<p>I am a junior, and have 18 schools on my list, which I feel is too many. Not going to go into my stats, because I don't want to hear the classic reach/fit/whatever argument, just want to know about these schools and if anyone has tips for reducing these lists.</p>
<p>The list(in alphabetical order):
Amherst
Bates
Bowdoin
Brown
Claremont McKenna
Colgate
Cornell
Emory
Haverford
Macalester
Michigan State (Honors College)
Middlebury
Northwestern
Pomona
Rice
Stanford
University of Chicago
University of Michigan</p>
<p>I live in Michigan, and my parents have offered an incentive to stay in state, but I would like to get away(and away from the family MSU/UM rivalry and all of that). Business is my long term plan, I'd like to get an MBA at a primo school(so placement rates do matter to me). And undergrad I'd like to have lots of that discussion/intellectual life, but preferably have at least some school spirit.</p>
<p>Stanford is my dream, MSU my fallback(though I do like them a lot) and everyone in between interests me.</p>
<p>I'd suggest visiting some campuses (if possible) to see how you feel at each one. Visiting can give you a good idea of whether or not the school is a "fit" for you. </p>
<p>If that's not possible, I suggest calling and talking to people at the school. Admissions and business, most importantly, and see which schools have the programs that will best suit you.</p>
<p>Finally, ask around. If you know anyone who goes to any of those schools (or even if you know someone who knows someone who knows someone...etc), it would probably help to talk to current students and ask questions about the school to see if it's going to be a good place for you.</p>
<p>See if you can find some characteristics of a school that would eliminate some of the schools -- they would be individual for you, but surely there are some sticking points.</p>
<p>some points my son has considered -- must have substance free dorm or floor, not a big greek scene, must have arabic, more sunny days than overcast days, smaller than 5,000, classes taught by professors not TA, good choice of classes in areas of interest.</p>
<p>there are other criteria -- sports or clubs you want to do, weather, cost of travel to and from, type of dorms, language you study, study abroad programs, types of internships or work experience, etc</p>
<p>Amherst - keep
Bates - discard, if anything add colby especially for economics/business (its far better, and a much nicer campus - much nicer)
Bowdoin - keep
Brown - keep
Claremont McKenna - scratch
Colgate - keep, especially for business
Cornell - keep, easier ivy to get into
Emory - keep, good undergrad business
Haverford - discard
Macalester - discard (if anything add carleton, but not really neccisary)
Michigan State (Honors College) - keep, in state, safety
Middlebury - keep
Northwestern - keep
Pomona - keep
Rice - discard
Stanford - keep
University of Chicago - keep if u are okay with the culture
University of Michigan - deff keep in state</p>
<p>nothing wrong with lot of applications - i did 12</p>
<p>I have visited MSU, UM, Cornell, and Stanford so far(actually many more, but those are the ones left), so I do know to visit them.</p>
<p>I was thinking about emailing each school to see if they could put me in touch with a grad to tell me about their school.</p>
<p>My limitations - Has to be around 10:1 S:F, except for the in state schools. A strong intermural program(or a club Lax team I could make) is pretty much required. Strong study abroad and/or internships really appeals(study abroad more the cheaper the school, internships the more expensive), but I would really like to have the opprotunity to spend some time studying at Cambridge or Oxford.</p>
<p>The sun/clouds doesn't bother me, I live in Michigan, today we had a thunderstorm and 65 and sunny, yesterday it was 40. Weird weather doesn't matter to me, hot weather does. That is one of my reservations about Emory and Rice.</p>
<p>footballyus - can you elaborate on that, especially the 'discards'?</p>
<p>Claremont McKenna especially, they sound very cool for business style stuff, and just seemed very nice from what I have gathered in the books/online.</p>
<p>Chicago seems to be very different socially from the others on your list. I would personally discard it. Its not going to get you any farther than most of the top schools but you'll have to put up with the social life and campus culture (unless you like it). Macalester also seems a little out of place on your list.</p>
<p>I agree about Bowdoin, it's WAY up there in Maine, like middle of no where up there, and it's cold and wintery. Also, they don't give merit scholarship, they are need based only.</p>
<p>financial aid and cost is another way to eliminate some schools. If you will need financial aid -- keep the schools that meet 100% demonstrated need and are need blind.</p>
<p>Improvements, have you ever actually been to Bowdoin? It's in the largest town in Maine, and is about 10 minutes from Freeport (shopping/tourists galore) and 25 from Portland ("the" city in Maine). And it's close to the coast, which means winters are (relatively) mild - we've only had 2 big storms this year, and very very little snow outside of them (and, except for a cold streak in mid-February to early March, it's been a warm winter). I would argue that Colgate and Middlebury are far "worse," going by your list of complaints. (By the way, it was 62 degrees and sunny here yesterday.)</p>
<p>Sounds like Northwestern is a fit -- definitely not a hot climate (at least when you'll be at school), has lax, tons of study abroad options, 7:1 student-faculty ratio, tons of intramural sports, good internship opportunities in Chicago.</p>
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I agree about Bowdoin, it's WAY up there in Maine, like middle of no where up there, and it's cold and wintery. Also, they don't give merit scholarship, they are need based only.
