<p>Alright, so I was thinking that I'd apply to Carleton College, Georgetown University, Cornell University, University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Chicago, but now I'm not sure at all where I want to go to school. </p>
<p>I've tried online engines to suggest colleges, but it's so broad that it never really gives concrete suggestions. </p>
<p>I like:
a decent academic reputation
a strong economics department
small classes
an undergraduate focus
Gothic architecture
in or nearby a major city
grad school and/or job placement is the most important thing!
not having to take SAT IIs
a liberal leaning atmosphere
to be surrounded by similarly intellectual people
high rates of PhD production (it's a dream of mine to be a professor)
maybe a business school</p>
<p>Please take all of these with a grain of salt. For example, if it's not exactly near a booming city, I still would probably consider it! </p>
<p>I'd like to finalize a list of 6-7 to apply to within a week or two! The UW-Madison will be my safety school. Thanks!</p>
<p>If that weighted GPA is out of 5 you might have some issues with all the schools on your list. If not, I’d advise you to apply to all of those schools, plus a couple more schools that are in medium target range and decide which ones you like based on your acceptances, seeing as all of those have very low acceptance rates. Also, I’d advise you to take SAT II’s, I know Georgetown cares about them, I’m pretty sure UPenn does too, and regardless of whatever UChicago says about their holistic applications and different way of doing things, they now are receiving so many apps that to be competitive, you probably need them too. Also, economics at UChicago are decidedly not left leaning, although broadening your horizons is never a bad thing</p>
<p>Georgetown requires 2 SAT II. Without them, it will not even process your application.</p>
<p>Cornell’s CAS (Arts and Sciences) also requires 2 SAT II. On the other hand, Cornell’s CALS (Agriculture and Life Sciences), which includes the Applied Economics and Management program, does not require SAT subject tests.</p>
<p>Since you have taken the ACT (assuing it is with Writing), Penn will waive the Subject test requirement. </p>
<p>Chicago does not require, or even “recommend” SAT subject test, neither does Carleton. </p>
<p>I think Michigan-Ann Arbor would be a good addition to your list as it has a top Business program, a strong Economics department, good graduate school placement and no SAT subject test requirement.</p>
<p>I would also add Brown, which like Penn, does not require subject tests for students who have taken the ACT (wiith Writing) and Northwestern which does not require subject tests either.</p>
<p>Take a couple of SATIIs and be done with it. You might change your mind about which schools to apply to over the next few months so don’t limit yourself unneccessarily.</p>
<p>What is your financial situation? Do you want or need financial aid? If it’s a “must have to attend” then you’ll have to tailor your list accordingly.</p>
<p>If you’re flexible on the in or near city requirement, then I would look at some of the sporty, rural LACs in the Northeast that are similar in character to Carleton. They seem to fulfill all of your other requirements, though I’m not sure about the Gothic architecture part. Williams, Amherst, Middlebury, Bowdoin, Hamilton. Also Dartmouth.</p>
<p>Thank you very much for all of the responses! Sorry for not specifying, but I am well aware of which schools require the SAT IIs, and I’ll probably end up taking Literature and Math II, but I don’t really want to, haha. My school counselor did not know what the subject tests were, at first, so they’re not very common where I’m from. </p>
<p>@hotair The GPA is out of a 4.0 scale. I’d love to apply to some more medium-match type schools. As far as the liberal leaning criteria, I was mostly speaking about the ideology of the students. For example, I would not enjoy going to BYU or Notre Dame very much.</p>
<p>@Alexandre, I haven’t felt strongly about Georgetown lately, so I think that’s off the list, unless someone would like to promote it a little more. If I applied to Cornell, I would do the AEM program, I believe. Yes, I took the writing and got a 08, but I forgot to list it! Whoops. UMich is a wonderful school–but is it worth it with OOS tuition? I’m from Minnesota. Brown is a wonderful suggestion, if you all think that it is potentially within my reach. I toured Northwestern and wasn’t much of fan. It’s a great school, though!</p>
<p>@barrk123 Rice seems like a great school! Their accepted ACT middle 50% is a 32-35, which doesn’t give me much hope. You think I’d still be a contender? I LOVE the class sizes and faculty ratio, though. I’ve definitely considered BC. Again with Dartmouth–am I a serious contender? </p>
<p>For any future posters, just ignore the SAT II part! I’d still love suggestions!</p>
<p>@momrath, It seems like I’ll be needing to! My family makes AGI is >150k, but I will still need aid. Still, as long as the school isn’t notorious for horrible aid, I think I would be okay. For Williams, Amherst, Middlebury, Bowdoin, and Dartmouth, again, am I a serious candidate? I will certainly look at each of these more! Thank you for your post!</p>
