Please Match Me to Colleges!

College Search & Selection
1

Hi all,

As a high school senior, I’m in beginning of the application process, but I’m feeling a little lost. I’m not very good at looking past the information in shiny brochures to truly find the best college for me. I know what dream schools I absolutely want to apply to, but as they are high reaches, I’ve accepted that it is likely I will not get into them and thus need matches/safeties where I will still be happy at.

Stats:
3.9 UW, 1560 SAT, National Merit semifinalist (224), applying for finalist!
I have taken 5 APs and got a 5 in four of them and a 4 in one (I self-studied for that one, if that makes a difference).
I’m also involved a lot of extracurriculars–I think this is where I will shine the most in my application.

I’m looking for a very intellectual atmosphere in that students regard college not as a stepping stone to the highest-paying careers, but as a way to deeply explore the world. Basically, I want an environment where it is the norm to want to learn simply for the sake of satiating curiosity. I know that you can find these people in nearly every college, but I do want to go to an institution where these values are widespread (and not a niche group of nerds haha). At the same time, I do like an environment where there is at least some degree of ambition/pre-professionalism–not really in the competitive sense, but I like it when people are excited about their futures and are willing to work hard towards their vision.

I’m probably going to major in international relations, but I’m also interested in world history, sociology/anthropology, philosophy, and creative writing. I’ve wanted to become a lawyer since a very young age, with international law being the ultimate dream, though I’m not completely ruling out academia or a career in international relations (working for the UN would be REALLY cool). I want a college that is in good standing with top 10-20 law schools.

Being in a major city would be a plus, but I’m also fine with a rural setting if the school itself is strong enough (as is the case for so many top-tier LACs). I’d like to do undergrad research, though I don’t want a school that prioritizes research over undergrad teaching. Interdisciplinary academics are nice. I’d love to double major/minor since I’m interested in a lot of different areas of study.

My dream schools right now are Yale and UChicago. I love UChicago for its oft-touted intellectualism, though the notoriously difficult academics prevent it from being my absolute top choice. Don’t get me wrong, I believe I can handle it, but my high school is extremely competitive (“misery poker” is everywhere), and it would be nice to see a change of pace. I’m interested in Swarthmore for the same reasons. I just absolutely fell in love with Yale when I visited. The vibe I got was perfect. It also doesn’t hurt that Yale Law is ranked number 1. If I got in, I would cry from happiness.

Besides these top choices, I have a LONG list of possible colleges, but have trouble narrowing it down. Also, since I live in California, the lower-tier UCs are probably going to be my safeties.

If anyone could tell me a few colleges you think would both satisfy my career goals and make me happy, I would really appreciate it! If you could provide some rationale, that would be even better (since it is very likely it will already be on my very long list, and I really need to start eliminating)!

Thank you so much!

P.S. I really, really love Mock Trial, so if I went to a school on the first page of the AMTA rankings, that’d be the cherry on top. http://www.collegemocktrial.org/2017-18%20AMTA%20TPR.pdf

2

What is your budget? And are you female, and if so, open to women’s colleges?

3

What is your budget?

4

For intellectualism cum the softening that comes with extensive sports programs, look into Williams (reach). For colleges with flexible curricula that would allow you to explore as widely as possible, consider Amherst (reach), Hamilton (superb for creative writing and an admissions match) and Brown (reach). For intellectualism strongly aligned with humanities and fine arts, explore Vassar (match). Wesleyan should be considered as a good alternative to Swarthmore for students who might prefer a socially more liberal environment.

5

If you’re a woman, apply to Wellesley. And regardless of your gender, apply to Haverford and Swarthmore.

6

Carleton and Macalester, depending on your finances.

7

Wesleyan seems to do pretty well placing people at Yale Law. Not sure whether it’s a matter of proximity (less than thirty minutes away) or some other factor at play (and of course, we have no idea how many applicants are being rejected at the same time), but, it’s clear it enjoys a good reputation. Have to disagree with @merc81 : Amherst and Williams do not come readily to mind when it come to intellectualism free of careerism. I’m not sure any NESCAC school really fits that description, but, Williams certainly has a reputation for being “pre-professional” and “corporate” and the two “Massachusetts schools” generally follow each other’s lead.

