<p>So, I'm really starting to finally look at colleges and to be honest, I haven't a clue where to start. So, I'll just throw everything out there: </p>
<p>I want:
-A school that learns to learn. I don't want somewhere with cut-throat people who simply NEED to get straight As and pay no attention to what they're learning.
-A school where partying is not the center of the social scene. I much prefer having pizza with a few friends discussing things that interest us rather than going out to a huge party.
-A school where I can do theater work without being a theater major or minor.
-No location preference.
-Prefer somewhere that I am more to my professors than a number, which is why I'm leaning towards LACs.
-Preferably no Greek life, but it's not a huge turn off.
-I would kind of like a departure from the normal dorm-style of housing. I've heard of social houses that aren't frats/sororities, but it's not make or break.
-Would like somewhere that there is a Pagan community, but again not make or break.</p>
<p>Major:
Probably history or anthropology or archeology or something along those lines. Minor in Spanish or Latin... Want to go on to law school I think. </p>
<p>Stats:
-3.73 W, don't know UW, probably around 3.5-3.6. I had major depression and anxiety which affected my junior year grades.
-Toughest course load I could take. (3 APs, bunch of honors, self-studied 5 APs).
-Class rank is in the tank because I transfered in freshman year and couldn't enter the TAG program. I'm probably in the top 25% but I'm honestly not sure.
-ACT- 33. </p>
<p>Significant ECs:
-Volunteer coach for 4 years: basketball, softball, volleyball.
-Over 12 years of dance and sports. A sports injury prevented me from doing competitive varsity sports.
-Co-founded a nonprofit basketball league for girls near Detroit.
-Co-founded "Save the Bullies" (a group that helps "bully" breed dogs).
-Over 450 of community service. (Probably around 300 in high school)
-About 150 of theater work.
-President of Animal Rights Club.
-Volunteer at a teenage crisis center. </p>
<p>Other info:
-First generation college student.
-First generation American (mum is from Spain).
-Grew up poor, but now live in middle-class city.
-Lots of illnesses growing up, but they shaped who I am. I will probably write my essays about how either my upbringing in a poor community began my passion for children's rights, or about how my depression and how I dealt with that helped to shape my view of how society treats its teenagers and how that fueled my passion for defending and helping teenagers and children. Make sense? </p>
<p>You guys are awesome if you can point me in the right direction!!</p>
<p>Oh, I will also need lots of financial aid. My dad has been on disability since a horrific car accident when I was in 7th grade and my mum has been laid off since early spring. She is going to become a substitute teacher, but it's not easy to find jobs right now.</p>
<p>PS, Sorry for how long that was. I just kinda wanted to put everything out there. You guys are awesome if you read all that and help me.</p>
<p>Uh... do you mind places that are really liberal and kind of hippyish? You sound like you're kind of similar to me as far as what you're looking for. Not the theater thing, but I'm interested in majoring in anthropology, looking at LACs with no greek life, consider co-op housing a plus, am not particularly into the whole partying thing, and learning-for-learning's-sake is one of my top priorities in the school search. As to Pagan groups, certain types of schools are gonna draw in people interested in out-of-the-ordinary, eccentric things like Paganism, and I think my list has a lot of those schools... Your stats are also kind of similar to mine.</p>
<p>Like I said, I know nothing about theater, but here's my list:</p>
<p>Reed: Portland, Oregon, big on learning for learning's sake
Wesleyan: Middletown, Connecticut
Hampshire: Amherst, MA, part of a consortium of five schools
Lewis and Clark: Portland, Oregon
Bard: Annandale-on-Hudson, NY
Sarah Lawrence: NY, near NYC
Oberlin: Oberlin, OH
Kalamazoo: Kalamazoo, MI
Bennington: somewhere in the south of Vermont?
Skidmore: NY
Guilford: NC
Beloit: WI
Middlebury: VT</p>
<p>Not all on my actual list... These are just places I've considered. If you aren't into bigtime liberals though, you may not like them.</p>
<p>(I also can't help with the financial aid thing... these quirky little LACs generally don't have a lot of money due to not turning out rich alumni. Meh.)</p>
<p>I am pretty liberal. I am bi, but it's never really been an issue for me (it does mean though that I don't think I'd be comfortable at a really conservative college lol) and I'm pretty hippie-ish. However, I cannot stand it when people are so far to one side that they refuse to even associate with people who don't share their views, but other than that I could care less about how liberal a school is. I don't however want a really conservative Christian school though, which is why I included my religion. :)</p>
<p>Yeah, I know the financial aid is going to be a big concern. But I'm going to try to get as much as I can. I have extended family members who are willing to help just because we are by far the poorest people in my family. </p>
<p>Rice would be a reach, but it sounds right up your alley in terms of housing/no Greek life, and it's a small university. No idea about the Pagan community, though.</p>
<p>I think Beloit would really suit you. The Reformed Druids of North America were founded at Carleton College, but I'm not sure how much of a pagan presence there is.</p>
<p>Look at Lawrence University: classics, history, pagan group, decent financial aid, theatre groups, alternative housing groups as well as dorms, focus on service, you name it.</p>
<p>You might want to check out Mills, a small women's college (guys can attend the grad school) in Northern California. Very liberal (so you might find some of those close-minded, won't accept other points of views people, but that need not be a deal-breaker), and awesome dorms. No Greek life. I think they give out some serious financial aid, too, but I'm not sure.</p>
<p>Everything in your list sounds like Oberlin. And although your grades are on the low side, they might be willing to look past that, given your life story. Sounds like an excellent fit to me.</p>
<p>Lawrence campus right in the center of a small urban area (70,000) but right on the Fox River. The look of the city surrounding the campus is victorian. Many coffee shops, boutiques, restaurants that students walk to.</p>
<p>If you are considering any women's colleges, Bryn Mawr and Smith may be of interest. Beloit and Kenyon, too. Oberlin, Vassar and Macalester may be a bit of a reach, but possibly meet your criteria.</p>
<p>collegiate, the only thing I have against women's colleges is I'd go insane with no guys. I tend to get along with guys better and being around only women would make me go insane. I know Barnard has many males on the campus because of Columbia (I think?) but do Bryn Mawr and Smith have something like that? </p>
<p>And would Beloit and and Kenyon be match schools? Or would they be reaches too? </p>