Please Recommend Some Schools for Me?

College Search & Selection
1

Hello, everyone! Thanks in advance.

I have a few schools in mind, but ultimately there’s none so far that really stand out to me. I would be very thankful if anyone could suggest a few schools that may fit my profile, or at least some of the details.

SAT score: 2270
Reading, 800
Writing, 780
Math, 690

ACT composite 33

I’ve taken all honors courses; AP is somewhat lacking but I’ve taken many early college experience (ECE) classes and courses from the local community college. In the running for either valedictorian or salutatorian, in all likelihood; straight-A kid. Also have a decent amount of EC’s, including president of Interact Club.

A must-have for my school would be a decent music program, I’ve played classical piano for 9 years and also very interested in learning more jazz piano and improving my basic organ skills. Also play French horn and would like school to have marching band, choirs, etc. - as much musical involvement as possible.

I’m more conservative/moderate and would prefer a school that is not strongly liberal.

I’m fond of warm weather and really want a beautiful campus; ideally less “modern” looking (think Yale instead of SUNY Purchase or something).

Seeking BS or MS in Computer Science and/or Cognitive Science; though these are must haves, would prefer wide range of options in programs.

Seeking intellectual student body; size is no big deal but I do like the idea of a smaller, more student-centered classroom. I’m a total nerd and would like a school not oriented on partying and getting drunk all the time.

So pretty much: nerdy, pretty, musical campus?

Thanks a million in advance!

2

What is your home state and what can your family pay?

3

Hello, I come from Connecticut, and I’m going to be depending on scholarships and financial aid - we only make 25K or so a year.

4

Look at University of Rochester. Not warm but pretty much everything else you’re looking for. Solid for STEM plus you can take classes at Eastman School of Music. You would also be a contender for merit $$$.

5

The College of Wooster sounds like it would be a fairly good fit. It has a beautiful campus and the people there are not necessarily nerdy, but definitely set on learning. The college is also good about both need-based aid and merit-based scholarships. (It isn’t exactly warm though.) Denison University would also fit well. (It also isn’t warm.)

6

This list includes some good options for you that seem to meet a number of your criteria: http://time.com/money/3744745/colleges-best-financial-aid/

Focus on those in the southern part of the US.

7

Well, except for the “warm” part, you are a perfect profile for St. Olaf, and you would also likely get merit aid in addition to potential FA. Conservative, beautiful, world-class music program with “dry” campus. Architecture is beautiful–to my eye–and you can easily check it out online.

St. Olaf very strong in CS and Neurosciences, and place many people into Mayo Med School each year.

Good luck!

8

USC (University of Southern California)…they give very generous financial aid to students that come from families with low incomes. When I was accepted to college this past March, USC costed less for me than UCLA or Berkeley would have costed with in state tuition if I had chosen to go to UCLA or Berkeley (I was accepted to both).
-USC’s Thronton School of Music is top-notch, and there are tons of EC’s there to be involved with it (like the band that welcomes any student there to join! And also many different music minors, like songwriting or performance): check.
-Conservative/moderate: check.

-USC’s campus is rustic for sure, and beautiful: check.
-USC has awesome warm SoCal weather: check.
It seems to fit what you are interested in. Good luck!

9

All are in fairly cold weather climates, but you would go for free at any the Ivy league schools you were admitted to.

10

Thank you all so much! A lot of these schools look promising and I’ll be researching them :slight_smile:

11

Do you have a non-custodial parent?

12

I do; I only live with one parent.

13

The other parent’s finances will be used by almost all good financial aid colleges. So if that parent is uncooperative with financial aid forms or paying, then you are out of luck with many schools and are limited to the few good financial aid schools that do not need NCP (like Chicago) or big merit scholarship schools. There is a sticky thread at the top of the financial aid and scholarships forum listing the latter.

14

Thank you. I am still in regular contact with my father (non-custodial), and he would be willing to work through financial aid forms and some payment as well, though he is not rich by any means either. I will look at the sticky.

15

Be sure to include his information in the net price calculators unless the college says that NCP information is not needed. Then find out if your parents will agree to contribute the needed amount.

16

Tufts has an interdisciplinary major in Cognitive and Brain Sciences with an international reputation

http://ase.tufts.edu/psychology/undergraduate/concCognitive.htm

with two of the world’s top researchers on music cognition

http://now.tufts.edu/news-releases/tufts-university-cognitive-scientist-ray-jack
http://ase.tufts.edu/psychology/people/patel/

the top small performance hall in New England with what might be the best piano in New England

http://www.tufts.edu/home/feature/?p=granoff

2000 of the 5000 undergrads participate in music related programs including a partnership with the New England Conservatory.

http://as.tufts.edu/music/musiccenter/documents/faqandinfo.pdf

Steinway also sponsors an interdisciplinary Minor in Music Engineering (available to all majors) that involves Computer Science

http://www.tuftl.tufts.edu/musicengineering/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akgJSzh5mnY

The Computer Science Department offers a course in developing Music Apps and recent grads were recently written up in Forbes for starting a company based on a music sharing application

http://www.forbes.com/sites/denalitietjen/2015/07/29/cymbal/

Tufts computer/cognitive scientists are leading a research efforts to attempt to teach computers morals as well as monitoring brain activity and predigting behavior

http://bostinno.streetwise.co/2014/05/31/video-of-stephen-colbert-talking-morality-lessons-for-robots/

http://now.tufts.edu/articles/training-brain-focus

Community service is a big part of the campus culture with a separately endowed college of community service/citizenship and a loan repayment assistance program for grads who choose to go into community service
(Tufts is also a top feeder school for the Peace Corps).

http://activecitizen.tufts.edu/

http://lrap.tufts.edu/

Tufts meets full need, but does not offer merit scholarships.

The weather is warm - at least in the summer time :slight_smile:

Campus architecture diverse with a colonial academic quad and some more modern buildings around the periphery.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toYuqOrmQmg

17

What about SMU?

18

I don’t know what the campus looks like, but Rice would seem to be worth a look for you.

19

Thank you all again! I toured Tufts and I loved it. Will be checking out the rest of these schools. Majorly helpful, I appreciate!