Nerdy Schools?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hi, I actually applied to the University of Rochester for ED, but if I don't get in I'd like to have a list of a few more schools to check out.</p>

<p>I've visited 35 schools so far, so Rochester was a very calculated decision based on the following requirements:</p>

<p>Preferably located in the suburbs, with a secluded campus no matter what</p>

<p>Located along the eastern seaboard, though I am now willing to go midwest if necessary</p>

<p>premed/science bent- I want to major in something that will allow me to go to med. school</p>

<p>friendly intellectual people who have more on their minds than drinking their college years away</p>

<p>Here are my stats:</p>

<p>1350/1600; 2050/2400 SAT I</p>

<p>SAT II Math IC 720</p>

<p>SAT II Math IIC 680 (since I took this one they will probably not consider my 720 on the math I)</p>

<p>3.611/4.0 GPA (it was a 3.875 last year alone- I am attempting to recover from my sub-par GPAs during freshman and sophomore years)</p>

<p>ECs: decent, though not outstanding... I can give you them if you think it's crucial</p>

<p>I want to minor in fine arts (photography especially) I have some ECs to back this up, though again, they are not outstanding</p>

<p>Suggestions please :)</p>

2

<p>I wouldn't call rochester nerdy. Smart, but not nerdy like caltech.</p>

3

<p>lol, i didn't mean that nerdy :)</p>

<p>Caltech is so nerdy, it's beyond nerdy...</p>

<p>I meant nerdy as in the people watch discovery health for fun (my host as well as I do this), talk about politics etc. not all of the time, but more often than we gossip, and prefer hanging out or going out to dinner to heavy partying.</p>

<p>Any suggestions following these perameters would be helpful</p>

4

<p>Carnegie Mellon come to mind. Tufts and LACs like Wesleyan, Haverford, Bowdoin, and Sarah Lawrence would also be good matches. Cooper Union fits most of your criteria, but it doesn't have a secluded campus.</p>

5

<p>Sarah Lawrence seems a bit too liberal for me. I consider myself a liberal in a conservative area, but I am fully aware that I am more of a moderate than a true liberal.</p>

<p>Maybe it's just the fact that there was this one kid from my school that was friends with all of my friends who i really hated who went there. He was incredibly full of himself, and everyone pretty much worshipped him... I HATE people like that.</p>

<p>So maybe it's just him that causes me to stereotype SLC. Either way, the no structure thing freaks me out to no end.</p>

<p>I don't think you've checked my basic info... I have pretty much no chance of getting into Haverford (though it would probably be #2 if I could... I LOVED it there), Bowdoin (I'm seriously not into frezzing myself in Maine...), Tufts, or Carnegie Mellon (which is in the city, so it doesn't meet my criteria).</p>

<p>Any others? :)</p>

6

<p>what about michigan..i think a 1350 is ok for michigan and they only calculate sophomore and junior year into thier gpa so if you had a great junior year and a bad freshman year, the junior year will kick up the sophomore year and you probably will get into michigan which happens to be a very good school</p>

7

<p>U of R is definitely in the city too just like CMU...at least at CMU there are places within walking distance to eat, grab a coffee, etc.
At U of R there is nothing within walking distance except the hospital (which is admittedly great for pre-med).</p>

8

<p>oooh Rochester! I love Rochester. It's my 2nd choice.</p>

<p>I suggest anything in the formerly "Nerdy Nine" (now eight because Johns Hopkins left it). CMU and UR are both in it! In it also is Brandeis which is my top choice--my mother and I found a lot of similarities between Deis and UR, such as class size, curriculum, and campus feel. Although Deis is decidedly much more of an activist school, and more Jewish, lol. I think Washington University in St. Louis would be a very good match but it's in the Midwest. </p>

<p>I also think Dartmouth sounds perfect for you, only because you have the exact same criteria for selection that my twin sister does, including being pre-med! But Dartmouth is pretty much a reach for anyone.</p>

9

<p>Grrr, I typed up a long response, but CC lost it. :mad: </p>

<p>Robotab, you are underestimating your chances. Less than half of Haverford admits had SAT scores over 700, so your scores are right on target. Your GPA is a little low, but the rest of your application can make up for that. You have a good shot at Bryn Mawr, Wellesley, and Smith as well.</p>

