Intellectually stimulating schools, help me choose

College Search & Selection
1

<p>As an unmatched QuestBridge finalist, I have the opportunity to apply to 31 schools and only pay for the ACT/SAT and CSS profile.
Due to this, I plan to apply to less than 10 schools (already applied to Yale, stanford, Brown, Columbia and Princeton).
I have two none QB schools, Cornell and U of Rochester.</p>

<p>Here is what I'm looking for:
An intellectual engaging environment which cultivates the growth and well being of the individual.
Frankly, I'm sick and tired of my disgusting environment in my High school where everyone is a "bro" and people's biggest concerns are who won the football game on sunday, it is despicable.
I want an environment that will change and transform me, where people will not be afraid to debate me, where I am not the master debater ( i help found my schools debate team and won our first tournament), where I will be ridiculed for my beliefs, where I am no longer the only person who cares about something bigger than himself. I want to be challenged by my peers to thinking beyond normal horizons, to feel uncomfortable, to think!</p>

<p>I need engaging and ambitious people around me, professors who are caring and more than willing to help, a liberal-libertarian student body who is mostly non religious, diversity in terms of thinking and ambitions.</p>

<p>All my life all I have wanted to do is learn, yet all I am subjugated to is fact regurgitation. I want LEARNING, not memorizing things that I can look up in a book later as Einstein said. I want people who aren't just getting A's and make school work their life, but rather pursue intellectuals ventures.</p>

<p>I am sick and tired of all the sports bro's, so I prefer a school that lacks them(I play sports myself, just as long as they are not "bros").</p>

<p>As long as it is an empowering, intellectually stimulating and mature environment I will be happy.
Just as long as my school work does not take over my life. I am disgusted by all the "finals" stories I hear sometimes.</p>

<p>So what do you guys think would be a good match for me? I really dont have a basis on how to choose schools. I just look at their college p r o w l e r page and U.S. news profile, but they always say the same thing about every school.</p>

<p>So far this is my college list, questions denotes uncertainty about applying:
U of Chicago, U of Virginia, Northwestern, Amherst(?), Swarthmore(?), Pomona(?), Bowdoin(?), U of Penn(?), Vassar(?) + Yale, Brown, Princeton, Columbia, Stanford that I already applied +Cornell and U of Rochester.</p>

<p>My Standardized testing isnt that great (29 ACT with 26 w/ writing and 1740 SAT) but my Recommendations, essays, character, background (immigrant from Iran, under $20,000 parent salary) and other personal factors seem to make up for it. Pretty good Academics, 3.7 unweighted GPA with 10 AP classes being taken including senior year. Landed a 5 on World Civ and English language and composition. Top 10%/5% of class, we dont rank. </p>

<p>I always see the amazing achievement of students on here and become extremely disdainful at my own situation. I get so jealous at students who went to top notch Private schools and had great families which supported them, eventually becoming Intel winners or Davidson scholars.
Sorry I lack those credentials, perhaps it is my fault for lack of initiative, but it is hard when you live in a demeaning environment.
This quote raps up my passions:
"Be Ashamed to Die, Until You Have Scored Some Victory for Humanity" - Horace Mann</p>

<p>One last thing:
I always get made fun of by my friends for trying to be something and do something more. My friends always ridicule me for applying to schools like Yale, etc. This is what I dont want! I want people who will empower one another and work together to uplift one another</p>

2

<p>State of residency and intended or possible major(s)? Obviously, you need a school with good need and/or merit based financial aid.</p>

3

<p>I think the OP need not worry about getting merit aid from private schools as he (?) will qualify for need-based aid anywhere. That’s, like, the definition of Questbridge. I think what he should concentrate on is picking schools that meet 100% of demonstrated need. Merit aid would probably come from his safeties, as the state schools that award merit aid for a 29 ACT are probably not the most selective ones.</p>

<p>To the OP: Northwestern and UVA are overrun with college bros, btw. Bowdoin and UPenn are probably no exactly what you’re looking for either.</p>

4

<p>Wow. I’m sorry, but you’re a bit picky.
You’re going to run into the “bro” kind of attitude everywhere, especially at schools where sports is a big deal.
All the schools you listed above have great intellectual stimulating schools–most top-tier colleges are. </p>

<p>Don’t let what is sickening you right now hinder you from choosing a great school.</p>

5

<p>I live in Kentucky
All the schools I am applying to will meet 100% of my demonstrated financial need, which is everything.
Intended major(s) for undergrad are Economics, Political science/international relations or Cognitive science, perhaps even a double major.
I plan yo attend grad school and get a MBA.</p>

<p>Does it really matter what my intended major is?</p>

<p>I chose Northwester and UVA because I assume that since they are so big, there has to be all kinds of people there, wrong assumption?
In regards to UPenn, thats the school I have heard is the most anti intellectual of all top schools, any validity?</p>

