Intellectually motivated college with excellent science depts?

College Search & Selection
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<p>Add Carleton College to your list:
<a href=“https://apps.carleton.edu/curricular/physics/physics_at_Carleton/highlights/[/url]”>https://apps.carleton.edu/curricular/physics/physics_at_Carleton/highlights/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>There are a couple ways to do a rough sanity check on your EFC results. A quick-and-dirty way is to line them up against the following table of income & aid:
<a href=“http://www.trincoll.edu/AboutTrinity/offices/InstitutionalResearchPlanning/Documents/financialAid.pdf[/url]”>http://www.trincoll.edu/AboutTrinity/offices/InstitutionalResearchPlanning/Documents/financialAid.pdf&lt;/a&gt;
(Trinity claims to meet 100% of demonstrated need; it is probably fairly representative of the 60 or so selective, full-need colleges, although their formulas do vary).</p>

<p>The harder way is to search the IPEDS database for average FA granted by each school to various income brackets. Most US colleges seem to be covered, so you could build something like the Trinity table for any of them. [IPEDS</a> Data Center](<a href=“http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/datacenter/]IPEDS”>Use the Data)</p>

<p>Of course, the devil is in the details. These two comparisons won’t capture your details.
Your family may fall in the upper-middle-income doughnut hole (too rich for need-based aid, not rich enough to afford ~$60K/year). In that case, you may need to pursue a cost-control strategy emphasizing merit aid or low sticker price. For merit aid, you’d usually be focused on much less selective schools. For low sticker prices, you’d usually be focused on in-state public schools.</p>

<p>Olin and Cooper Union are two STEM-focused schools that subsidize tuition for all students. They aren’t much less selective than Caltech and their subsidies have decreased in recent years, but you might want to check them out anyway.</p>

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<p>@jkeil911, sorry I didn’t post stats</p>

<p>I’m a Junior as of now </p>

<p>4.0 GPA (unweighted)- I come from a rural area that doesn’t offer AP classes, but I have taken the most rigorous courses offered as well as some dual credit classes.</p>

<p>Class rank:1/50</p>

<p>My projected ACT score is about 30-32. I have been studying for quite a while before the test- hopefully this will help my scores. </p>

<p>As for extracurriculars, my main three are FFA, Technology Student Association, and National Honor Society. I have held chapter officer positions in these organizations (reporter, vice-president, president, etc…) and might run for state office this year (if I run, I’m very likely to get the position). I am accomplished in FFA, consistently getting first place at local and regional competitions. I have been scoring very well at state as well and hope to get first is year. As for my envolvement in the Technology Student Association, I have been on the 2nd place team at state in a particular competition two years in a row and also hope to take first this year. I volunteer for National Honor Society group events, as well as some volunteer work on my own. I am a freshman mentor at my school.</p>

<p>I have participated in my state’s Governor’s school program. I also already have laboratory experience at my state university (this is relevant since I plan to go into science) and am currently looking into intern opportunities for next summer.</p>

<p>My recommendations will include an excellent narrative from the professor overseeing my previous lab work (summer 2013), and possibly the mentors I will work with next summer. I also have high school teachers that love me and have written great recommendations before (to get me into Gov School). I was able to read one recommendation and I just about cried because it was so beautiful. I normally can write well, so essays should be no problem. Granted they probably won’t be spectacular, but definitely good enough. </p>

<p>I don’t have hooks (I’m white). I would have the first generation college thing going for me, but my dad got a two year degree.</p>

<p>Note: I plan to major in Chemistry/Biochemistry. My previous research experience is in this field. I might minor or double major in Astrophysics if it is offered at the school.</p>

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<p>Note that biochemistry does attract a lot of pre-meds. Although that means that more colleges will have large enough departments to service the pre-meds, it also means that biology and chemistry courses for the major will tend to be on the large side for a given school. If class size is a concern, see if the school’s on-line class schedule lists class sizes. Additionally, pre-meds are forced to be very grade and GPA conscious due to the high GPA required to have a chance of medical school admission.</p>

<p>You can check chemistry majors for American Chemical Society approval here:
<a href=“American Chemical Society”>American Chemical Society;

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<p>If need-based financial aid is uncertain, you can add a large automatic merit scholarship school to your list as a safety:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-20.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-20.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>In addition, there are non-safety candidates with competitive merit scholarships:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1461983-competitive-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-4.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1461983-competitive-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-4.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Actually, you have a hook that’s so obvious, you don’t even realize it - you’re from a rural area. The VAST majority of kids who apply to elite schools, especially LACs, are from urban and suburban areas. A farm kid (or small town kid) with your stats who wants to go to a LAC in New England is a pretty rare thing and would add “flavor” that most colleges would love to add to their campus. It’s not huge, but it’s more than a stereotypically upper middle income kid from East Coast suburbia has.</p>

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<p>You have a shot at top notch schools. Be sure to schedule your SAT subject tests so you have at least math and 1 science (whichever sciences you are taking currently) before the end of this school year. Top schools often ask for these. That would allow you to apply ED or EA or for priority consideration for merit scholarships.</p>

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<p>I guess maybe I do have a (slight) hook. Thanks for pointing that out MrMom62!</p>

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<p>You should check to see if you qualify for QuestBridge.</p>

<p>Agree, your rural location and involvement in FFA will stand out in the application pool. You’ll be a person of interest at most selective schools, but first you need to solve the need-based financials.</p>

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<p>This is all heady stuff that’s being thrown at you. I’m feeling more cautious. You have a lot of choices if you do indeed get that ACT up to a 34, say. Your ECs are interesting but not so strong as to separate yourself out at the ivies or the co-ivies. Your rural origins might catch someone’s attention if they read that far; a 34 might get them to read that far. Having said this, people with 32s sometimes get into MIT and Caltech and Duke if their math score is strong, but don’t expect you will. Don’t expect you’ll get into any of these ivies and co-ivies.</p>

<p>I’ll avoid as much as i can repeating what others have suggested and instead focus on some mostly mid-size schools. Since money could be an issue, and since the ACT might not jump 2-4 points, I’m thinking Vanderbilt is a reach but possible, WashU is possibly next in line, followed by USC, Emory, URochester, and Tulane (the biggest party school in the bunch but also the most generous). These schools have merit money (and big grant $$, too, in the case of Vandy). Good luck.</p>

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<p>@crowlady I think I will take subject tests in May. I pretty much have to take Math 2 (most colleges want this score), but I am undecided if I should take the biology or chemistry test. I consider myself to be strong in both of these subjects. I am taking chemistry this year, so maybe I should take that one? Will colleges prefer one over the other?</p>

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<p>You can take 3 subject tests in one sitting, so you can take all three of math 2, biology, and chemistry.</p>

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<p>Case Western Reserve university. Similar to Carnegie Mellon with much better financial aid. It will be a good match with your stats.</p>

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<p>CWRU does not have better financial aid than CMU although it does award more merit aid.</p>

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<p>might look at Holy Cross-top25 LAC WITH STRONG SCIENCE departments. HC has nice campus 1 hour from Boston. Holy Cross is also need-blind for admissions.</p>

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<p>Johns Hopkins durrr</p>

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<p>It is a mistake to consider LACs over a larger research strong university if you plan to major in science and plan to go into grad school. Compare the course offerings (esp. lab courses) and research opportunities
Your fear of “party” scene is unfounded because you choose your micro environment
Reconsider the Michigan, U Cal, PSU, etc</p>

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<p>^^ So, so, so wrong. This has been discussed endlessly and is a completely disproven line of thinking just based on the per capita production of science PhDs from LACs.</p>