Looking for these type of colleges. . .

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hi everyone! I'm a rising junior and I'm beginning to start looking at colleges. I just wanted to ask you guys - are there any good colleges that focus much more on personality, essays, recommendations, and extra - curriculars activities rather then grades and sat/act scores? I live in Illinois and my intended major is Neuroscience if that helps. Thanks for all of your help!</p>

2

<p>Bad GPA or SAT = not a huge problem
Bad GPA and SAT = ouch</p>

<p>Try UChicago</p>

3

<p>Well some schools like Sarah Lawrence and Bowdoin don’t even require the SAT, so maybe you can look out for similar places. I do recommend trying very hard to bring your grades up though, because the transcript is generally what most colleges focus on.</p>

4

<p>■■■■■. i love how people bring up uchicago whenever someone makes an excuse for grades and test scores.</p>

5

<p>What kind of GPA and test scores are we talking about here? And what does ‘good’ mean to you?</p>

6

<p>Oh..I’m talking about a 3.3 GPA and a 33 ACT score.</p>

7

<p>Chicago would be a big reach then…</p>

8

<p>Thanks tetris…i was just asking for some recommendations; not whether a certain school’s a “big reach” for me. Thanks, though.</p>

9

<p>LACs tend to look at applications more holistically</p>

10

<p>You could try Pitzer. They’re big on personality, essays and fit.</p>

11

<p>That ACT score isn’t too bad, but the 3.3 GPA is a bit of a killer.</p>

12

<p>schools like Bates and Wesleyan take more of a holistic approach</p>

13

<p>It seems to me that with the more selective schools a lot will depend on what your transcript looks like. Is this a 3.3 unweighted with a rigorous course load, featuring a number of APs and mostly honors courses? Or is this 3.3 weighted with a scattering of honors or no honors at all?</p>

14

<p>I know you are just beginning your search, but rather than focus on where you could get in with x grades, y test scores and z ECs, why not spend some time figuring out what kind of environment you thrive in? There are dozens of good schools, but you have to know yourself to get a good fit. Large, medium or small school? Urban, suburban or rural? Frats/artsy/athletics/religious? Co-ed or single sex?</p>

<p>Visit some schools near your home to get an idea of what this would mean for you.</p>

<p>Once you have a stronger sense of what matters to you, you’ll be able to get good advise here.</p>