<p>My S has three safety/matches, schools he really likes: LAC/small state universities, strong in environmental studies (biology) and history, not a big football/Greek scene. College town feel, not too urban, not too cold. He's GPA is 3.5 , 1250/1600 SAT, not many ECs but he works 10-20 hours a week. He needs a "reach" school. I want him to apply to at least one of the top LACs, just on the off chance he'd get in. We'd probably only visit the school if he gets accepted. Pretend money is no object! Suggestions? Which would most likely to accept him? Which would be the best "fit"?</p>
<p>what are the schools that he likes? we can suggest 'reachier' schools that might be similar</p>
<p>You should have a look at Kenyon. It is a great school with a "college town feel and not too cold." Based on his stats, I think that Kenyon would be a realistic reach. You may also want to consider Denison.</p>
<p>For reaches with the interests that you described, maybe Wesleyan, Oberlin, Vassar. Also might consider Bates, Colby.</p>
<p>He's applying to UNC Asheville (UNC's LAC), Guilford, and Western Carolina. (No we do not live in North Carolina!) He's an easy match for all three.</p>
<p>Holy Cross has no Greek scene at all. 2800 students. #35 on US News rankings for LACs.
40 miles outside Boston on commuter rail. Very strong in sciences esp Biology and Premed.</p>
<p>Davidson seems like it would fit.</p>
<p>Davidson has a big football scene and a fair amount of Greek like, so if your son isn't interested in that sort of thing, I wouldn't recommend that particular LAC. </p>
<p>One of the schools my boyfriend applied to was Guilford College... he sounds like he's a bit like your son in terms of his preferences for schools (similar GPA & SATs, a couple ECs, interested in biology, and not into Greek life/a big football scene). Anyway, he applied to Wesleyan University (CT) and Vassar College (NY) as his two reaches and ended up getting waitlisted at Wesleyan and accepted at Vassar.</p>
<p>In addition, here are a few more "top" LACs and small LAC-like universities to consider with your son's preferences in mind: Oberlin College (OH), Brandeis University (MA), Haverford College (PA), Bard College (NY), Tufts University (MA), Kenyon College (OH).</p>
<p>I can't speak to admissibility or personal preference but for the record:</p>
<p>Davidson does not have a big football scene at all. It does of course have an impressive D-I basketball program. Football, however, is nonscholarship sport, what used to be Division 1-AA (called non-bowl division now I think).</p>
<p>Also not really quite accurate to say it has a big Greek presence either in stereotypical sense. Greek life is very flexible; women belong to eating houses by self-selection (the only sorority is a newly established historically black sorority); men belong to fraternities that are entirely nonresidential. There have been threads on CC that go into more detail about this issue, but it is important to know that many students do not belong to Patterson Court (i.e. fraternities and eating houses) organizations and have very active social lives. Groups consistently interact.</p>
<p>Also--regarding other possible reaches: my recollection is that Bowdoin is good in biology and might be an interesting choice for someone interested in environmental studies--the other two Maine schools (Bates and Colby) are also well worth looking into (even though not quite as hard to get into as Bowdoin seem like they would be reaches given the GPA/SAT numbers the OP mentioned).</p>
<p>Colby would probably be his best admissions bet in Maine, Bowdoin has the nicest college town, but it sounds like all of the Maine schools plus Carleton would be too cold for him. It doesn't sound to me as if Williams or Amherst would be realistic reaches for him, and they are just about as cold as Maine. </p>
<p>A lot of schools are probably too Greek for him.</p>
<p>I think that littleatheist's recs in post #8 are good although some are awfully reachy. I would add Connecticut College and Skidmore. If he's willing to go west, maybe some of the LACs like Willamette, Lewis & Clark, and Whitman. (I'm not familiar with some of the towns, although Lewis & Clark is in Portland, which many people love.) I don't think that Pomona is a realistic reach based on what you've said, and I'm not sure about the science thing at Claremont McKenna.</p>
<p>Also there are all the Pennsylvania schools. Some are probably too Greek, but some not.</p>
<p>A factor to consider is how rigorous his program has been. I think places like Wesleyan, Bowdoin, and Oberlin would expect to see a lot of APs and honors classes.</p>
<p>I think the best for those criteria would be Bard, Connecticut College. Being from Maine, neither Lewiston or Waterville (Bates, Colby respectively) seem like terribly good college towns, especially regarding Bates.</p>