<p>Also to the person saying I’m a bit picky, I agree, but frankly I need a change of environment and I am so sick of being hindered by this culture I am in.</p>

<p>Sorry for sounding like a ******.
Thanks for the responses.</p>

<p>Anyway, any other school suggestions?</p>

6

<p>Pick the school that has the best program for your major and best fits your financial need! That’s all you really need to do, but remember that at least half of how gratifying your school experience depends on YOU! No matter where you go or what you do, the amount of effort you put into any of your ventures will determine how much you get out of it. You can’t just assume because you’re bright and such that people will just lay down a yellow brick road for you, because there are plenty of other people just as bright and brimming with a need for knowledge as you are. If you work hard (even do work of completely your own accord :slight_smile: ) and show a willingness to get the most out of your experiences, people will pick up on that, and the opportunities you sound like you’re looking for will open up for you. Learning is also a process entirely dependent upon the learner, because YOU decide what you would like to learn, and if you genuinely enjoy learning, then you will take the time to learn to your hearts desire. You need to get what you want out of what you have in front of you, and if that isn’t enough, the world doesn’t owe you more, you just need to find additional opportunities, even create some for yourself! An environment conducive to learning is a luxury that is entirely up to you to create! Good luck!</p>

7

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<p>It does, because some schools are much better or much worse in specific majors than their general reputations. Some schools (particularly smaller ones) may not even offer many common majors. That said, economics and political science are relatively common. However, if you want to go to graduate school in economics, look for good math and statistics departments as well.</p>

8

<p>ucbalumnus, I am quite terrible at math unfortunately, hence the reason I am not pursuing my true dream which is astrophysics.
I like economics because of the scientific and research aspect of it and hope to focus on that in college, if they allow it.
Economist research into human behavior fascinates me.
But as I said, my intended graduate degree would be an MBA.
Sure I need math for that, but it is not the most important factor</p>

<p>Either way, I am still looking for suggestions on why or why not i should attend/not attend a school.
I guess I am asking too much of you guys? At least give me a direction?</p>

9

<p>You do realize that with your stats, you won’t get into a single school you’re applying to except maybe Rochester…right?</p>

10

<p>Parhaitiy.
I’ve had a conversation about this with admissions officers from Yale, brown, etc when I went to the college prep scholarship.
In short, I have a bit of a chance.
Perhaps it is nowhere as high as I would like, but it is still there.
Stats aren’t everything, Yale officers literally told me they care more about the individual than their stats</p>

<p>Funny that you have such a juvenile view of college admissions</p>

11

<p>Sorry, but for most of the schools you chose you are not going to get into them. Even being from a unique part of the world, a 1740 SAT is just not enough to get into the Ivy leagues. That doesn’t mean you can’t try! If you write an amazing essay, then why not, go for it :). </p>

<p>Look at schools such as University of Michigan, Purdue, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech (if doing engineering), IU Bloomington and Carnegie Mellon. They are in the top 20 and yes they are big schools. What that means is you will find ‘bro’ and frat people who like to party all day, but guess what:That is there in EVERY school. UChicago, Northwestern and especially U Virginia ALL have partiers who couldn’t care about academics. The Ivies party hard too.</p>

<p>But the beauty is if you don’t want to see them then you don’t HAVE to. You just have to find the right circle of friends and find people who share your interests. That is not as hard as it sounds in a school of 40,000. </p>

<p>Finally, your post left out a very important detail:What major do you want to go in? It’s actually a big part to decide what school to go to. For example, Purdue, a school relatively easy to get into, is ranked higher than all ivies except Stanford and Cornell in Engineering.</p>

<p>EDIT:I just saw your response and your majors. Hmm. Then disregard my list of schools, most are for engineering excpet U Michigan and UIUC which are good in political science. </p>

<p>And yes, your major matters a lot in choosing your college.</p>

12

<p>People keep saying my Scores are not good enough, but I got the opposite message through QB
I got accepted to the College Prep scholarship + travel grant, Amherst gave me their telementoring, I became a finalist also.
When I talked to the admissions officers, they always tell me that “remember, 25% of students get less than 31”
They always tell me they focus on the character.
Obviously someone at Questbridge and Amherst thought it worth to spend money and resources on me even without great stats.
Yale officers have personally told me my high school performance means more to them than my standardized testing scores.
These forums thing Standardized testing is the end all, one of us is wrong, perhaps the officers were lying.
Statistical wise, the officers over emphasize the notion that they dont look at test scores since they obviously do, but also stats show than a lot of people without 2100 or 31 get into these schools. Most likely they are athletes, but there is still a chance.</p>

<p>Perhaps I am just completely delusional</p>

13

<p>farzaad, you definitely have a chance albeit a small-ish one, I’d say around a 35% chance. You’re not delusional! I’ve seen much worse! The 3.7 UW GPA is good but not great, I would say the average for ivies is around a 3.9. The SAT scores are in the 2000+. So if we look at it purely from a grade-based standpoint, you are on the lower end of the spectrum. </p>

