LAC matches/low matches?

College Search & Selection
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<p>THIS IS PROBABLY WAY TOO MUCH INFO, I APOLOGISE. :) >>> Hi everyone, I am a graduated senior and will be applying to college this year during my gap year. So far I have a good mix of high matches/reaches and a safety, but I'm still looking for some solid "match" or "low match" schools, maybe with an acceptance rate between 30% and 40%.</p>

<p>School doesn't rank or do GPA, but ~A- average (graduated "with distinction")
SAT: 2270/2400, 1500/1600
SAT II: 790 Math II, will take lit in October
From a small, college prep school in NH
Planning on double majoring in either English and theatre or English and history... interested in being an editor, publisher, or rare book curator or librarian
First generation college
Will need FA, but not an overwhelming amount of it</p>

<p>[ul]
[<em>]Must be in New England... Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine; New York, Rhode Island, and Connecticut are iffy (because of distance from home)
[</em>]Preferably <4k students
[<em>]Not in an urban environment; preferably in a rural environment
[</em>]No religious affiliation
[li]Preferably a more liberal, artistic community... not necessarily "experimental" or "alternative" though[/li][/ul]</p>

<p>Applying to Amherst, Bard, Bennington, Bowdoin, Dartmouth, Middlebury, Vassar, Williams
Potentially applying to Colby, Connecticut College (haven't visited yet), Skidmore, Trinity (haven't visited yet), Wellesley (haven't visited yet), Wesleyan (haven't visited yet)</p>

<p>Vassar and Middlebury are my tops right now.</p>

<p>Thank you so much; let me know if you need any other info. :)</p>

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<p>Muhlenburg and Ursinus</p>

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<p>Hamilton and Colgate, perhaps?</p>

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<p>Have you run the net price calculator on each school’s web site and compared the result to your price limit?</p>

<p>ME, NH, MA, NY, CT, NJ have public LACs whose list prices (even for OOS) may be lower than the private LACs, and may be less selective (possible safety or low match candidates). But you need to check their prices against your own price limit.</p>

<p>A safety has a 100% chance of admission and affordability for you. If you have one that you like, you only need one.</p>

<p>A low match or near safety has a 90-99% chance of admission and affordability for you. If you do not have an actual safety, then you probably need several low matches or near safeties to minimize the risk of a shut out.</p>

<p>A 30-40% chance of admission and affordability for you is probably a high match or low reach.</p>

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<p>@ucbalumnus I have run the NPC on all schools I’ve considered (actually, my parents have) and generally we can afford to pay ~20-25k per year. EDIT: Due to greater endowments at more selective colleges and the presence of merit scholarships at less selective colleges, my family’s EFC has been pretty consistantly at 20k or a bit below per year at all of these schools. My family’s gross income changes a bit though as my dad is self-employed and his income changes quite a bit from year to year. I will also hold a well-paying(-for-an-internship) full-time job over the course of my gap year, so I plan on contributing to the payment as well. </p>

<p>I have a safety (Bennington).</p>

<p>I was considering my high match/low reach schools to be Bowdoin, Middlebury, and Vassar. I think these err on the side of a true reach, though. </p>

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<p><em>shameless double-posting</em> maybe some schools academically like Lafayette - acceptance rate in mid-30s, my SAT is above the 75th percentile for the school, and my average grade is above the median.</p>

<p>*NOTE: In no way am I trying to pass off these schools as safeties. I’m just looking for the type of college in between my safety (Bennington) and my reach schools (Amherst, Dartmouth, Williams, etc.) :)</p>

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<p>OP, as you’ve begun to realize, that type of college, given all your parameters, is difficult to find. The difference between a Bennington and your reaches is narrow. You have a couple safeties. If you’re happy with attending any of them, and can absolutely afford them, then you can have all reaches. I could suggest perhaps Skidmore as a match, but I’d need the breakdown of your SATI. </p>

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<p>Hamilton College has a rather strong writing program (even going as far to have “writing intensive courses” included in all subjects) which may be helpful in your dreams of becoming an editor. It fits all the attributes of a college you have listed and according to their website, promises to meet need. Check it out if you haven’t already</p>

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<p>Skidmore might be a very good safety (as is Bard which is already on your list). I don’t think Trinity is what you want – it is a fine school but it is very preppy and is in the middle of Hartford, CT so it has a more urban feel.</p>

