Is my list too reach-heavy (LACs) ?

College Search & Selection
1

Hi everyone! I’ve just finished putting together a rough draft of my list, but I’m a little worried that there are too many reach schools at the moment. I’m hoping to double major in biology and anthropology and it’s very important to me that the school is small (<4000 students), fairly liberal and doesn’t have a large Greek presence. I don’t want to put down my whole resume because I don’t want this to turn into a chance thread, but I got a 2270 on the old SAT and expect my IB predicted grades to be 40+, just to give you an idea of where I am academically (my school doesn’t calculate GPA.) I’ve spoken to my parents and am lucky enough to not require need-based aid, but merit opportunities would be great!

Bowdoin
Bryn Mawr
Colby
Haverford
Mt. Holyoke
Reed
Skidmore
Smith
Swarthmore
Vassar
Wellesley
Wesleyan

If you could give me some input on potentially rounding out the bottom of the list (LACs only please!), that would be super helpful!

2

Lafayette (great LAC and they also have the potential for substantial merit aid), Dickinson, Franklin & Marshall

3

I think you only need to add one or two. Be sure to show interest, most LACs care about that.

4

Scripps if you’re open to the West coast. Has the benefit of the Claremont consortium. Scripps also has some merit aid.

5

If tuition isn’t part of the equation for a safety, I think you already have a couple of them here: Skidmore and Mt. Holyoke. Maybe look at Dickinson as well? I would consider Colby, Smith, and Wellesley matches, Bowdoin, Wesleylan and Vassar high matches/reaches. With your stats, Mt. Holyoke, Smith, and Dickinson offer good merit aid. I am not familiar with the other schools.

6

What about Midwest LACS if you are from the East: Macalester, Carleton and Kenyon?

7

When selecting a smaller college for anthropology, look for one, ideally, that offers courses in the four major anthropological subfields: cultural, social, linguistic and biological anthropology and archaeology. Schools with distinct anthropology departments, in contrast to those at which anthropology and sociology are combined, may also be preferable.

8

Take a look at Beloit. It would be a safety, you would most likely get merit, small Greek life, known for anthropology.

9

Muhlenberg might be an addition as a good safety that offers merit aid.

10

@telesthesia, are you international?

11

Dickinson and Connecticut College come to mind.

12

Re #6, “cultural, social” was intended as “cultural and social,” which together comprise one of the four major sub-areas of anthropology.

13

Since you like liberal schools like Vassar, Reed and Skidmore, how about Sarah Lawrence, Bard, Clark, Hampshire or Connecticut College?

14

Sarah Lawrence doesn’t have many offerings outside of humanities, though I agree with the other suggestions.

Maybe Earlham or Goucher?

15

My kid is a Skidmore recruit - great school, love the location, and while the grounds are nice, the campus itself isn’t what you’d call classical. That would be my only negative on Skid, and with that list and your stats, I think it is a safety for you.

16

Skidmore is one of those schools that would not take kindly to being called a safety, and would be better described as a “low match” for that reason.

17

A safety would be Eckerd College. They cover the 4 sub set areas, offer membership in the national honors organization, faculty/student research can begin in freshman year, strong mentor/student relationship, study abroad travel in the field from semester, winter term, spring break, spring into summer and summer terms. Also offer an honors program, significant merit aid, ability to present thesis, senior capstone course, career services program that begins in Autumn term of freshman year.

18

@usualhopeful , there are a lot of schools that are great schools that are safeties for some kids. Skidmore is great … but it’s no doubt a safety for the tippy top students. Of course there are kids who like it there so much they pass on other, more highly regarded/highly selective schools to attend. But in the main, Skid is a backup for a kid aiming for Williams or Swarthmore.

19

I agree that along with the Sisters you could look at Scripps.

20

@MiddleburyDad2 I disagree with you there because even if a student has a 36/4.0/won Intel, O could see Skidmore rejecting to protect yield and acceptance rate.