Pls help expand my daughter's list of schools

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Her stats: 2340 SAT (one sitting, doesn't ever want to sit for it again!), 4.0 unweighted, all honors and AP courses, will take subject tests next month, expects 750-800, don't expect financial aid, caucasian, good ECs</p>

<p>Her list so far: Pomona, Stanford, Wellesley, Mount Holyoke, Scripps</p>

<p>Needs: strong intellectual culture that is friendly to conservative viewpoints, lots of international students, not a party school, allows you to take music classes without necessarily declaring it as a major, easy access to a piano, climate no worse than Massachusetts, not too large (LACs preferred), near a city/town, but not necessarily in one, fairly vibrant Christian fellowship (she does not want to go to a Christian college)</p>

<p>She doesn't know what she wants to major in, but would like to try a wide variety of classes before she has to decide.</p>

<p>She is a runner, but not a star and is captain of her cross-country team only because they suck and she just happens to be the fastest girl (her words.) She does want to run for a club team in college if possible.</p>

<p>We're thinking she needs 3 more schools on her list. She looked at Middlebury when she was up there for Breadloaf, but thought it would be too cold and remote in the winter. She ruled out Bowdoin (too cold) and Williams (reach, party school, isolated) Several people recommended Brown, but she ruled it out as too urban, and she doesn't think she needs any more reach schools.</p>

<p>Swarthmore looks good to me, but I don't know much about it. Any other ideas based on actual knowledge?</p>

2

<p>Are any of the Catholic schools ok?</p>

<p>Maybe…Santa Clara or Fordham (don’t know their music class rules)…</p>

<p>Also, maybe Vandy…I think their dorms have music practice rooms, don’t know about their music class rules.</p>

<p>What about URoch? or do they have strict rules for music classes? don’t know about how bad their weather is compared to what she’s used to.</p>

<p>Williams is a party school? Well, frankly, nearly all schools with 18-22 year olds will have a party side. My cousin’s son is partying at Stanford.</p>

<p>Are you fine with being full pay?</p>

3

<p>Looking to the south perhaps Davidson, Furman or the University of Richmond?</p>

4

<p>Wellesley and Mount Holyoke are out for sure. if you do not spew the left wing party line you will be shunned.
(same with Swarthmore)</p>

<p>birhingham southern for an lac or vanderbilt university for a larger school.
I am sure you can avoid the party scene at either if you want.</p>

5

<p>Safety?</p>

<p>If there is question about affording full price at the high priced private LACs and universities, perhaps some of the public LACs like SUNY Geneseo, Truman State, Minnesota - Morris, UNC Asheville, etc. may be reasonable safety candidates for both admissions and cost (even for out of state). But check the criteria like music for non-majors, Christian fellowships, etc…</p>

6

<p>Have you considered Rice University? I think it fits your criteria fairly well.</p>

7

<p>Thanks, all.
She has received a ton of mail from Vanderbilt, probably because she gave them her name and info at a college fair. So far, it hasn’t grabbed her, don’t know why. I love the idea of Davidson and Furman, so I will run those by her and let her look them up. </p>

<p>Rice may be too large, and she didn’t love Texas when we lived there, so I don’t know about that one, even though it is a top school.</p>

<p>As far as ideology goes, well, she asked on all her tours about that and was surprised by the honesty she got. Most liberals say they’re tolerant of everything…except non-liberal points of view. One of her tour guides was head of the campus Republican group, so she found that very refreshing. I should point out that she’s politically moderate, but thinks the idea of “political correctness” is intellectually disingenuous and close-minded. I think this is why she wants to avoid hard-core left wing schools…as well as places like Bob Jones University. :)</p>

<p>Unfortunately, we are full pay but want our money’s worth. She may get merit money, but we’re not counting on this.</p>

8

<p>William and Mary? Very little merit aid.</p>

9

<p>I’ll second Davidson and throw in Washington & Lee.</p>

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<p>U Dayton, Lewis and Clark (Oregon).</p>

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<p>USC: larger than she’ll want, a bit more party culture than she wants, and in a city, but otherwise fits. Merit money!</p>

<p>Tufts: a bit more liberal than she wants, but could work. </p>

<p>Lawrence, I believe, has a music conservatory. Some of the other midwestern LACs perhaps: Beloit, Ohio Wesleyan. But they won’t be as international. Merit money.</p>

