<p>So I'm looking for a school with the following attributes
- Laid-back and non-competitive atmosphere (no elitists!) yet intellectually engaging
- Diverse yet integrated student body that is very active and involved
- Undergraduate focused (no hundreds of students in lecture halls)
- A very strong sense of community (everyone knows each other sort of thing)
- Lots of resources (good financial aid, strong alum network, nice facilities)</p>
<p>Here are my stats
Class rank top 25%
GPA 3.7
SAT 2200+
ECs are great</p>
<p>I don't care about location at all. I'm thinking schools like Colby would have these attributes</p>
<p>Reed seems like a good match.</p>
<p>Definitley look at LAC like Swarthmore, Grinell, Oberlin, Claremont McKenna Colleges, and Amherst</p>
<p>LACS sounds like a good fit, but Swarthmore and Amherst are not ‘laid back.’ Grinnell, Oberlin and Reed are. I’d add Macalester (Minn). If Colby appeals to you (it’s rather preppy), look at Bates (Maine) and Kenyon (Ohio) too. Among these, Grinnell is the only one that offers merit aid without any financial need.</p>
<p>Both Grinnell and Macalester are 11-12% international students, by the way, and Grinnell’s facilities are palatial due to an enormous endowment.</p>
<p>Hampshire, Sarah Lawrence, Smith.</p>
<p>Intended or possible majors?</p>
<p>Many smaller schools have limited selections of subjects where the offerings have enough breadth and depth for those intending to major or concentrate on (e.g. Sarah Lawrence emphasizes visual and performing arts, history, literature, psychology, and writing, but may not be suitable for someone who may want to study other subjects in-depth; Harvey Mudd is only suitable for STEM majors).</p>
<p>Relatively cheap LACs include Truman State University and University of Minnesota - Morris (list price around $22,000 per year, even for out of state). These may be worth checking to see if they can be low matches or safeties in your application list.</p>
<p>May be a stretch as your GPA and rank are slightly on the lower end, but Duke University is a wonderful school for you! But it’s though; only 11-12% got in this year’s regular decision. (luckily one of them was me haha!)</p>
<p>12% selection rate is a reach.</p>
<p>Brandeis University</p>