@doschicos Thank you for responding-- I didn’t see your post at first! And I want to go to a school that is anywhere from 1500-7000 undergrads. I’d also like a school that has a lot of opportunities, events, etc. I hate saying this but I can’t stop thinking about prestige but I like a lot of lesser-known but still great academically LACs and I feel like LACs would fit me best. I guess I’m just going to have to get over that lol. As for the area, I like different things about all settings unless it is completely rural. I don’t need a huge city or suburb but I’d want to be able to bike to stores and restaurants. As for the student body, I’m looking for a tight-knit, intellectual, friendly, and generally happy community.
Again, thank you everyone for helping so much! A lot of this stuff I’m google-ing too but it’s nice to have input!
@merc81 Thanks for saying that 
Hi @scubaaf ! I just graduated high school and am now a college freshman. First, as others have said, you are very accomplished so don’t worry about that! I too was looking primarily for a small, tight-knit, intellectual community (my high school was very much like this), but applied to a range of schools. Our stats are more or less the same so here’s the “insight” i have:
Reach:
Claremont McKenna (It was one of my top choices; I absolutely loved the intellectuality and the community here! Plus, they are rated to have the happiest students in the nation which is a bonus)
Swarthmore (Visited for admitted students day, and is definitely one of the most tight-knit and intellectual communities you can imagine. I would check it out for sure).
Yale-NUS (Had to throw in my school. This is a joint venture between Yale and National University of Singapore. It definitely fits you very well. PPE major, extremely tight-knit, very very intellectual, very fun, and the liberal arts education is amazing. Also gives out a lot of scholarships (including full-rides), but the acceptance rate is 3-5% right now and I know admissions are hard to pinpoint for what they are looking for so it is hard to say where anyone would “rank” in terms of getting into the school).
Brown (My favorite Ivy-League student body, and was one of my top choices. Has liberal arts college-vibes. I think it definitely fits you!)
Amherst
Bowdoin
University of Chicago (For intellectual community, not sure about student body in general though.)
Low Reach/Match:
Scripps
Wesleyan
Grinnell
Bryn Mawr
Wellesley
Whitman
College of William and Mary (For a larger school/non-LAC option)
and probably a million more that I can’t think of right now.
Ask me if you have any more questions! Best of luck!
You needn’t be URM or first generation to qualify for Questbridge. Go ahead and apply.
The QB applicant I know best ultimately did not get a QB match, but did end up as a Bonner Scholar at Guilford College http://www.bonner.org/ so check that program out as well. She felt that the QB process really helped her with all of her college applications. Her essays, letters of recommendation, and draft financial aid applications were done much sooner than they might have been otherwise, and she was more attentive to the early application dates required for some scholarships than she would have been if she’d been only looking at her home state institutions.
<<< @ucbalumnus Thank you for the helpful links!! And yeah I figured I’d have to use net calculators but I just don’t know a lot of details and my dad is never helpful in the college application process lol >>>
@scubaaf Are you saying that you have older siblings that your parents weren’t helpful with? or what?
Is your family low income?
Someone suggested “full need” schools and that may be fine if your parents will pay what they’re asked to pay.
However, “full need” schools will be a bust if your parents won’t pay what they’re asked to pay.
Protect yourself by applying to 2 -3 schools that FOR SURE will give you HUGE (HUGE!) merit for your stats…at least full tuition, if not more.
Are you a NMSF?
Ohio home state…but wants to go OOS
Philosophy and poly scie possible majors
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My dad retired in June 2014 and was making ~70,000 but now that he is retired our household income is ~34,000 which is all coming from his pension. I really want to get in somewhere that will give me full need-based financial aid. I know there are colleges that would probably give full ride merit to me,
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Ok…you will likely get a Pell Grant, which isn’t a lot. Full need schools can be your reach and match schools, but in case you’re not accepted, you need financial safeties with large merit.
You mention depression…have you sought help? You probably should before you leave for college.
