<p>I created a list of schools I'd be happy to attend, but I can't afford so many test score reports so I'm trying to narrow it down.</p>
<p>Things I'm looking for:
Strong mathematics department
Music program for non-majors
Research opportunities
High grad school placement
Preferred: Non-preppy, diverse, no hard-core partying/drinking/drugs, artsy and intellectual would be nice too</p>
<p>(For LAC's, the opportunity to take engineering courses would be a plus)</p>
<p>Start with the reaches - pick no more than 2, perhaps one of the mid-size and one of the small schools. And if they are reaches, perhaps choose based on which are more feasible. If you are concerned over the cost of sending test scores then I have to assume you are concerned over the cost of the applications. Be realistic about schools like Stanford/Yale where the admissions are in single digits. If you have access to Naviance then use that to get a sense of how many kids they take from your high school. Then look at their financial aid (need/merit) options and make sure the schools make sense financially. </p>
<p>Then figure out at least two safeties from the others. </p>
<p>Lastly - take the remaining schools, and try and group them in some way that makes sense. Perhaps small LACs, mid-size, honors programs within large state schools. Figure out where are the “redundancies” - groups where perhaps you have 3 options that are very similar, and prioritize them. I suspect by the time you go through this exercise you will easily narrow down the list. </p>
<p>I would recommend getting the list down to no more than 10 - but be sure to prioritize the final list. If you run out of time or get accepted into a school with a rolling or earlier decision date - you will be able to reduce the list even more. </p>
<p>You can apply to Case Western EA and I believe Ohio State is rolling admission. Get in either of those, and you can eliminate any schools you prefer less after you hear back in mid-December. So I would ask off the bat, say you got in both, which schools could you eliminate?</p>
<p>And not to add in any more schools, but based on the schools you have listed and your requirements, hard to believe you don’t have URochester on the list.</p>
<p>How about the affordability cut? Are you in-state for UMich? Carleton is a big reach (my D had higher SATs and a 4.0 and was waitlisted). Can your family afford the other schools? Pare down from there.</p>
<p>@Poohbah29 Thank you, that was really helpful! I’m eligible for application fee waivers, so the only major concern is the score reports.</p>
<p>@MrMom62 Actually, my list was a lot longer(believe it or not) and URochester was on there but I decided to eliminate it. Due to some circumstances, I decided it would be best not to apply early action anywhere.</p>
<p>@Erin’s Dad I am not in-state for UMich, but they meet a fair amount of need, and the rest will <em>hopefully</em> be covered by scholarships, work study, and loans. While Carleton is very selective, I believe it is also very holistic and not quite at the level of Rice and Yale in terms of competitiveness. Grades and test scores are not the only factors considered at top schools. Thankfully, most of the schools I listed meet full need so cost isn’t a huge factor.</p>
<p>I’ve decided to cross off Holy Cross and Yale. 2 down, at least 5 more to go.</p>
<p>I would second Carleton. I am also planning to apply there and for the same reasons (intellectual, excellent grad school placement, research etc.)</p>
<p>Also take a look at Reed, it has a very distinct atmosphere that you may or may not like.</p>
<p>It’s hard to pick and choose as your list is so diverse. I can see the rationale for each based on one or two of your criteria, but it seems to be that you’d do better to think more about your culture and personality priorities, than random characteristics. </p>
<p>How many of the schools on your list have you visited? Which one (not including Stanford) is your number one choice? </p>
<p>I would put Stanford to the side for a moment. It’s ridiculously selective so although you could toss out an application, you shouldn’t even count it.</p>
<p>I’m not sure why you would avoid early action at Case-Western or rolling admissions at Ohio. Neither not binding and as @MrMom62 points out, would allow you to eliminate some of your least favorite safeties.</p>
<p>Ohio, UMich and USC seem out of place, especially among so many LACs. Among the LACs I would probe more deeply into what attracts you to each. Swarthmore, Oberlin, Grinnell (and Wesleyan and Reed which are not on your list) seem to share more characteristics. Carleton, Middlebury, Colby, Whitman, Conn College are more like some others that are not on your list (Hamilton, Kenyon, Williams). </p>
<p>Conn College and Pitzer don’t seem to cover enough of your wishlist items . If you’re looking for less selectives I’d suggest Smith and Holyoke.</p>
<p>So my top choices would be:
Rice, WUSTL
Middlebury, Carleton, Williams, Whitman, Colby, Smith
That’s 8 which leaves room for a few more.</p>
<p>Well, Grinnell has a prevalent drug culture. Carleton has a prevalent drug culture. Oberlin has a prevalent drug culture. Occidental has a fairly prevalent drug culture.</p>
<p>Nobody at any of these schools, including Reed is pressured into participating in drug use. At most colleges substance/alcohol free dorms are available to those who prefer to stay away from that lifestyle. I think that is a bit of an arbitrary reason to write off a school - especially when Reed has so much to offer in mathematics. Even though Reed College does not really attempt to “stop” widespread drug use, it has a sort of “live and let live, to each his own” vibe. A somewhat similar feeling is found at Oberlin & Carleton. </p>
