<p>So i've been looking at a lot of Liberal Arts Colleges along the East Coast and i'm wondering which ones i might really consider applying to. A couple i've looked into are Amherst, Bowdoin, Vassar, Hamilton, Bates to name a few. Not sure i can get in, but i do want to apply. But i'm not completely convinced on which to apply to looking at other people's posts, so i thought i'd make my own...</p>
<p>Some background information on myself and what i'm looking for:
I'm a female, senior from Northern California (i know! i was born in Iowa City though). I'm pretty into schooli'm the kind of kid who loves to learn, likes to ask questions, likes to think because i'm inspired by how far one subject can be exploredbut i also have a very big life outside of school. I play volleyball, am a peer mediator at my school, a mentor at the junior high, have a mentor who is a published author, am bilingual in English and Spanish (i was in the Spanish emersion program all throughout my school career) and have a group of extremely close friends. I'm very passionate about my family and the people i'm close to.
On the subject of school, i've had a 4.0 since sophomore year, took AP English Lang, U.S. History and Spanish Literature last year, am taking AP Calc, Gov, English Lit, Physics and a Spanish class at the college in town next year. i'm hoping to get a job at the campus recycling center, too.
I'm looking for a small school, with a beautiful campus and great professorsi want access to my teachers in an out of class and plenty of individual attention (I'm not trying to sound horribly spoiled, but i don't have much money so if i go somewhere expensive i want to get the most of my experience!) i'm thinking of studying physics and philosophy/eastern philosophy; if the school has an independent major program that's a plus. I'm an open person, so it won't bother me too much if my views on life aren't the majority, but i do want to be tolerated and respected by my professors and my peers. I would like diversity to some degree, the more the better. I would like a close-campus feel, since i'd be so far from home that extra security would be nice. Well, that was one winded post! All comments/questions/advice is welcome, and thank you so much for reading!</p>
<p>If I were you, I’d really consider Bates! I used to live in Maine, and once went on a tour of it, and the school is just INCREDIBLE. Everyone there is really into their studies! Your resume is really complete it seems, I think Bates would really like having you! It’s not that much of a drive from Portland, and Lewiston isn’t that big. But the school has a really nice atmosphere and the professors enjoy what they do! When I was in 7th grade, for some reason or another, I was convinced that I wanted to be a Journalist and Bates was pretty much my dream school. PLUS, they give out TERRIFIC scholarships! I know so many people who didn’t apply there because its private, but really, they value their students and give great $$$.
I haven’t been on campus of the other schools (or maybe I have been to Bowdoin… not sure)
[Liberal</a> Arts Rankings - Best Colleges - Education - US News and World Report](<a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/liberal-arts-rankings]Liberal”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/liberal-arts-rankings)
^It’s not as high ranked as the other ones, but I really think you should give it a huge chance! If I still lived in Maine, I would definitely apply!
But, since I’ve moved, I’ve had more possibilities open up, as well as an instantaneous safety school :)</p>
<p>When you say you don’t have much money, does that mean you will be looking for need-based aid? Also, by small, how large would you consider too large?</p>
<p>Sounds like LACs would be a good choice for you. We could just list the top 20 LACs on the east coast, but if you can fill in some blanks, we might be able to give you better advise:</p>
<p>1) do you prefer a school that is urban, suburban or rural (the schools you name are a mixture)
2) your post implies that you don’t need financial aid. Correct?
3) what kind of culture makes you happiest: artsy, granola, preppy, intellectual, quirky/individualistic, jock (Small schools have more intense cultures and it’s nice not to swim against the tide all the time…) More liberal/more conservative?
