Help with my list?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Can you guys help me with my list of colleges to apply to, like tell me which schools I should keep, add to my list, or get rid off? 3.95gpa, 2340sat, pretty good ecs. I'm applying to a lot of top schools with unpredictable admissions, so I'd like to get a variety of schools that I'd be happy attending. I have a lot of concerns, so if you could cope with my poorly written, disorganized ramblings that'd be great.</p>

<p>Colleges I really like:</p>

<p>Rice: I'm applying to Rice/Baylor, but I think I'd love Rice by itself anyway. Rice is almost perfect in my opinion: I just don't know about Houston. How often is it unbearably hot during the school year, and how conservative are the people in Houston?</p>

<p>Yale: I'm kinda worried about the competition honestly. I don't know what it'd be like to go to a school where everyone is as smart or smarter than me. But the people seem great.</p>

<p>Brown: I'm applying to PLME, but I love Brown by itself too, especially the open curriculum and liberal atmosphere.</p>

<p>Penn: I visited Penn, and the people were so nice and funny. I'm worried about the competition though, like Yale (apparently it's very preprofessional, and I want to be premed).</p>

<p>Out of these, the only one I visited was Penn. I'm basing a lot of my opinions on US News rankings and College Prow ler, and that kind of bothers me. I've gotten the impression that the people at these schools are awesome though--smart, ambitious, creative, and fun (also, attractive guys is a plus). I don't care that much prestige, and I don't think Ivy professors teach any better that state school professors on average, so rankings don't matter that much to me. People do matter though: I really want to be around people like I described above. What other schools should I consider?</p>

<p>Other colleges I'm considering/am applying to:</p>

<p>Amherst: Idk anything about it, except it's in MA and it's a top LAC.</p>

<p>Pomona: Again, don't know anything but that it's in CA (nice weather) and it's a top LAC.</p>

<p>Northwestern: It's a great school. Nothing really stands out to me though, except that Stephen Colbert went there.</p>

<p>WashU: Too many other premeds, but it seems like a nice school.</p>

<p>Columbia: LOVE NYC. <3 <3 <3 But I don't like the idea of the Core. Maybe it'll grow on me?</p>

<p>NYU Abu Dhabi: No idea. I like the idea of seeing the world, but I hate hot weather. An indoor ski resort sounds sweet though.</p>

<p>Safety:
Ohio State: I don't really like OSU for the people. I'm sure it'd be tons of fun, but I had the SAT scores to be accepted back in 8th grade. =/ Are there better safety schools for me that I would like more?</p>

<p>Oh, and I want to be on a premed (I think I've said that already) track, and major in economics. Also, I want to do something with French, maybe study abroad in Francophone country or double major in French studies. </p>

<p>It's been a long day but I felt like typing this now. Yeah.</p>

2

<p>The liberal arts colleges may be more your speed - there are still the super smart people around but it’s less competitive and more cooperative while you’re an undergrad. You’ll also probably get much better pre-med advising as an econ and/or french major at a LAC than at a university. With your stats there’s nowhere I wouldn’t apply if you like the school. Ivies and their ilk are a lottery for anyone (including you), so you’re smart to look elsewhere as well.</p>

<p>As to OSU and having the scores to get accepted in 8th grade…the advantage of a big university is that there are enough resources and opportunities there to make your education whatever you want it to be. You’ll have to be totally in charge of your own education - you’ll have to track down faculty to get involved with and you’ll have to navigate the bureaucracy on your own, but you can get just as good an education (though perhaps not overall experience) at a flagship public as at a top private.</p>

3

<p>For us to help with safeties we need to know finances. What is your home state? What can your family afford?</p>

4

<p>If you can you should visit the schools. Theres no substitute for being there- several schools my D thought she would love were immediate turn offs once she stepped on campus. BTW there is a whole series of posts about school turnoffs after visits somewhere on here.</p>

5

<p>Are you from Ohio? If you are, OSU is ridiculously cheap. If not, its still pretty cheap. To be honest, most large state schools the same to me besides their best majors.</p>

<p>Other possible safeties:
Case Western
U of Washington (great med school and not to be confused with WashU)
UMich</p>

6

<p>UMich OOS is $50K/year.</p>

7

<p>I love NYC too, however I know a student that graduated from Columbia and said that you get the feeling of being lonely very often, because people like to go in the city rather than staying on campus. therefore there is not much of a school spirit and everyone is quite independent. obviously it depends on what kind of people/atmosphere you like, but beware that Columbia is not for everyone, both academically and socially.</p>

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<p>I back UWashington. It’s a gorgeous campus in a fun city and they have a great program. And if you are worried about being surrounded by people more like yourself academic-wise, you can always try and go into the honors programs. For the most part, state school honors programs are pretty good and fairly hard to get into - esp uwashingtons.
Houston is supppper conservative - don’t know if that’s a problem for you. And it’s texas - it’s hot as f***k.</p>