which is also less expensive even OOS). </p>
<p>Considering your interest in women/gender studies, you might want to look at other seven sister schools like Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke (and Barnard- though it’s more selective). You might like Sarah Lawrence and Bard. I’d also suggest some west coast schools like Scripps, Pitzer, Whitman, Reed, and Lewis and Clark. </p>
<p>Allegheny is similar to but less selective than the schools on your list. They also offer good merit aid. Maybe Susquehanna, Juniata, Muhlenberg, and Ursinus. All of these are in PA. There are so many LACs in PA. </p>
<p>Which state do you live in? Any good instate public options? TCNJ comes to mind. </p>