4) weather issues? geographic preferences (north vs. south)
5) deal breakers? single sex, religious orientation, etc…</p>
<p>Since you state “i’ve had a 4.0 since sophomore year” I would assume you are entering your senior year? What was your PSAT score? There are some good LACs on the west coast and midwest that might be good options. Why the east coast?</p>
<p>I agree. I think that all of these schools sound like they would be a good match for you, but on personal preferences alone I’d recommend Williams, Amherst, Bates, and Bowdoin. I’d also say to look at Colby, Hamilton and Haverford - I think you’d have a very good chance at getting into them, and all have strong academics and pay great personal attention to students.</p>
<p>is single sex a deal breaker? anyway, I just want to add Bryn Mawr, Smith, Barnard, Vassar (co-ed now), and Swarthmore(co-ed). Have fun picking!</p>
<p>Decathletegirl: Thanks so much for the reply! i really like the bit about financial aid, because i’ll definitely need money coming from somewhere. Your post has inspired me to look into Bates a little more. I hear that Lewiston isn’t the greatest setting; what are your impressions of the surrounding area?</p>
<p>M’s Mom: to answer your questions
i’m open to either urban, suburban, or rural, but it depends on the quality of each setting. i come from a smaller town, and i think if i moved that far from home (schools in the east aren’t the only ones i’m considering) i would probably be more interested in a suburban setting, with things to do outside of school but a community feel. But ultimately, i will need to visit to see how i feel about the area, and whether or not it agrees with my personal aesthetic tastes.
I will need financial aid. My father is a professor, but he is the sole income of our household and with all the budget cuts and furloughs that have been enacted, we’ve had to dip into our savings lately to pay for bills. I have a younger sister who’s five years younger than I, but my mother is currently going to school, having just graduated from the local community college. She’s transferring to the State college in town to pursue her MA, and we’ll have to pay more for her tuition now, so what little money we had for me is only getting smaller. So yes, i do need aid! (should have been more specific about that!)
I suppose i would be classified as liberal, possibly granola, independent but not intolerant of others. I don’t want to struggle to protect my possibly opposing views from less tolerant peers, but i don’t want to be surrounded by people who are exactly like myself because i do not believe i will learn anything. My way of life is not the only way of life, and i’ve lived a very sheltered life thus far. It may be good for me to learn to live with people who see things a different way, so long as we can learn to respect each others differences (i might be too idealistic here; again, i’ve lived a pretty sheltered, comfortable life, so it’s easy for me to be a bit overly optimistic about all of this sometimes!)
Honestly, i don’t know how the weather would affect me. I’m not too naive to believe it won’t affect me to some degree, because i come from a town with long, hot summers and cold but relatively mild winters compared to the east. But i also have spent time in the snow and rain and the simply cold (i have a lot of family in Wisconsin and they have REAL winter out there). It will be an adjustment, and i would need to prepare, but i’m tired of assuming that, since i come from California, i can’t stand a winter on the east coast.
The only deal breakers i can think of are…well, i can’t think of any! i want a school that provides the things mentioned previously, but other than that i’m open. just as long as others (for the most part) are open as well, then i feel confident i’ll get on fine!</p>
<p>Erin’s Dad: My PSAT scores were above average but not exceptional (as i understand them). I received a 690 on the writing and critical reading and a 540 on the math (I actually don’t consider this indicative of my math skills, because math is one of my strongest subjects and I also forgot to bring a calculator to the exam! I did some major number crunching in my head for that test!). But i made some progress this year academically, and i took the SAT last saturday and felt fairly confident (cross my fingers). I took subject tests in US history and Literature in May; received a 710 in History and a 670 in Literature( which wasn’t very smart because i haven’t taken a Lit class and had to translate many of the poetic terms i’d learned in my Spanish Lit class to answer the questions!). I’m not against LAC’s in the west, and am in fact looking at schools over here as well, but as i know little to nothing about the schools in the east other than what i read online, i need help gathering information. So anything and everything you can tell me would be of great use!</p>
