My D prefers a smaller campus and a LAC environment although she wants to apply to NYU too. We need some true safeties with (hopefully) good economics departments. Or business departments. Prefer the Northeast but willing to look out of the corner!
GPA 4.3 weighted (not sure unweighted–3.8 or something?).
She hasn’t gotten SAT or ACT scores back yet but lets assume (based on PSAT) 700 math and 600 verbal.
Good EC’s and lots of community service hours. School doesn’t rank any more but guessing top 10% if not top 5%.
Or even true match schools! Most of those on our list (Colby, Wellesley, NYU, etc.) we are considering to be reach schools. I haven’t been able to find any kind of list out there that isn’t full of schools that are really hard to get in. There must be some hidden gem somewhere. Anyone?
Within this group of highly regarded LAC economics departments you will find at least a few of moderate selectivity, though they are listed unscreened by this restriction:
Williams
Wellesley
Middlebury
Wesleyan
Hamilton
CMC
Colgate
URichmond
Holy Cross
Vassar
Lafayette
Bates
Bowdoin
Macalester
Trinity
Amherst
Agnes Scott
Colby
For the full analysis, based on faculty publishing, see “Economics Departments at Liberal Arts Colleges,” IDEAS.
Some ideas in the Northeast offhand might be Muhlenberg, Fordham (Rose Hill) which has non binding EA, Dickinson, Union, Skidmore, Trinity, Conn College, Siena, Gettysburg, St. Lawrence U and Goucher. You can also check the Colleges That Change Lives List. It also may be worth picking up a college guide book such as Fiske, Princeton Review etc and seeing what else strikes you (books are probably in the HS guidance dept. or local library).
A top 5-10% student with a 1300 SAT and good ECs can have a reasonable expectation of admission to colleges such as URichmond, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Trinity and Agnes Scott. The referenced analysis will provide her with additional well-regarded options.
For a 1300 SAT, Gettysburg for sure. Robust econ faculty with 15 professors, usually very good on the money-side and beautifully maintained campus with excellent food. Good merit play.
U Scranton is another idea if business curriculum is important. Very high quality campus with excellent housing and food. Some aspects of the business program are ranked in the top 25 nationally. Good merit play.
Clark University is good - They have a small Econ Phd program, do some research, and have a business school. They have full year study abroad program with LSE and a fifth year free program where you can get an MBA. It suffers in the rankings because of location (City of Worcester - which is trending better) and lack of large research programs (it is more like a LAC with a few small Phd programs.
Stonehill College (Easton Mass) has more Econ research than some of the NESCAC schools, also has a business program. I think it used to be a regional LAC due to the high percentage of professional degrees conferred- hence its low rank. Known for Good starting salaries.
Wheaton College in Norton, Mass. Known more for strong sciences, but got a new president from Babson a few years ago and is building a business program. Need to double check to make sure they offer enough courses. Cross enrollment with Brown. Semester exchange with 12 colleges including Dartmouth. http://ocp-prod.dartmouth.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgram&Program_ID=9088
University of Vermont - Very old, small (for a state school), liberal artsy school that feels more like a private. Has undergrad business, out of state merit. Beautiful area, but cold in winter. Near Middlebury.
Safeties usually do not give great need based aid. sounds like you’ve been running NPCs on reach and match schools. Once you run them on real safeties, you may find that you’re being gapped.
how much can you spend each year?
Safeties must be affordable…otherwise they’re not safeties.
Beloit College is a top-65 (or so) LAC with a pretty good Business/Econ rep. I’m not sure it’s really “safety” material – they consider themselves among the best private schools in Wisconsin, and they’re right. It might be more of a match or a low match school for someone with, say, a 2000 on the SAT.
Yeah, I’d expect this kid to get merit at the safeties. They do give some need based aid on top of it. My older daughter got merit at some of these schools (Clark, Wheaton, Dickinson, etc.) and need based aid to meet EFC. She didn’t get any Parent Plus loans. I’ll have 3 kids in college by the time this one (econ kid) goes. Called the older D’s school to see what is going to happen and was reassured adjustments would be made. Very lucky in that respect. This kid is a stronger student GPA-wise than the oldest. We’re waiting on test results. The problem is the middle child doesn’t have merit stats. Worried about him most of all.