Looking for a college

<p>-Looking for a college in the Midwest/Northwest/West Coast.
-It has to have a good psychology program. (Want to later go into IO psychology)
-Rural/Suburban laid back type of area
-Should have a lot of nature, and would be perfect if there was a river
-Should have smaller class sizes
-Cost is a big concern- low income family</p>

<p>I have looked at Brown and Pepperdine, with Brown being a reach and Pepperdine a match. I know Brown isn't in the regions I have listed but it's probably the only university I would go to in the Northeast. </p>

<p>My information:</p>

<p>-Ukrainian immigrant
-English is third language; fluent in Ukrainian, Russian, and English.
-Very low income
-State of residence is California
-Worked for 4 years
-Probably not going to mention this since I stopped playing as much when I moved to US, but was a candidate to masters in chess when I was 10 years old, and ranked 12th in the country in my age group back then.</p>

<p>Unweighted GPA: 3.7
ACT Composite Score: 34</p>

<p>EC Activities:</p>

<p>Football- 4 years, 3 years varsity
Debate Team- 4 Years, Captain 1 year
Chess- 4 years, Captain 2 years
Student Council- 4 years
Engineering Club- 4 years, Captain 1 year
French Club- 4 years, Officer 1 year
Junior Academy of Science- 4 years
Coached middle school soccer- 100+ hours
Food drives at a local church- 70+ hours
Volunteering at school activites- 30+ hours
Volunteering at a different church setting up for activites- 100+ hours
Volunteering at an organization for terminally ill children- 40+ hours
As I previously mentioned, I worked for 4 years.</p>

<p>If you could, please list some colleges that I could consider Reaches/Matches/Safeties. I have been doing research but can't seem to find good psychology schools that aren't in the Northeast or those that I could surely get into.</p>

<p>Thanks a lot for reading.</p>

<p>This screams out Reed to me. River runs through campus, suburban LAC with small classes, good FA to low income families. It will be a bit of a reach but work on the essays.</p>

<p>Lewis and Clark would work nearly as well (a little less selective) but I’m not sure of their FA.</p>

<p>Pomona College in Southern California</p>

<p>Thanks for your replies.</p>

<p>I looked at Reed college and it does seem like it matches my criteria. There is one major thing that I don’t like being that it’s right in the middle of the city from what I’ve looked at.
Also, which Lewis and Clark are you talking about? (Idaho or Oregon?)</p>

<p>I also looked at Pomona, and will look at it more thoroughly later.</p>

<p>Thanks again for the replies.</p>

<p>Bump 10char</p>

<p>Lewis and Clark is in Portland.</p>

<p>Whitman.
St. Olaf if you are traditional; Carleton for quirkier-- both in Northfield, MN which has a river.
Grinnell (no river though).
Lawrence-- in a smallish city and right along the river.</p>

<p>Of all these, I think Carleton might be especially pleasing to you.</p>

<p>Check the student life section of college web sites for an outdoor club that offers equipment check out and excursions.</p>

<p>Thanks a lot I am currently in the process of checking these schools out!</p>

<p>Since I am a CA resident, what schools can I count on as safeties that would be the best match for my criteria? (CSUs?)</p>

<p>Agree that Carleton sounds like a match in all respects-a match/reach. But financial aid at Grinnell is likely to be better (and a railroad runs through it, instead of a river)-a match.</p>

<p>Safety-- some of the suggestions probably are such good matches that they would feel almost like safeties.</p>

<p>More safe-- Gustavus Aldolphus. It’s in a small town in Minnesota. It has an outdoor club. You could contact them to see how active it is. (This is one of my daughter’s top choices.)</p>

<p>Lewis and Clark is in Portland, but on the suburban edge near a state park (forest), Reed is in the middle of Portland, but not downtown- in a residential area; Willamette University in Salem and Gonzaga University might be good safeties or matches; echo the suggestion of Whitman. In the midwest perhaps Grinnell College (no river close by), Kenyon College, or Centre College.</p>

<p>Kenyon has a river of corn… :)</p>

<p>U of Puget Sound? No river, but there is water</p>

<p>Reed is on the edge of Portland, with a spring, stream, lake and canyon comprising a 28-acre wildlife preserve in the middle of Reed’s 116 acres. See [Reed</a> College | Canyon | Home](<a href=“http://web.reed.edu/canyon]Reed”>Canyon - Reed College).</p>

<p>Real safe (if you can stand the cold)-- Northern Michigan University. Their tag line is “Northern, Naturally.”
From the web site: Northern is located in the city of Marquette (pop. 20,000) in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The region offers: 11 hiking trails; 96 miles of cross country ski trails; 500 miles of snowmobile trails; 11 accessible waterfalls; and about 10 miles of city bike paths.</p>

<p>I don’t know how generous financial aid is, but OP would be in the running for some merit aid (some of which is automatic if you meet the criteria).</p>

<p>I’d look at The University of Iowa – the Iowa River runs right through the middle of the campus. Very friendly – Fiske Guide rates Iowa as a Best Buy, and with your stats, you should get merit aid. Town/campus is scenic and very friendly and laid back. Liberal Arts and Medical are two areas of focus for the university. Class sizes are good for a public flagship. Smallest Big Ten public school. Good luck!</p>

<p>Added some of the mentioned to my list after looking through them. Anyone know some colleges near any body of water? I don’t know why, but it seems like an important requirement for me lol
Thanks a lot guys, you helped a lot.</p>

<p>Probably a safety: University of Puget Sound</p>

<p>You scream Northwestern to me! There’s a huge body of water (Lake Michigan) and it’s in Evanston, 30-45 mins from Chicago and quaint. The campus is not that outdoorsy but there are trees everywhere, grass, and even black squirrels every once and awhile (there are a ton of squirrels in general).</p>

<p>If cost is an issue, there is financial aid and there is also a loan cap program of 20K I believe and 0 if you meet certain requirements. Also you might consider applying through the QuestBridge program as well.</p>

<p>I applied to NU and Grinnell and NU was less expensive for me.</p>

<p>Also at NU, Psych is one of the most popular majors and we have a great department. Students can easily get on board to do research with profs either through independent study or work study. If you get work study, this is a great job option.</p>