hi parents! please help!

Parent Cafe
1

<p>i posted this already in college search, but i feel like you parents have the best advice and i wanted to catch a few of you who rarely leave the parents forum. thanks! </p>

<p>Hi everyone! I have to finalize my college list very very soon in order to get everything done on time, and I am all of a sudden having an epiphany about what I want from college. I will post here my stats profile, which includes the schools that I'm planning on applying to. The only ones I really like are Bryn Mawr, Reed, and Barnard. What is really important to me is a small or small-ish liberal arts environment. (I also like the all-girls feel, but it is not essential.) I am thinking about replacing Cornell (which I could never get into) with Colgate, and also maybe adding Bates? </p>

<p>If anyone could suggest some schools to me based on my stats and what I have said above, I would really really appreciate any advice or help! Thanks everyone! </p>

<p>Student:</p>

<p>User Name: inspiration08
Gender: F
Location: Mississippi
College Class Year: 2012
High School: Private
High School Type: sends some grads to top schools</p>

<p>Academics:</p>

<p>GPA - Unweighted: 3.56
Class Size: 80</p>

<p>Scores:</p>

<p>SAT I Math: 580
SAT I Critical Reading: 740
SAT I Writing: 800
ACT: 30
SAT II Literature: 680
SAT II Math Level 1 (IC): 590</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:</p>

<p>Significant Extracurriculars: drama! lead roles in plays, backstage work, etc, yearbook, newspaper, and literary magazine, environmental club, i also work 15 hours a week, mock trial team
Leadership positions: yearbook editor, prom committee chairman, mock trial awards
Athletic Status - list sport and your level: varsity swimming (state championship)
Volunteer/Service Work: hospital volunteer work, nursing home volunteer work, museum docent, AIDS relief work
Honors and Awards: National Merit, Honor Roll and High Honor Roll, National Honor Society
College Summer programs: YWLI, Barnard College</p>

<p>Colleges of Interest:</p>

<p>Barnard College
Bryn Mawr College
College of William and Mary
Cornell University
George Washington University
Georgetown University (Deferred)
Mount Holyoke College
Reed College
Rice University
Tulane University (Accepted)
Wellesley College</p>

2

<p>I suggest you add Bard, Hampshire, Skidmore and Sarah Lawrence.</p>

3

<p>Hi,
Your Math SAT seems low for Cornell,although everything else looks good - but you have very different schools on that list. Cornell is huge, very big classes as a freshman, and then you have some smaller schools on your list.</p>

<p>I second the Bard College suggestion. My son was just accepted, and they are so nice, and so personal, I think he would have loved it there. (He was accepted ED at Vassar, so as long as the FinAid is OK, he will be attending there.)</p>

<p>I think you need to narrow what you want in a school. Big or small? Urban or rural or suburan? Diversity or not?? These are how my son chose his list of schools. You might want to start from the beginning again.</p>

<p>And good luck!!!</p>

4

<p>What about Smith? You might want to consider sending your ACT and not your SAT and SAT II scores. Is your ACT score as lopsided as your SAT?</p>

<p>Colgate (as well as some of your other schools) will be very difficult to get into. Mythmom has some good suggestions.</p>

5

<p>Smith and Holyoke are in the 5 college valley. nice small rural area and you have opportunities to take classes at Hampshire (they have a circus in the drama department) Amherst and U Mass</p>

<p>Also with your right (creative/writing)side brain check out Sarah Lawrence.</p>

6

<p>thanks for all the great feedback! </p>

<p>mythmom, i will definitely look into hampshire, bard and skidmore! I had originally considered sarah lawrence and i found it to be too much of a commuter school, sort of in the gritty outskirts of the city. if anyone feels otherwise, please don’t hesitate to share!</p>

<p>twinmom, unfortunately, my ACT scores are indeed just as lopsided as my SAT scores- 36 and 34 reading and writing, 25 and 26 math and science. for all of junior year, smith was on my list of places to apply, but then i visited. i absolutely hated it. this was a sort of strange reaction, but i just cannot get past my gut instinct that it is not right for me. i have not had that reaction to any other school. </p>

<p>i was afraid of this. many of my schools are way above me and my guidance counselor has not done a very good job of telling me what is a reach and a safety school. i think i will have to start from the beginning again. the problem is, i’m not as picky about big or small, diverse or not, urban or rural or suburban, its more about the “feel” i get from the school. /sigh. right now bryn mawr is my number one choice, and if i can manage to get accepted there i will be very very happy.</p>

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<p>If you are unsatisfied with your GC please feel free to PM if you want more detailed feedback. You have a lot to offer; you just need to find the right place.</p>

8

<p>Sarah Lawrence isn’t in a gritty area, but the nearest shopping center is run down. I think it’s supposed to be getting a facelift soon. It’s not a particularly interesting area however and I hear it empties out on weekends. It’s very easy to get into NYC if you consider that a plus.</p>

9

<p>inspiration, your involvment in theater and swimming would be attractive to many colleges. Especially at LACs, the trifecta of arts/sports/academics is a very positive combination. Your geographic location is also a plus.</p>

<p>Your grades and scores are mixed, which is not necessarily insurmountable. Honors classes, APs or IB? Does your school weight?</p>

<p>What is your rank? That would help put your gpa in perspective.
Your recommendations and essays will count a lot at small LACs.</p>

<p>It’s a bit late in the game but if you haven’t already you should try to put together a performance tape. Theater can be an important EC at a lot of LACs. </p>

<p>Are you interested or qualified in continuing swimming on the varsity level at college? have you contacted coaches? </p>

<p>Kenyon is very strong in both theater and swimming. I would agree with Skidmore and would add Conn College. Instead of Colgate I would recommend Hamilton. </p>