<p>BUT, you are Iranian and a QB finalist so that will work greatly to your favour. So there’s no reason to not go for the schools! That said, check out other schools such as the ones you have on your list (UVA sounds good and is VERY liberal), UCLA and UC Davis, U Michigan and such. </p>

<p>Finally, don’t get disheartened if you don’t get into the best of the best. I will keep it simple. 9 times out of 10, an NC State graduate who has tons of work and internship experience with a 3.9 GPA will always win over a Cornell graduate who has no work/reasearch/internship experience and also has a 3.9 GPA. School name is important but not greatly so, it is what you do with your time at college that matters.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

14

<p>xoot7aa7,
Its not that I care about the school name, rather, as I said, I care about the environment.</p>

<p>If I were to go to a school like Yale, one can assume everyone is EXTREMELY intelligent, passionate, and ambitious.
These traits in themselves are all vital components.
The nurturing environment and resources a school like yale provides is unmatched to that of a state college.</p>

<p>Its just that I want a better environment that allows me to do more and meet extraordinary people.
I’m sure I can be quite successful going to a normal college, but I’m afraid that the experience will not be pleasant and that I will get out as the same person I was going in, hence not changing at all.</p>

<p>Thank you all anyways.</p>

15

<p>You should pick out like 5 or more slightly less selective schools that are both need blind and meet full need. Since it sounds like your financial need is very high, you should aim for schools that will help you afford college, e.g Bates (no testing req), Grinnell, Hamilton, St. Olaf, Bryn Mawr, etc. These are schools that meet full need without being such utter crapshoots like most of your list right now.</p>

<p>Let me make this clear: you’re much more likely to be rejected than accepted by an Ivy even if you have sky high test scores and 4.0 GPA (which you don’t). You can still apply to a few, but your list right now is ridiculously top heavy. Pick one or two of your reaches that you really like and then look around for schools that are both affordable and likely to admit you. I’m really afraid that with the list you have right now you’re going to end up with one or two acceptances by schools that won’t give you enough financial aid to attend.</p>

16

<p>you literally have no chance at every single one of these schools. even if you were an athletic recruit, you would still have no chance–that’s how bad your stats are</p>

<p>and yes, admissions officers do not discourage people from applying, no matter how poor their credentials are. a person with a 12 ACT could ask for admissions advice and they would still say “yes you have a shot.”
If Yale did not care about test scores, the average ACT score of students there would not be 34. first and foremost, top tier colleges are looking for students who can handle the academic environment, and it’s clear that you would not be able to do so</p>

17

<p>A lot of people seem to be unfamiliar with the weight Questbridge carries in college admissions. Being a QB finalist means a lot to adcoms, even if none of the QB schools agreed to be matched with you. Test scores are a very small piece of the puzzle when it comes to QB.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.questbridge.org/for-students/ncm-acceptance-rates[/url]”>http://www.questbridge.org/for-students/ncm-acceptance-rates&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Moreover, the OP’s stats are not outrageously low by QB’s standards.</p>

18

<p>All the schools that you listed will have both bros and incredibly intellectually stimulating environments.</p>

19

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</p>

<p>None of those universities are in the US News top 20, and for what the OP wants and needs, they probably are not the right kind of schools to look at. First, not every school is equal if you’re trying to avoid “bro’ and frat people”. Big state schools (which includes all of those but CMU) usually will have more of that than most of the Questbridge partners. Second, most public universities have only limited aid for out-of-state students. </p>

<p>The kinds of schools Kudryavka mentions would be better targets. Among the QB partners, Grinnell and Oberlin are a bit less selective than most of the others. Consider non-QB LACs like these for both aid and intellectual atmosphere, unless you really think you need the broader course selection of a research university. Right there in KY is Centre College, a good (and relatively affordable) LAC that is less selective than any QB college. Other possibilities:
Bates, Colby, Colorado College, Earlham, Kalamazoo, Macalester, Rhodes.
Earlham has a non-binding Early Action option that is still open. If you want a slightly larger school, Brandeis is a small university that also has an Early Action option (due 12/15).</p>

<p>[url=<a href=“Kiplinger | Personal Finance News, Investing Advice, Business Forecasts”>Kiplinger | Personal Finance News, Investing Advice, Business Forecasts]Kiplinger.com[/url</a>]</p>

20

<p>I agree that you need a fuller list than just the most selective ones in the country. OP, you will find what you’re looking for at a wide variety of colleges in this country. Just going to a decent college will automatically put you in a different place in regard to an intellectual environment. </p>

<p>While I am not as discouraging of your stats as others here, because yes, the adcoms do take into account geography and socioeconomics when looking at test scores, you do need to cast a broader net and take what admit reps tell you with a grain of salt.</p>