Help me with my list?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I'm in the process of finalizing my application list...anyone want to take a glance and maybe suggest a few more similar colleges? Admissions statistics aside, what do you think of this list? A few to cut (it's a little long) or a few to add (that perhaps fit these others)?</p>

<p>-Vassar College
-Reed College
-Carleton College
-Swarthmore College
-Grinnell College
-Wesleyan University
-Bard College
-Skidmore College
-Lawrence University
-New College of Florida</p>

<p>Additionally, I also have a kind of strange situation: my parents would like me to apply to three Ivy League colleges (I know, ridiculous.), and I have already applied to Yale SCEA. For the regular decision, I am thinking of applying to Brown University and Dartmouth College: they seem closest to the rest of my list. (I'm in the process of dissuading them from this awful request, but they're threatening not to pay for the rest of the applications. Something about how "I'll regret it later if I feel I could have gotten into one of these colleges." <em>sigh</em>)</p>

<p>Any suggestions? Concerns? I would really appreciate your thoughts.</p>

2

<p>Hamilton, Bard, Bowdoin, Brandeis, Oberlin, Amherst, Williams, and maybe Goucher? My friend's applying to many of the schools on your list, and those were a few more of hers. However, I'd only add one/two of those, if any; your list seems to be the perfect size right now, especially considering you (might) be applying to three Ivies.
On that note... if you've tried having adult-to-adult conversations about the fact that any of the colleges on your list would suit you better than an Ivy, thus providing you a better education, and they still won't listen... just apply. Worse comes to worse, you can say you turned down an Ivy. Just make sure they know you won't be attending, as there are other schools you much rather attend. However, Brown and Dartmouth seem like the ones for you.
Good luck with admissions!</p>

3

<p>If Reed and Swat are your kind of school, I can't see you at Dartmouth. Harvard would come closest to the intellectual environment at those schools. UChicago is often on a list with those two as well.</p>

4

<p>Brown seems like a good fit with the rest of that list, so I think its worht apply to anyway.</p>

<p>I agree that the list seems like a good size now. However, if you are looking for an even safer school than the least selective you have now, I second the suggestion of Goucher. You might also like Pitzer, Pomona and Macalester, if you decide you want to add more.</p>

5

<p>"Harvard would come closest to the intellectual environment at those schools."</p>

<p>Isn't Harvard more pre-professional, and Yale more academically intellectual? PhD undergrads come from Yale, not Harvard.</p>

6

<p>Yale is already on his list. Let's face it, all ivies are pre professional today.</p>

7

<p>Thank you so much for your help! Anyone else?</p>

8

<p>I agree about the Brown for your Ivy applications. Maybe Cornell too?</p>

9

<p>Pomona has a lot of crossover with each of the schools you've listed, and better weather than all of them.</p>

10

<p>I think the LACyness of Dartmouth totally fits you. There's a huge non-greek scene that's very into the study abroad and LAC-like academics.</p>