Help with College List

Hi everyone,

I’m currently a junior who’s beginning to look at colleges and is having a tough time deciding where to apply to in the fall. I’m also not entirely sure what to major in, but I am interested in history and music. So far, I’ve only really liked McGill University and looked at few SUNY and CUNY schools as I’m a New York resident.

My GPA is currently a 93.2 unweighted and a 109.7 weighted. I haven’t taken the SAT/ACT yet, but I got a 1330 on the PSAT.

I don’t care about sports and prefer a low presence of Greek life. I’d prefer to stay in the Northeast. I’m pretty flexible regarding size and would enjoy either a rural or an urban setting. Any and all help is greatly appreciated!

In the Northeast, I would recommend Clark University - almost no Greek life and located in Massachusetts. They have a pretty good history program. Maybe also Drexel University in Pennsylvania. I believe they have a nice music program. My friend also just got into their history program, and she is very excited. Fordham University would be a match as well.

Among your reaches would probably be College of the Holy Cross - great history program and no Greek life. If you’re a female, then also maybe Smith College and Mount Holyoke College?

If you can improve your SAT to at least 1350, you could also try for Boston College and Hamilton College.

Hope this helps!

Have you and your parents looked at how much you can afford? For many, many students what’s affordable affects where they can go (and hence, where applications should be centered).

Can you be full pay anywhere without a problem financially? Is your EFC affordable (meaning meets need school are a possibility)? Or does your EFC have your parents picking themselves up from the floor either very pale looking or rolling in a weird sort of laughter? If that’s the case, you need to look at merit aid and/or hunt around for affordable options (which can include state schools and/or community college).

It’s tough to offer suggestions without knowing the affordability factor.

I would say with a 3.6 uw and even a 1350 sat. Bc are definitely be a reach in the current environment. Bc has a lower quartile that is the domain of the big time athletes and other special and unique situations. But you could make it especially with ecs recs and killer essays. Just my experience just having gone through it with d 2022 and several friends and the experiences related to us by our well regarded college advisor
She shared with us her clients experiences this year. She was dumbfounded on the rejections and wait lists for high stat kid all across New England to Bc.

Muhlenberg (PA) and Connecticut College?

Definitely match. Both great.

I’ll give you 3.7 UW and let’s say you score a 1400. (1330 PSAT is pretty good). If your SAT is markedly lower, remove the first several reaches; if markedly higher, you can go after Harvard, Yale, Columbia, MIT – the four most selective schools from New York to Maine. Obviously if you want to include NJ and PA, that will introduce a lot more schools.

Unless you have a hook, the Ivy League and MIT are almost out of reach. You might toss an app at Dartmouth, Cornell (depending on the college), or Brown. I would concentrate on LACs mostly for reach opportunities. Northeastern (New York and points north) schools with little or no Greek life:

Reach:
Williams
Amherst
Brown
Cornell
Wellesley (women)
Middlebury
Bowdoin
Wesleyan
Vassar
Hamilton
Tufts
Smith (women)
Colgate
Colby
Bates
Boston College
U of Rochester
NYU

Match:
Holy Cross
Brandeis
Boston U
Northeastern
Mt Holyoke (women)
Trinity
Connecticut College
Fordham
Skidmore
Bard
Hampshire
Syracuse
St. Lawrence
Wheaton College (MA)
Ithaca College
OOS state schools

Safety:
Public schools in your state
Schools (public and private) less selective than the lowest matches listed above

I left Dartmouth off because it is heavily Greek. Colgate might be too-- check.

In all apps, make sure you like the school and can afford it. Look at academic, environmental and social fit.

^^^. Our work is done here. That’s exactly right.

@prezbucky

I forgot Barnard. Barnard could be another reach or low reach.

Thank you all, I didn’t notice this post got any replies until now haha
I’ll be sure to check these schools out now