I will be applying to a lot of LACs this fall (I am a rising senior). Although I would love to attend schools like Williams and Amherst, I know my grades/scores are definately below par. I am asking if you can suggest any good LACs with a pretty good academic reputation that has a similar vibe to Williams/Amherst but is less competitive.
Rank-42/300
SAT- CR-670, M-590, W-640- March (w/o preparation)
Taking it in Oct- hoping low 700s for CR+W and mid 600s for Math
SAT ll US History- 660
SAT ll World History-680
SAT ll Literature- 700
-Sport for 4 years, also played for a team outside of school, camps
-Worked in law office (office work) for 2 years
<li>i attend a competitive high school; about 20% each year gets into ivys and about 70% get into other first tier schools. yeah i have no idea what happened to me and what im doing here.</li>
I’m thinking…
*Should I even try for Williams and Amherst at all?
*Yes I know all these schools aren’t LAC
Reach
Colby (maybe high-match)
Bard
Bate
BC
Matches
American University
Hampshire College
Skidmore
*i have safeties in mind that shouldn’t be a problem.
Which of the schools I listed are most similar to Amherst or Williams? And also please feel more than free to add more schools to my list.
PS- As an asian female, will i be considered an URM for LACs? Will it vary depending upon the schools? If so, in which LAC will being an asian be an advantage, a disadvantage?
<p>You're frankly not close to A or W. Some of the schools on your list - notably Bard, Hampshire, and, to a lesser extent, Skidmore, are not much like A & W. Much closer in character are Trinity, Colgate, Hamilton, Middlebury, and Kenyon.</p>
<p>Is there a reason you are avoiding 9/10ths of the United States? There are so many great LACs outside of the northeast, with faculty virtually interchangeable with those in Massachusetts, and much more reasonable in terms of admissions. Depauw, Knox, Whitman, St. Olaf's, Rhodes, Centre - all of which are much more within range.</p>
<p>Thanks! I'm looking for schools like Whitman, Knox...etc but just in the Northeast area...any suggestions there? This is silly, but I'm scared to go to the west or south...</p>
<p>lalaa, schools that are in the same feel as Williams and Amherst are Hamilton, Colgate, Kenyon, Conn College, Bowdoin, Bates, Colby and Skidmore. </p>
<p>Your scores and rank would indicate that A&W would out of range for you. What is your GPA? Are you taking APs or an IB program?</p>
<p>Let's see what happens after you get your October SAT results. Are you taking a prep course or getting any other tutoring?</p>
<p>At some of these schools being an Asian female will give you a bit of a boost, at others no. You can tell by looking at each school's demographics. </p>
<p>Are you planning to continue your sport? Are you recruitable? This is a big plus. ED is also a significant factor in admissions at these schools, but I'd only recommend it if you're not looking for substantial financial aid.</p>
<p>"Thanks! I'm looking for schools like Whitman, Knox...etc but just in the Northeast area...any suggestions there? This is silly, but I'm scared to go to the west or south..."</p>
<p>LOL! You don't want them to be in the Northeast, because if they were in the northeast, they'd be as difficult to get into as the northeast schools! They have the same quality faculty as AWS and the like, sometimes as much in the way of resources (in the case of Grinnell, more), etc., etc.</p>
<p>It used to be the case that the school that seemed closest in feel to Williams was Trinity (other than its urban location.)</p>
<p>Is there a reason you aren't considering Mount Holyoke? It is a little easier to get into, but its academic quality plays second-fiddle to nowhere. All-women of course, but it is part of the 5-College setup. Same for Bryn Mawr.</p>
<p>Look at Wheaton in Mass. It has a nice campus, great academic programs including an exchange program with a number of LAC, good sports teams, etc. I don't believe they require SATs. Holy Cross also decided not to require SATs.</p>
<p>May I suggest you put more effort in test prep this summer, and retake in October? This takes real effort since a. everyone else will be out visiting their final lists which is distracting and b. you will have to keep your list and visitations a bit tentative in case you up your scores (retake only if you notice you have improved on a legitimate practice effort exam.)
Just to see if you can get that math up. My son's swears by paper and pencil practice from the Real SATs..no gimmicks, just do it by the clock exactly like a test day. He learned a lot from mistakes and altered his college possibilities. Take the time to review every error. But you have to be committed.<br>
Also keep in mind that many other LACs below top twenty in selectivity list also deliver excellent educations and with effort you can shine there. Your SATIIs are quite nice and I am sure you have potential to do very well. Things like test prep commitment have to come from you however, and this is a skill that carries over to college study habits.</p>