8

I’m not sure the OP really wants intellectualism “free of careerism” though, at least not entirely:

9

^Calling Goldilocks. :slight_smile:

10

As a few others have mentioned, budget is a pretty significant factor for most families, often a defining factor. If you haven’t discussed this with your family, figured out your Estimated Family Contribution, and run Net Price Calculators, I’d suggest addressing this ASAP.

11

In terms of pre-law, College Transitions named 20 schools that would be safe bets. (Their methodology may be incomplete, or insufficient in other ways, so consider the listed colleges as a sampling only.)

Amherst
Brown
Claremont McKenna
Columbia
Cornell
Dartmouth
Duke
Georgetown
Hamilton
Harvard
Middlebury
Northwestern
Pomona
Stanford
UChicago
UMichigan
UPennsylvania
U of Southern California
Yale
Yeshiva

Btw, if you truly have a singular aspiration toward Yale law, then Yale undergrad may not necessarily be your ideal choice. That’s opinion though, based on a belief that it’s best not to do both your undergrad and grad at the same institution.

12

Wow, thanks for the responses!

I’m female, and definitely looking into women’s colleges. I visited Wellesley and I really liked the campus so I’ll probably apply!

I am extremely fortunate to have parents who prioritize education. They basically told me that I didn’t need to worry about paying for college, as they will do their best to put me through the best school I can get in. However, that doesn’t mean we have no financial worries–our income is pretty high ($200,000-210,000), but we live in a very affluent suburb where the cost of living is extremely high. We have enough saved up to pay the full sticker cost for one year. The rest is up to loans and scholarships and using a chunk of their income, I guess. We have an understanding that if I get into one of my top schools, I should definitely go even if the cost is very high, but if my best options are UC Berkeley/UCLA (at the risk of sounding arrogant, I am pretty confident I will get in. My school is very popular with the UC system; we send 80-100 kids every year to these two schools, and I am in the top 9%), then that trumps comparable schools. We haven’t taken the time to go through the entire Net Price Calculator yet, but I hope that clears things up a bit.

Also, I looked into Williams but I wasn’t sure I was an exact fit, especially with the very preppy/jock culture. Preppy schools aren’t the end of the world, but I’m not much of a partier (at all). I love the Oxford tutorials though, and the clout with grad schools is undeniable. Still on the fence about that one.

13

I’m going to offer another take on undergrad and law school. Law school enrollment has been dropping in recent years because of the very tight job market but law schools still want students, so it’s not as hard to get in as it used to be. The best way to get into and through law school is to have a high GPA, a high LSAT score, and lots of money (so you can afford to attend without taking out huge loans). Which school you attend for undergrad is less important than how you do there.

14

That’s comforting to hear, @rosered55, thank you. Though it is worth mentioning that although I’m 99% sure I want to go into law, I still want to leave wiggle room JUST in case I change my mind in a few years. So, I want to go to an undergraduate institution that ensures I’ll do okay no matter what I choose :slight_smile:

15

Tufts sounds like it could be a great fit for you and your interests.

16

With respect to “college as a way to deeply explore the world” and a generally literary atmosphere, Kenyon stands out. They offer strong programs in political science and history augmented by the Center for the Study of American Democracy (http://www.kenyon.edu/academics/centers/center-for-the-study-of-american-democracy/) You will find lots of west coast students at Kenyon. Significant merit scholarship recognition would be a good possibility.

Also, seconding Hamilton, partly for the reasons stated by @merc81, but also for their balanced curriculum in general and NYC semester (https://www.hamilton.edu/news/story/new-york-city-program-students-tour-united-nations).

17

Could you attach a definition to comparable, such as might relate to selectivity or other factors (whether objective or subjective)?

18

Are your parents willing to cosign around $200,000 in college loans? That’s what will happen after the first year, which you said they can pay for. It may be a good idea to run the NPC’s on the schools that you are interested in and ask if they are OK with the cost.

19

^ Not exactly:

20

@merc81 to put it bluntly, schools that are just as “good”–that will allow me to get into law school/get a job. And I guess level of prestige is part of it too.

@twogirls As guilty as it makes me, yeah, they’re definitely willing. Obviously, I will try to offset the cost as much as I can myself.