Suggest Colleges to Apply For? Reach and Match

College Search & Selection
1

Hello everyone!

I am having a difficult time developing a list of colleges that I want to apply for, because even after hours of research for each university, I still feel like I know very little about what it’s like to attend these schools. I do not have many people in my life that I can about college either.

Here are the largest factors that I am using to formulate my college list, in order from most to least important:

  1. School Culture - I want to enjoy my time at college. I don’t mean to suggest a huge party-person (although not opposed to parties either). What I mean is that I want my fellow students to generally be considerate, enjoy the school as well (i.e. have a positive attitude while attending), and be involved in campus life. I do not want to go to a university where everyone is miserable, overworked, and toxically competitive. From my research, an example of a school that would NOT score well on this criteria is UChicago, but feel free to correct me if I have a misconception.

  2. Quality of Academics - I am NOT someone who will ONLY apply to a university if it is considered a top-20 school, but I know these rankings aren’t completely baseless, and I do want to be getting highly-regarded education. I am planning on studying public health, political science, international relations, or computer science. I like STEM and humanities and I would like to be able to take quality classes in both fields. I do not want to be investing a lot of money in a degree that the school does not have a good program for.

  3. Class Size - There’s not that much to say about this one. I have taken a lot of classes at a local state university, and I simply just function much better in smaller classes where I know my professor more individually. I know 100+ intro classes exist everywhere, but beyond those, I would strongly prefer my classes to be less than 50 people, even better, less than 20.

  4. Student Life and Extracurriculars - I touched on this in my first criterion. I do not want to be pent up in a library all day studying. I would like to go to a school that boasts many clubs for student involvement and social activities.

  5. Undergraduate Research Opportunities - This is also pretty self-explanatory. I would like to have the ability to work one-on-one conducting research with a professor in whatever field I decide I want to study (as of now, probably public health, political science, international relations, and/or computer science).

  6. Preferences, But Not Deal-Breakers/Makers: From all of my research, I think that I would really enjoy attending a school with a residential college system, as I believe it would positively contribute to criteria 1 and 4. I would prefer to go to a school where you aren’t trapped in a “bubble” - you have the ability to explore nearby cities and towns and go off campus every once in a while. Also, I don’t love the cold, but I realize that a lot of amazing colleges are in the north, so a nice winter coat is just something that I might have to invest in.

Finances are also a factor that will affect my list, but I left it off of my criteria for a reason. My family is going through some financial changes right now that make the amount in financial aid that I would receive very hard to account for. A school that meets 100% of need would not negatively affect me in any way though.

For reference, Brown University is a school that I feel that I could see myself the most at, based on these criteria. But, it is one of the few that I am able to say that somewhat-confidently about, and I need more suggestions.

I am open to attending a liberal arts college, though I do see myself more at a university.

About me: I am from Texas. I attend one of the top high schools in the nation. I have a 4.0 UW. I have a 1560 SAT. I have a very strong community service record and leadership roles in those community service organizations. I will be attending TASP, which is a very prestigious summer program. I am a published researcher in computational chemistry. I am a QuestBridge CPS.

I am mainly inquiring about reach schools, but feel free to suggest match/target schools or even safeties.

Thanks!

2

Based on your interest in faculty-mentored research opportunities, you might look through this link for a range of ideas:

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/undergrad-research-programs

If you like Brown, though, consider Wesleyan.

3

Rice, U of Miami, Southern Methodist U.

4

Stanford, UT Dallas, Vanderbilt

5

Cost is most students’ most important limitation on college choice.

You need to find safeties that you can afford in the worst case financial scenario. Do Texas public schools meet that affordability criterion?

6

While no school is exactly like another, these schools all share some common traits and “feels” with Brown in my families experience…

Yale
Amherst
Rice
Hamilton
Vassar
Wesleyan

7

Williams fits a lot of your criteria, but it’s rural and cold.

8

Wake Forest
Davidson
Richmond

9

I’m surprised the University of Rochester hasn’t already been suggested, so I’m adding it.

Pittsburgh could also be worth checking out with your stats.

10

Unless you are determined to attend college outside of your home state of Texas, Rice should be near the top of your list, as it checks all your boxes. Yale is another obvious candidate.

11

I agree with @MrSamford2014, Rice seems to check off all of your boxes. Rice has a residential college system and receives high ratings for quality of life and happy students. Rice admitted 55 Questbridge scholars this year and offers great financial aid. https://unconventional.rice.edu/happystudents?fbclid=IwAR22wBqTVnFfJf3hVvcl9dJ0LKk8owZlpGXERlYvNNV04bOPlnr3HYnvbHk

12

So from your criteria I love Georgetown for you. Best international relations school in the USA and Washington DC is a great place to explore. Stanford is awesome too but that’s incredibly difficult to get into regardless of your test scores and grades.

I’m thinking some Reaches- Georgetown, Stanford, Brown, USC, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Yale

Target schools- George Washington University, UT Austin, University of Washington, UCI, UCSB, Tulane

Safeties- American University, SMU, University of Denver, University of Miami, University of Georgia, University of Wisconsin- Madison

13

Emory?

14

I assume you will go thru the QB match process, as you were CPS this year? Will you be able to visit any QB schools this summer?

Will you be NMF?

Some of your criteria conflict a bit e.g., preferring a university, but also small classes. Let’s focus on QB schools first, you will be able to rank 12…and they all meet full need, so finances are likely not be a major issue (although still run the NPCs…if ‘financial changes’ include divorce things may be trickier).

A first draft of 12 QB schools–some universities with good school spirit (UVA, NU, USC), some mid size that hit a number of your criteria (Rice, Brown, Yale, Dartmouth, Wash U, Wesleyan, Emory) and a few LACs that aren’t in the middle of nowhere (Bowdoin, Pomona, also look at Amherst and Vassar possibly at the expense of Emory)

When you are looking at matches and highly likelies pay attention to schools that require demonstrated interest, because you will need to do that (sign up for email list/open emails, visit school, attend AO visit at your HS, etc.) Schools mentioned so far that you have to do this: U Rochester, Tulane, American, WashU.

For highly likelies, make sure you run the NPCs as many of those suggested so far do not meet full need. If you will be NMF there will be a number of highly likelies that will give you significant merit aid, including some with full rides.

15

Do understand that finances are often the biggest constraint in college selection. Nice to ignore them and enjoy looking at the high reach school. Getting accepted to these schools is a challenge and if you have unusual family finances, have a family business, NCP in the picture, you may not get the aid even from schools that meet full need. They define that need, not you.

You are starting with the fun part, Dream part of the college list. As a TX resident, I’m assuming you have some instate options that are affordable and will accept you.

16

American University places high importance on “level of applicant’s interest”; many “overqualified” applicants who do not apply ED get rejected or waitlisted there, because it does not want to be a “safety” behind Georgetown or George Washington.

To the OP: Also, as others have noted, you need to firm up what you and your parents can afford before you finalize your application list. You do not want to be one of the stories in April where the student’s admissions are all too expensive because s/he and parents did not look at the finances before making the application list. Note that the many out-of-state public schools on your list will give little or no need-based financial aid, so you will be aiming for a large enough merit scholarship (which likely moves them all into the reach category, or high reach if they are already reach for admission).

17

I was also thinking Wake Forest for you. Not sure what majors they’re strongest in but they have small classes (even many of the introductory classes), an exceptional focus on undergrad research (they don’t hire profs unless they commit to including undergrads in research), pretty good weather, strong school spirit and the kids I know there seem to be very happy. Good luck!