<p>Hello fellow denizens of CC! I need help when it comes to deciding which colleges I will be applying to next year. I was wondering if, based on some information I provide, anyone could recommend a school that would be a good place for someone like me? I just feel totally lost, unsure, and in need of advice.
I'm a female from the suburbs, ranked in the top 5% of my class at a public high school. I've been working on my SATs and based on all my practice tests I should end up with a competitive score for some good schools. I really like fun math problems, scientific research, political activism, improv comedy, reading about current events/reading fiction, playing an instrument, running (though I'm not fast), and traditional buddhist meditation.
I really like MIT but I know it's a very tough school to get into.
I also like:
UChicago because it has a good reputation for science and humanities (I'm way more naturally adept at writing and understanding text than math, yet I want to pursue math, physics or chemistry).
Yale - because all the undergrads I know here are so erudite and active in the community and interesting. I love how diverse the student body is and how amazing the professors are here/I want to take up permanent residence in the Bass Library.
Brown - The students seem aware of current events/the science reputation is good.</p>
<p>You should probably apply to Case Western as a safety - common app, no application fee if submitted online, and very generous with merit aid. I also applied to the University of Pittsburgh - no application fee, can submit online, generous with merit aid, and you can cross-register at Carnegie Mellon. I was looking for engineering schools, so I'm not sure about the strength of their math departments, but these should be good safeties for you, both financially and academically.</p>
<p>Sounds like some of the Claremont Colleges would be a good match for you. Harvey Mudd, Pitzer, Pomona, or Scripps. Great thing is that if you get into one, you can attend classes in any of the other. And the school grounds are beautiful.</p>
<p>If you're really interested in sciences, look into Caltech (wow, I just posted that on the MIT boards...).
Johns Hopkins or Northwestern might be good possibilities. Or Wash U.
And I'm surprised no one has mentioned UC Berkeley or Stanford...
Make sure you spend time finding a safety that will really make you happy (not that I suggested any safeties on that list)...</p>
<p>The big H. You already like Yale and MIT, so why not consider it also? It's really close to MIT and you can still attend lots of MIT activities. Plus it also has great maths and sciences, plenty of nerdy kids (just not as eccentric as some MIT students), and you have real dining halls (with unlimited dining) plus Harvard Square if you ever want to go out to eat or buy stuff. Plus there seems to be better heating in H dorms than some MIT dorms, and your student ID can get you into any dorm building you want whereas MIT student ID's can only get you into your own dorm.</p>
<p>And I'll also second the Caltech suggestion.</p>
<p>Go for Brown. You can attend for 4 years and then make up your own major out of any hodge podge of unrelated pop-culture classes that may be attactive because they dont meet in the morning or on Fridays or dont have an exam. In fact, that might already be an approved major at Brown. Or, you could probably convince them to give you a major in "political activism, improv comedy, reading about current events/reading fiction, playing an instrument, running (though I'm not fast), and traditional buddhist meditation. "</p>
<p>As for MIT? Pretty much the anti-Brown in terms of GIRs and requirements in your major; and, social life. Scientists at Brown have theorized that MIT and Brown do not actually exist in the same time and space, and if they did both worlds would implode. </p>
<p>I couldnt resist having a little fun with this, but there is a semi-serious point in here somewhere.</p>
<p>Maybe Northwestern. Its chemistry department produced three Gates Cambridge Scholars in the past 3 years. The school also has a unique integrated science program (ISP).</p>
<p>I would suggest you look into University of Michigan -Ann Arbor (Early Response/Rolling Admissions). Other good schools that come to mind would be Stanford, Caltech (just as selective as MIT and all the other top schools), Harvey Mudd, Carnegie Mellon, Duke, UC Berkeley, Johns Hopkins, perhaps the other Ivys if you think you fit, and maybe some safeties (both financially and in terms of admissions) within your state.</p>