<p>The end of junior year is quickly approaching and I still really don't know what schools to apply to. I'll be out of town with limited internet access all summer, so I feel like I need to figure this out a bit more, soon.
Here is some information on me:
at: 2240 (690 math, 790 writing, 760 reading)
PSAT was 215/217, NOT good enough for NMF in my state (Washington)
GPA: 3.99 UW, weighted probably around 4.3 (DK for sure).
I will take 9 APs by graduation (normal for my school is 3). Hoping for 4s and 5s on all.
Subject tests: Lit, Chem, and French (scores back this month)</p>
<p>ECs:
I don't really feel like listing specifics, but basically I volunteer a lot at a nursing home, dance four times a week, and am currently in 2 clubs (which I will have leadership in next year; these are Interact (volunteer) and Multicultural). I might help make a Songwriting Club. I've won some scholarships in the past for summer courses for "skilled youth" at UWashington (UW), and I took a college class at local college last summer and got an A. I've also worked. This summer I'm going to France to study abroad through Tufts U, largely on a scholarship I won. I'm in a band with friends, and really love music and art. I'm also technically a published author (children's book).</p>
<p>What I might want to major in: International Relations, English, Psych (I either want to do foreign service, be a lawyer, or be a psychiatrist. Hopefully I'll figure this out. Right now I'm leaning towards IR). Also I will want to do languages.</p>
<p>Location: don't really care.; Size: small to medium</p>
<p>COLLEGE LIST: (I know it is HUGE, and splayed towards reaches. Thus ANY advice would be GREATLY appreciated, as to what seems to fit interests, etc.)</p>
<p>Swarthmore (#1 Choice now)
Kenyon
Whitman
Reed
U Chicago
Georgetown
New College Florida
LMU
Santa Clara U
Vanderbilt
Vassar
Wesleyan
Barnard
Tufts
Middlebury
Emory
Brown
U Richmond
Dartmouth
Harvard?
Yale?
Colorado College
Davidson
Duke
Fordham
ASU (Barrett)
Northwestern
Edinburgh
U St Andrews (open to abroad)
Amherst
McGill
U Pitt
Ole Miss (Croft)</p>
<p>I KNOW THATS A LOT. Thanks for any help!!!!!</p>
<p>It’s definitely hard to narrow down a college list, I’m also a rising junior and I recently went through the process myself. It’s a bit hard to narrow down that list with those three different majors in mind though.
If you’re serious about IR you can definitely cross a lot of schools off this list. Swarthmore, for example, doesn’t have the major. Of the colleges on this list, the three best schools for IR would have to be Georgetown, tufts, and St. Andrews. Funnily enough, Swarthmore used to be my first choice too but I crossed it off because of its lack of IR once I decided what I wanted to major in</p>
<p>You mean rising senior?
And thanks, but I actually am 90% sure Foreign Policy magazine listed them as top 20 for undergrad IR which was a plus to me.</p>
<p>any other advice other posters?</p>
<p>I’m sorry I just had to comment because there are a freaky amount of parallels between us- dancer, exact same subject tests, want to study IR and possibly English, lots of the same colleges on list (8), I studied abroad in France, weird…</p>
<p>From your ECs am I right in assuming your parents can pay for whatever school you get into? I was surprised American U or George Washington weren’t on your list.</p>
<p>You have out-of-state publics, but no in-state publics in Washington?</p>
<p>Unless your parents have told you that they can comfortably afford the $60,000 per year list price at some of the schools, here is a quick way to screen the list is to eliminate the unaffordable ones.</p>
<ul>
<li>Ask your parents for the price limit that they are willing to contribute (AFC = actual family contribution).</li>
<li>Figure out what you are willing to put in by student loan and work (ASC = actual student contribution; realistically, no more than about $9,000 per year, but many students prefer a lower limit).</li>
<li>Run the net price calculator on each school’s web site to get a net price after deducting grants (not loans or work) from the list price.</li>
<li>If the net price <= AFC + ASC, then it is affordable.</li>
<li>If not, check for large enough merit scholarships at the school. If those exist, the school may be affordable, but you need to assess reach/match/safety based on the merit scholarships, not admission.</li>
<li>If the net price > AFC + ASC, and there are no large enough merit scholarships, remove the school from your list. There is no point in applying to a school that you cannot afford in any case.</li>
</ul>
<p>Also, find your safeties first.</p>
<p>I fixed your list the way I see it.</p>
<p>Swarthmore (#1 Choice now) a little to hippy (IMO)but great school
Kenyon—hippy/hipster but great school</p>
<p>U Chicago–bad area --still worth applying</p>
<p>Vanderbilt–frat heavy otherwise one of the best schools(IMO)
Tufts–on the fence…but worth checking out
Emory–safety feel
Brown—hippy but worth it
U Richmond–good school heavy greek
Yale–best of the ivies
Davidson—good school heavy greek
Duke—mixed feelings</p>
<p>U Pitt–amazing school, maybe to big (iMO)
Ole Miss (Croft) --nice but as a safety</p>
<p>also you should look at Denison ,muhlenberg, hendrix and drake</p>
<p>Thanks for all the responses. And my parents are pretty comfortable with up to $40k, which is realistically the max we’d have to pay at (most?) of these schools with financial aid (I’ve done some net price calculators). And i visited both American and GWU and didnt like how GWU had no campus. I also didn’t like American, but I don’t really know why. Thanks thiugh!
Zobroward, why on the fence for Tufts? JW.
Summeraus, that’s really weird?
And UCBalumnus, these other OOS publics will be cheaper than ant WA schools w the merit aid I’d be guaranteed. I’d also like to venture OOS.</p>
<p>No rising junior, I just finished my list of colleges to apply to. Trust me, Swarthmore has no such program. The list from foreign policy magazine used a flawed methodology and many schools on their list don’t even have IR/international studies/global studies/etc. majors. There’s actually something like 10 threads on this site in which someone asks about IR schools and then a giant argument ensues about the list’s validity after someone brings it up, it’s pretty hilarious to be honest.
Have you considered macalester? It has a really strong IR program and you seem to favor LACs.</p>
<p>Okay. Well I’m a rising senior and I’m still going to consider Swat. I visited Macalester and didn’t like it. Unfortunately I’ve been really picky but without much of a common thread. Thanks though! Kinda more looking for limiting than adding</p>
<p>Oh, perhaps I’m using the term wrong. I’m at the end of junior year right now, does that mean I’m a rising senior?
Edit: yep, my bad I’m actually a rising senior.</p>
<p>Yeah, cool. Any other advice??</p>
<p><em>bump</em> anyone?</p>
<p>I think you need to break those down into categories of selectivity, then try to eliminate 30% of each category. So ask yourself “If I got into Vassar and Wesleyan which one would I pick?”, then eliminate the other.
Do you really NOT care about location? 4 years in rural Vermont versus 4 years in downtown Chicago - you wouldn’t have a preference on that?
Small LAC equals research university - you really have no preference?</p>
<p>I’ll recommend Croft and Ole Miss. Croft has the most selective program at Ole Miss. Virtually every member of Croft is also in the Honors College. My D had stats like yours and chose Croft over Swarthmore, Duke and others because of the Chinese flagship and Croft. Every Croft student has to study FL every semester and demonstrate proficiency as well as write a senior thesis. In addition to Spanish, French and German, they also have strong programs in Chinese, Arabic and Portuguese. The program coursework is similar to Tufts but at a fraction of the cost. Small classes, attentive faculty, challenging curriculum and beautiful campus. Outstanding merit aid. Don’t put it at the bottom of your list without visiting!</p>