<p>isaiah, Yes you are a reasonable candidate for the schools I listed . They like sporty, active kids with academically accomplished kids. </p>
<p>Your major concern should be finances, however. Many of the schools on your list (and all of the schools on my list) do not offer merit aid, at all, period. </p>
<p>At $150K you family may or may not qualify for some NEED based aid. Ask your parents to use an online calculator to get an idea of of how much need based aid you would be eligible for. If that works for you, then you can proceed with a wide list. If not, you’ll have to start again with a list of schools that do offer MERIT. </p>
<p>Get this straightened out before you go any further.</p>
<p>I think you have a reasonable chance at the schools on your list, but you really need some solid safeties and matches. There is a big gap in your list between your safety and your next most selective schools, all of which are inclined towards quirky admissions… You could end up with no choice but U Wisc in April.</p>
<p>@momrath, Well, that’s good to hear! I did an estimator for Carleton, and we would have to pay around $38k a year. I try to talk to my parents about whether I should pursue more public schools or schools that would offer merit aid, but they seem quite apathetic towards anything college related. That’s a huge reason why I need help from you guys–because I’m largely on my own! Anyway, I’ll get an answer tomorrow about whether or not they’d pay the near $40k a year. Thanks so much, momrath!</p>
<p>@Consolation, I need some matches and safeties, you’re right! Any suggestions?</p>
<p>Wharton most certainly isn’t a school with small classes or an undergraduate focus. Producing future professors isn’t a particular interest. And liberal? These are some of the guys who gave us the financial crisis. They place lots of students into the kinds of places that profited from that mess.</p>
<p>@isaiahstock - Umich is worth the OOS IMO if you don’t need to borrow to attend. You list other privates with similar cost of attendance. My son is also from Minnesota and is attending Umich (so I’m biased) and after a year there I (and more so he) know he made the very best choice for him. He chose it over Madison.</p>
<p>If you want to be a PhD, majoring in business may not prepare you well. Typical undergrad business curriculum is a mile wide but an inch deep. It’s also a trade. If you want to be a potential PhD candidate in econ, go to schools that have more rigorous (more quant) econ curriculum. UChicago is definitely one of those. It’s unfortunate you weren’t into Northwesten upon your visit; their Mathematical Methods for Social Science (MMSS) is a superb program that would prepare you well also.</p>
<p>I would apply to Duke as well. It, like Brown, doesn’t require SAT IIs and has a strong Economics program with great placement into consulting/finance. It is an extremely undergraduate focused research opportunities with a 7:1 student to faculty ratio, guaranteed small classes starting from Freshman Year (mandatory small writing class and Freshman Seminars capped at about 15 students), and good advising for graduate school.</p>
<p>Its not near a big city per say but that’s the only characteristic its lacking on your list.</p>
<p>@sam lee, Yes, I’ve been straying away from the idea of being a business major for some time. I was told that majoring in mathematics would be a good idea. Northwestern is a great school and in a great location for me, but you’re right, I wasn’t into it. However, I just found that Rice University had a major in Mathematical Economic Analysis! This looks very interesting. Does anyone have any insight into this major or the economics department at Rice in general? </p>
<p>@goldenboy, Duke is another strong suggestion!</p>
<p>As others have said, an undergraduate business major is more aimed at preparing one for going into the workforce with a bachelor’s degree, not preparing one for PhD study.</p>
<p>@ucbalumnus, Those first two links are great resources! I’ll look into each thoroughly! Also, thank you for the insight into economic graduate school. That gives me a lot to consider.</p>
<p>While you’re working through the money issue with your parents start researching academically rigorous colleges/universities that offer MERIT aid. There are quite a few threads on this board that will help. In effect you need financial safeties as well as selectivity safeties.</p>
<p>I would look at Grinnell, Macalester, Rhodes, Emory. There are others. You have to do some digging. (I’m guessing you’re male; otherwise women’s colleges are a good value.)</p>
<p>We see many many parents who avoid the topic of money. We all want to give our kids the best education, but $150,000+ is a terrifying amount of money especially in today’s economy. </p>
<p>What you need most right now is clarity. There’s nothing worse than getting into a school that you can’t afford. If your parents continue to resist the money discussion, ask a friend with children in college, a clerymember or your high school counselor for help. </p>
<p>The good news is that you really can get an excellent education and an entree to graduate school at many colleges that offer merit aid.</p>