<p>I think you should reconsider Reed - although it is a very rigorous school and has a very unique, intellectual quaint atmosphere. </p>
<p>Also, while I know you don’t really want many more reaches - look at Tufts. It is pretty similar to Rice and WashU in a lot of aspects.</p>
<p>@momrath Hey you’re really good at this. I was thinking of tossing out USC, UMich, and Ohio but there are opportunities at all 3 to make a big school small, they have a lot of great programs, and are generally less selective. I was also considering getting rid of Stanford, but I think I’ll always be angry at myself for not giving it a shot. Actually, though, my top choice is Rice. I would choose it over any school, Stanford included.</p>
<p>Swarthmore is phenomenal, definitely 2nd choice, so I’m not throwing that one out. Grinnell, Conn., and Oberlin have great music programs so I don’t want to let those go. Williams is too selective, and seems too cut-throat for me. I’d rather not attend an all-womens college. I like Pitzer because I could take classes at Harvey Mudd, but not for much else, so I may eliminate that one as well.</p>
<p>I really do like your list though, thanks! I’ll probably switch out Smith and Williams for Swarthmore and Grinnell.</p>
<p>@Ctesiphon , the OP is looking to REMOVE schools, not add them. You aren’t helping answer their question. </p>
<p>I just looked at another thread for your stats, and you had a bunch of Ds and Fs in 10th grade, right? And your SATs are around 2100? If you aren’t hooked, you should just take Yale and Stanford off your list. Swat is highly unlikely as well.</p>
<p>@Ctesiphon Well when you have such a large list that is difficult to condense, you have to start taking the negatives into account to eliminate some. I realize I won’t be forced into drugs, but I have a really bad reaction to even the faintest smell of marijuana(headaches, light-headedness, etc), and I’ve read from people who have visited there that they could smell it right when they walked on campus, since it’s used so openly. Besides that, though, Reed seems like it would be perfect. Tufts was actually on my list too, along with Wesleyan, but I eliminated them for reasons I don’t recall. Maybe I should look into those again(ahh making my list even longer, lol). </p>
<p>Williams and Swarthmore are about the same in selectivity and academic rigor. I wouldn’t call either cut-throat , but Swarthmore is very intense.</p>
<p>Swarthmore has engineering which is a plus. Williams has terrific math, outdoorsy environment, excellent music opporunities, and worldclass art and art history. Smith has engineering, outdoorsy environment, excellent music and other arts – and is medium range in selectivity. I’m fighting against any more adds, but Wesleyan sounds good for you too: excellent math, arts, music.</p>
<p>If Rice is your top choice, you might also like Emory, Duke, William & Mary.</p>
<p>@intparent I realize I have little to no chance, but I have to try. Read through my ‘‘essay topics’’ thread to get some more background info. about why my grades are so low. I don’t know if by ‘‘hooked’’ you mean minority/ first gen. If so, then I guess I am.</p>
<p>Yes, if you are an underrepresented minority, then you are hooked, which may help a bit. It is hard for people to help with your question without complete information (and you can’t expect everyone to go tracing back through your back threads to find it, that is time consuming). So if there is info that is relevant, then you need to include it (or you won’t get appropriate answers). I still think you have too many reaches, though. You don’t “have to try” – you would be smarter to focus your time and energy on a smaller number of applications where you have a better chance, IMHO.</p>
<p>@momrath I always perceived Williams as being Harvard’s LAC counter-part, though I would absolutely love to attend. For some reason I just feel like Swarthmore is more holistic whereas Williams is more stats-based. I would love to go to William and Mary, but I can’t afford it. I always thought Duke was too greek and preppy. Emory might be a good option, especially since they have Oxford College in case I don’t get into the main campus right away. Thanks!</p>
<p>Just a few things to consider to help you narrow the list: Do you care to have semester or quarter system schools? Quarter system schedules may affect internship prospects.
How far are you from the schools? Can you get there easily by driving or will you have to fly? That is another expense to consider. How convenient is the airport to the school and are there shuttles available?
These are just a few small things to consider to help weed out a few schools.</p>
<p>If you had unlimited chances, it would make sense to try so many reaches. To eliminate better chances because you “have to try” runs the risk of you winding up at some place you really would rather not go or no place at all if you serious overestimate your chances at any of these schools.</p>
<p>@intparent I’m not asking anyone to read through my threads. I realize most schools are reaches for me, which is why I’m trying to apply widely, but not TOO widely. The way I see it, and maybe my reasoning is faulty, but I will only end up at ONE school. I could apply to to more schools where I have a better chance, but all it takes is one acceptance, which is why I don’t see a problem with applying to so many reach schools. I don’t find including stats relevant in this thread, where I’m simply asking to condense a list based on school preferences, not for my chances of getting in. </p>