<p>Top 20 USNWR - (minus) southern - rural - Catholic - big (>10k) - small (<3k) = HYPSM; Chicago, WUSTL, Hopkins; Columbia, Brown, Northwestern. Add a safety. Then I did more detailed research to cut down based on things like curriculum, social atmosphere, reputation, surroundings.</p>
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<p>The colleges that sent me mail! I'm old school, I read at least the first paragraph of my college mail I get and if it strikes my fancy I'll research the school online, get on their mailing list, visit their CC forum ect. I discovered University of Chicago this way and its my top choice! </p>
<h2>That being said, rankings, both general and interest-specific, do help roughly get a list going, Wikipedia is a good source of random, unbiased info on Unis, and actual college websites are great too! Also, try using PR's Counselor-O-Matic (completely ignore their safety/match/reach recommendations though). And finally, and I can't stress this enough, TALK TO PEOPLE! People who have gone through the process are treasure troves of information. I have an aunt who's eldest son was going through the admissions journey three years before me, and shes been the go-to person for questions and has also opened my eyes to other schools that she deemed would be a fit for me. This is how I discovered Swarthmore, another school I love. People who know you well, have gone through the process (especially with an applicant with similar stats and aspirations as you) and who know you well are the best sources.</h2>
<p>Davnasca, Chicago which one? Urbana Champaign? If so I would have questions, would you mind answering pls?</p>
<p>YES.. Wikipedia is the best for looking at school really quickly.</p>
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At first, I have some difficulty on it! But later on I have manage it well.
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<p>The point of the question was to find out what it was managed well.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone!</p>
<p>Sheed, I'm planning on using Wikipedia to get a rough idea about a school!</p>
<p>When I started looking at schools, I had a clear idea of what I wanted from a college: something not like my high school. This meant I was specifically looking for a top school that was:</p>
<ul>
<li>friendly and **not **competitive</li>
<li>extremely intellectual, where students talked about "academic" topics in their free time</li>
<li>quirky and liberal</li>
</ul>
<p>So that was where I started - with a clear sense of what I was looking for. Then I started reading through Princeton Review's Top (whatever number) Colleges book, and reading the descriptions of various schools, particularly of the student body. I figured that academics at whatever school I was looking at would probably be top notch, and I'd have great and inspiring teachers anywhere; the peers would be what would differ significantly at each school.</p>
<p>I started to hone in on some more details after continuing reading. Some schools immediately stood out as possibilities: Wesleyan University, Brown, Vassar. I knew I wanted to apply to Yale, because my dad had gone there and told me great things about it, which my own research confirmed. I wanted a decently small school where I would have some attention from professors, and a liberal or quirky or at least not conservative vibe remained important to me. Still, a good "reputation" was also important - it mattered to me that the SAT range was decently high. I'm still not sure to what extent this is deserved - on the one hand, we all know that the SAT is deeply flawed and biased toward certain groups, but on the other hand, it did help me determine at which schools I was more likely to be challenged by my peers.</p>
<p>I started to come up with a more final list. Then - big surprise - I visited them. Lots of schools. All over. And visiting schools is what really makes the difference. It's the only way to actually get a sense of what it will be like to go there. I ruled out some schools (I got nasty vibes from a couple of especially preppy seeming ones, and was unimpressed with the unintellectual atmosphere at another) and was impressed with others (Wesleyan and Middlebury both felt kind of right).</p>
<p>In the end, I had to decide where to apply early decision. Yale, Brown, or Wesleyan? I admitted my chances of getting into Yale or Brown were much lower, and to be honest, I felt more "right" at Wesleyan. My parents weren't thrilled with the decision, but ultimately I decided to apply early to Wesleyan, and was later accepted. I now attend the school and can't imagine a place more "right" for me - it's certainly quirky and liberal, but more importantly, I can't imagine a place where I'd have been more challenged. My opinions on various topics have changed drastically as I've been forced to reconsider everything I believed in, and I've grown immensely and have a much better framework for understanding the world. My peers are amazing, and I have a ton of fun, and my professors (as expected) are phenomenonal. It's so un-competitive, which has really helped me succeed academically where I had trouble in high school.</p>
<p>Basically, I just had a good sense of what I wanted from a school, visited a bunch and felt the right "vibe" at one, went for it, and loved it. I wish everyone's college search would be as easy and successful as mine was! :)</p>
<p>funny how some people make the list based off top 20 of US news.</p>
<p>LMAO chronicidal
top 20?</p>