Help us pare down my daughter's list

College Search & Selection
41

In terms of planning, look at those safeties to see which have EA so that she has some early acceptances in mid to late December and can cull out some of those schools to limit applications. Earlham has EA and I think Wooster does as well.

A few outliers on that list that could perhaps come off. Colorado with the block plan either is a must have for some kids or a “so what.” Oberlin and College of the Atlantic are also very distinct places/programs. We have spent a lot of time at Oberlin – kids either love it or — don’t like it at all. If she hasn’t visited, Oberlin before, it might not be worth it, when you have Hford, Kenyon etc on the list. College of the Atlantic might be another one to cut-- I love the program, but a very distinct place. If she doesn’t love it, it might not be a necessary application.

Since she sounds open to women’s colleges, I would keep BMC, Holyoke and Smith on the list, and consider taking Skidmore (though I know they take horses) and St Olaf off the list. St Olaf has fairly extensive gen ed requirements, and is perhaps more mainstream than she is looking. But again, if she has visited and feels like a fit, then go for it.

But primarily, come back to the EA option in safeties, to shorten that list. A few good admits in December, and she can cut 5 or more schools from her list.

Many of these schools look at demonstrated interest – we know Kenyon does, in a big way. Granted, she can’t physically be there with her schedule, but has she visited, emailed, etc?

Good luck to her!

42

I’d run a few of the NPC and see what to expect, and cross some of those off where the NPC is telling you there won’t be the money avail. Yes, Smith and some of the others have merit scholarships, but are they likely? Smith has a type of scholarship for ‘older’ women (older like 25), some for minorities, some for certain majors. Is she really going to qualify for those? Most likely, her aid will come from need so if the NPC isn’t giving a number you can work with, move on…

You/she could also be ready to send everything on 12/15. If she gets some early admits that are higher on her list, she can erase any that are lower. Which schools does she really want? Pick 5 and send in those apps early and see what happens. She’ll have 15+ days before most 1/1 deadlines to get the already prepared applications in.

Of course, you’ll need to do the CSS for most of those schools too, while she’s gone. If she needs to do any of it, have her do it now.

43

Excellent list. I hope she gets into Carleton.

To your question: I’d drop Bryn Mawr, COA, SUNY Geneseo, Warren Wilson. Whitman, a great school, is awfully far from NY (might drop that one on logistics, alone). Also might drop Colorado unless she is really sure she wants their course schedule.

Since aid is important I’d keep most of the rest. That leaves 13, which I think is manageable. She is likely to get great aid at Earlham and Wooster. They accept a wider range of academic abilities than some of the other colleges, but there are plenty of really bright students at both, lots of passion and enthusiasm, excellent teaching, and (I know at Wooster) locally sourced foods. The senior year research program at Wooster is exceptional. D applied EA to Wooster in early October last year, and received an acceptance with a great merit aid award a week before Thanksgiving. I can’t begin to tell you how much pressure that took off our family.

We also looked at Kenyon, Oberlin and Skidmore on your list. The science quad at Kenyon is amazing. It is becoming quite difficult to get into, however, due to an extraordinary increase in applications. Demonstrated interest is extremely important there, so a visit is crucial. Also an EC with leadership responsibilities is valued there. They frequently point to the fact that 64% of their class has taken calculus, so if your D has, that may be a plus for her as well. Oberlin has the wonderful music, as you know, and Skidmore has the horses. All great opportunities for her. Good Luck!

44

@Midwestmomofboys and @MidwestDad3 will you two be my new BFFs? Your advice is SO spot on and helpful (and you didn’t even suggest any more schools to add to her list.) Good to know about demonstrated interest and Kenyon. I keep thinking I need to get her to Ohio again before she leaves for the Ecuador semester, it’s hard to manage a trip between her summer job and my husband’s unpredictable work schedule, but I’m going to make it a priority. That way she can visit Wooster and Kenyon both and maybe Oberlin again (she went with a friend last summer). My DD is not fast enough for Kenyon’s amazing swim team however. I think we can go see Skidmore this weekend and that will help too. The only reason we kept SUNY Geneseo on the list was money. It’s a very affordable option. But she’s not at all excited about going there.

