Help me narrow down??

College Search & Selection
1

This is gonna be a long, self-serving post, so I apologize. I currently have 16 colleges on my common app, and a few more that I’m interested in-- I need to narrow down a bit. A little background about myself (I’ll go into more when I talk about each specific college): interested in something in the public eye (e.g. film, communications, creative writing, broadcast journalism), but flexible as to what exactly. Had a rough time in high school due to personal issues, so I have much much much stronger standardized tests than GPA. Ideally, looking for a small LAC that doesn’t have an especially excessive drinking or hook-up culture. Also, while I am certainly liberal, I don’t necessarily want somewhere with an excessive liberal vibe (drinking, drugs, people getting mad about cultural appropriation).

Stats: UW GPA-- 3.2 (heh) W GPA-- 3.6 SAT-- 1520 (770 ELA, 750 Math) ACT-- 35

To the colleges:

Clark: To be honest, a weird one to start off with. My parents and guidance counselor like it as a safety, but I don’t know much about it. Visiting on October 16th. Very close to home (I live in a Boston suburb), which isn’t really much of a plus. If anyone could tell me more about the vibe, that’d be great.

Emerson:
Pros: Certainly aligns with my interests. Seems like a good choice as a safety, as many successful people have graduated in the entertainment business.
Cons: I don’t love the campus-- I love Boston, but it is the epitome of city-schools, and has a very small campus. Seems like it would be difficult to find much to do other than drink/party (which, again, I’m not a fan of). May be a bit too quirky.

Boston University:
Pros: Very strong for my interests. Technically a dry campus? Seems like a target, but is still a very good school.
Cons: Not my ideal school vibe (campus, size, etc.) Same sort of campus thing as Emerson.

Northeastern:
Pros: On the rise, several older friends go there, internship program (not that important to me, to be honest, but it is to my parents). If I got in EA, I could focus my RD apps more on reaches (which I have a lot of.
Cons: Once again, city school. Not especially strong for communications/writing.

Sarah Lawrence:
Pros: Safety, but still has pedigree of success. No grades thing may be a plus. LAC close to NYC.
Cons: Apparently has a very uninvolved campus (people don’t seem to like eachother, not a lot of events, etc.) High drug use? Excessively liberal?

Saint Lawrence:
Pros: Safety, beautiful campus (visiting in early November).
Cons: Nothing seems special or unique about it. Not especially prestigious (I know that’s not as important as people make it out to be). Heavy drinking scene?

Hamilton:
Pros: As of right now, my ED. Heavy writing focus, beautiful campus, somewhat prestigious, strong outdoorsy vibe. Root Glen and the golf course especially interest me.
Cons: Northeast LAC vibe (lots of drinking, drugs, prep school kids). Heavier greek presence than some other LACs?

NYU:
Pros: Exceptional film/writing programs. Plenty to do other than party. Seem like my kind of people.
Cons: Basically no campus. Other than Tisch, which I wouldn’t get into, may not be perfect for my interests.

Conn College:
Pros: Honor code, nice campus. Strong academics, but strong chance to get in (both my aunts are alums, have given lots of money to the school.)
Cons: I would rather get in based on merit, not family connections (I also don’t get along particularly well with my family).

UVM:
Pros: Almost guaranteed to get in, probably with some merit money. Very nice campus, town.
Cons: Tons of kids from my high school go there (nothing against them, but I would want a fresh start). Heavy drinking/drug culture? Would probably try to transfer to a stronger school anyway.

UBC:
Pros: Beautiful campus, prestigious university, very likely to get in (Canadian system of applications aligns very well with me). Not a heavy drinking/drug scene for a campus its size. Canada is pretty dank.
Cons: Pretty much the opposite side of the continent (exciting for me, but my parents really don’t love that.) Different country. Commuter campus?

Lewis and Clark:
Don’t know a lot. If people could tell me more, that would be great.

Whitman:
Pros: My favorite choice for safety. Very happy students, huge outdoors scene, strong academics.
Cons: My parents don’t even want to consider it: “Washington is full of granola and hippies and in the middle of nowhere.”

Denison:
Pros: Strong safety. Good programs for my interests. Beautiful campus. Steve Carell.
Cons: The vibe that I got was incredibly preppy. Fairly moderate politically (which would be good, but I would prefer a liberal campus if I were going to school in Ohio.) Seems like a big drinking/drug scene.

Oberlin:
Pros: Strong academics, nice campus, politically active people.
Cons: A friend of mine who goes there (very similar to me) has had trouble finding a place: he is liberal, but the school has seemed excessively social-justice, quirky, etc. Heavy drug scene (although I would prefer that to a similarly sized drinking scene.

Kenyon:
Pros: Very strong for writing, apparently nice campus (touring tomorrow).
Cons: Heavy drinking (sensing a theme?) Student body seems to be unhappy with the school? May be too moderate for me in Ohio.

Case Western:
School is looking for humanities students. Would love to hear more, as I just started thinking about CW, and won’t be able to tour on this trip.

Dickinson:
Would love to hear more; likely safety.

