Don’t focus on the negative grade - use additional information for positive things about yourself (anything unusual, obstacles you overcame, anything that doesn’t fit into the rest of the app).
Yes interest is important (it’s important for basically all privates that aren’t Harvard).
What’s your budget?
In California, Chapman and St Mary’s would definitely be good matches, but they’re not rural.
Rural: Kenyon, Grinnell, Middlebury, Hamilton, St Lawrence.
St Olaf isn’t rural - it’s in a college town (2 colleges) with about 24,000 people,45mn from a major metropolis.
@MYOS1634 Well, my budget is a bit complicated, as my parents have money but don’t want to pay. That may change later on, because they’re saying that they don’t think I’ll get accepted anywhere. So any school recommendations are good. Definitely applying to Midd, but it’s a bit of a reach. I know Carleton is in the same town as St. Olaf, would it be a match for me, or more of a reach?
Carleton is an automatic reach due to selectivity.
If your parents say they won’t pay, you MUST apply to automatic full tuition and fullride scholarships plus competitive full rides. (even if they change your mind you’ll have safeties, at least).
Colleges will not provide financial aid just because parents say they won’t pay. Have you run the NPC? What’s your efc?
@MYOS1634 my efc is about 55k…what does this mean in terms of privates that are 70k? Do they fill the 15k gap between the efc and the tuition? I’m apply to university of Alabama, so if I get 1400+ I should get their full tuition scholarship
“Interested in outdoor activities (hiking, biking, camping, backcountry, etc)”
Sewanee would fit this requirment nicely.