Looking for a great fit!!!

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hey, I have a few ideas academically what I want out of a college, but because I can't really visit any, I'll have to rely on you guys to help me out a bit :0 So, below is what I am looking for, and below that are my stats. Thanks again!</p>

<p>Size: Small to medium. No larger than 10,000 students unless it fits PERFECTLY w/ every other category</p>

<p>Location: medium to large city. I would prefer a city that's at least 50,000+ people</p>

<p>Surroundings: Beautiful, with lots of green and trees. Weaher isn't an issue, except I don't really want it really hot (i.e. not Texas/Cally) . Don't mind winters. Want to be able to drive someplace and go camping,fishing, etc.</p>

<p>People: I realize this one is hard to judge. I'm lower middle class, so I won't be driving around a BMW and wearing Abercrombi & Fitch (is that how you spell that brand?) Prefer a socioeconomic mix w/o TONS of preppies.</p>

<h1>STATS</h1>

<p>I'm a white male from WA state (eastern part, not Seattle), and will be a senior.</p>

<p>SAT I NEW: 2200 (740 M, 730 CR, 730 W)
SAT II: (760 Chem, 800 IIC)</p>

<p>My school doesn't offer AP's, but I'll graduate w/ an Associate of Arts degree from my local community college. But, if this is going to cause problems (i.e. transfer student status) then I won't accept the degree, and I'll just have a bunch of credits</p>

<p>GPA UW @ High School: 4.00
GPA UW @ College: 3.95-3.97 (still one year left)</p>

<p>Classes:</p>

<p>4+ yrs. HS math w/calculus as sophmore, 3 quarters college calculus 4.0 GPA
2+ yrs. HS science
3 quarters "Advanced Inorganic Chemistry" @ college w/ 3.8 GPA (94% avg.)
1 (maybe more) quarter of 200 level Physics @ college (haven't taken yet)
4+ yrs. Social Sciences/History
3 quarters Japanese @ college 4.00 GPA</p>

<p>EC's:</p>

<p>4 yrs. varsity Math Team, 3 yrs varsity captain w/ state level finishes
4 yrs. varsity Knowledge Bowl, 3 yrs. varsity captain
2 yrs. National Honor Society Member (that's the max @ my school)
Eagle Scout
9 years private guitar instruction (I ROCK!!!)
participant of UDOC (a competitive pre-med interested program)
80+ hrs. volunteering @ local hospital
200+ hrs. volunteering in ER</p>

<p>I'm special because:</p>

<p>I can solve a Rubik's cube in about 1 min 15 sec.</p>

<p>That's all I can think of off the top of my head...feel free to ask/suggest anything or any schools, and thanks again!</p>

2

<p>you should go to <a href="http://www.review.com%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.review.com&lt;/a> and to the whatever - o -matic thing..i dont remember what it's called. but you have to sign up to do it (it's free). that will giveyou a good start</p>

3

<p>Lotus, You would fit in at many, many medium sized universities and small LACs and your grades and scores would make you a contender at all. No guarantees of course, so make sure that your research those safeties/sure bets thoroughly. The first rule of college search is to build your list from the bottom up: Love thy safety.</p>

<p>You should also take a hard look at your family's financial situation. The top colleges are generous with needblind aid, but the second tier into which most people's matches fall, are variable in their merit offers. You should have a financial safety list as well.</p>

<p>A few things in your self description -- Eagle Scout, outdoorsy activity, interest in rigorous math & science academics, possible pre-med, beautiful natural environment -- make me think that Williams would be a good fit for you. (Still a reach for almost everyone, though.) It's definitely not near a city so a visit would be in order. Amherst which is in a lively small town is also a good option (and also a reach).</p>

4

<p>Dartmouth comes to mind, esp. the outsdoorsy part. It is also on the reach side.</p>

<p>What do you want to major in? Or at the very least -- science, social science, math, english, or languages?</p>

