<p>I definitely feel like I lead a “life of the mind” (at least as much as a seventeen-year-old can)… It seems to me that a lot of my classmates are really superficial and not concerned with actually learning. Maybe I will apply to Reed, but I don’t know if I want to be doing schoolwork all the time.</p>
<p>I just feel like Pomona is so far out of my league that it’s not worth it. Plus, the essay is ridiculous. I think my grades are what would keep me out.</p>
<p>And my main concern is money. If Occidental gives me a ton of money, that’s where I’ll go. If it’s Kenyon, same deal. Lawrence, eh… maybe I shouldn’t have applied there, haha.</p>
<p>You’ve got five AP exams already and likely eight by year end. This is out of character except at the very top schools. Kids with all those AP’s aren’t at Bates, Kenyon or Lawrence.</p>
<p>Bates isn’t as well endowed per student as Colorado, Reed or Whitman. Bates may get about the same quality of students as Whitman. However, Bates still gives FA to URM’s some of whom play NESCAC team sports as well as internationals. A white male from Chicago just isn’t going to get any FA offer at Bates that does not involve graduating with debt AND a work study job. Further, it’s doubtful Bates’ offer would be as good as Colorado’s. Indeed, Bates certainly doesn’t have Pomona’s money.</p>
<p>“If … gives me a ton of money, that’s where I’ll go.” This won’t happen without a big merit award, which only a few LAC’s like Grinnell and University of Richmond (Dec. 1 deadline passed) offer. </p>
<p>BTW, all stereotypes are exaggerations. Be it Reed students who spend all waking hours in the library or UVA students who drink four nights per week. In fact, I did notice as a grad student at University of Chicago there seemed to be a few undergrads who appeared to spend many of their sleeping hours in the library on top of all waking ones. LOL. Anyway most FA students have some type of campus work study job a few hours per week almost everywhere.</p>
<p>If you haven’t submitted the Kenyon application already, I still take the long shot at Pomona. West Coast (CA, OR and WA) UW GPA’s run much higher than other parts of the US especially NJ.</p>
<p>sgtdonut, you say you have “only two slots left” in your common app…do you mean you are creating an alternate version for each school? I know you can create up to ten alternate versions…but each version can have many (not sure how many) schools attached to it. so you can easily apply to more than ten schools if you want to!!!</p>
<p>Hmmm…not sure that rhg3rd is right about Bates. It is very competitive, with an acceptance rate of about 27% I believe. I would put it in the tier right below Middlebury and Bowdoin, equal to Colby and Colgate. Bates is much more competitive than Whitman, which had an acceptance rate of over 50%. We visited Bates and loved it. You should give it a shot.</p>
<p>Also, if you love Pomona and Bowdoin you should apply. You are in the ballpark. Do you always want to wonder “what if?”</p>
<p>Ask yourself this: would you prefer any of the schools you are asking about to a majority of the schools you already applied to? If yes, then apply to those places.</p>
<p>Btw, just reading this thread gave me a lot of encouragement for my own search. We have fairly similar stats, although yours are slightly better, and are applying to many of the same colleges (Wesleyan,Wooster, Kenyon).</p>
<p>Pomona has fantastic financial aid, and is need-blind. I think you have a good shot. Males, and especially out of state males, have a bit of an edge in admissions. Pomona likes authenticity --real people, not necessarily Type A personalities.</p>
<p>Rank: 18/644 (top 3%)
GPA: 3.8 UW </p>
<p>You’re strong enough for Pomona.</p>
<p>(My son had the same gpa and was only in the top 10%, and he got in–from California, even.)</p>
<p>SgtD – If you love Bowdoin and want to be able to choose the best FA offer, Bowdoin is your place. They are a no-loan school with a very strong endowment. Our experience was that they gave my D the best need-based offer of all, and have been good about expanding her aid to adjust our changing family circumstances. If you didn’t love the school I wouldn’t encourage you to add to your already outsized list. But you do, so go for it.</p>
<p>Not sure what rhd3rd has against Bates but I think s/he’s giving you bad advice. Trekslchick is more on target. Bates is similar to Bowdoin in feel and while easier to get into than Bowdoin, but is not a safety school. Bates is less well endowed than some other schools on your list but check stats on average debt at graduation-Bates stands up quite favorably. Bates students are asked to borrow no more than $4,500 per year and the average financial aid grant (not loan) is over $35,000. Most students graduate with less than $12,000 total debt. Bates’ comprehensive fee includes tuition, room, board and fees so the only additional costs are books and personal expenses.</p>
<p>I would probably pick Pomona or Pitzer over CC, but probably not Bates or Bowdoin. Do I have a good chance at Pitzer? I haven’t been able to find any results threads or anything like that. </p>
<p>I am still unsure about Reed. Academically I may be prepared, but socially I’ve heard it described as “pretentious, cold, elitist, etc.” a few too many times… I love how the campus looks though.</p>
<p>I originally had a Pomona alumni interview, but I cancelled it because I had decided not to apply there, so I just emailed the woman again… Hopefully it isn’t too late. I still do not think that I will be accepted.</p>
<p>I applied to Reed, Grinnell, Lawrence, and am applying to Colorado and Vassar as soon as I finish the supplements. While I already applied to Reed, I’m pretty sure I won’t go there even if I get in mostly because of the social atmosphere (they also don’t have merit aid and aren’t need blind).