45

@MidwestDad3 where did your DD end up going to school? Also, yes, she’s taking calculus from an excellent prof. at community college this spring. :slight_smile:

46

Is University at Buffalo too big for her?

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COA gives an automatic $10,000/year scholarship to kids who have completed the Kroka Ecuador semester. And she LOVES the idea of the program, the human ecology major. But it is SO small and far away with such low retention. I dunno. It could be simply amazing or be really awful. We’re hoping to make a visit to COA part of our vacation so she can get a better feel for the place.

48

It’s funny, I assumed the first school everyone would tell her to drop would be Brown :slight_smile:

49

Music students at Haverford and Bryn Mawr can take music lessons (private study) from teachers at the Curtis Institute of Music (which is considered one of the top music conservatories in the US). My D (BMC grad) had a roommate who did this; her violin instructor came to Haverford (which is less than a mile from BMC) to give private instruction. IIRC D’s friend’s lessons were partially subsidized by BMC.

50

I know you don’t need another need-only reach, but I have to mention that Williams sounds like such a good fit for your daughter. Excellent sciences, excellent music (with many performance opportunities for non-majors), excellent swimming, an equestrian team, lots of outdoorsy activities, wonderful art/art history/museum culture and good wholesome food.

51

OP, if you can come to Ohio on Aug 6-7, Wooster and Oberlin are part of the Ohio Five College Tour this year. We found it to be very worthwhile. They put on extra programs (faculty panels, etc), and at Wooster we had a great organic lunch (in Kitteridge Hall)! The Dean of Enrollment Services actually sat down and had lunch with us! Kenyon isn’t participating in the 5 College Tour, but on August 13-14 they are joining with Oberlin to have special summer visit days.

From D’s list, the top four acceptances she narrowed her final choice down to were Wooster, Denison, Union, and Sewanee. Fortunately, she received merit awards at each. The choice wasn’t easy, in part because she is a legacy at both Wooster and Denison, and because the academic programs are so strong at each of the 4 schools. She ultimately chose Sewanee because her visits there were amazing. She got to participate in a 3-hour upper level biology field studies class out on their 13,000 acre campus and really connected with the students. She has close friends going to each of the other three schools, so it will be interesting for her to hear about their experiences there, too.

52

Okay I know you said please don’t add any new schools but have you looked at university of rochester? Excellent sciences and D could also take classes at Eastman school of music. Beautiful campus. My D loved and while she got some merit money a couple of other schools significantly trumped their offer. Otherwise sounds like a balanced well-thought out list. I would agree with trimming a few. Maybe Warren Wilson and College of the atlantic. Good luck.

53

They sent us literature about the Five College Tour, but we’re going to be in NH. Maybe we can make it to the other one though. Thanks!

54

OP, sorry about the Emory & Henry mix up. I thought those were two schools (you added a new one to the personal data bank). Looks like you’ve got your start at paring down. Good luck.

55

Oh, please don’t take Whitman off the list. Yes, it’s far away but there are lots of people who negotiate the trip, and if you want travel short cuts PM me. You’re right about the admissions office and school administration, they walk the extra mile and are really helpful. Its got great academics, a very competitive swim team, and a bunch of friendly happy smart students. There are very good music and theater programs and terrific science departments, all with a good dose of merit aid. The new president used to be Dean of the Music Conservatory at Lawrence University and holds a doctorate in music performance and pedagogy, which I think bodes well for the future of music at Whitman. They love people who have had unique experiences and taken risks, and the Outdoor Program is legendary.

56

Some additional thoughts – on trimming safeties, I agree with a number of posters that a non-binding EA at Wooster or Earlham, which would both likely include merit aid, would trim the list considerably. A BMC grad myself, I can attest that it is a very collaborative, non-competitive culture, which continues over at H’ford (and of course, students take classes easily on both campuses). So I would keep BMC and Holyoke on the list. Smith seems to be more of a specific kind of feel that students either love or not – we know a few students who thought they would love it and just didn’t. So Smith might be a good one to drop off the list, if she doesn’t have a chance to visit and develop her own reaction.