<p>If you really want less selective college suggestions, consider Franklin & Marshall, Connecticut College, Wheaton (Mass), Kalamazoo, Antioch, and Wooster.</p>

10

<p>Well, thanks :), it makes me feel good that you think so highly of me</p>

<p>I actually checked out F&M, but found that the people had nothing in common with me, as the were mostly Greek, with any independents obviously outsiders. I visited three times to try to convince myself that it could work for me, but I couldn't bring myself to give up a genuine connection with people for the comfort of home (Franklin and Marshall is only 45 minutes away from my home).</p>

<p>I'm prety sure I'm not Dartmouth material lol-- it makes me laugh just to think about it.</p>

<p>I had thought that Haverford was going to be my favorite, but when I visited, the people appeared incredibly sleep deprived, yet incredibly like myself :), and the info session said that the average SAT was around 730 per section. I will probably apply as a super reach if I don't get into URochester for ED.</p>

<p>I really don't want an all girls school, as I am somewhat introverted, and therefore, unlikely to meet guys if I have to fight for them (which I really detest in general). Also, I've heard that Bryn Mawr pretty much has no campus scene, and that they go to Haverford and Swarthmore for fun. This really doesn't seem fun to me. I really like the idea of wandering around between groups of friends looking for new and exciting things to do.</p>

<p>The city is pretty much a non-existent factor in my choice, as I would prefer the suburbs anyway. Being an introvert, I am somewhat overwhelmed by new situations, and don't want the surrounding area to intimidate me.</p>

<p>I too visited Brandeis. I found it to have a very strange vibe, though I can't quite place what caused this. Also, I think it's slightly above my range. However, I would probably apply RD if I am rejected from U of R.</p>

<p>Wash U seems to be way higher than my reach, as it's definately comparable to an ivy league. However, I've heard wonderful things about it, so definately go for it!</p>

<p>I would prefer a school of less than 5,000 kids, again, because I am an introvert and would definately feel lost in a huge school setting. I also like that I would be part of the community, both inside and outside of the school, at a smaller campus setting. I like being known as the smart Jewish nerd :) Yeah, I pretty much am the living stereotype... though it's definately not always a good thing.</p>

<p>Here's my college list thus far, which is in order of preference:
University of Rochester (ED)
Haverford College
Muhlenberg College (very relaxed feel, though not very intellectual at all, which I am not too happy about-- almost a safety for me)
Goucher
Wake Forest University (I am very worried about the Greek scene, though a lot of the people seemed very friendly and every single person smiled and said hi as I walked through the campus)
Brandeis
Dickinson College
Franklin & Marshall
University of Maryland Baltimore County
Elon</p>

11

<p>I will throw a suggestion out: Lawrence University in Appleton, Wi. It is not east coast but you said you would be willing to consider elsewhere. Has an airport so easy to go home. They have all types including Nerds. It's a welcoming and friendly place, great academics, and for its size you can experiment with your degree plan. They offer tutorials. My son is there.</p>

12

<p>Well, since you are science bent, try checking out the engineering schools (RPI and WPI), they usually tend to be really nerdy.</p>

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<p>I want slightly nerdy, not incredibly nerdy :)</p>

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<p>but thank you to everyone who has responded so far :)</p>

15

<p>theres nothing wrong with incredibly nerdy ;)
:-&lt;/p>

16

<p>incredibly nerdy is classified as unwashed men doing incredibly advanced calculus problems in their heads. For fun in between videogames.</p>

<p>I'm looking for a school that doesn't rival Caltech in nerdiness, but where the most of the people would prefer hanging out with friends to partying.</p>

17

<p>How about Rose-Hulman? Nerdy, conservative, AND definitely not in the city. Supposed to be a nice place, though.</p>

18

<p>And again, refer back to my stats to see where I can actually get in...</p>

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<p>wackymother... do you know anything else about Rose-Hulman? Does the extremely skewed gender ratio affect things? (I am a female, and apparently Rose-Hulman is only 10% women...)</p>

20

<p>whoops... that's 19%, not 10%</p>