“You mentioned depression” (#25)
Though that’s concerning to have seen irrespective of who it affects, the OP’s only direct reference was to her “immediate family.”
<<<
Literally my whole immediate family has depression so it makes it really hard to get motivation.)
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the above suggests that the OP also has depression issues…“whole family”…“really hard to get motivation”.
@ bsb4389 Thank you for listing all of those schools & congrats on Yale-NUS! Although I can’t see myself going to Singapore for college, it sounds really, really amazing!
When you say reach do you mean it’s really not likely or like 50/50?
Also, did you visit any of the LACs you listed?
@happymomof1 I guess it can’t hurt to apply! Thanks and I’ll look into the bonner scholar program too!
Thank you for your concern, @mom2collegekids , but @merc81 is right-- I don’t have actual depression. I just meant that in an unmotivated environment it is easy to also get unmotivated. I’ve personally never been diagnosed with depression nor do I think I have it. When I’m in a happier and hardworking place I have no problem getting motivated which is why I really want to go an intellectual, hardworking and also tight-knit and happy college. Also, yeah, I meant that my dad hasn’t been helpful with my siblings. (My brother is currently not enrolled-- but he is applying to a not that great college for the spring-- and my sister is in her third year of community college.)
Also, I just did a net-price calculator thing for Bowdoin College (I just randomishly selected a LAC-- I know it’s a reach) and it had the final price at 6,000 but with a 1,900 work-study program available and the 6,000 included traveling expenses (~2000) so really it would be a bit over 2,000 because we can drive rather than fly. So that takes a lot of stress off. 2,000 a year is definitely doable for my family. Hopefully, it is accurate-- I was actually able to get my dad to sit down with me and I took pictures so I can do it on my own again, but he’s never done something like that so there is a possibility we messed up.
Oh and about NMSF. I’m a junior so I haven’t even taken the junior PSAT. Thank you again for being so helpful!
For need-based aid, you can consider a net price of $10,000 to be the stretch budget, which would require both a federal direct loan ($5,500) and a significant amount of work earnings. A lower net price is obviously better – e.g. a $5,000 net price can be covered by either a federal direct loan or work earnings, or a combination of smaller amounts of both.
A hidden possible way to cover the budget is frugal living. Such opportunities to cut costs may be more readily available if the college has a generous books, travel, and miscellaneous budget, or it is common for upper-class students to live off-campus and find significantly lower cost housing than the budget lists. But that is not true at all schools.
If you get a purely merit scholarship, the remaining net price that you can afford may be higher, if you can get a Pell grant that is “stackable” on top of the merit scholarship (then get federal direct loans or work or frugal living savings).
If you do attain National Merit status, here are some more scholarships that you can get:
http://nmfscholarships.yolasite.com/
@scubaaf Reaches are hard to define. To me, it’s a school which you can’t “count” on getting into, but your chances past that are difficult to pinpoint. It all depends on the year, the other applicants, and, of course, your application. It could range from “a reasonable chance” to “a somewhat-to-small chance.” Ivy Leagues and similar schools–because of the mass of applicants and the quality of applicants–are extremely hard to pinpoint, but I think you should apply to one or two. It can never hurt. No one has a “good chance” at those schools, so the only way to find out your chances is to actually apply! That’s not a satisfying answer to hear, but I think it’s the truth. And for LACs I have visited Claremont (and Scripps because of it), Swarthmore, and Whitman. Each have very unique environments. Claremont McKenna (and Scripps) has one of the best campuses I have ever seen, and an incredible student body. I would definitely rank it high for you based on your profile (if you happen to like it). Swarthmore isn’t as “lively,” but equally as beautiful and intellectual. More “east coast” traditional collegiate style.
Good luck on the PSAT next month. Making NMF would open more huge scholarships for you.
Thanks, guys! I feel a lot better about my options for affording college now. I will study for the PSAT btw. @ucbalumnus @mom2collegekids
@bsb4389 Thanks for answering my questions! I’ll probably apply to a few reaches