<p>Good luck and let us know how you do.</p>

10

<p>I’d suggest throwing 1-2 schools outside the Northeast into the mix. Maybe St. Olaf, Scripps–since you like a woman’s college; Grinnell. I’m sure others can up with more suggestions.</p>

<p>I would NOT focus on the colleges that are good at drama. IMO, getting leads in the play at a small high school is not going to make you stand out in the application pile at any of the colleges that tend to attract a lot of actors.Is that an INDIVIDUAL state championship in swimming? Do you want to continue in college? If so, I think you ought to focus on schools where you could swim competitively. (Just get in the apps right now, and then contact the coach.)</p>

11

<p>hi, momrath! i have taken 7 AP courses- english lit, us history, and latin my junior year, and english language, art history, us government, and comparative politics this year. (three histories, i know, not balances…but i love history!) my school does not rank or name a valedictorian, although i am fairly certain that i am in the top 20% of my class- not in the top 10% though. thanks for the tips about theater! sophomore year i was nominated for a cappy, which is sort of like the high school tony awards. i have sent in articles written in the Post about my performances as supplementary material, but i had not considered a performance tape. i will definitely continue this in college. i am qualified but not particularly interested in swimming varsity level in college- i may have to rethink that! i have talked with coaches at several schools, though. thanks for the input!</p>

<p>mathmom- one thing that i have specifically sought out in colleges is a community environment that does not empty out on weekends. because i live down south in the middle of nowhere, i will not be able to take quick drives home, and i would hate to feel lonely or stranded on weekends. this happened to me my first year at boarding school- i had no idea what a commuter environment it was, and i hoped to find something different. thanks for the info on sarah lawrence!</p>

12

<p>about my GPA- wanted to add that i majorly threw away the first three years of high school and did nothing, hence the low GPA. this year, i have kicked into high gear (too late, unfortunately) and my GPA for senior year will be more like a 3.8 unweighted.</p>

13

<p>You have such a fascinating mix of large schools (Tulane, GWU) and small ones (Bryn Mawr, Holyoke). </p>

<p>Two other names I’ll throw in are Goucher and Bennington. I also agree with Skidmore and Conn College. Smith is an interesting place, but I would go with your gut. Bates might be interested in you since you live in Mississippi – but remember, it’s really cold there and there are a lot of outdoorsy types. </p>

<p>Sarah Lawrence is a beautiful campus and I wouldn’t call the area gritty; I don’t think that it’s a commuter school, but that kids leave on Friday and Saturday nights for NYC. It doesn’t have a large endowment, is pretty expensive and I don’t know whether it gives money – is money an issue for you?</p>

<p>Another question I have – if math is not your strong subject, why is your second SAT II a math one? Are the SAT IIs offered in January – perhaps consider taking US History.</p>

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<p>I’m not sure that the SL kids are going home - I think they may just be playing in the city. But it’s definitely an issue to investigate. There are some cool things about the way SL education works, so it’s still worth exploring. I have a neighbor who is a graduate and was directing theater productions there a few years ago. She had a hard time getting kids to attend rehearsals regularly for what that is worth, but they did a very good job in the end.</p>

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<p>wow, i am overwhelmed by the positive responses and helpful advice that everyone has given- thank you all so much! </p>

<p>sly_vt- i actually had bennington on my list as well during junior year, and we visited there and the impression i got was that it’s a really nice barn on a grassy hill in the middle of nowhere. i am not that outdoorsy, and im pretty sure that bennington is not the place for me. taking that into consideration about bates, i’m pretty sure most of those Maine schools are not for me either. </p>

<p>money is not an issue for me, fortunately. i’m not applying for financial aid and my parents are very supportive of whatever i want to do. </p>

<p>the reason i took a math sat II was to try and bring up my score to show improvement. that didnt work out so well. math is just a lost cause for me. i probably should have taken US history, but i wasnt able to take it right after the AP last year and i felt like i would do badly because i didnt remember much. for places that take the ACT with writing in place of the SAT II, i am going to request that they look at my ACT instead. </p>

<p>the best thing you all have helped me find is connecticut college. i have done some reading and requested information, but i am already definitely applying! i love this school and i think it would be a good fit for me. thanks!</p>

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<p>Have you looked at Agnes Scott–also an woman’s college, but it’s located in a great area of Atlanta and I believe you can take courses at other schools in the city.</p>

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<p>Inspiration, If you like Conn College then you would probably like Skidmore too. Saratoga Springs is a lively small town with a lot of arts related activities.</p>

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<p>After reading what you really want…I think you should stay away from Barnard. My son just transfered from Columbia after his first semester.(HE IS GOING TO MICHIGAN in a week. He wanted a more college campus feel and you just don’t get it in NYC)</p>

<p>Colleges of Interest:</p>

<p>Barnard College
Bryn Mawr College
College of William and Mary (YES)
Cornell University (YES)
George Washington University (YES,My 17 year old just got into @ GW and can’t wait to go)
Georgetown University (Deferred)
Mount Holyoke College
Reed College (YES, GREAT SCHOOL)
Rice University
Tulane University (Accepted)
Wellesley College</p>

<p>Hope this helps and good luck.
Mom of 5</p>

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<p>Whoops! I already had suggested Bard!!</p>

20

<p>Bard, Bates, and Connecticut College seem like fine additions. Outside of the NorthEast you could consider Oberlin or Macalester</p>

<p>Your list doesn’t seem to indicate you are looking for more traditional schools but you could look at some Penn. LAC’s - Muhlenberg, Dickinson, Franklin and Marshall, Gettysburg.</p>