5

<p>Check out Lawrence University in Appleton, Wi: Cooperative medical field degrees with other institutions, music conservatory, Japanese studies, study abroad programs, good financial aid & merit aid. My son will attend next year, it was his first choice, and he doesn't like the "preppy" image as well. Appleton is a medium-sized city with friendly folks according to him with cold winters that you can count on! Has a local airport with big city connections which was important to us. I don't know about the camping and fishing but it is on a river and very near a lake and close to the great lakes. The school has a lodge where different departments meet on Lake Michigan in an area that one of the teachers who works with me says is like a mini-New England area. Her mom runs a B&B there. I don't know. Haven't been.</p>

6

<p>Oh yes, about 11% internationals.</p>

7

<p>Best thing to do is to get a Fiske Guide to Colleges and read every entry. Make note of the schools that look interesting to you. Then you can come back here and ask about specific schools or issues (like merit aid, etc.)</p>

<p>Have fun!</p>

8

<p>thanks for all of the advice! For my major, I am actually interested in the possibilty of double majoring in asian studies/japanese and a physical science (be it chemistry, physics, or even math). Hope that helps a bit.</p>

<p>BTW, I went on review, and it pops up the following:</p>

<p>Reach: 1) Harvard + Pomona (i'm not interested in Harvard, though)</p>

<p>Safety: 1) Elmira College + Ithaca College + Wittenburg University (never heard of any)</p>

<p>Match: 1) Bennington + Claremont Mckenna (bennington is too experimental, and CMC is too hot, lol!)</p>

<p>Any thoughts? (BTW Williams was #2 for match...)</p>

9

<p>
[quote]
My school doesn't offer AP's, but I'll graduate w/ an Associate of Arts degree from my local community college.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>You are definitely going to have to check the admissions policies at each school because you may be applying as a transfer student vs. a freshman. As a transfer, your chances may greatly diminish</p>

10

<p>Too many top schools are not in large cities, lol. But look at Boston schools (BC, BU, Harvard, Tufts, Emerson, Brandeis) & Chicago (U Chicago, Northwestern).</p>

11

<p>Yous should definitely check out Ithaca as a good safety...I visited in the spring and it was absolutely gorgeous. It seems to meet most of what you want too.</p>

12

<p>"You are definitely going to have to check the admissions policies at each school because you may be applying as a transfer student vs. a freshman. As a transfer, your chances may greatly diminish"</p>

<p>Yeah, I forgot to change that info. I'm actually going to not get my AA just because of that very fact. Instead, I'll just have a bunch of college credits and no degree.</p>

13

<p>
[quote]
Any thoughts?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Yes. Any college recommendation site that comes up with Bennington and Claremont-McKenna as the top two matches for the same student is obviously worthless. It would be difficult to imagine two schools are are more dissimilar.</p>

<p>It's also implausible to have Pomona as a "reach" and Williams as a "match" as admissions selectivity into those two schools is essentially identical.</p>

14

<p>Yeah, my thoughts exactly. I doubt Williams is anything but a reach to ANYBODY. Ditto for pomona. So, any other thoughts about schools? How about possible safeties besides Ithaca (doesn't offer asian studies)</p>

15

<p>Dartmouth, Brown, Duke, Northwestern.</p>

16

<p>k, that's a good cover of reachs. How about matches and safeties? Any thoughts?</p>

17

<p>Reed would be a good fit- at least worth looking at although Reedies have to take Japanese at Lewis and Clark</p>

18

<p>Wouldn't Macalester meet every single one of your descriptors?</p>

<p>(Williams is not within 75 minutes of any city of the size you describe. 73% of Caucasian students receive no need-based aid, and of the rest, 20% are in the top quintile in family income. You'd see LOTS of Abercrombie, etc. Beautiful place, with great academics, but doesn't get close to meeting your description.)</p>

19

<p>you wouldnt like ithaca. its a nice campus in a nice town but all the students are jocks/preps</p>

20

<p>emeraldkity4: So can Reedies actually major/minor in Japanese? I didn't know that they could take Jap courses at L+C, that's cool! I just thought that you could only major in Chinese at Reed, so this is new to me. Could you tell me some more?</p>

<p>mini: Yes, I've actually looked at Mac. The only thing that I've come across as a problem is the financial angle, since they only offer $5000 in merit scholarships (that's for Merit Scholars). Are they good about aid?</p>