Grinnell is one of my favorite schools anywhere, with amazing resources and a wonderful, collaborative, inclusive culture. A 30 ACT is just about enough for admission, much lower and it becomes a reach.

Oberlin can be a tough option for non-Con students. While I love the musically-rich environment, my kid thought it would be tougher to continue to play at Oberlin as a non-Con student than at other schools like Kenyon and Grinnell.

So, for trimming purposes, you might consider something like:

Reach: Brown, Carleton, Haverford, Middlebury
(Brown does seem like a stretch, and could come off, but if the aid is good, leave it on)

“Good Fit” schools: Bryn Mawr, Grinnell, Kenyon
(though admission at Grinnell and Kenyon is getting tougher every year – with her record, she is competitive for acceptance, but hard to predict with these increasingly selective small schools)

“Safety” schools: College of the Atlantic, College of Wooster, Earlham, Mount Holyoke, SUNY Geneseo,

Check the common data set for each school to see whether interviews and interest are important. I believe Kenyon says both are “Very Important” whereas Grinnell and Haverford “Consider” them both. Wooster says Interest is “Important” and Earlham says it is “Considered.” Start thinking about a strategy to show interest for the safeties especially, even if it emailing the admissions rep for her geographic region, explaining her travel plans and asking about ways to connect with the school.

I know you liked that I didn’t add to your list before, but you might consider Lawrence University in Appleton, WI. Like Oberlin, it has a Conservatory, but there seemed to be more options for non-Con kids, including open auditions for all ensembles. It felt very down-to-earth, tolerant and inclusive community. Also, there is significant merit money available and the tuition is about $5k less than a lot of the LACs.

Hang in there!

57

I haven’t read the entire thread (will come back tomorrow and do so!) but I would definitely keep Mount Holyoke on the list. My daughter was also looking for the progressive/quirky/nerd vibe and she is absolutely thriving at MHC. She immediately made a connection with a professor in her field and he has been mentoring her since day 1. She’s on campus this summer (after freshman year) because she wanted to continue her research and he completely helped her set that all up. I’m just floored by the amount of support and accessibility and connection she’s had with the faculty, who really seem to care and are so passionate about what they’re doing.

Another of my D’s criteria was that the student body be very passionate and engaged and she has found that. She’s also pleased about the amount of locally raised food they serve (campus garden providing some.) And of course, Hampshire College -which is SO into the local/organic/sustainable- is right down the road and students take classes there and at Smith, Amherst, and UMass.

I also agree it’s not a true safety, and neither is Skidmore. I think your daughter would prefer MHC to Skidmore, though, if you have to drop one of them!

Feel free to message me if you want. I’ve been incredibly impressed with my D’s first year at MHC.

58

As an incoming student at Haverford, I can say your daughter would enjoy it here. If she is strong in music I would suggest sending in a music supplement (that is what I did).

59

Thanks everyone! Your input has been very helpful. My DD has visited MHC twice, once for an overnight with the equestrian team and has had an interview and attended a class. She also met with the viola teacher, Scott Slapin, who was absolutely fabulous. I wish we had had a chance to observe an orchestra rehearsal, but we didn’t. I agree with what someone said about support, the student support at MHC is outstanding. She really liked the riding coach, but didn’t really click with the girls on the team that well. Not necessarily a deciding factor though.

She has also visited Haverford/BMC, Oberlin, Smith, Middlebury, Carleton and St. Olaf of the schools that are on her list. Of these, Carleton was definitely her favorite. But there’s something to love about each of the schools. I wish we could visit Grinnell and Whitman. I can’t see how to fit visits to those schools into our schedule or budget.

I think she will apply non-binding early action to Wooster and Earlham and maybe Warren Wilson and then print out the essay prompts for the other schools she’s interested and bring them with her as one person suggested. That will really help take the pressure off the whole process.

60

@earthmama68 You and DD may not want additional schools to consider at this point, but when I read the original post, I thought Hendrix fit the criteria almost to a T.

This is Hendrix. I say the fit is an “almost” because it can be hard to overcome the location in AR for some people. With your D’s stats, it would be considered a safety, and she would surely receive a merit award.