Hi. I’m a current sophomore in HS and my guidance counselor has told me I should start making a college list of places I might want to apply to. Is it too early for this?
I want to major in anthropology or something with geography. I’ve got a 3.9 GPA and around a 1450 SAT. Obviously these two numbers will probably change but it’s just where I’m at right now.
I live in Indiana so I’ve got 2 great in-state publics (IU and Purdue). I’m lucky in that department, but I kind of want to go OOS to New England. I like really woodsy campuses with a great outdoor life. I like smaller schools, 1k-10k. Honestly, none of what I like matters right now, I just need help finding schools that are good for my major, but I still want to keep these factors in.
Okay. And I’m assuming your SAT is estimated, since you are a sophomore. What it the situation with your mom? Asking because it affects financial aid, which you will be applying for.
I think you’re about a year away from getting really serious about colleges/universities; but you might think about taking some college tours during the Spring Break of your sophomore year – that’s when my kids starting their college tours. And at that point, it was more the case of looking at different types/location/sizes of schools in order to try and identify preferences in those categories.
So, if you are interested in “woodsy campuses with a great outdoor life,” that sounds to me like you might be interested in LACs; so perhaps start with some LACs relatively near by. For example, in Ohio there is the “Ohio 5” consortium, here, https://www.ohio5.org/, which consists of LACs that are within relatively close driving distance from each other; there might be some possibilities here for a visit. Or, here is a website for small colleges with good available outdoor activities: https://www.greatvaluecolleges.net/30-great-small-colleges-for-nature-lovers/ . (You will discover that there are lots of lists of most anything related to colleges.) Also, if you do any college visits, I have found that it’s best to visit when the college is in session; this allows you to see the student body, and get an idea whether you can see yourself as one of them. (Go to the college’s website, and search for “academic calendar”; this should help you determine whether the college is in session at a time that you plan to visit.)
At any rate, stay in contact with your school’s guidance counselor, and have discussions with him/her about your process.
@intparent I took the August SAT and know vaguely what I missed, about -5 on reading, -1 on writing, and -9 on math-ish so I’m just estimated based off that. I don’t live with my mom and she doesn’t have custody, we are still close and stuff but she is unemployed and legally doesn’t really have any like… anything? idk how it works lol
@gandalf78 Thank you for the resources! I’ve toured Notre Dame and Purdue so far and while I liked Purdue, it was a little big and intimidating and I didn’t like Notre Dame at all. I’m hoping to tour more soon but living in a single parent household and not being able to drive limits me lol. I’ve been talking to my guidance counselor about this stuff, periodically, but nothing too serious
If you keep your GPA up and have high enough test scores, Purdue’s honors college really makes the school feel more intimate. There are also great living/learning communities.
Have you considered Butler? The size is more in line with what you are thinking.
@momofsenior1 I’ve never really thought of Butler, just don’t know much about it! I’ll look into it, though. I know the location is great due to being in Indy and also really close to my sister’s house.
Another thought is Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Beautiful campus in a small town; it’s one of the original “public Ivies” and they give pretty decent merit aid: https://miamioh.edu/admission/merit-guarantee/index.html . It’s a little larger than what you have stated you like at this time; but if you’re in the “informational” phase of your college search, it might be worth seeing because you just never know. (After swearing that he would only attend college in a large city, my son visited Purdue – where he just now matriculated.)
Okay, so here is what I see. Likely you need a school that meets need. Your mom will need to fill out some paperwork just to make those schools happy, but they won’t expect her to contribute.
You probably should have a couple of reach schools that meet need and are need blind. Maybe Hamilton or Middlebury?
Then there are schools that meet need, but are not need blind (needing aid can reduce your admission chances). Maybe Bates, Carleton, and Dickinson (meets 99% of need). If you are female. Mount Holyoke.
St. Lawrence is one that you might like, although they do not meet need. Same with St Olaf. But sometimes they come through for a low income student that they want.
If you can borrow a copy of the Fiske Guide to Colleges from your GC or the library, you can read up on these schools.
Each college has a net price calculator on their website. You should work with your dad to run some. Some of the schools I’ve listed may end up cheaper than your in-state publics with financial aid, so don’t be deterred by the sticker price.
Also, if you can’t afford to visit, you still could apply. Some schools will help pay for a visit once you get in. You have pretty good stats, so you definitely have options.
Keep up your grades and try to do well in any extra curriculars you have. You may want to study for your SAT and make another attempt - high test scores plus a high GPA opens doors.