<p>I’d poke a bit more at Swarthmore, and Bryn Mawr and Haverford for that matter, since they’re in a consortium. Bryn Mawr may be too liberal, maybe not, but would certainly be easier in terms of admissions. Merit money at Bryn Mawr, not the others. </p>

<p>Does University of Chicago fail based on weather?</p>

<p>If you are coming out to tour Pomona and Scripps, how about taking a look at Occidental?</p>

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<p>How about St. Olaf? Kenyon?</p>

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<p>I’ll second the University of Rochester. It’s not an LAC, it’s a small research U (great if she things she’ll want to do research in ANY field). They are big on music and one definitely doesn’t have to be a major. They are diverse and rather apolitical. She can try oodles of classes she wants to take before declaring a major. There’s only one required class - a freshman English/writing class - and there are several options to choose from. It’s not a big Greek nor party school. It’s at or near the top in freshman retention rate at 96% (meaning both that students love it there and few fail out).</p>

<p>When my middle son first started looking at schools, they were on the top of his list. He considered and added more afterward (as I insisted he do) and almost didn’t even apply as he decided he wanted better weather. He decided last minute (after Thanksgiving) to apply, got accepted, got merit aid, then we visited. The visit sold him on the place - specifically - sitting in on a class and spending the night with some of the guys there. They talked about research they were doing and took him along to some of their musical activities (not music majors). He felt at home and loved it.</p>

<p>If any of that appeals to you, it’s worth a visit.</p>

<p>BTW, he’s a Christian and has felt right at home with both other Christians and non-Christians. </p>

<p>Freshman classes are NOT small (100 - 250 in his Calc, Chem, Bio, and a Brain and Cognitive Science class) but he tells me it’s not a problem at all. They break into small groups for recitations and the profs, so far, are “great” in his opinion. Later classes will have smaller numbers. When he sat in on an upper level class he estimated there were 25 - 30 in the class. (I asked him afterward or he could have counted for an exact number.)</p>

14

<p>Rice may be too large</p>

<p>??? Rice isn’t large. What is her size limitations. If Rice is too large, then a number of the other suggested schools won’t work either. The area of Houston that Rice is in is quite nice. I spent 2 weeks there with a friend who was at MD Anderson for cancer treatment.</p>

15

<p>Thanks again! I will suggest U Roch. It does have climate issues, but I think the range of majors will be very appealing and she does need a couple of non-reach schools on her list</p>

<p>She is applying to Stanford because her dad and his parents went there. ;0! She did like the tour, but she really preferred Pomona. That is her top choice so far, although it is a reach for anyone. </p>

<p>I’ll remind her of Lewis and Clark again. She connected with them at a college fair and liked what she saw.</p>

<p>Haverford has come up more than once. I’ll add that to the list of places to investigate.</p>

<p>Thanks so much. This is very helpful.</p>

16

<p>I’ll second Vandy, Washington and Lee, Richmond, Furman and add Wake, Macalester (weather??) Also Emory </p>

<p>Have you toured Pomona? From your description of your daughter I would not think Pomona would be high on her list. (Academics, yes other requests not so much)</p>

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<p>The Colleges That Change Lives may be worth a look (Google it to see the website, it’s a list of 40 LACs all around the country noted for their holistic approaches)</p>

<p>Maybe Washington University in St. Louis?</p>

18

<p>You have some good suggestions already (Davidson, URichmond, Washington and Lee). Maybe also look into Bucknell, Holy Cross (is a Jesuit school OK?), Lafayette.</p>

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<p>I can’t do anything about the weather or location, but I wouldn’t rule out Williams at this point. It seems to have so many of the attributes that your daughter is looking for: academic rigor, conservative friendly, excellent music performance opportunities for non-majors. Selective, yes, but the academics-music-sports trifecta is a plus in admissions.</p>

<p>Williams is actually quite similar to Pomona in character and personality.</p>

<p>Swarthmore and Wesleyan are excellent academically but no question but that they lean FAR to the left. For more of a middle road approach I would look at Hamilton, Kenyon, Bowdoin, Davidson, Dartmouth, Princeton. For less selectives: Conn College, Skidmore.</p>

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<p>Except for the Christian fellowship part, your criteria scream Macalester to me. It is in a great part of St. Paul. Yes it has a cold winter, but it doesn’t get as much snow as one might think. Sunny cold.</p>