<p>Preferably under 2000 students. I've always gone to ridiculously small, "specialized" schools. My eighth-grade class had 19 students, and my graduating class ('09) will have 8. I like schools that are focused on academics, but are focused more on the learning than on the grades.</p>
<p>Stats:
-White, female, Nevada.
-Possible majors: Neuroscience/biology/biochemistry/environmental science/English/psychology/philosophy.
-GPA: Not sure because my school is weird, but probably will end up being something like 3.95 UW. I have had 1 B+, 1 A- and the rest are As.
-Rising HS senior, but younger than most (graduating early). I'm 15 and will be 16 when I enter college, so I want a place where I'm going to feel comfortable and safe.
-2250 (super-scored) SAT: 690 Math, 800 CR, 760 Writing. However, I'm taking the ACT June 14 and hopefully will do well on it. Also taking the Subject Tests June 7. 226 PSAT, so likely NMSF.
-ECs: Choir, started the environmental club at school and we do cool stuff, Student Council, the Youth City Council in my city, Newspaper, Community Crusaders. Probably 50+ community service hours from this past school year.</p>
<p>-No APs, instead taking duel enrollment university classes.</p>
<p>Can anyone suggest some reaches and matches for me? I already have a safety where I'm guaranteed admission and (probably) huge amounts of scholarship money. I don't really care about where the school is as long as it's somewhere in the continental U.S. I also would like a coed school.</p>
<p>dotti, Williams College in Massachusetts sounds ideal for you. It's just over 2000 students, in an extremely safe environment (a pristine mountain village). It offers excellent academics with an intimate and personal educational approach. Good sciences, good music, and an extremely "green" community.</p>
<p>For somewhat less selective options I would recommend Kenyon, Hamilton, Bowdoin and Middlebury.</p>
<p>You should buy a copy of the Fiske Guide to Colleges (or borrow one from the library) and start reading the capsule reports on small liberal arts colleges.</p>
<p>You don't provide enough information to really make specific recommendations as the campus cultures at these schools varies quite a bit: jock or not, heavy drinking scence or not, "intellectual" or not, more pre-professional or PhD oriented, different locations and climates, etc.</p>
<p>Your stats make you competitive for the very top LACs: Amherst, Pomona, Swarthmore, Williams, Carleton, etc. However, I think you still have to consider these reach schools. However, there are a lot of really good schools in the top 20 or 25 small liberal arts colleges.</p>
<p>Tell us a little more about the location and the campus culture you are looking for and we'll try to recommend some.</p>
<p>"What is this.. A COLLEGE FOR ANTS?!?! IT HAS TO BE AT LEAST... 2 TIMES BIGGER THAN THIS!" --- Sorry... couldn't help thinking of Zoolander when I read you were looking for a tiny college.</p>
<p>One good thing to do is to do an advanced search on CollegeBoard.com and check out the schools with the sizes that are right for you. Definitely stick with the LACs though, they look like the best fit for you.</p>
<p>As for jock, I'd like to go to the occasional basketball game, but I don't want sports to be the focus of my college experience. And considering that I won't even be 21 when I graduate college, the heavy drinking scene is a no as well. I do want campus life, though. I just don't really want a party school.</p>
<p>I want to go to grad school and/or med school, so I want places with research opportunities.</p>
<p>And as for "intellectual", I don't want a pretentious sort of place where everyone pretends to be ridiculously smart and goes around spouting off random tidbits about literature. I'd like more of a "collaborative learning environment" where people work hard, care about academics, and care about learning. I also like classes that are primarily discussion-based. Lectures are okay for science/math classes, though.</p>
<p>Take a look at the Patriot League schools. All quite small 3-4000 students total each and all liberal arts colleges with Division 1 athletics and well repected academically.</p>
<p>I second Davidson as a possibility. I've always liked its emphasis on the educational experience for undergraduates. I couldn't get my daughter to look at it on our spring break college road trip even though we passed within 10 miles of it -- "too small." </p>
<p>Another possibility is Dickinson College in Pennsylvania. </p>
<p>Haverford is quite small (1100) with an emphasis on community and academics. You might also want to look at an all women's school, most of which are small and emphasize community. I don't know how competitive your school is, and that makes a difference, but it looks like you should be able to get into any top LAC. I'm also going to recommend counselor-o-matic on princetonreview.com because it will find you good matches, reaches and safeties based on the information you input, and their categories are pretty detailed.</p>
<p>Thomas Aquinas and Christendom both have about 400 students.St.Johns in Annapolis is equally small.Davidson and Washington and Lee both have about 1600 students.All are superb.</p>
<p>Haverford, Ursinus, Dickinson, Bryn Mawr, Franklin and Marshall--all in PA; Reed (OR) St Mary's (Maryland), Southwestern (TX), Oberlin (OH), Washington and Lee (VA), Hamilton (NY), Kenyon (OH), Rhodes (TN), Colorado College, Beloit (Wisconsin)</p>
<p>All of these will offer nice opportunities for undergrad research and several of them have competitive D-III athletics, but--as I understand them--no athletics focus. There IS no shortage of small schools that will offer you great opportunities! Keep us posted!</p>
<p>If you're willing to go a little bigger (2,800 undergrads), my school, Wesleyan, might be a good fit.</p>
<p>I agree that Haverford sounds like a place you'd like, and I'd add ot that Swarthmore (esp. if you end up visiting, because it's very easy to visit both at once). Also make sure to look at Carelton.</p>
<p>What about Maine schools? Colby, Bates and Bowdoin might well fit the bill, and check out Trinity College in Hartford. These schools are all somewhat "preppy" but are excellent.</p>
<p>Hiram and College of Wooster in Ohio would both be excellent schools for you and both offer amazing merit money for a student like you. You would also bring an element of geographic diversity. Also, what about Grinnell in Iowa or Goucher in Maryland ? All are excellent schools.</p>
<p>I second Wells - about 500 students total, your scores qualify you for their big merit scholarship, and you can take courses at Cornell just up the road if they are not offered at Wells....</p>