@CavsFan2003, not a college recommendation, but since you are interested in geography, you may want to look at geography data science major / spatial data science. It combines geography with computer science.
For colleges, at this stage, you and your Dad need to sit down and have a realistic talk of the costs of college. A student without a parent co-signer can only borrow $5,500 for the first year.
Once you have a realistic budget, and with your GPA and high test score, start researching colleges that offer high merit without limiting it to competition. University of Alabama is one well-known on these boards for the straight forward merit scholarships (currently, your stats correlate to $25,000/yr for 4 years from Alabama). Ole Miss would currently be valued at full tuition. Be aware, each summer schools update the merit requirements and things can change before you apply.
Take the PSAT in 11th grade seriously. If you score high enough, you could qualify for National Merit. On the surface, National Merit Finalist from Natl Merit Corp is not a high scholarship, but some schools will offer Natl Merit Finalists some very high scholarships which equate to a full ride (tuition, fees and room and board!).
Learn the lingo – your cost of attendance is Tuition + Fees (which can be several thousands depending on the school) + room and board + books
I’m a big believer in building your list from the financial safety up. You have plenty of time to research colleges and not feel pressure.
In the more traditional colleges, there are a lot of “usual suspects” in terms of New England and Upstate NY “woodsy” schools that meet full need: Colby/Bates/Bowdoin, Hamilton, Colgate, Williams, Dartmouth, Middlebury.
Colorado College could be worth a look too - their block plan is particularly conducive to intensive field study program in anthropology, geology, etc… and plenty of woods/outdoors!
Lastly, for a public option beyond Indiana, the Utah public U’s offer good merit aid and also offer a path to residency after the first year, which could make years 2-4 cheaper than your own in-state public U’s. U of Utah, while it’s in the major city of Salt Lake, also puts some of the most breathtaking outdoor recreation in the country at your fingertips. The Honors College is excellent https://honors.utah.edu/ and provides a smaller-college experience within the larger university (including year-long honors projects called Praxis Labs) … and there is a very impressive Geography department https://geog.utah.edu/
Interesting Honors-specific minor: https://honors.utah.edu/ecology-legacy/
Yes, I’d say it’s too early. It’s pretty typical for high school students (and college students) to change their minds repeatedly about their academic areas of interest, and what you think you want in a college now may not be what you’re looking for in a college two years from now.
That said, if you still want to draw up a tentative list, consider using geography programs as a limiting factor – assuming you’ll still be interested in geography as a senior. There are plenty of colleges with decent anthropology programs in the Northeast, but geography programs are quite scarce among small and medium-sized schools, as @merc81 noted above. (Side note: I did a fair amount of interdisciplinary work in geography as part of my PhD. I loved every minute of it and wish my undergrad had offered a geography program. It’s an extremely flexible major with good job prospects if you get the right training.)
Clark is unquestionably the best option among small colleges for geography, but it may not offer the outdoorsy environment you’re looking for.
Rural/small town options for geography
[ul][]Bucknell
[]Colgate
[]Dartmouth
[]Middlebury
[]Ohio Wesleyan
[]Vassar[/ul]
Suburban/urban options for geography
[ul][]Chicago
[]GWU
[]Macalester
[]Northwestern
[]U Denver
[]U Richmond
[*]Villanova[/ul]
I don’t think it is too early for a student who needs significant financial aid, has a high GPA, and has already taken the SAT. I wouldn’t obsess over it, but I think it is appropriate to start looking at options this year. Regarding post #15, UChicago seems like an outlier – “outdoorsy” does not come to mind. Also, OP, what did you dislike about Notre Dame when you visited? That might help with suggestions.
Thanks everyone for the great suggestions!! I really appreciate it. I’ve put every college suggestion on a list and I’ll start looking into them later.
@intparent I didn’t like just the layout of the campus or how like it just seemed empty of plant life, and also how it’s like… really integrated? into South Bend. I disliked how Purdue was really like integrated into West Lafayette, like I couldn’t tell where it stopped and started, but it was just so pretty and also it’s super affordable so even the things about Notre Dame I disliked I forgave at Purdue.
My post distinguishes between rural and urban schools for that reason.
I was listing as many geography programs at small and medium-sized colleges as I could come up with, regardless of setting. There aren’t that many among the private schools. I did decide to leave off U Miami, though.
Chicago is an outlier also because it is a good financial aid school that does not require non custodial parent information. Most good financial aid schools do.