Help with searching for colleges?

Parents Forum
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<p>I've posted this in another forum, but I was hoping to get some opinions from parents as well</p>

<p>I'm a junior with a 3.92 uw/satI 2320 with lots of music ecs (but almost none of any other kind). Currently live in Southern California.</p>

<p>I'm interested in a medium-sized school, with, at the very very minimum, 2500 students--preferably more. I'm still not sure how I feel about LACs, so I guess either liberal arts colleges/universities are ok for now. Urban or suburban are both fine (not rural!!!!!), and I'd like the school to be north of the mason-dixon line.</p>

<p>I don't know what I want to major in, but it'll definitely be in either in humanities or social sciences, so the college should be strong in those departments.</p>

<p>One of the very big 'musts' is a strong music program, classical & jazz, and it's got to be the kind that provides opportunities for non-majors to join orchestras/bands etc.</p>

<p>As for academic rigor... um, not to the extent of University of Chicago's intensity or anything. I definitely want to be intellectually stimulated and challenged, but not in the way where all the students are pretentious a-holes constantly trading pseudophilosophical bs.</p>

<p>Socially, I'm not a big fan of Greek, and I'm not a party girl--reeeeeallly not into zepplin-sized kegs and whatnot. Big + if there's a good indie scene.</p>

<p>Oh umm and because of the parents, prestige is very important :/</p>

<p>Also, I will probably need a huge amount of fin-aid, so need-blind schools are preferable. </p>

<p>So, do I fit any college profiles?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

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<p>It'd be really helpful because I'm going to tour colleges soon?</p>

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<p>Some ideas: Carnegie Mellon, Northwestern (tho there is a lot of Greek life), Oberlin or St. Olaf (O. might be too small and they are both kind of rural, but cities aren't far away), Yale, Brown . . .</p>

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<p>Rice U - although it won't fit all your criteria, it fits most.</p>

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<p>Wesleyan. Times a million.</p>

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<p>I guess I should mention that I'm a Wes student, non-music major, who is currently in one jazz and one classical music group for credit. I'm getting major financial aid, and am going to major in one of the social sciences. I'd be more than happy to answer questions, if you have any.</p>

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<p>If you need a lot of fin aid, with your record you will be a candidate for merit awards at many places. Many of the most prestigious do not give merit awards, and of the other most prestigious, their small number of awards go only to a handful of superstars. If your parents are willing to look very slightly below Ivy level prestige (not below in quality) you can find lots of merit opportunities. I think Carolyn and others have posted lists.</p>

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<p>I'll probably get a lot of need-based fin aid, because my family's income is ridiculously low. But honestly, I'm probably not willing to look below top 20/25, because I think my parents would rather kill themselves than endure the shame of not being able to brag to their friends. Whatever, it's just how things go around here.</p>

<p>Jumble: Yea, it would be great if you could tell me more about Wesleyan. Is it an all girl's school?</p>

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<p>That would be Wellesley, the women's college near Boston.</p>

<p>I suggest that you use an computerized search on your own, say, at a site such as Princeton Review. That will help you narrow things down.</p>

<p>Or, if you have to have top 20-25, then get a US News listing of the top 25, and you will automatically have narrowed your possibilities down to 25 schools.</p>

<p>Personally, though, I think you are missing a lot of potentially attractive places if you: 1. automatically rule out things outside the top 25, and 2. automatically accede to whatever your parents say. It will be you, not they, who will be spending four years somewhere.</p>

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<p>The sisters have shrunk to Wellesley, Smith and Bryn Mawr but you may want to look at them. High scores and low income can result in a decent financial aid package even when the merit aid is off the table. Why do you want a small college? My experience with a large University is that my department became a small community for me. Good luck, try not to be blinded by prestige...the best school is the one that fits you best.</p>

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<p>zoidberg: you've run into the one real negative aspect of wesleyan. everyone thinks it's wellesley! </p>

<p>NO, it's not all-girls. it's currently ranked #12. hop on over to the wesleyan forum and ask away.</p>

