<p>How about instead of berating the OP because she wants to go to a topnotch school in the Northeast or Cali, you start giving her helpful information and recommendations? It’s amazing how people act like there is something wrong with aiming high.</p>
<p>With the OP’s stats, there is nearly a zero chance that she will not get into at least one Ivy/upper NESCAC/other top-tier private. If she doesn’t want public, for what I consider very understandable reasons, then don’t yell at her for it, but rather give private school recommendations. She has an in-state public as a safety, and with one or two match schools the rest of the apps can go to high matches or reaches.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I fail to see how preferring one geographic area over another makes someone a “spoiled little brat”.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Sure! I absolutely love it here, to put it in just a few words. I actually think it would be a great choice for what you are looking for–a significant percentage of students are preppy, but you will also be exposed to a great deal of different backgrounds and types of people, something I think is one of the school’s best characteristics.</p>
<p>That being said, you will have no problem finding similar students. It seems like everybody here played at least a few varsity sports in high school and a high percentage (~40%) play varsity in college. Even those who don’t are generally (I’m talking all but like 4 people on campus, people always joke about this) very athletic and involved in sports or outdoors-type stuff.</p>
<p>Midd is definitely a little small for your requirements, but the class sizes are amazingly small and the school is actually bigger than a lot of LACs (about 2500). I was looking at similar schools to the ones you are and I really feel that for international relations and languages (my area of interest) nothing really beats the International Politics and Economics major at Midd. Check it out.</p>
<p>“There are many reasons to hate the Midwest, most of which I agree with. I too was from the Midwest and got the hell out of there for college. One of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”</p>
<p>bigp9998. This sounds a bit more harsh than just, “Preferring one geographic area over another.” Sorry if you disagree with me, but my opinion stands.</p>
<p>^^ I definitely don’t agree with bigp9998’s opinions. The Midwest isn’t for everyone, but it’s not the worst place on the planet. If he lives near a major city, there are plenty of things to do.</p>
<p>And you think calling me a spoiled little brat isn’t at all harsh based on what I said? I am not going to sit here and give you reasons why I dislike the Midwest, but I am entirely entitled to my opinion. You seem to have taken it personally–I have lived there for 18 years, so don’t act as if I’m some outsider trash-talking your state.</p>
<p>The word you used was “hate,” not dislike. Getting the “hell out” of a place indicates it was horrible. This is CC, your provincial, nasty remarks are not going to go unnoticed. You are certainly entitled to them, just as I am in my interpretation.</p>
<p>As a sitenote, rjkofnovi is correct that you have to be careful with how you phrase your words. The Midwest receives too much negative comments that are often undeserved and exaggerated. The two coasts are not the only desirable places in the country.</p>
<p>There are towns in my state that I would enjoy to live in and there are towns in my state that I wouldn’t spend any longer than it would take to purchase gas. It’s called an opinion an bigp9998 is entitled to his opinion and stating it as candidly as he wishes. </p>
<p>That said, bigp9998, I’m sure that you can see how your comment could set someone proud of his or her state off.</p>
<p>OK, I understand that some of you wish I would have stated my opinion a bit less harshly. However, and again this is my opinion, I have no desire to live an an area with
-sky high unemployment
-the lowest real-estate values in the country
-flat and unappealing terrain, little in the way of outdoor recreation compared to the coasts
-cities built on failing and outdated industries
-negative population growth
-only one major city</p>
<p>bigp
I would like to point out that no one knows the OP actual stats. All she has posted is the following:
“I haven’t taken the SAT yet but I’m projecting around a 2150. I have an upward trend with my GPA, and intend to get all A’s next year.” What exactly does that mean? Did she have a mix of A’s and B’s her sophomore year? What is her current GPA?
Given the lack of specific info, this statement is not yet warranted-
“With the OP’s stats, there is nearly a zero chance that she will not get into at least one Ivy/upper NESCAC/other top-tier private.”
That is why some posters are suggesting she needs some safeties and matches.