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<p>Net price calculators may not be that accurate for self-employed people or variable income. You and your parents should run “worst case” (for financial aid purposes) net price calculator tests using income at the high end of the variable range, and with all of the self-employment-related deductions added back in. Make sure that your safeties or almost-safeties is affordable even in the worst case financial aid situation.</p>

<p>Bennington does consider a lot of subjective criteria in its admissions (see <a href=“Bennington College Acceptance Rate | CollegeData”>http://www.collegedata.com/cs/data/college/college_pg02_tmpl.jhtml?schoolId=128&lt;/a&gt; ), so if it does not have an automatic admission or scholarship for your stats, you may want to see it as an almost-safety (assuming you show a high enough “level of applicant’s interest”) rather than a 100% certain safety. But then you ought to have a few more almost-safeties if you do not have a 100% certain safety. Skidmore is similar in this respect.</p>

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<p>Wheaton (MA, not IL) is probably a low match, given your stats, and you might qualify for a decent merit scholarship. It seems to meet most of your criteria. </p>

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<p>I think your list is good. The only highly ranked New England LACs that you haven’t mentioned are Smith, Mt Holyoke, Hampshire and Bates. In the Albany area, there is also Union College. I’m sure you looked these over on your list. </p>

<p>Because of the financial uncertainty, it might be good to have an acceptance to an inexpensive OOS public school if you want small. SUNYs come in list price for Tuition, Room and Board at just under 30K. If push comes to shove, these can probably be done with a combination of Stafford Loans by you and PLUS loans by your parents. It’s only a little more than the in-state cost of UNH which is $26K. </p>

<p>SUNY Purchase has 4000 students and is very artsy. SUNY New Paltz has 7000 students and higher SAT scores. SUNY Geneseo is the public Honors LAC in the SUNY system, but it’s near Rochester and seems like it would be out of your comfort zone distance wise. </p>

<p>Public Liberal Arts colleges in New England cater to primarily lower caliber students, but I’ve read that UMaine Farmington is probably the best of the bunch and it’s a little cheaper than the SUNYs for OOS. </p>

<p>SUNYs have unrestricted early action, so getting into a college in December could relieve a lot of stress. </p>

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<p>@jkeil911‌ my SAT I breakdown is 760 CR, 740 M, 770 W.</p>

<p>@ucbalumnus my parents have done that as well (worst-case net price calculator). I also applied to colleges last year and ended up saying no to all of the ones that accepted me, but all of the FA offers I got that year were fine, and we’re guessing my dad’s income this year will only be a bit less than last year (he’s a musician, so it’s kind of easy to predict based on when albums are released and how many shows he does, etc).</p>

<p>Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who has responded; I really appreciate the help and suggestions! :)</p>

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<p>Skidmore is probably a safety except that you’d have to look at what they base their holistic decision upon. What’s “important” they say are ECs, character, talent, volunteering, work experience, and some other elements that you’d have to emphasize in your application. Else you’re a match.</p>

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<p>Your preference for Northern New England LACs greatly limits the number of good “match” choices. Many Midwestern, Southern, and Mid-Atlantic LACs are less selective than their NESCAC peers, and offer more merit aid. Kenyon, for example, has a top-notch English department, claims to cover about 95% of demonstrated financial need, and gives merit scholarships to 23% of its students (according to Kiplinger’s). It often shows up on lists of the country’s most beautiful college campuses. 36% acceptance rate, rural setting. </p>

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<p>@tk21769‌ I know that only looking in New England narrows down my options, but I’m also open to some mid-Atlantic states. The geographic rule is more my parents’ - because I’m an only child and a first generation college student, they want to have me within several hours of home.</p>

<p>I love what I’ve heard about Kenyon, but it really is too far.</p>

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<p>I add the assets of my small business back in for NPC runs as well. OP, I also think Kenyon would be a fantastic school for you and a match. You might see if they will let you apply, and visit after getting in. It is clearly a great fit with your interested.</p>

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<p>@intparent I will talk to my parents about it, then. Do you mind if I ask a quick question about it, though? I am reading in some places that it’s religiously affiliated, and in some places that it’s not. Which is right? I am an atheist, but totally accepting of other people’s religious views… But at the same time, I don’t think I’d do well at a religious school…</p>

<p>Thanks so much!</p>

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<p>It was religiously affiliated something like 80 years ago, but is no longer. There is no hint of it any more on campus. No worries. :)</p>

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<p>Good to hear; thank you! :)</p>