<p>Hello! I need some help finding some liberal arts safeties and matches.
Just as a quickie, here're my stats. </p>
<ul>
<li>Asian female from Cali </li>
<li>4.0/4.0 GPA </li>
<li>SAT 2210 (CR 700 M 720 W 790)</li>
<li>SAT II math 2 800 physics 740</li>
<li>ACT 32 (not submitting) </li>
<li>AP Physics B, Language, Calc AB - 5 </li>
<li>varsity and club track 4 years (a couple of awards/finalist in JOs)- recruited athlete at some of the colleges I've been looking into </li>
<li>musician (piano 14 years, violin 6 years)- I also teach violin to little kids, have a couple of awards and such in piano and violin, participated in school, community, and church orchestras, section leader/concert mistress positions </li>
<li>NHS, MHS, and an officer position in another club</li>
</ul>
<p>Those are the main ones, there're a couple of other things that I haven't mentioned.
I'm interested in liberal arts colleges. Amherst is my dream school, but of course, as for most- if not all- that apply there, it's a reach. The other schools I'm looking at are Pomona, CMC, Wesleyan, Haverford, and Connecticut College. I think the only school that's a match right now is Conn. </p>
<p>So! Can someone suggest any matches and safeties for me?
I'd like to go east (New England area, not any further south than North Carolina). The only exceptions to that are Pomona and CMC in socal- I used to live in LA, so I know I'd be okay at either of the two schools location wise, but I'd REALLY like to go east. I like having seasons, and the cold and SNOW!</p>
<p>You might get more help if you indicate a proposed major and cost / financial aid constraints, if any.</p>
<p>If you are ok with a non-LAC, the UC and CSU systems should have some schools that you can use as safeties if you are a California resident.</p>
<p>If you go to a safety where the students on average have lower stats than you, it may be more intellectually stimulating to go to a large school than a small one. A large school may be likely to have a broader range of students, as well as a broader range of courses (e.g. honors courses other “hard” courses for those who want more of a challenge, “easy” courses for those at the low end of the range), while a smaller school may have less to offer to students who are significantly above (or below) its average student.</p>
<p>One of the beauties of good LACs is that they encourage students to enter “undecided” and decide on a major after sampling various options. And the LACs she is considering are already at the top of the cost chain, so it is likely if she can afford those, she can afford anything proposed as a safety.</p>
<p>People like boutique, designer clothes and would choose them if they could wear anything. Doesn’t mean they can afford to buy them. Its an important question. Is she looking for an academic safety or financial as well?</p>
<p>I’m looking for both- colleges that are one or the other, or both. I come from a middle class family and my parents say they can contribute about 10k-13k. The numbers will probably be different though once we plug them into an EFC calculator- work has been insane for my dad lately and I hardly see him. But as soon as he’s not busy, which should be in a week or two, we’re going to sit down and enter in the numbers. </p>
<p>I’ve also been looking at some UCs, but I’m trying not to go to one if I can. I have older friends who’re going to various UCs right now, and they say it’s been hell trying to get into classes.</p>
<p>You should definitely look into/apply to a UC or two. It will be helpful to have more options come spring. You should be competitive for Davidson College (its #9 LAC) and it offers a no-loan policy in admission.</p>
<p>Might look at Holy Cross good LAC 1 hour from Boston. HC offers good combination of academics and athletics. The campus is very nice and the school is need-blind for admissions(same as Ivies). HC is easier to get into than Amherst, Davidson, Wesleyan.</p>
<p>If you’re a recruited athlete and can establish a clear first choice, you really should think about applying ED at that school. The athletic recruit card is most valuable in the ED round. You should post on the athletic recruit forum if you have questions about that process.</p>
<p>So do lots of Big State Universities, at least in the liberal arts and science majors. However, in both the LAC and Big State University cases, the school may be good or not so good in some subjects – if the student has any inkling about what s/he may be most interested in, even if currently undecided, it would be best to choose a school that offers the more likely majors and is good in them.</p>
<p>For match schools, look at the USNWR LACs ranked from about #20 - 40. Don’t overlook Midwestern or women’s colleges. </p>
<p>For admission safeties, look at USNWR LACs ranked beyond #40 or so. Also look at the “Colleges That Change Lives” list.</p>
<p>You have many options. I think the quality and atmosphere is a little more consistent among the top ~40 LACs than it is among the top ~40 Universities.</p>
<p>There are so many great LAC’s. What is it about Amherst that you like that is different than other LAC’s. That might help people suggest other schools that have the same thing. I also second Middlebury. It has its own ski mountain and lots of snow.</p>
<p>I’m not convinced that all of the #1-20 LACs consistently offer a better education than all of the #21-40 LACs. However, the latter do tend to be less selective. For broadening a list of matches and safeties, the rankings can be a helpful, reasonably objective starting point. </p>
<p>Of course, if you don’t trust data-driven rankings, there are more subjective ways to go about this process.</p>
<p>I only applied to LACs aside from my state school and my safeties consisted of Goucher, Dickinson, Brandeis (that may not actually be an LAC now that I think of it), and Bryn Mawr. All of those schools offered me merit aid aside from Brandeis. The awards ranged from 15k/year to full tuition. </p>
<p>If you’re looking at Haverford and Amherst you should think about…Swarthmore!! (I’m clearly biased).</p>
<p>Why I love Amherst? I love that it has an open curriculum. The 5 college consortium and a great college town. I love its location! It’s academics are spectacular- that goes without saying, but it has a decent track team as well- both indoor and outdoor. I like that there’s no Greek life too. I recently got in contact with a childhood friend who I hadn’t seen or talked to in forever and to my surprise, she told me she goes to Amherst! She’s been telling me lots about it, and she is a bio major (I’m leaning towards bio too but not definite). Everything I’ve heard and researched about the school, I’m loving! Now it’s just a matter of getting in… Which I’ll be applying ED!</p>
<p>For those suggesting schools like Midd and Swarthmore- would those really be matches for me? I kept them off my list because I didn’t want to apply to so many reaches and so few safeties/matches.</p>