American:
Pros: Technically dry campus. Washington D.C. Politically active but diverse students. Likely safety.
Cons: City school. Doesn’t have much of a campus.

George Washington:
Probably not going to apply, unless anyone can offer some game-changing info about their experience.

Grinnell:
Haven’t looked yet, but want to. Seems to be very diverse campus, with somewhat less of a drinking scene than other LACs. Would like to hear more.

Carleton:
Pros: Likely ED2. Student body is quirky, but in a way that agrees with me. Very nice campus near Twin Cities. Something like 60% of Carleton students marry eachother.
Cons: Very selective. If I get denied from Hamilton ED1, do I have a chance in hell of getting into Carleton ED2? I would probably go Carleton ED1, cause I think I like it best at this point, but I’m not touring until late October when early transcript request forms would already have to be in; I also don’t think my parents would want me to apply ED1 to Carleton.

Macalester:
Pros: Near twin cities. Similar vibe, location to Carleton, but slightly less selective.
Cons: Parents wouldn’t like it, potentially won’t have a chance to tour. Don’t know much about it.

Other places (probably too late to start looking now):

William and Mary, Bates, UMass Amherst (free tuition due to MCAS scores)

Ideally (I know this was a long, boring post, so thank you for bearing with me), you could give feedback on some of my pros and cons, and offer insight on the schools which you have knowledge of. Maybe suggest some new schools as well?

Thanks everyone!

2

Hamilton . . . somewhat prestigious?

By standardized testing, Hamilton students enter with the fourth highest scores of the prestigious NESCAC’s ten LACs. Even a high achieving student should regard Hamilton as a rarified destination.

3

What can/will your family pay? If your budget is limited, have you looked at your expected net price for each of these schools?

4

“Ideally, looking for a small LAC that doesn’t have an especially excessive drinking or hook-up culture. Also, while I am certainly liberal, I don’t necessarily want somewhere with an excessive liberal vibe”

Schools to drop based on your description of what you are looking for:
Boston U
NYU
Oberlin
Sarah Lawrence
GW

Add:
Bates
Mass (financial safety)

5

I would definitely look at your school’s naviance and get a better picture of where you fall within these schools accepted stats. best of luck.

6

@manykids2000 , believe me, I have.

7

Have you looked at Fiske’s guide to college? I hate to tell anybody where they should not look , but by reading about each of these schools, you would definitely eliminate some known to be liberal. (You can also do that by going to the match here and asking it to show you which schools are).

8

I would caution against thinking of Whitman or Lewis and Clark as safeties. While your test scores are fabulous GPA will be a factor at both of these? they value both rigor and GPA. Neither are known to be especially generous with merit though you should get some with your test scores. Whitman is in Walla Walla and depending on your point of view that could very much be considered the middle of nowhere. It is a vibrant adorable town with wonderful outdoor activities but it is a small town basically in the middle of nowhere. Your definition of liberal and Washington liberal maybe two very different things, liberal in Washington state does not necessarily mean excessive drinking and or drugs. It really would depend on the school. Rather, liberal here is much more social justice and environmental oriented versus necessarily a party scene, neither Lewis and Clark nor Whitman are necessarily known for a big party scene. That said, certain drugs are in fact legal in Washington state and likely to be in Oregon and so I would suspect you will find more of that then you may elsewhere in the country or at least more easily obtained.

Lewis and Clark has the advantage of being right in Portland so much more accessible to tranportation and all that a large vibrant big city has to offer it really depends on what you’re looking for both our fabulous schools and extremely well regarded. A safety you might want to consider adding in the Pacific Northwest would be University of Puget Sound.

I would also caution in general banking on your test scores for some of the schools being considered as safeties you do have to factor in the GPA as well I am sure most are solid matches but I’d be very careful about what you consider a true safety given that your scores and GPA are lopsided.

9

Hey there! First off, I’m not sure if I can really help you narrow down your list, but I just wanted to comment on UBC. It’s pretty rare that I see kids on CC looking at Canadian schools, and I wanted to offer my insight. I was born and raised in Vancouver so UBC is quite familiar to me, and at least a third of my school’s graduating class matriculates there every year.

I would say that UBC is probably the best campus in Canada (and potentially the States) climate and environment wise. It’s of a pretty mild climate so it’s never too cold nor too hot, plus amazing ski mountains as well as beaches are within 20 min to an hour drive. Downtown Vancouver is probably only a 45 min drive for any events within the city. The campus itself is also very beautiful, many of the buildings and dorms are brand new.

It’s sort of a commuter campus because many of the kids are from Vancouver, but at the same time, a large population of the student body lives on campus. The commuter kids also have a program called “Collegiate” which basically ensures that they mix with the student body. Also, UBC is actively trying to get more international students to enroll there, so in the next few years it’ll probably become less and less of a “commuter campus.”

To convince your parents: if you were to go anywhere across the country you’d be safest at UBC. It’s in a very affluent neighbourhood and Canada doesn’t really have any gun control issues. Not including scholarships it’s also the cheapest choice!