How about if we get this thread back on track, and those arguing about the midwest take your argument elsewhere.</p>
<p>I’d stay away from So Cal. I lived there for 6 years and I didn’t get any vibe that people care about international relation or learning foreign languages. I don’t know if any school there offers good programs in your areas of interest but I personally just think Wash DC is a much better place to be in.</p>
<p>We know virtually nothing of the OP. No GPA, no SATs, some ECs; we only know of projected "A"s and a projected SAT of 2150, (a number that puts him/her closer to the 25th-percentile of most Ivies). </p>
<p>All we know is that the OP likes to row, wants out of the mid-west and is 1/16 Native American or put another way, 15/16 caucasian. Also, that he/she wants a wealthy (see OP’s “Colleges in rich areas” thread), small college in the northeast or California. Oh, and he/she is willing to tolerate some “liberal hippie types”.</p>
<p>bigp9998, you said,</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>What stats? There are no stats! All that’s been offered is projected performance.</p>
<p>Once the OP presents some actual performance to evaluate then this board can speculate on the merits and probabilities of various college choices. However, I will say this in the OP’s favor, given some of the intense reactions his/her statements have incited, I suspect that he/she will certainly write a memorable essay. Whether it helps or hurts his/her cause remains to be seen.</p>
<p>Did I say that that is the reason why I want to leave the Midwest? Many people love living here, but the culture is so much different than other parts of the country, unless you live in an urban area or college town. </p>
<p>vinceh, I’m a SOPHOMORE. What else do you expect? I’ve written several of my main ECs and other stats, but I don’t want to get too personal. </p>
<p>menloparkmom, my school is tough so my grades would honestly be meaningless to you unless you’re familiar with the system/rigor. By no means were my grades perfect, but junior year is the most important year anyway and several schools that I will apply to don’t even consider freshman year grades. I will probably have one of the most difficult schedules next year, and if I get good grades, I should be fine academically (at least on my transcript). My ECs clearly demonstrate my interests, I’ve won several writing awards at my school, excellent community service and summer programs, very interesting background, first generation, somewhat underrepresented state, I come from a good school, etc. </p>
<p>bigp9998, what other schools did you apply to? One of the reasons why I’m hesitant of applying to a small school is that I go to a fairly small private school now and am already tired of a lot of people and I really enjoy meeting new people on a regular basis, but I feel that 2,500 students is enough to do this.<br>
thanks for your help.</p>
<p>“so my grades would honestly be meaningless to you unless you’re familiar with the system/rigor.”
My son went to one of the top 50 private schools in the country that each years sends at least 15 kids [ out of 135] to Stanford, as many to IVY’s, and other top colleges around the country, so believe me, I DO understand the rigor of your school. He was rejected at Stanford with SAT’s of 2370, all A’s [except his Freshman year which was a mix of A’s and B’s], NMFinalist, National AP scholar for taking 8 AP classes and scoring 5’s on all AP tests, numerous awards at his school, outstanding EC’s- 12 years classical music and his last 2 years in HS he spent both summers doing a research internship in an unusual field with a Stanford trained scientist who has a chair named in his honor at Stanford. He had fabulous letters of recommendation. Son was also a Stanford legacy. Beginning to get the picture of how competitive it is?
He DID get into 2 Ivy’s,Chicago, Wash U, Tufts, and 7 other colleges.</p>
<p>“By no means were my grades perfect,but junior year is the most important year anyway and several schools that I will apply to don’t even consider freshman year grades.”</p>
<p>This is where you are wrong. BOTH Sophomore AND JR year grades are very, very important if you are aiming for the most selective colleges, like Stanford, etc. You will be competing against students who have 4.0 GPA’s throughout HS. So just in case, if you would NOT be HAPPY to go to your instate public, do some more research[ [you of have plenty of time] and find some slightly less selective colleges that don’t reject 80-90 % of applicants.</p>
<p>I wasn’t trying to brag. Son is very very smart, worked hard and we were and are proud but kind of embarrassed when he was accepted at 14 of 15 colleges he applied to. We were very concerned that he had aimed too high, as we were also applying for
FA, and this was before many top colleges eliminated loans from A=FA packages. But I had been coming here to CC and had read about so many top students who aimed too high without having well thought out safeties, and were disappointed when April 1 came around.</p>
<p>ca87, when you get the results of your PSAT and SAT TESTS,and your GPA after your JR year, check back here, if you haven’t been recruited and received a "likely letter, that is . We’'ll be able to give you better direction with more facts. Study like crazy for the PSAT- being selected will mean you are among 16,000 seniors who benefit from additional attention from admissions officers.</p>
(with your son’s success, this bragging is more than deserved, I might add)</p>