<p>If you like Wesleyan, Vassar and Swat - I'm surprised you're not looking at Brown (not that it's easy to get into). Also, of the same general type - why not Oberlin, Carleton, Wellesley, Grinnell, Macalester.</p>
<p>I was looking at Brown once upon a time, but like you said, it isn't exactly easy to get into and I wouldn't be any happier there than I would be at, say, Wesleyan (still not easy to get into, but not as hard). My parents hate Oberlin and I don't like it enough to fight them for it. I might apply to Carleton (probably will, since it's free if you do it online). Wellesley's out of the question because I'm a guy. Grinnell was too small for my liking, and I know absolutely nothing about Macalester other than the fact that they sent me mail that had leaves on it. I guess I could look into it.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Can you get score choice deleting on the scores that aren't you're first three? I did that when I applied for the scores after my top three. Seemed to work pretty well.</p></li>
<li><p>I think you are being hard on yourself. I like your list alot, although I am not sure why you are applying to Princeton ED. Say a school like Vassar is a match, Brown/ Dartmouth is a reach, and Princeton is a super reach. Wouldn't it make more sense to apply ED to a place like Brown?</p></li>
<li><p>Add Brown, I think you will love it. Its a great school that balances all the others you are applying to. I would look into it seriously for ED.</p></li>
<li><p>I agree with your lack of interest in Haverford and Swat. They are really really small and lack the activity of the other places. Penn might be interesting for you though.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>My advice?</p>
<p>Brown ED
Dartmouth
UPenn
Swarthmore
Amherst
NYU
Vassar
Wesleyan
Macalester (safety/ match)</p>
<p>University of Pittsburgh.</p>
<p>I'm applying to Princeton ED because it really is my first choice and I would regret not trying. It's the only school I can picture myself being committed to in December and not feeling some kind of remorse come April. And it's a little late to whip out an ED app to Brown. I really don't know anything about Brown and to make that kind of commitment with only a few days of thinking about it would be rather foolish, I think. I don't mind if I don't get into Princeton; that's what I expect. I just need to try.</p>
<p>Anyway, no, I can't get score choice because they discontinued that a few years back, I believe. So my bad scores will be showing up. Oh well, I'll live.</p>
<p>I'm curious what made you add Amherst and Macalester to my list. I've looked into Amherst and am vaguely interested, but know nothing about Macalester.</p>
<p>Right now, my list looks kind of like this:</p>
<p>Princeton ED
Dartmouth
UPenn
Swarthmore
Wesleyan
NYU
USC
University of Pittsburgh
Carleton and Kenyon (no app fee)
Vassar, UChicago, Columbia, and Haverford fall into the "maybe" category. I'll apply to UChicago if I decide that I feel like asking my English teacher for a rec (they require one from a history/english teacher, but the one I'm using for my other apps is foreign language.)</p>
<p>That list is very subject to change. I keep trying to eliminate schools because I don't want to drive my family into debt just applying to college.</p>
<p>Sorry, guy! Your parents have some interesting requirements - they like Swat, but hate Oberlin? I don't get it, but OK - they must have a reason. I hate Sears myself. What about the University of Chicago and Northwestern? Both prestigious, in/close to big city. Not too huge. </p>
<p>To reiterate what others have said, I think you're being too hard on yourself. You've got a fantastic record. Schools like Princeton and Brown are obviously a stretch - for you and everyone else. I mean...Brown rejects 70% of the valedictorians and salutatorians who apply! There are plenty of other great schools with plenty of bright students. And if you do well in college, no matter where you go, you can get into the med/law/grad school of your choice. </p>
<p>Best of luck to you.</p>
<p>My parents hate Oberlin because they've never heard of it and it's in the middle of Ohio. Its liberal reputation certainly doesn't help either. I live about an hour away from Swat, so they've heard of it, it's nearby, and they're just choosing to ignore anything negative about the school. So they really have no criterea for judging colleges other than the closer to home, the better.</p>
<p>Schools are looking for meaningful involvement, not a laundry list, so you are in good shape with theatre and forensics. The news broadcast kind of makes a nice cluster with the others and is a bit unique.</p>