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<p>Honestly, having snow in winter(I love snowboarding), and having some beautiful views doesn't bother me. It'll be easier to convince me that someplace is too warm than too cold. Having the 'paradise' of 70 and sunny every day wouldn't be a problem though(i.e. Stanford).</p>
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I'd say, the easiest way (since those are all pretty top-notch schools you like, go by geography.</p>
<p>Let's not lie, going to Stanford will lead to a much smoother four years (weather-wise) rather than going to MSU. </p>
<p>Think about that maybe? Bowdoin probably won't be too fun either
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<p>Stanford is AMAZING, 70 and sunny all the time, with beautiful views and redwood forests only a few minutes away. My visit there pretty much blew me away.</p>
<p>However, Bowdoin(or Middlebury, Colgate, etc.) would have a lot of beauty around, and offer all 4 seasons(a plus, not a minus), and allow me to snowboard and fun winter stuff like that. While Stanford's weather is very nice, a Bowdoin can have very nice weather too, just in a different way.</p>
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Chicago seems to be very different socially from the others on your list. I would personally discard it. Its not going to get you any farther than most of the top schools but you'll have to put up with the social life and campus culture (unless you like it). Macalester also seems a little out of place on your list.
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<p>Chicago is different, but I will admit that it has an appeal to me. Being around that kind of brains would be fun, and the uber-intellectual personality has some appeal. I would HAVE to visit to see just how well I would fit in, but it does have a unique appeal. Plus it would be really easy to visit when I visit Northwestern.</p>
<p>Macalester sounded very cool in it's write up in the Princeton Review College Guide, and that was the main reason it was on my list, that and being in St. Paul, which I think is a very cool city. But it does seem to not quite fit in, so I am considering dropping it(but, to be honest, everyone outside Stanford, Cornell, MSU, and UM, is in some way 'on the block').</p>
<p>I am interested in multiple things, that it why there is that much of a range.</p>
<p>I enjoy sports, the comraderie of sporting events and all of that, which is a plus with MSU, Stanford, and a couple others. However, discussion based classes and intellectualism appeal a lot too. I love the out of doors and stuff like that, but the convience of being in or near a city certainly appeals to me, and I would like to experience city life at some point.</p>
<p>So I have a wide range, but other than the 2 in state options, they have some common threads: beautiful locations, smaller schools, smart students, and so on.</p>
<p>Yeah but I think there's a big difference between being "big picture" intellectual vs. intense and hyper analytical. I've personally found Chicago students to be in the second category. You'll find intellectual students at most of the top schools, but Chicago is more of the second. Sacrificing the camraderie and community that comes only in college to go to Chicago just doesn't seem worth it (in my book). </p>
<p>Also, schools away from cities tend to have great social experiences. There is just alot more "student run" space to interact and you hang out with people in a more laid back manner. Also friendships you build from jumping off a rope swing into a river at 3am just tend to be broader in my experience than the ones you meet when you go clubbing downtown. Places like Amherst have that "warm and fuzzy" feeling, while places like Macalester and Chicago do not. Chances are you'll live in a big city after graduation, I personally feel that there's no need to rush.</p>