Hey everyone!
I’m a junior looking to make a solid college list for next year. I want a smaller school with a more intimate environment that still has some of the amenities of a larger college. Basically, I’m looking for between 2000- and 7000 undergrads. I am a very laid-back person- I feel passionately about political issues, but I’m wary of intensity, a cut throat attitude, and a refusal to acknowledge different opinions. I am a very strong liberal. Friends would describe me as “quirky”. I’m from MA and I want to stay in the Northeast. I am a full freight student whose family (luckily) has no problem paying for the full cost of attendance.
I am female but I do not wish to attend an all-girl school, and I want to major in computer science.
My current test scores- on the SAT, my CR and W sections are at 800 and my math section is at a 680, leaving me with a composite of 2280. I am retaking the SATs in June to try for a better math score. I’m also trying the ACTs in June. I have some good ECs but nothing crazy (choir, internship at a start up, editor in chief of school newspaper, a few smaller science and Spanish Awards). I lived in Spain for my sophomore year through Rotary.
Next year I’m taking AP Calc AB, English Lit, Physics, Spanish Lit, and APUSH. This year I took AP bio, spanish lang and comp sci.
I want to be either in a suburb near a small/big city or in a city. I don’t want a super rural environment…this is tough with LACs. Anywhooo, on to my list!
I already know fo sho that I’m applying ED I to Tufts.
If that doesn’t work out, here are the schools I’m thinking of:
-Amherst (reaaach)
-Wesleyan (reach)
-Bowdoin (reach- too rural? It’s close to portsmouth but IDK, how do other people feel?)
-Brandeis (match)
-Skidmore (match)
-Clark (safety)
You have excellent stats so if you really want to study computer science an LAC is not the place for you.
Do some have CS sure but your stats suggest schools that excel in that field.
If you want a liberal place then shoot for a place like Cornell.which is a top school in computer science and more liberal than even most liberals can handle.
Something smaller might be University of Rochester.
You sound like a great match in terms of fit for Tufts and Brandeis. Maybe you’d want to consider WPI? Some other potential choices: CMU, Lehigh, Colgate (too rural?), Johns Hopkins. If you’d be willing to consider schools that are slightly farther away, Case Western seems like a good potential fit with good merit.
It’s really hard to come up with potential options for these criteria though. Can’t think of any other schools.
Edit: U of Rochester is a great suggestion as well.
@2019Parent Why would you say that an LAC is not the place for me with my stats? Is it just because most LACs aren’t known for STEM/technology?
I realize I didn’t put my grades…I have a 3.9 UW. I go to a fairly competitive (pretty standard for MA) public school.
I don’t think I’m really Ivy League material…I have a good SAT composite score (minus the math section) but I really don’t think there’s anything that would make me stand apart enough for me to get in to Brown or Cornell (or, for that matter, JHU). Plus, I feel like that math score will really hurt me seeing as I’m going into CS. I’ll add Brown just because I really love the school, but I won’t expect anything of it. Lehigh and Colgate are too fratty (I don’t like Greek Life), but thank you for the suggestion! I’ll add the University of Rochester.
Would it help if I were to expand the distance I was willing to travel?
My point was that if you really want to study CS you have the creds to look at some of the best schools in that field. I think you could get into Cornell and its worth a shot.
LACs and computer science just dont go together.
Add Case Western and University of Wisconsin Madison, top CS, and very liberal and stunning campus in a first class college town.
@2019Parent I really think that the University of Wisconsin would be too large for what I’m looking for (sorry. I know it’s a great school for CS).
I’m just the kind of person that likes small classes and getting to know professors. This would be much harder at a large school. I find it difficult to believe that every good school for CS has an enrollment of over 15K; correct me if I’m wrong.
I’ll look more into Case.
LACs and computer science just don’t go together? Don’t be ridiculous. Just because they don’t appear on any graduate rankings (for obvious reasons) doesn’t mean they’re bad. Frankly, as long as the school has all the necessary course offerings, you will be fine. You aren’t going to be hired off of your school’s research output in CS.
Swarthmore, Williams, Vassar, and Haverford all have good CS programs and aren’t on your list.
I actually visited Swarthmore when I was visiting an aunt in Philly. It seemed very, very intense. I did like it, though.
I did not like Vassar when I visited. It was in too much of a “bubble” and seemed close minded (aka very liberal and not willing to consider other viewpoints). Thank you!
Also, how likely is it for Tufts to accept me ED I?
A LAC with a strong computer science department will offer over twenty courses in the field from which to choose. I’m not sure why an undergraduate would need more.
Honestly your original post just screamed Brown. It’s really too bad so many people want to go - if it didn’t happen to be in the ivy league it would be a really great low reach for you. Sadly, everyone and their mother are clamoring to get in and it is quite difficult to gain admission.
I also wanted an atmosphere where I could really get to know my professors but ran into the same thing you did - it’s hard to figure out which SLACs have good CS. I also had the additional constraint of my parents only agreeing to pay if I got into an “elite” (as determined by them) school, they simply thought it wasn’t worth the cost to pay for thousands for a degree no one has heard of even though we could afford it (so no financial aid). They were okay with me going wherever if it was cheap, though.
I ended up going to UChicago, where I am a happy 1st year. It isn’t in the northeast, is probably too intense for you, and isn’t technically a liberal arts college, but the classes are small enough that I get to know my professors and it doesn’t feel too big.
@YogSothoth Yes, I LOVE Brown, but I know that being the boring high-achieving kid I am isn’t going to be enough to get me in- you really have to have something unique to get in there. Besides, Boston > Providence
I was looking into UChicago, but, again, I don’t really think I could get in there (congrats, by the way. I’m glad you found someplace where you could fit in and be happy that also pleased your parents). Admissions has just become SO competitive recently that I’m afraid of being left with very few options once decisions roll in. The schools I’m looking for don’t have to explicitly be LACs, though (Tufts isn’t, and it’s my ED school).
I think you might be selling yourself short. By no means should you expect admission but who the heck knows what runs through the minds of admission committees (FWIW you have a better SAT and GPA than I did and your ECs are far better than average). You could be in for a few surprises. I also think you’re pretty likely to get into Tufts ED, but it’s good that you’re considering backups.
I think you should make a long list of schools you’re interested in without regard for CS strength, and then go through them and figure out which ones have complete CS departments and which ones don’t. Email the professors directly if you have to, they’re more likely to be honest with you than the admissions officers.
Yes, my understanding is that Bucknell does have a big frat scene (I have a freind with a son there now). Lehigh might be similar in that regard, but I’m not as sure. My D is at Lafayette (loves it) so if you have any questions about that school feel free to PM me.
