Need Help - Panicking about College!

College Search & Selection
1

<p>HI everyone - thanks in advance for reading.</p>

<p>SO I've had all my colleges I wanted to apply to planned out for months. I fell in love with Brown and applied ED (was deferred). The other colleges on my list are Cornell, Columbia, UPenn, William and Mary, NYU, American, Scripps, and Claremont McKenna. What one of my top priorities was was a student body who really loves to learn and really is inspired to learn - thus, all the Ivys. I visited all the colleges but the ones in Cali and chose each one carefully, finding different things I loved in each one. </p>

<p>But in recent months, with the stress of senior year, I've begun to ask myself why I want to do this to myself for the next 4 years. I love to learn but push myself way too hard, and have decided that I want to add two more schools to my list - schools which are not quite as selective. Possibly public schools with honors programs, possibly schools which just aren't quite as selective but are still great schools. I still want the environment of learning - I just think I might want a more laid-back environment than at some of the schools I'm looking at. Who knows, maybe it's just a senior-year psych-out.</p>

<p>So if anyone has any recommendations for me I thank you dearly. I want a school ~5,000 or bigger, a lot of options for activities, hopefully a diverse student body, strong programs in social sciences, international studies, interdisciplinary stuff...(so undecided. I sometimes think undecided should be the word that describes my life). </p>

<p>My stats aren't bad, but definitely not good enough to promise entry into a top-tier school:
SAT 2220 (CR 740/M680/W800), GPA 3.75 UW, 2nd decile at competitive public high school, SATIIs 800 (USH), 700 (WH), unknown (French), 5 on AP US and AP Stats (taking 3 more APs this year)
class vp, student council member, 3 years of crew, 4 years school musical, 4 years weekly volunteer work, member of various other clubs (I don't know how to get across that I do every activity for love of the activity, which, believe it or not, I really do!), A in summer course at Ithaca College (in Musical Theater, though, so it doesn't help as much). Good essays (I think), great recs (I hope!).</p>

<p>Thank you soooo much for reading this. I know you don't know me and can't read my future or anything, but at this moment I'm kind of freaking out as this is a last moment decision (if my guidance office even lets me - all requests were supposed to be in a 2 weeks ago). So thanks for any thoughts you have!</p>

2

<p>First of all, relax. Getting deferred is not a rejection...you are still in the hopper. Your choices are fine, although each is very different and I am not sure I follow your pattern. Many schools have Jan 15 and Feb I app deadlines and will take recommendations even later than that so dont worry. But dont dilly dally either.</p>

<p>You will get into a great school with your scores so DONT freak out. Take a deep breath and relax. You have great stats! But I fully understand the desire to be healthy and happy and be adequately challenged.</p>

<p>I know someone who went to Scripps 30 years ago and LOVED it. Its very, very special. I cant say a bad word about it. If you applied to NYU then why not Fordham...a superb school that is not quite so urban and edgy and maybe not as intense...yet has great academics, a warm student body that is very tight and lots of fun, and some amazing programs and faculty. I am certain they would LOVE to see your application at Fordham! Its a gorgeous gothic campus as well.....and contary to what the naysayers will tell you, its really very safe! </p>

<p>Beyond that, American and William and Mary are great choices. So why not add Washington and Lee, Richmond, Wake Forest, and/or Furman to your list?</p>

<p>Its all going to work out for you. Look at the campus culture and "feel" as that is almost as important as prestige and academic intensity! You are correct to think that being somewhere for 4 years is a long time and you better be happy. If you are happy you will thrive, not just survive. The schools I have suggested will ALL challenge you to your fullest, but are perhaps less intense and intimidating as some of the Ivy League Schools. </p>

<p>Come April you will have several choices to pick from. Make sure you pick a school you have VISITED and not just for prestige, but for you as a person. You will know it when you are on campus.....that warm and fuzzy feeling of "this is me!" And then go for it.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

3

<p>Thanks, Swansong, for your encouraging words:-) The biggest issue with timeliness is recommendations and getting transcripts in - if I want to apply anywhere else I was supposed to have known two weeks ago, so I NEED to submit stuff by Wednesday (and even then I doubt my guidance office will do it. We have 1 college/career counselor for 400+, mostly college-bound, seniors).
Thanks for your recommendations...my issue with a few of them, although it's a bit silly, is religion. I know it doesn't mean much but Fordham being a Jesuit College just makes me uncomfortable as I am Jewish. W+L, it's much the same - they sent me an email telling me to apply because they want more religious diversity. I'd never heard of a school looking for more Jewish students before! But I'll do some more research into them and the others you recommended as well...
Thanks for your help - and if anyone else who reads this thread wants to help out any more I would love it! Thanks:-)</p>

4

<p>How about a trimester LAC for good measure? Three courses per trimester, three trimesters per year and no you are not going to school year round. In order of selectivity: Carleton, Union, Lawrence, Knox. Other LAC ideas: Macalester, Colorado College, Reed, Muhlenberg.</p>

5

<p>How about Tulane or TCNJ. Best of luck!</p>