I hope this helped. :smiley: Good luck in the college search process! Feel free to PM me if you have any more questions about UBC

10

Thanks everyone! @eandesmom , I totally get what you’re saying about the safety thing, and it has certainly been causing me stress throughout the process. For my perceived safeties, though, I’m fairly confident based off of my school’s naviance graphs (I know naviance isn’t everything, but it gives a good idea). Again, though, I definitely appreciate your concern and your comments about Whitman and L&C.

@goingsomewhereeh Thank you for your reply! UBC really does seem like a great choice to me, but there’s a high chance that my parents won’t even consider it. How well have international students been able to fit in (from your perspective)?

11

First, when I read your description, the very first school that popped into my mind was Elon. Terrific TV studio on campus, and good communications program. Not too liberal, not too conservative, Goldilocks. I know you wanted to narrow down your list, but this one seems a perfect fit based on your stats and description.

Carleton, 60% marry each other? LOL, hardly, but some do marry each other like every other campus. Another great fit, if you can get in.

I agree with the “paring” doschicos did above. For example, Oberlin is about the most liberal school in the US. If you want to avoid that, not the place for you.

If you are relying on your parents for the money, and they refuse to pay for a school in the PNW, then you might as well remove those schools, too, unless your powers of persuasion are excellent.

Mac and Grinnell attract similar students, the huge difference is the campus setting. Smack in a major metro area with tons to do, or cornfields in Iowa. Both great schools, but couldn’t be more different in that respect.

There is nothing “small LAC” about some of your choices. So if you really want small classes, with individual attention from actual professors instead of TA’s, you already know which schools on your list don’t fit, so remove them.

Good luck!

12

What wouldn’t your parents like about Macalester? I can understand them having reservations about a place that’s remote and a challenge to get to, but Macalester is not that.

I’m generally familiar with a number of the schools you mentioned – it seems to me the “vibe” you’re looking for is pretty close to what my own kid was looking for – but I have exactly zero clue about programs in “film, communications, creative writing, broadcast journalism” since my kid was looking at schools with a strong science component. If that’s a requirement, you might have better luck getting feedback on a post that focuses on those topics. IF they’re essential to you. My hunch is that city schools would be stronger for film/communications, but writing could be anywhere.

As for party culture, I think you’ll find drinking and hook-ups and some drug use just about everywhere. The question is whether it is the DOMINANT culture and hard to avoid, or something you can easily opt out of.

Purely for vibe, I think you’re on the right track with most of these options, especially the LACs. Wesleyan’s tough to get into from the northeast, especially iffy grades, so maybe why it’s not on your list, but they’d be solid for writing and film, I think. I recall another kid in our area who was interested in film checked out Tulane for their program. That’s all I’ve got for now.

13

[QUOTE=""]

“Washington is full of granola and hippies”

[/QUOTE]

That would be Oregon :wink:


[QUOTE=""]

Lewis and Clark

[/QUOTE]

Great college, right in Portland, which is a great city to live in (despite some granola eaters). A good choice for a safety in the Northwest and not as “isolated” as Whitman (which is an excellent choice if you don’t mind being out in a small town, and no, it’s not full of hippies and granola eaters).

Since you’re trying to cut down your list, I would drop:

American
GW
CW
Boston U
Northeastern
UBC
UVM


[QUOTE=""]

Grinnell is an excellent choice if you don’t mind being in a small town.

Reed too liberal for you?

I second someone’s suggestion of U of Puget Sound if you want a good LAC in the northwest.

[/QUOTE]

14

Just to clarify, Umass Amherst tuition is about $2K/year ±, fees and other charges are over $20K. It is very misleading when students are told that their MCAS scores entitle them to free tuition :frowning:

15

You have a mix of urban schools – some with almost no campus (i.e., the city IS the campus such as BU and NYU) – and LACS that are in the middle of nowhere (Grinnell, Denison, Kenyon, Carleton). It might be worth thinking about what kind of environment you think you’d really like in that respect. Your day to day life will be quite different at each. Do you want to be able to use school as a base to do things in the city, or do you want to immerse yourself in the school community?

I may be the odd one out here, but I think that with your grade/score gap, you may want to pare the safeties but add to the reachier schools on your list. You will undeniably be of interest to some schools on the basis of your scores, but there be others who will not forgive your GPA (especially with your ability) – and it’s hard to know in advance which school will fall into which category. Since the schools that seem sort of preppy don’t appeal to you, what do you think of Vassar and Bard?

16

I wouldn’t pare the safeties, but this is a case where a few more apps to more reaches might not hurt. I think the more lopsided the stats, the more confusing the line-up so a few more may be useful.

17

I was at Carleton this summer. It’s actually near a nice town and not that far from the Twin Cities. It didn’t feel isolated to me.

18

Denison is 25 minutes from Columbus, so hardly isolated.

Whitman and Grinnell, yep, rural. Still great schools, and some kids want that feeling.

19

Well, more like 35-40 minutes from Columbus but I agree with what you are saying.

20

Boston University a “dry campus”???

And regarding Northeastern and coops and internships at any college: you had better make them of interest to you.