<p>I think Brown is a place you should seriously research, I have a feeling you will like it much more than Columbia. It is very liberal and has a great campus, plus both a campus and off-campus social scene. Macalester is very similar to Vassar in that its a campus feel in an urban location. Although a much nicer urban location. Excellent academics as well, and much more to do than at Oberlin. Amherst is liberal and is in a good location, ie close to a number of colleges, plus great academics and less 'dorky' than swat. </p>
<p>Of your maybes I would keep Vassar and dump the rest. Chicago- no social life, Columbia- urban without the benefits (i.e. not in the village like NYU), Haverford- have heard nothing except there is no life there.</p>
<p>I'll make sure to look into Brown because it sounds like a place that I might like. I may not apply just because they don't accept the common app and it's a hassle for me to add non-common app schools because of recommendation forms (one of my recs is from a teacher who retired and lives about three hours away now... everything needs to be mailed to her, and then to my guidance counselor... not an ideal process). I like Columbia because of the Core Curriculum and the intellectual vibe I got from the research I'd done. As for Chicago, if not for this recommendation situation, I would be definitely applying. It's a larger school so I could get the atmosphere of Swat with a bigger student body. I like everything that I've heard, and I can survive a school with no social life... that's what I've been doing all through high school. I'm hesitant to take Haverford off the list because the student body, while tiny, seemed like such great people all of the times I was on campus. Even the Bryn Mawr girls are great. I think that Haverford will ultimately be eliminated, but all of my schools go through that "maybe" phase first, so I can get used to the idea of not applying there. It softens the blow, I guess.</p>
<p>I'll definitely be looking into Macalester, and reconsidering Amherst.</p>
<p>Reidm, it's good to know that my ECs aren't going to be a nightmare for me. I always feel inadequate when there are so many lines to list ECs and I take up barely half of them.</p>
<p>as an alumnus, I certainly recommend investigating Macalester. A couple of the eastern LACs might have a very slight edge in the English and foreign language departments, but Macalester is a great urban LAC with a diverse student body.</p>
<p>I agree with the previous suggestion to look at Oberlin. It is very liberal and has strong academics.</p>
<p>Having spent some time there though, its really really small and doesnt have either a great college town (oberlin is a semi dump), new england beauty, or the prestige of some of these other names.</p>
<p>Takeheart, I'm sorry that your parents are putting so much Ivy League pressure on you......There are so many terrific non-Ivies to go to.....but I'm glad to see that you're going to give Princeton ED a shot....at least you'll know that you tried for it...and you'll never wonder "what if"......</p>
<p>takeheart,
my son just visited Macalester - it didn't feel quite sciencey enough for him, but would be great for the humanities. They have good food, a large (20%) international presence, and are close to the twin cities.</p>
<p>He also visited Carleton, liked that - it is more of a science place, quirky, food not too great.</p>
<p>About finances, though - are you considering taking the entire college debt on yourself?</p>
<p>Ohio Mom, I definitely won't be taking the entire college debt on myself, and even if I do, it won't be that bad. Every financial aid calculator my family has ever done has put our EFC somewhere around $1000, with another $2000 coming from me (summer job and work study). My parents aren't so cruel to make me pay for it all myself if I don't go to the school they want, but even if they did, picking up an extra $1000 in loans wouldn't kill me. Worst case scenario, my financial aid package is almost entirely loans, and then I'll switch majors to French and pick up a full-tuition scholarship from a alumnus of my school (he's been trying to dump this money off on a french major for years now... if my EFC weren't so low already I would probably take him up on the offer). I'm not too worried about the financial end of things.</p>
<p>Adding to the Brown chorus - they just got a pile of money for need-based scholarships. I think you might be a very good candicate.</p>