The prettiness of the campus isn’t enough to lure me in for four years. When I visited, it seemed a little too “weird” (I don’t want to generalize and judge people…but it’s inevitable). Rather than friendly, students did seem a bit elitist and tried really hard to sound philosophical. It was ok but a little drab and quiet as well (maybe just the wrong day to visit). Some people seemed cool but as a prospie I felt less welcome than at other schools. If it matters, there were more cross dressers and smokers than at any other school I’ve visited. On top of that, it sounds like a lot of stress and the curriculum is very structured.
While my post is a bit negative, I think that Reed COULD be a really awesome place and maybe I’ve got it all wrong. Personally, I feel like I’m weird but not “Reed weird”.</p>
<p>Those who know the place, mostly from CC, which is hopefully a reliable source b/c I’ve based my entire college search off of it (and probably wouldn’t know ANY of the schools on my list without it).</p>
<p>“tried really hard to sound philosophical” <- this is what concerns me. I want to be able to have intellectual conversations, but not exclusively. My friends and I can oscillate between serious and inane topics, so I don’t think a school that prides itself on hardcore intellectualism would fit me as well as somewhere that’s more of a happy medium (Whitman, Grinnell, Macalester based on my observations/people I know).</p>
<p>BTW ella, I also recommend Oberlin (my first choice) if you like Grinnell, CC, Vassar.</p>
<p>“I would probably pick Pomona or Pitzer over CC, but probably not Bates or Bowdoin”</p>
<p>Pitzer is not Pomona by any means. Pitzer is another test optional school, where 72% of enrolled students did not submit SAT or ACT scores. Accordingly, it has a very low admit rate. [First</a> Year Profile - Admission - Pitzer College](<a href=“http://www.pitzer.edu/admission/why_pitzer/first_year_profile.asp]First”>http://www.pitzer.edu/admission/why_pitzer/first_year_profile.asp) However, those that did submit test results had very low scores by Pomona standards. Pomona has ten times the endowment of Pitzer and offers outstanding FA. OP should concentrate on getting the Pomona essays done and just forget about Pitzer. Oxy is a better choice for FA over Pitzer. </p>
<p>“I originally had a Pomona alumni interview, but I cancelled it because I had decided not to apply there, so I just emailed the woman again… Hopefully it isn’t too late. I still do not think that I will be accepted.” Get this resolved. You doubt yourself way too much. YOU ARE APPLYING!</p>
<p>“When I look at the Bowdoin and Pomona supplements, my mind just draws a blank…” If you are pressed for time anything can’t come up with anything, apply to Dartmouth instead of Bowdoin. Dartmouth has no supplemental essays. <a href=“Home | Dartmouth Admissions”>Home | Dartmouth Admissions; You are a serious contender at Dartmouth just as you are at Pomona.</p>
<p>“‘tried really hard to sound philosophical’ <- this is what concerns me. I want to be able to have intellectual conversations, but not exclusively.” Keep in mind that Reed has an intensive two year humanities curriculum of very high philosophical content. If you don’t want to read the great works or study philosophy, then don’t go to Reed because it’s required there. Visitors to Reed may not be aware that Reed kids aren’t trying really hard to sound philosophical. They just do because of what they are studying. However, for the rare student who seeks a very intense humanities experience, Reed is the place. Some people want to be at a college where class discussions continue outside of class.</p>
<p>CONCLUSION: 19) Pomona 20) Dartmouth or other</p>
<p>Okay, I’m on board with Pomona. Thank you to all for convincing me.</p>
<p>Dartmouth’s huge Greek scene is a pretty big turnoff for me. I’ve read a few articles about the horrific hazing rituals that take place there… Totally not my scene. I haven’t completely ruled out Reed, so if I don’t apply to another school by Jan. 1st, it’s pretty likely that I’ll apply there b/c their deadline is Jan. 15th. That said, I still am not sure that I’d pick it over Bates/Pitzer, even though FA may be better. I also am not certain that I shouldn’t apply to Bowdoin is well, though I think I’d pick Carleton, Wesleyan, Vassar, and of course Pomona (my other reaches) over it…</p>
<p>Can anyone recommend some schools that haven’t been mentioned already?</p>
<p>1). You received merit aid at Colorado College. That puts you at the top of their applicant pool. That means you are in the ballpark for Pomona.</p>
<p>Maybe I missed it in this thread, but you haven’t said what you want to major in.</p>
<p>I personally think you should go for Bowdoin and Pomona unless there is a question about strength of your preferred major at one of them. You never know… my D just got into U of Chicago with a 3.7 UW GPA, no leadership in her ECs (and no top recognitions state or nationally), and no hook. I think you have several match colleges on your list that you already really would enjoy from your posts so far. Only send the ACT, not the SAT, though.</p>