<p>Most LACs are unknown, including the top 10. Most know schools based upon the score ticker on ESPN. What may help, however, is the alumni network. It might be good to see how this has advantaged graduates of a particular LAC. For example, Whitman College, from what I understand, has a good alumni network in the west.</p>
<p>iDad. Good point. I wonder how you assess that.</p>
<p>Most of the LACs, including the Top 10, may be unknown to Joe Sixpack, the college football fan. Most of them may be relatively unknown to the average Human Resources functionary as well. It is unlikely that the Top 200+ LACs are unknown to grad school academics, however. Particularly since so many of them send their own kids to LACs.</p>
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<p>There is polling data to support this: </p>
<p>[Harvard</a> Number One University in Eyes of Public](<a href=“Harvard Number One University in Eyes of Public”>Harvard Number One University in Eyes of Public) </p>
<p>Schools with Division I football, even in the Ivy League, seem to be much more conspicuous than schools without it.</p>
<p>Sadly, the Ivy League, which had a huge role in getting football started, was shoved out of the mainstream of Division I some years ago and placed in the stepchild subdivision.</p>
<p>Hey, lots of folks know K’zoo! (at least we do in Michigan)</p>
<p>My weighted gpa is 3.57. I have a 28 on the ACT. Wondering if my choices are reasonable:</p>
<p>UC San Diego
UC Santa Barbara
UC Irvine
San Diego State
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Cal Poly Pomona</p>
<p>One can do a couple of things to assess the alumni network. Most colleges have a special alumni section of their website, check it out, see what services are offered. See if there are events held in various cities. Next call the career office at the college and ask how active the alumni network is, get examples.</p>
<p>dcolb: Based on our school’s Naviance I’d say you’ve got a reasonable shot at all of them and you’ve got them ordered exactly right.</p>
<p>How does Naviance work? I don’t think my school uses it. Thanks for replying! :)</p>
<p>Unweighted, my GPA is about 3.54, but I’m an avid AP student and have an ACT score of 29. What are my chances of getting into solid engineering programs, particularly:</p>
<p>Virginia Tech
Georgia Tech
Rochester Inst Tech
College Park Engineering
Rochester University
U Mich</p>
<p>Bumping for BandGeek and wondering if anyone can explain what Naviance is…thanks! :)</p>
<p>It is a software program some high schools buy to allow studnets to see how applicants from their HS have done in admissions to every college. It has other functions, but by far the most helpful is to know, for example, how applicants from your HS with your GPA and SATs have fared at particular schools</p>
<p>As the originator of this thread, I’m proud of my little B+er, who just got her first acceptance: a small LAC, with 6,000 merit aid at this point (on tuition of about 22,000). So, off to a great start.</p>
<p>Congrats MSUdad. Which school?
Frankly, even without the merit, that is a bargain LAC tuition compared to many!</p>
<p>msudad…be sure that you follow up and complete the financial aid applications for all her colleges. then compare f/a packages received to one another. take total cost of attendance including required fees…minus free money (merit aid and grants) to get out of pocket for each school.</p>
<p>congrats on the merit $'s.</p>
<p>is there somewhere that shows the actual and accurate COA???</p>
<p>where?</p>
<p>you can usually find it on the website for the college…once at their site, use their search engine…“total cost of attendance”</p>
<p>S2 has his heart set on Tulane, Charleston or Elon. He has a 3.3 UW gpa (but weighting wouldn’t make much difference b/c he hasn’t taken any AP’s or honors) but at v. competitive prep school. Good ACT (31) and ok EC’s. He had a rough sophomore and junior year due to a severe depression that we had a hard time regulating despite lots of therapy and top-notch physicians. He is just a terrific kid and I think his recs will reflect that (in addition to the gc’s sensitive handling of why his grades were unremarkable during that time). Do you think that the relatively high ACT will boost him into range for these schools? Thanks</p>
<p>Based on my daughter’s results this past spring, I’d say your son has an extremely good chance at being accepted at the College of Charleston and reasonably good chance of getting into Tulane - d was waitlisted at Tulane and accepted into C of C with stats similar to, but not quite as good as, your son’s.</p>
<p>Not sure about Elon - d and I went to a local info session for the school and she crossed it off her list.</p>