Please help me with my list!

College Search & Selection
1

<p>So I thought I knew what I wanted: big, football, BIG....and well that was really all I knew....I hadn't done much real thinking yet. Then I visited Emory and it was perfect, I loved it! </p>

<p>Here is what I am looking for:
-medium-large school (public or private)
-preferably in Northeast/Mid-Atlantic Region
-good history program
-good graduate school placement (looking into Law currently)
-near a big city (nothing out in the middle of nowhere!)
-decent size Jewish population (VERY important)
-good student:teacher ratio--I want to be able to contact my professors (I know you can really do this at any size school, though)</p>

<p>Okay, that pretty much sums it up
Here are some quick stats: 3.82UW, Top 2%, 32 ACT (retaking in September, confident on a higher score), okay ECs(I've moved a lot), good recs, and I think I'm a pretty good writer so essays should be good!</p>

<p>Here is my current list:
Definitely applying to: NYU, Emory, Indiana (safety)
Applying pending on visit: Tufts, Brandeis, Northwestern(?! don't really know)
Iffy: Michigan, Wisconsin</p>

<p>I'm visiting the NE/Mid-Atlantic in a few weeks so I should be able to visit a good number of schools.</p>

<p>Please help me!!!!!! I would love safety/match/reach schools</p>

2

<p>i would definitely say brandeis...i know someone there (jewish incidentally) and she loves it</p>

3

<p>If you're looking into Law, try American University as a safety. The location is perfect, especially if you're interested in Law at a federal or international level. Also a good location for studying history.</p>

<p>If connecting with teachers is important to you, I would avoid the big state schools. While they are right for some people, you want to be in environment where you'll thrive most academically. </p>

<p>If school spirit is important to you, I'd suggest Boston College or Duke.</p>

4

<p>The University of Maryland seems to fit several of your requirements, other than that it is a big school rather than a mid-sized one. 10 miles from DC, and 25 miles from Baltimore, mid-Atlantic, good history program and grad school placement, substantial Jewish population (about 4500 Jewish students, and the biggest Hillel in the country), abundant school spirit and sports interest--you'll get in, likely in Honors, and it certainly seems like a better safety than Indiana given your interests. You also might really like it once you've visited--my daughter, who was very likely to go elsewhere, visited, fell in love with the school, liked it even better on a followup, and will be enrolling in the fall.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

5

<p>Thank you all so far!</p>

<p>Also, how about Boston University and George Washington University? Would they be good matches?</p>

6

<p>Both Vanderbilt and Rice are very similar to Emory and are great schools. I would definitely reccomend looking into those.</p>

7

<p>I have been told to look at those, but I really don't want to go to the South (besides Atlanta). I rather stay up North.</p>

8

<p>I think you have a good list. You could even add another reach if you want.
BU and GW would be safe matches admissions-wise, but you're not going to find a small student-teacher ratio there. Nor NYU for that matter.</p>

9

<p>I do agree that the student-teacher ratio is not particularly amazing at those schools, but I would say they are better than large state schools (please correct me if I'm wrong!). My sister also goes to a VERY large state school and within her department she is able to contact teachers, so even at mid-large private schools I would think it would be possible (again, correct me if I'm wrong!!).</p>

10

<p>When I took classes at GW the class sizes were not bad at all other than in a few of the very introductory courses. I had good contact with the professors. This was several years ago but I was impressed with the professors in humanities and history courses that I took. Fellow students were so-so it seemed to me in terms of ability, lots of variability there. Not being Jewish I don't know exactly how large or active the Jewish community is but I believe it is a significant percentage of the student population.</p>

11

<p>does this look pretty accurate? </p>

<p>Reach: Tufts, Emory, Michigan, Brandeis
Match: BU, NYU, GWU
Safety: IU (need more!)</p>

<p>can anyone comment on the Jewish life at these schools?</p>

12

<p>Brandeis would be closer to a match, and BU would probably be a safety, but aside from that, it looks about right.</p>

<p>As for others to look at, McGill has a large Jewish population, and would probably be a safety. Syracuse also has a strong Jewish population, and would be a safety. Then there's also American, like I said earlier. </p>

<p>Barnard could be a good match (it's a part of Columbia, but easier to get into, and it's something like 40% Jewish).</p>

13

<p>BU Hillel: <a href="http://www.bu.edu/dbin/hillel/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.bu.edu/dbin/hillel/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Johns Hopkins Hillel: <a href="http://www.hopkinshillel.org/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.hopkinshillel.org/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Tufts Hillel: <a href="http://www.tuftshillel.org/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.tuftshillel.org/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>These schools have great jewish life and you'd have a reasonable shot at all of them I think.</p>

14

<p>I was looking into Barnard and will definitely consider it!</p>

<p>Thank you for those other safety suggestions too!</p>

15

<p>Emory is definitely a good choice.</p>

<p>Also apply to Wash U, which is a good school comparable to Emory that has a sizable Jewish population that continues to grow.</p>

<p>Tufts and Brandeis would be good as well.</p>

16

<p>Johns Hopkins is another good reach, thank you!</p>

<p>I considered WashU, but I'm not really a big fan of the location (I kinda want to get out of the Midwest region)</p>

17

<p>Agree Brandeis would be match and BU more safety. If you love Emory you should definetly consider Vanderbilt.</p>

<p>Wash U has large jewish population and would be a reach. I also think GW is more of a match/slight reach.</p>

18

<p>thanks!</p>

<p>does anyone else have any other suggestions for schools in the NE that fit my criteria? The "not the the middle of nowhere" criteria isn't as important as the rest, so if that gives me more options......</p>

19

<p>Dear Super18Blue:</p>

<p>Tufts University, Brandeis University, and Boston University.</p>

<p>Best wishes.</p>