Need some help formulating a finalized college list!!

College Search & Selection
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<p>Hi guys! I am going to be going on two road trips during April break (SPRING BREAK YAY) and the last week of April. I am just having trouble breaking down to 6 schools (my limit set by father) and I am not totally pleased with a couple of my choices. Please give me your input, everything is much appreciated!</p>

<p>1) SUNY Geneseo (low match): Set by my dad, set in stone being as my dad wants me to apply to two SUNY schools as an absolute minimum. </p>

<p>2) SUNY Binghamton (safety): Same as #1 basically. My absolute safety, shooting for honors college hopefully!</p>

<p>3) Middlebury College (low reach): Just fell in love with the school the first time that I started reading about it and it has not changed since then. Everything just seems so right about this small top LAC. The only thing is that the prestige factor is not too high and I kind of care about that (not a lot, but enough to make somewhat of an impact).</p>

<p>4) Cornell University (mid reach): I admit it, I had to apply to an Ivy because I totally just want to and Cornell is arguably the easiest to get into. Never really feell in love with the school, but it sounds nice. The Greek Life scares me a bit, but I am totally visiting!</p>

<p>5) University of Roch (high match): I never really heard of it, but it sounds really good! No real problems here, has pretty high prestige esp in Northeast. Great science programs and perfect size (about 5000)</p>

<p>NOW HERE COMES THE PROBLEM......</p>

<p>6) Connecticut College (high match): I always did like this school, but I am having trouble getting over the fact that so many ignorant ppl are going to think that I go to the University of Connecticut. Sorry, I'm kind of shallow.</p>

<p>** For a possible new #6, I am looking for a school kind of with academic level like Syracuse (pretty rigorous, but not sooo hard) without the intense sports atmosphere. School under 10,000 people and has somewhat of a prestige factor like about Syracuse's level or above. Thanks!!! **</p>

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<p>What about Duke, USC or Vanderbilt?</p>

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<p>Tufts sounds perfect.</p>

<p>I think the OP wants schools around NY/New England. But Smallcolleges' schools are great too. Tulane is also good if ur looking elsewhere.</p>

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<p>"I am looking for a school kind of with academic level like Syracuse (pretty rigorous, but not sooo hard) without the intense sports atmosphere."</p>

<p>"What about Duke, USC or Vanderbilt?"</p>

<p>LMFAO!!!!!</p>

<p>Might as well throw Notre Dame and Boston College into the mix too ;)</p>

<p>Anyways, yea I would definitely look at Tufts and maybe Colgate. Dartmouth actually sounds like a better fit as an ivy for you then Cornell. Just my thoughts.</p>

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<p>@ Small COlleges FTW: Duke + USC are like wayy too far away/ hard to get into. Vanderbilt is wayy too much in the south and I am not interested in the hot weather =).</p>

<p>@ TPL09: Financial aid at Tufts really wasn't too good at all. Also, it the feel that I got from reading the books was not good.</p>

<p>@ RonPaul: NotreDame is too far away and BC is wayy too sports oriented again.</p>

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<p>@ ROnPaul again: Colgate I looked at and did not like along with Dartmouth (dominating Greek life)</p>

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<p>Lol, RonPaul was joking because Duke, USC, and Vandy are big sports schools. ND and BC are also.</p>

<p>How about Brown then? Its smaller which I think is what RonPaul was pointing at with Dartmouth being better than Cornell (Cornell is wayy more than 6000 kids) with less Greek life.</p>

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<p>Ohhh hee =). I didn't get a good feel for Brown either when I read about it. I am not looking for amazing schools... like Syracuse, Binghamton, Geneseo level! =)</p>

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<p>Then why isn't Syracuse on your list?</p>

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<p>Ohhhh whoops I read it as</p>

<p>"with intense sports atmosphere..."</p>

<p>Sorry :D</p>

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<p>
[quote]
Middlebury College (low reach): Just fell in love with the school the first time that I started reading about it and it has not changed since then. Everything just seems so right about this small top LAC. The only thing is that the prestige factor is not too high and I kind of care about that (not a lot, but enough to make somewhat of an impact).

[/quote]
</p>

<p>With the possible exception of Cornell, Middlebury is the most prestigious school on your list.</p>

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<p>^ The OP probably means NE guy-on-the-street prestige.</p>

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<p>Yeah, I know that like people that are '' in the know '' about colleges know how good it is, but exactly what keilexandra said. And Syracuse = sports central haha</p>

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<p>Northeastern and BU, maybe. They are about right academically, if slightly larger. </p>

<p>Tufts is going to be a reach, judging by your other schools.</p>

<p>How about U VM? It's the right size, and people really like it there.</p>

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<p>U of Delaware, Laffeyette, or Carnegie Mellon.</p>

<p>I don't know if you want to go this far south, but what about William and Mary?</p>

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<p>Why would you waste a slot on Cornell if you never really fell in love with the school? I argue that you keep Connecticut College on your list (now is not the time to be shallow; this is your future we're talking about, and Connecticut College is a wonderful school) and replace Cornell with something.</p>

<p>Either way, Tufts and Lafayette are great suggestions, and assuming that you're thinking of colleges around the New York/New England area:</p>

<p>Skidmore College (Saratoga Springs, NY)
Sarah Lawrence College (Bronxville, NY)
Fordham University (Bronx, NY)
Vassar College (Poughkeepsie, NY)
Marist College (Poughkeepsie, NY)
Bard College (Annandale-on-Hudson, NY)
Union College (Schenectady, NY)
Siena College (Loudonville, NY)
College of New Rochelle (New Rochelle, NY)
Hamilton College (Clinton, NY)
Ithaca College (Ithaca, NY - where Cornell is)
Quinnipiac University (Hamden, CT)
Babson College (Babson Park, MA)
Emerson College (Boston, MA)
College of the Holy Cross (Worcester, MA)
Clark University (Worcester, MA)
Hampshire College (Amherst, MA)
Haverford College (Haverford, PA)
Muhlenberg College (Allentown, PA)
Juniata College (Huntingdon, PA)</p>

<p>Skidmore, Emerson, Babson, Bard, Vassar, Haverford, Hampshire, and Holy Cross are some of the better known names on that list.</p>

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<p>Vassar and Wesleyan are both very good.
What about Johns Hopkins as well? Large prestigious research university with an LAC feel on its intimate campus in Baltimore, which isn't too far from NY, and might be closer to NYC by driving than Ithaca. lol.</p>

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<p>Thank you all so much for your input! UV is a little too... safety-ish for me seeing as the avg SAT is an estimated 1800. All of the others from RonPaul are not right for me but thanks a lot! Actually, Lafayette looks really good to me, I am going to look into that one further. And also Muhlenberg I really want to visit as well (I wonder how close they are...??). </p>

<p>PS: Jullliet you put wayyy too much effort into that list, but I really appreciate it! =)</p>