My list- what schools are a good fit?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I'm an upcoming junior and you may have seen my posts before. I have recently been worried financially about college, but I feel I have good safety's and a good back up plan. As of now, I want to narrow my list based on fit. I'm not worried about safety, match, and reach schools because I haven't taken the SAT/ACT yet and my GPA should go up. I just want your help narrowing down my list. I can't see major differences in the colleges I like. I have around a 3.4 cumulative GPA (should have a 3.6 before applying) if you were wondering and I will have about 7 or 8 AP classes before I graduate. I have an upward GPA, 3.1 from freshman year. I want to major in print journalist and become a travel journalist. I also have a strong interest in the Holocaust, Dramatic Writing and Film Acting. I live in Georgia, but would like to go out of state. </p>

<p>My current list includes:
NYU- Gallatin (my top choice)
USC
Northwestern
Flagler (financial safety)
Georgia College and State U (financial safety)
New College of Florida
Chapman (would major in Screen Acting)
Loyola Marymount
Cal Poly
College of New Jersey
Sarah Lawrence
Villanova </p>

<p>Other schools I like, but did not make my list are:
Kenyon College
Oxford- Emory
Vassar
IU- Bloomington
Boston U
Lewis and Clark
Yale
Suny New Paltz
Suny Geneso
Occidental
Santa Clara
American
George Washington
Fairfield
Clark (I love the Holocaust concentration,
Denison
Muhlenburg
Wesleyan
Holy Cross</p>

<p>My ideal college should:</p>

<p>1) Be in a suburban or urban area. I would like to be by NY or LA. The school shouldn't be too small or too huge either.</p>

<p>2) Have a strong English/Print Journalism program</p>

<p>3) Small class sizes, do not want to have 100 people in a class</p>

<p>4) Liberal/Moderate. The schools should be open minded and not super religious in a conservative way. </p>

<p>5) Be located in the Northeast, California, Florida, or Chicago. </p>

<p>6) Few General Education Requirements. NYU Gallatin is perfect for me, I would concentrate in Television Writing and Journalism. </p>

<p>7) Prestige or Well Known. If I go to college in California and then move to New York, I want people to know where I attended. </p>

<p>8) SAT Optional or not as focused on the SAT/ACT. </p>

<p>9) Few or no frats on campus. UGA/UF would be the opposite of what I am looking for. I don't want a school which cares just about football like my high school. </p>

<p>10) Drama Opportunities for non-majors. </p>

<p>11) Have decent financial aid, but this thread is focused more on fit</p>

<p>12) Swimming and Men's Volleyball club sports or intramurals.</p>

<p>13) More women then men. Sarah Lawrence is a good example, I just do not like the girl name. </p>

<p>14) I don't want the academics to be too rigorous like Reed. I want a laid back and non-stressful atmosphere, but not hippy like. I also do not want to go to a druggy school. </p>

<p>15) I love schools which have different religions. Muhlenburg is a good example. I am Catholic, but my father is Jewish. I would love to go to school with people from both backgrounds. I am open to a Catholic U; however, I just want to go to an open one.</p>

<p>I know I am looking for A LOT, but I just want to weed out schools right now. What schools on my list would be bad fits? What schools on my list would be great fits? I am having a hard time with seeing differences between schools. I do not see schools which stand out, they are starting to blend together. Any other suggestions? Thanks!</p>

2

<p>This is a complete free-throw on my part, but if you have a special interest in the Holocaust, have you looked at Clark University?</p>

3

<p>Yeah it I have. It was on my second list of schools. I like the school, but the only con for me is Worcester. I haven’t heard great things about the area and it seems I may be bored there. Thanks though, I know it has a great holocaust program. If I do not want to be a teacher, what else can you do with a Holocaust degree? I wouldn’t mind working in a museum, but how much money would that give you? It isn’t all about money, I just cannot see it giving me a job. The Holocaust is a huge passion of mine though and I love to learn about it. I’m meeting a Holocaust survivor next week.</p>

4

<p>what about Emerson or Northeastern?</p>

5

<p>I honestly don’t know much about either school.</p>

6

<p>do you really need to narrow down your list? that’s 12 schools; i don’t think it’s too many and if you get started on apps in the summer should be doable.</p>

7

<p>I an <em>upcoming</em> junior, so I still have time. I just wanted to ask if the schools were fits or not? Would you replace any schools from the second list?</p>

8

<p>Take another look at Vassar - it meets all of your requirements. It is academically rigorous though not competitive. The swim team is DIII but not super intense- a step above the club level. Lots of drama opportunities. There are only a few general ed requirements (maybe 3). Please visit and meet people like the swim coach - this goes for all of your schools.</p>

9

<p>Thanks, I really do like Vassar. I’m not the best swimmer, I just like to swim for fun. Thanks! I was told that College of NJ, New College and Florida, and Cal Poly would be bad fits. I think Fairfield, George Washington, and Boston U are back on my list. I met someone from IU and she wasn’t exactly my type of person.</p>