Suggested schools??

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Well, I'm in love with the Claremont Colleges in SoCal (applying to McKenna, Pomona and Pitzer), but I'm worried about not getting in. So if you could please suggest a school/ schools you think are good fits for me, I'd be very grateful. </p>

<p>A BIT ABOUT ME/ COLLEGE INTERESTS
-I plan on studying philosophy, economics and likely politics (interested in a PPE major program, but by no means necessary)
---------I really want to get into theoretical govt. and economy, and possibly write books on the subject some day
-Politically, I'm moderate-liberal
-I'd love to be somewhere with warmer weather
-I REALLY want to go to a college with students with whom I can have an engaging conversation one night and go out to party the next
-I'd prefer to be on a campus of roughly 5,000-15,000, but that's not a huge deal
-I'd like to have mostly smaller, discussion-based classes
(if you know the Claremonts, you can see why I want to be there)</p>

<p>QUALIFICATIONS...</p>

<p>ACADEMICS
-taking all honors/ AP classes available
-scores: Euro=4; Lit&Comp=3 (possibly retaking this year); Physics=5; U.S.=4
--this year I'm taking AP...Chem, Macroeconomics, American Govt, Lang&Comp, Spanish and Calc BC
-GPA: weighted = 4.83 unweighted = 3.87
-class rank: weighted = 10/516 (1.9%) unweighted = 28/516 (5.3%)
-ACT= 34
-SAT II
--Math 2 = 760
--Physics = 720
--U.S. History = 690</p>

<p>EC's
-I skateboard just as much as Varsity team players practice/ play
-IM basketball (11,12)
-Photo Club (9, 10)
-Theater Guides (9,10)
-in my school's presidential debate (11)
-Student Congress (12)
-STAND Anti-Genocide Coalition (11, 12)
-NHS (12)
-Boy Scouts (K-12), holding positions of Troop Bugler and Troop Scribe at different times
-internship at Fermilab over summer. wrote my short answer on commonapp about it
-Peer Mediator (12, it's the program's first year at my school)
-Hawk HOOKS <a href="12,%20also%20just%20started%20this%20year%20at%20my%20school">we run monthly schoolwide activites to strengthen the sense of community, it's based on Rachel's Challenge</a></p>

<p>AWARDS
-High Honor Roll (highest ranking given) = every semester
-Medella de Bronce in National Spanish Exam (10)
-National Merit Commended Student
-Eagle Scout
-expecting to be National AP Scholar
-Illinois State Scholar</p>

<p>WRITING
-very strong writer
-my counselor always seems impressed by me, so i'm also hoping for a boost from her recommendation letter
-GREAT rec letters from teachers</p>

2

<p>^Also, I live in Illinois but am very open about location.</p>

3

<p>You interests scream Denison.</p>

4

<p>Is money no object?</p>

<p>Do you have safety schools? Or financial safety schools?</p>

<p>Are you applying to UIUC?</p>

<p>What about…</p>

<p>Santa Clara</p>

<p>Duke</p>

<p>USC - honors</p>

<p>Emory</p>

<p>Vandy</p>

<p>Won’t the Claremonts be a little boring outside of the classroom (I’m from Southern Cal, so I’ve been on their campuses).</p>

5

<p>OHKID- Denison is one thing I’m worried about, to be honest: a small LAC. This is the first time I’ve heard of it, to be honest, but after checking out the website I’ve gathered that: it does seem great study-wise, but maybe not so much socially. If you could add to my understanding, I’d appreciate it.</p>

<p>mom2collegekids- Money isn’t a huge deal; I don’t come from a well-to-do family, but my dad says that if the school is great for me, we can make it work. I’ve been accepted to MSU and automatically received in state tuition based on my ACT. But I stayed there overnight and visited classes, and it’s good not great. As for UIUC, I don’t honestly know too much, but I get the vibe that I’d be sitting in many lecture halls and not have much of an opportunity at more theory-based / discussion-based classes.</p>

<p>I’ll checlk out your suggestions, I don’t really know much of anything about any of them. </p>

<p>The Claremonts are in a small town, true, but I visited last spring and it’s somewhere I can definitely see myself. I’ve also heard that among the 5 schools there’s always something fun to do or a party to go to.</p>

<p>Also, I just went to Santa Clara’s site. I’d rather not go to a predominantly religious school, as I myself am agnostic. I’m adding that to the OP now, I didn’t think of it before.</p>

6

<p>^Ah, guess I can’t edit anymore, idk why. Anyway, I’d rather not go to a predominantly religious school, as I am agnostic.</p>

7

<p>You can only edit for 20 minutes.</p>

8

<p>WashU (10 char).</p>

9

<p>On your apps, please don’t list skateboarding as your #1 EC and then try to equate it with varsity sports, as you did above.</p>

<p>I’ve heard wonderful things about Claremont(s).</p>

10

<p>

</p>

<p>Actually, Denison is a “recovering party school”. It’s frat scene used to rule, and host very wild parties. Denison has fairly recently clamped down on their efforts, making the school seem less “socially friendly” from their website, because they are trying to supress this scene. </p>

<p>To be honest, the atmosphere is fairly akin to the Claremonts, although it is smaller and less liberal. Sports are not big, as everyone roots for Ohio State teams. Still, there are close connections to the world of colleges in Columubs, so you won’t be isolated.</p>

11

<p>Wake Forest is a small university in a warm-weather state that is less selective than Pomona, somewhat less so than CMC. It seems to have the balance of academics and social life you’re after and is about the right size.</p>

12

<p>Maybe Rhodes or Tulane. Best of luck!</p>

13

<p>Cool, thanks everyone for the help! Time to dig rifle through a bit of ************** and Fiske’s and decide</p>

14

<p>Bahahaha, those asterisks are supposed to say… c o l l e g e p r o w l e r. I guess CC isn’t fond of cross-promoting.</p>