<p>I would do my best to visit...</p>
<p>Oberlin
Grinnell
Beloit
Knox
University of Chicago
Northwestern</p>
<p>Chicago and Northwestern would be the most reachy, Grinnell and Oberlin would be reachymatchy, and Beloit and Knox would be safeties. I think that it's good at this point to keep one or two different kinds of schools on your list so that you can make a decision later. (You may think you want something now, before you visit NU and fall in love with it, say).</p>
<p>Assuming your starting point is east to west, your college road trip would go something like this....</p>
<p>Oberlin--> Grinnell--> Knox--> Chicago--> Northwestern--> Beloit</p>
<p>Oberlin to Grinnell is a 9 hour drive. Ouch.
Google</a> Maps</p>
<p>Grinnell to Knox is 2.5 hours
Google</a> Maps</p>
<p>Knox to the U of C is 3.5 hours
Google</a> Maps</p>
<p>U of C to NU is 45 minutes (from experience, this estimate is accurate)
Google</a> Maps</p>
<p>NU to Beloit is 2 hours
Google</a> Maps</p>
<p>Sorry, reachymatchy made me giggle cause it's something I would say in real life. Lol. </p>
<p>I did CTD at Northwestern last summer, and I do love the campus. It's GORGEOUS. </p>
<p>I'm going to break it up into Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin later in August when I go to Minnesota, so it's not THAT bad driving-wise.</p>
<p>This time I'm going to Indiana (maybe), Illinois, Ohio, and New England.</p>
<p>There are way too many great schools on the east coast for me to put together a solid road trip.</p>
<p>But, I would probably do, in the following order...</p>
<p>Haverford/Bryn Mawr (or both)
Princeton
Barnard
Wesleyan
Yale
and, if time
Bard
Vassar</p>
<p>Or, you might be able to start at Amherst, and from there work your way down... Yale, Wesleyan, etc. backwards.</p>
<p>**</p>
<p>Personally, I think that you'll find the mid-atlantic to be one big party of schools that are great for you, and maybe the New Englandy New England less so. (I'm not a big New England fan- I find NE "stiff," I'm from the mid-atlantic myself). However, there are a lot of charming schools that offer good aid and are looking for diversity in its classes, i.e. Bowdoin/Bates/Colby.</p>
<p>I also realize that I didn't really offer any NE or mid-atlantic true matches or safeties. You might like a school like Skidmore, but it's due north of the city (Albany) while Yale, Wesleyan, and Brown if possible-- schools I think you should really see-- are much closer to the coast.</p>
<p>actually, if you were traveling from the midatlantic you'd hit Yale before Wesleyan (Yale is on Long Island Sound) and the reverse if you were starting from Amherst. But, they're not far from each other.</p>
<p>How about Hampshire and Williams along with Amherst - all a shortish drive. For a safety you could add Wheaton,and you might be able to make it to Skidmore too.
I would say you would have to choose between the western Ma and Maine schools since you wouldn't have time for bot. FYI most don't have much if anything happening on Sat in the summer.</p>
<p>In Minn, you might as well research and look at St. Olaf as well as Carleton. </p>
<p>In Ohio, Denison and Kenyon as well as Oberlin. </p>
<p>Also, on the merit aid thread on the Parents Forum, it seems that Miami University of Ohio is generous with FA and merit aid.</p>
<p>No reason you shouldn't shoot for reaches, the top colleges that are looking for students with your profile. But have some safeties, financial safeties, that you've researched and that you would enjoy attending. Plan your trip to visit the reachy (usually need-based only aid) and the nonreachy (more likely to offer merit as well as need-based aid) in the same geographical area.</p>
<p>^ I have Michigan State University (Residential College for Arts and Humanities) and Albion as safeties. </p>
<p>But why would top colleges be looking for my profile? I've been told by lots of people that I will get rejected because colleges don't want my unweighted GPA to bring down their average =[. (Please please please correct me if I'm wrong.)</p>
<p>I guess I was focusing on your high ACT score and the "first generation" and half-Hispanic aspect of your application. The glitch in your GPA might be adequately explained by medical problems. Reaches are reaches, though, so visit some but don't fall in love.</p>
<p>^ Yeah. I tend to fall in love easily though. lol. </p>
<p>Thanks all =]. You guys have been great. I've managed to get through 4 colleges so far online and you guys have given me good suggestions to look in to =].</p>