Hi there. Just received my admissions decision yesterday, and it was bad news: rejected. It was my to school, and now Im not sure I love any of my other options. I really liked University of Michigan, and Madison, but both are a little too big for me. I want to stay in the midwest, or close to. My ideal school was NU: mid-sized, strong academics, near a big city, and just… perfect. Wasn’t meant to be though, I guess.
I’m a good student, 32 ACT, 4.3 GPA, with numerous volunteer and leadership positions, along with academic and personal awards. I’ve currently applied to U of Michigan, Madison, UChicago, and Colorado College.
Any other schools I should check out? I am really worried I won’t get into any of my choices, and even if I do, will I really want to attend?
Im pretty much the same student as you, I have a 32 ACT and a 4.36 GPA with 10+ AP Classes. I applied to Northwestern, Michigan, UNC, and UVA. I recently got rejected by Notre Dame but am still alive for the rest. I would apply to UNC and UVA if I was you.
You might want to consider University of Rochester. My daughter liked both Rochester and Northwestern, but ultimately decided to apply ED to UR because of their public health program and the flexibility of the “cluster” approach vs. core curriculum. She’s glad she made the decision she did. (And even though Rochester is in New York, it has a more midwestern vibe.)
Case Western, Vanderbilt, Wash U also come to mind.
@EllieRosie, I would definitely second the suggestion of CWRU- my D was accepted last year with a merit scholarship. She did visit the campus, had an (in our town) interview, applied early and showed lots of interest so I think they really appreciated that- the showing interest on her part. It is in a very vibrant part of the city and I was amazed at the easy access to cultural amenities- music, art, food. It had the best on campus meal we had on the college tours we did with her.
WUSTL, was also a great campus experience for us. The access to cultural stuff is not as accesible but still very close by. Merit scholarships are very hard to come by and they are all application based.
Both schools have a very Midwest friendly vibe.
Colorado College is kind of an outlier on your list. By the way, we also visited but my D thought it was not a good fit for her (very into outdoor and athletic stuff). If you are interested in the block system, look into Columbia College in Iowa. I thought Colorado College was in a breathtaking setting.
EllieRosie – Another recommendation for WUSTL. Very good environmental science and biology programs. Our student is a Sophomore there and loves it and really likes St. Louis. Plenty to do – including Forest Park right across the street (Zoo, Art Museums, Ice Skating, Theater, Concerts).
Case and CMU are also very strong schools with that “midwestern” sort of feeling and a similar size.
@EllieRosie I have been to the University of Minnesota, and I think it fits a lot of your buckets: midwestern school with strong academics in a big city. Yes, it’s on the larger size, but you can look into getting in with a smaller cohort such as the honors program, your major, and student groups. Honestly, you won’t notice the size that much once you are there. Plus, you get in-state tuition. And it’s a Big 10 school like Northwestern.
What’s your budget? Does it match your EFC? Have you run the NPC on all your choices?
Review your common app essay: any way to make it more personal?
You could apply to St Olaf and Macalester, starting to show interest now (both look at interest, not just stats).
At St Olaf, look into the Science Conversation.
Seconding URochester and Case Western Reserve.
U Mass Amherst + honors is another possibility.
Run the NPC asap on each of these.
I believe @goingnutsmom (response #5) meant Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, also has the one-class-at-a-time block system similar to Colorado College.
I second your looking at Carleton College and St. Olaf College. Our freshman daughter loves Carleton, and our sophomore son at UW-Madison couldn’t be happier there. Both are good students and intended bio majors.