12

<p>Have you guys ever watched Alias? I don't, ordinarily, but, it's about a CIA agent lady who battles against terrorists or something and occasionally finds out secrets about herself. I dunno, most of it is kind of confusing and hard to follow. But anyway, there's this one episode where she somehow retrieves her repressed memories, and the scene flashes back to when she was a little girl. In this, she realizes that her daddy had programmed her into being a spy since she was born--like, total psychological and physical construction, so her being in the CIA biz totally wasn't coincidence, by any means. </p>

<p>While that was neither a coherent nor grammatically acceptable summary, it's kind of like that, being a first-generation Asian immigrant. The mindset that my parents have don't necessarily transfer to me and neither do all their values, and obviously I do believe that a great college education can be experienced at any level, but I can't bring myself to drop a tier. Why? I don't know. It's just how it is. So yea, a lot of it is hoping that my parents don't disown me, but there's a part of me that knows I wouldn't be able to look too much lower (except the mid UCs) even with a sudden support from them. </p>

<p>Thanks a lot for all your suggestions. I'd like to know how much Washington U in St Louis fits me. It sure sounds like a happy happy place according to PR!</p>

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<p>zoidberg, I've hesitated in posting this because you're emphatic that you don't want rural, but since some trade-off is usually part of the research process I’d suggest that you take a look at Williams. Aside from the rural part, it seems to fulfill so many of your requirements – strong in both humanities and social sciences, excellent music programs, classical & jazz including performance opportunities for non-majors, intellectually rigorous but with down to earth happy students, no Greek, good financial aid, need blind and Northeast location. Among LACs it certainly fits the prestige qualification as USNWR gives it #1 rating. </p>

<p>I believe an academically accomplished first generation Asian female with strong music ECs would be very appealing to Williams.</p>

<p>Even though Williams is in the middle of the mountains it has a vibrant music and arts scene, three worldclass museums and a stunning new performing arts center. Two of my son’s closest friends are musicians (although they are not majoring in music) one classical, one jazz, and they are very enthusiastic both about the department and the performance opportunities.</p>

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<p>If she doesn't want rural, Williams is the LAST place she should consider! It defines rural. I would look at Duke, a top school with both good need based and merit financial aid that doesn't get as many applications from Asians as most top schools.</p>

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<p>"Also, I will probably need a huge amount of fin-aid, so need-blind schools are preferable."</p>

<p>You DON'T need a need-blind school (as if they really existed); you need one that meets 100% of demonstrated need. BIG difference.</p>

<p>I'd have to second the recommendation of Wesleyan. It has the size you require (Williams doesn't); it is semi-urban (Williams isn't); it has some Indie scene (Williams has none); and relative to some other schools of its kind, the party scene is smaller. And it has much, much more jazz than Williams or any other LAC that I am aware of.</p>

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<p>Wow, thanks for all your suggestions!</p>

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<p>Might take a look at Holy Cross which is 1 hour from Boston. HC is a top 25-30 LAC with strong humanities programs. The school actively recruits California students and announced this year that applications were uo over 40%. Also despite its name no religious requirements like Georgetown and HC plans to offer more merit aid next year.</p>

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<p>Zoidberg: you should look at Rochester. Possibilities of taking classes at the Eastman School of Music and giver of merit scholarships in addition to need-based.</p>

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<p>You sound like a Northwestern student to me. (My daughter is there and is extremely happy.) </p>

<p>Don't let the Greek stuff scare you away. That scene flourishes on the north side of campus and with your interests, you'd be on the south side where it's easy to avoid.</p>

<p>It's an intellectually challenging school, but not snobby or pretentious. There's a great music program, and the school has tons of prestige to make your folks happy. They have need-blind admissions and a great reputation for financing the students they accept. (It's working for us!)</p>

<p>The NU campus is gorgeous in suburban Evanston right on Lake Michigan, and Chicago is just an El ride away.</p>

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<p>Just for the record, women's college "sisters" also include Mount Holyoke!</p>

<p>It's fine to aim for top 20/25 schools--but have one or two safeties just in case (U of C choices?)--it would be more shame for your parents if you were rejected everywhere--and this has happened to very good students who only applied to reach schools. Also merit money could be a big help to you. Northwestern and Washington U. sound like good choices for you. maybe Vassar?</p>