<p>I am a junior who is interested in majoring in International Relations (or something related) at a liberal arts college in the northeast.</p>
<p>Stats:
3.4 GPA (unweighted)
SAT: 560- Reading, 540- Math, 550- Writing (<<First time, will be retaking)
Only 4 EC's (Mentoring, FCCLA, Foreign Language Club, Prom Committee)
All honors and AP core classes and four years of a foreign language</p>
<p>Any suggestions on colleges that I should look into? I would like to be in close proximity to a major city like New York City, Washington, D.C., Boston, Philidelphia, etc. </p>
<p>There are so many LACs in Pennsylvania depending on where your scores end up-----Gettysburg, Lafayette, F &M, Muhlenberg, Ursinus. Lehigh and Bucknell if you want slightly larger and get slightly higher scores. Some of them care about demonstrated interest, so try to visit and interview at the ones that seem most interesting.</p>
<p>Bear in mind many LAC’s are in rural, out of the way locations! </p>
<p>What can your family afford? Have they calculated their EFC? ( Expected Family Contribution) Or will they be full pay and not eligible for any financial aid? NOW is the time to look into these financial factors, because it should affect WHERE you apply. Many LAC’s run $40,000-$60,000/year.</p>
<p>By close proximity I mean about an hour or less. I just want to be close to a major city for weekend trips, internships, and easy access to an airport in the event I need to fly home.</p>
<p>Check out Sarah Lawrence College (outside NYC), Eugene Lang (in NYC / Greenwich Village), and Goucher (outside Baltimore).</p>
<p>Many other LACs in the NE are either rural or long reaches for your grades and scores. Consider small regional universities like Loyola University MD (in Baltimore). If you’re female and would consider a women’s college outside the NE, check out Agnes Scott (Atlanta) or Mills College (Oakland, CA). </p>
<p>Like most LACs, these are expensive schools. I don’t think any of them cover 100% of demonstrated need. Goucher, for example, on average covers about 75% of demonstrated need (the gap between EFC and costs). Download the Common Data Set files for each school that interests you; look closely at the Financial Aid sections (part H). </p>
<p>Trinity College (Hartford) seems to give pretty good need-based aid. It would be a reach, but especially if you can raise your scores, you may have a shot. Your best bet for an admission & financial safety probably will be an in-state directional university.</p>
<p>SAT scores aren’t high enough for most of the schools mentioned in post #2 (Gettysburg, Lafayette, F &M, Muhlenberg, Ursinus. Lehigh and Bucknell), e.g. below the 25th percentile. Maybe OK for Ursinus and Muhlenberg, as they are less selective than the others.</p>
<p>Wheaton College in MA is a really good LAC it’s very close to Boston and Providence. They highly encourage their students to study abroad during their time at Wheaton.</p>
<p>You will probably have a better idea once you retake the SAT’s or consider applying to test optional schools only, if your SAT scores do not improve.</p>
<p>Your desire to be very close to an urban area restricts your LAC choices but nevertheless…</p>
<p>Canisius College, NY
Dickinson College, PA</p>
<p>And if you expand your desired region to include Ohio (it is in the eastern time zone, after all) there’s Ohio Wesleyan University near Columbus, as well as Case Western Reserve University and the College of Wooster. Don’t know if CWRU has an International Relations major or minor.</p>