<p>Hello CCers! I'm a junior in HS and am searching for my perfect college. I have visited quite a few and from those I've visited I rank them:</p>
<p>1) Northwestern University
2) University of Chicago
3) Stanford University
4) UW-Madison
5) Grinnell College
6) UC-Berkeley
7/8) Reed College/Pepperdine University</p>
<p>I've basically ruled out #'s 6-8. UW-Madison is in-state and I'd be a legacy. It used to be my dream school; however, it's reputation as a big-time party school has turned me off. Also, I think I'd prefer a school of less than 15,000 students. Still, UW-Madison is a good safety/match. I liked Northwestern because it's a little more academic then Madison, yet still has Big 10 Athletics. What I like about UChicago is the intellectual-ness and the friendliness of the admissions staff when I toured there. My main concern is that is TOO academic. Stanford I thought was beautiful, but I think the West Coast is too far away for me to go to college. At Grinnell, I liked the buildings and overall feel of the campus and the intellectual-ness; however, I think I'd find Iowa to be boring after a while.</p>
<p>My List of Schools I'm Interested in Attending/Applying to are in order:
1) Brown University
2) Northwestern University
3) Yale University
4) Swarthmore College
5) Columbia University
6) Amherst College
7) University of Oxford
8) University of Chicago
9) Macalester College
10) Tufts University
11) Washington University in St. Louis
12) Wesleyan University
13) Bowdoin College
14) Stanford University
15) UW-Madison (Honors Program)
16) Beloit College
17) Butler University</p>
<p>Things I want in a school:
1) Intellectual Atmosphere where students collaborate and aren't super competitive with each other
2) Small/Medium Sized School (about 2,000-15,000 students)
3) Close Proximity to a Major City (Chicago, New York, Boston, etc.)
4) Variety of Vegan Dining Options
5) Good Departments in the Fields I'm Considering (Education, Political Science, Journalism, Creative Writing)
6) Appreciation for Athletics (at least a little bit of school spirit, I'm interested in competing in Soccer and Cycling)
7) Good Study Abroad Options (preferably something associated with Oxford/University of London/Cambridge)
8) Good Acapella Groups on Campus (I LOVE singing)
9) Fun, happy atmosphere
10) Offer good financial aid and good job placement following graduation</p>
<p>One reason I need to get this consolidated is because my family is planning an East Coast trip this summer where I will visit about 5-10 schools and I need to decide which ones I'm most interested in.</p>
<p>As for my stats, I have a 3.96 UW (toughest course load in my grade), ranked around 10-15 in class of about 110, and 2010 SAT (hoping to improve to 2200, got an 800 Math).</p>
<p>I've taken/self-studied AP Human Geography (5), AP World History (3), and AP Biology (took through local college). Right now, I'm taking AP Calculus BC and self-studying at least three of the following: AP US History, AP Psychology, AP Environmental Science, AP Macroeconomics, and AP Microeconomics.</p>
<p>I'm also a 3 sport athlete and will presumably be a 4-time letter winner in each sport. I'm also heavily involved in theater and music.</p>
<p>What schools do you think will be good fits for me? Also, what do you think would be a few good safety schools/my chances at the schools on my list. Sorry if I've been rambling on a bit and THANKS SO MUCH in advance for your help!!!!!</p>