<p>Hey guys. I've posted my previous college list before, so I'm just going to copy & paste my stats and criteria here. I'm an international student and basically I want to know if this list comprises not only of schools that will meet my criteria (I've researched them thoroughly but due to my inability to visit them, you guys might provide more first-hand insight), but also if my list provides a good mix of reaches and matches (safeties are not so much a concern for me as I already have a place at a prestigious UK university). </p>
<ul>
<li>good economics department</li>
<li>located close to medium-sized or large city that offers many off-campus activities</li>
<li>preferably good weather</li>
<li>preferably close student-teacher interaction, at least once you begin to specialize</li>
<li>strong school spirit and pride</li>
<li>internship opportunities</li>
<li>balance between working hard and playing hard - I don't want a school where students study all day long</li>
<li>diverse student body, but most importantly a laid-back, libereal student body that is not concerned with their GPA (preferably friendly, quirky and outdoor loving)</li>
<li>well maintained facilities, preferably state-of-the-art recreation facilities, spacious dorms, and a good place for students to hang out</li>
<li>size of the student body preferably less than 10,000 students although I could make an exception up to 15,000.</li>
</ul>
<p>Stats:
GPA: 100/100 (I'm an international student)
Courses: University preparatory (5 A Levels Grade A)
Rank: 1/89
SATs: CR-650, M-730, W-630, Chemistry-770, Maths 2-750
ECs: Mediterranean M.U.N, military service, martial arts for 2 years
Awards: Highest international grade in IGCSE Mathematics, Honorary plagues from various local organizations for my academic performance</p>
<p>Reaches:
Brown University
Claremont McKenna College
Rice University
Stanford University</p>
<p>Matches:
Bowdoin College (high match)
Macalester College
Tufts University (high match)
Whitman College</p>
<p>Other colleges considered:
Bates College
Carleton College
Colgate University
Colorado College
Grinnell College
Occidental College
Villanova University
Dartmouth College
American University
Emory University
Vanderbilt University
UVa</p>
<p>First, decide if you would really choose Whitman or Mac over a prestigious UK school. It would seem your list could be shorter since you have that in hand.</p>
<p>Unless you have done something extraordinary or are from a small African nation or otherwise underrepresented population, your scores make Stanford and Brown next to impossible and make Bowdoin and Tufts more realistic reaches. Maybe add some more in that range like Colgate and Vandy.</p>
<p>I suggest you only apply to reaches here in the U.S. unless you REALLY want to study here. There are a lot of great schools in the UK like Oxford, Cambridge, L.S.E., etc that I’m sure you can try to get into, and would be cheaper options.</p>
<p>hmom5, I like Whitman for it’s outdoor opportunities and apparently the student satisfaction there is quite high. It also provides a great match/safety college. Mac is great for its political activism, proximity to a city and multiculturalism. </p>
<p>huskem, I agree that these colleges don’t fit those criteria, however Bowdoin College in particular is located in a cute little town and I think I could brave the cold for it’s friendly student body, great dorms and great academics. Colgate I think is too isolated and Dartmouth is too much of a reach I think.</p>
<p>Your list looks good. If Rice is your reach, I would call Bowdoin and Tufts reach too. You already have 6 reach schools. Perhaps you could add Occidental, American and Bates as your match schools. Then you should be done with your list. </p>
<p>What I wonder is how competitive you’ll be for jobs in your country with a degree from Whitman or even Bowdoin compared to a prestigious UK university. Is this a consideration for you or do you have a hopeful grad school path where this won’t matter?</p>
<p>Not as competitive. So which of these universities have a more international recognition? Should I apply to just reaches which would be more recognized internationally? Based on this my list would look something more like this:</p>
<p>Brown University
Claremont McKenna College
Duke University
Emory University
Rice University
Stanford University
University of Pennsylvania
Vanderbilt University</p>