<p>^ Yup. We are certainly retiring someday. It's priority #1, and after offering my kids the best education we can afford, I don't feel guilty at all about saying that.</p>
<p>We did take her to PTON thinking that it would be good but right away she knew that it wasn't for her. As parents we were thinking that would be a good place as it is close to family. That was about the only super reach on her list because W&M (oos) and W&L will be hard enough.</p>
<p>We all love Denison. The countryside, the campus, the town!</p>
<p>I think your gc is right to worry about the top 10% issue, but on the other hand, I don't think the list is that unreasonable from an admissions standpoint. My guess is that there will be declines and/or wait lists, and admits. Kenyon may be rough if you are in-state Ohio - I think they value geographic diversity. W&L may be problematic if you are not instate Virginia. </p>
<p>Does she have a financial safely?</p>
<p>Has she thought about DePauw? It seems to line up better with W&L, Denison, Kenyon. Kalamazoo is also worth a look.</p>
<p>My S has friends at or considered DePauw, Denison, and Kalamazoo. All were very happy with their packages. They were all offered merit aid and I don't think that any were in the top 10%.</p>
<p>Honestly, Earlham is kind of in left field with her other choices. It is a great school but much different. If she likes Earlham, Ohio Wesleyan is another school which is not as conservative as W&L or liberal as Earlham.</p>
<p>She is a very good candidate and don't worry. She will get into some of these schools, with a very good chance of merit aid.</p>
<p>thank you all for your imput!!!! I guess we need to get to Earlham because you all think that it is so different from her other choices. We are out of state for all of the schools! Her GC keeps telling her to look at Grinell in Iowa because it would at least be within driving distance. We'll look into Kalamazoo and I think DePauw sends her stuff all the time.</p>
<p>Do you all think that she has enough schools? Do you think that she should be adding schools just so she has better odds? As for they financial safety no need based aid is coming our way. We are not well to do we are just savers.</p>
<p>Your daughter's stats are superb. IMHO she should add some more elite schools if they are of interest to her. I predict she will get into all of the schools on her current list or nearly so as long as she had good recs and essay. Good luck!</p>
<p>Our high school feeds a bunch of kids into schools like Wisconson and Iowa so our GC feels that it would really hurt those kids chances to do away with class ranks. The parents have asked that question at every meeting!</p>
<p>We believe that her teachers are going to write great letters for her. She really is a wonderful kid to have in class. Her AP lit teacher read her essays and said that she loved her writing style! I can't read them without crying... That could just be my age!</p>
<p>Great essays will be an asset to Grinnell. My S has two friends who considered Grinnell. Both are very smart, a little quirky and arty (is that a word?) Both love music and I would say beat to a different drummer. One of the kids did decide on Grinnell and his mother tells me he is very happy.</p>
<p>I don't know how much emphasis should be put on class rank. It seems to me, with superb scores and a very demanding schedule that being just outside of top 10% would not such a detriment. </p>
<p>Just for kicks I would put a super reach or two on the list. University of Chicago loves kids who can write.</p>
<p>She can write- just doesn't want a city.</p>
<p>UChicago has almost none of the characteristics that the OP says her d. is looking for. It may be a reach, but, for her, is likely to be decidedly inferior.</p>
<p>Grinnell and Earlham share a lot of similarities, in student bodies, social commitments, study abroad, campus environments. Neither shares very much (other than LAC status and ruralness) with W&L.</p>
<p>She did think a long time about that "great books school" but ruled that out. Reed was on the list for awhile but they don't seem to finish school in 4 years very often.</p>
<p>If your school is strong enough that she only ranks 55 with those stats, not being in the top 10% should not be a problem at the schools you listed.</p>
<p>In my view, however, Earlham isn't the only out-of-place school on that list. Sure, it's the left edge, but I don't think it's so different from Kenyon. I do agree with others, though, that Kenyon and Earlham vs. W&L or W&M are really opposite poles of the LAC world. Also . . . Vanderbilt is a lot bigger, and a lot more urban, than any of the other schools. And very southern/fratty, too, although certainly a good university. What's up with that?</p>
<p>So . . . three midwestern rural left-of-center liberal arts colleges, one of them Quaker, one tiny East Coast suburban Quaker college, two frat-heavy, conservative rural Virginia colleges, one small and one relatively large and public, and one frat-heavy, conservative, Tennessee urban research university. If your daughter likes them all, there's practically no private college she wouldn't like.</p>
<p>I don't see a problem with deferring a choice until she sees who accepts her, but I would think that she would already know the answer to the questions, "Am I a dress-up sorority girl or a hoodie-and-jeans peace activist? Would I prefer the country or the city? Do I want a really intimate school, or not?"</p>
<p>When we were at W&L she really fell in love with the science building. She still might suprise herself and be a physics major. If her current major idea anthro holds true she could get a fine geology major there and get a phd in archeology(SP?)</p>
<p>I'm going to weigh in here too on the side of adding a reach or two, if, and only if, your daughter is interested and sees herself in a high-octane school environment and you all either feel like paying for it or would qualify for need. If she's not applying to too many places, she does have really great SATs and ACT, so not an act of complete insanity or anything....</p>
<p>No city, hmm. Hated Princeton, so probably not Dartmouth or Williams. Needs to be able to talk to professors, not sure about Stanford...Swarthmore? Amherst? It kind of depends on the stuff you are leaving out. What about the radio and music. How much recognition does she have for that stuff? What about you all - any out of the ordinary family background? Live in an unpopulated state?</p>
<p>Has she considered Macalester and Carlton?</p>
<p>Oh, yes, Macalester and Carleton. Good idea.</p>
<p>Vanderbilt made the list just in case she decides that in the middle of nowwhere isn't ok. She loves Haverford and i'm sure that the Quaker influences are part of it. She loves the idea of people at least trying to be collaborative, kind helpful,tolerant. W&L addmissions spoke of all of these things too. Are we missing something?</p>