<p>Sylvan8798: I’ll need financial aid of some kind, and i’d rather a smaller school. I enjoy the more intimate classroom experience versus large lecture classes. i really want to sink my teeth into college, both on and off campus, and I feel if i went to a larger school i might slip under the sea of students. </p>
<p>ECazndb8r: single sex isn’t a deal breaker if the school is amazing! i actually looked into some of the women’s colleges, and they seem fantastic. if you could give me more information on them that would be lovely!</p>
<p>Thank you to everyone who responded! I appreciate all of this help!</p>
<p>University of Rochester is a little bigger, and a national research university rather than an LAC, but it has some of the philosophical attributes you mention, and a beautiful campus.</p>
<p>I just wanted to say that you sound like a really great kid! (i’m a parent, not a student) Anyway, I think that you would be fine at just about any of the NESCAC schools, even the ones that are rural, because there will be lots to do on campus, and the sense of community is very strong at these schools. </p>
<p>I know you asked about the East, but you also sound like a perfect fit for Grinnell! It is in a small town, but the school has very strong ties with the local community and there’s alot to do on campus – because it is so isolated, they always have stuff going on. The self-governance system fosters respect and shared responsibility among the students. Unpretentious and intellectual are the descriptions I always read of the students and the school combines a progressive culture with midwestern niceness! (My S chose Grinnell over staying locally for East Coast schools, that’s why I’m such a booster; he will be a freshman this fall.)</p>
<p>If you are hoping for merit aid, you will either need to get your test scores up or pick out schools that are a bit less academically competitive or SAT optional. Since you didn’t have your calculator, a retake sounds like a good idea, especially since you know your math score isn’t reflective of your ability.</p>
<p>Most of the top east coast LACs mentioned here do not provide merit aid-they only meet financial need (per their definition, not yours). Grinnell, in Iowa, is the exception, and you’d be a good fit culturally-but again, your current test scores will probably preclude merit aid. You’ll probably need to be in the top 25% of the applicant pool, at very least, to qualify. Take a look at the Common Data Set for each school to see how you compare to the other applicants.</p>
<p>Other schools (not necessarily in the NE) that offer merit aid (and by no means an exclusive list): Macalester (urban LAC in Minneapolis), Hendrix, Goucher (near Baltimore)</p>
<p>Assuming your test scores are what they are, Bates and Bowdoin are both SAT optional. And although Lewiston isn’t as pretty a town as, say, Brunswick, the campus itself is attractive, and there are many options for community engagement.</p>
<p>Have you considered New College of Florida? It is less selective than most of the other LACs you mentioned, however if you are looking for a beautiful campus with a lot of personal time with professors New College may be right for you! The students are intellectually motivated and love what they’re studying, a lot of times class discussions spill over into social gatherings. Mentoring middle school students is popular, if that is something you have enjoyed. New College is right on the bay, and has sunny and warm weather for most of the year. Professors are easily accessible outside of class, and are more than willing to meet and chat. In respect to financial aid almost everyone I know is receiving some amount of aid, especially the students with strong academic records. Both the physics department and philosophy department are popular, we even had one physics professor just receive a $1.7 million grant from the U.S. Army Research Laboratory([New</a> College of Florida - A Public Honors College for the Liberal Arts](<a href=“http://ncf.edu/stories/faculty/mariana]New”>http://ncf.edu/stories/faculty/mariana)) Anyway, I hope you check New College out!</p>
<p>Do the sample FAFSA to find out what your estimated family contribution would be. If you have a high EFC, then DO NOT go into major debt for your undergraduate education!! Look for schools where your grades and SAT’s place you in the upper ranks and go for merit aid. Look up threads of Schools with Great Merit Aid.</p>
<p>As someone mentioned you might like women’s colleges I think you’d probably like Wellesley, Smith and Bryn Mawr I fell great would be great fits, and they are all known for their generous financial aid. On the co=ed side you might also really like Swathmore and Haverford.</p>
<p>Holy Cross-SAT optional, located 1 hour from Boston, very nice campus, good mixture academics and athletics. Holy Cross also is need blind with respect to financial aid and slightly easier to gain admission vs Bowdoin.</p>