Thank you! I have actually heard that W&M is very LGBTQ+ friendly. We toured, and I admit neither one of us really loved it. (And trust me…I wanted to like it!) But we were touring Swarthmore today, and really Swarthmore and Haverford weren’t THAT different from W&M. I mean, okay…they were prettier. But the students at all three schools were very friendly and also kind of nerdy. And the curriculums aren’t really that different. I think it’s really location that we didn’t love about W&M. It’s just hard to get excited about Williamsburg when you’ve lived close to it for most of your life–and if you’re not a history buff. There are only so many times you can go to Busch Gardens. BUT I would not be surprised if many of her friends apply to W&M, and I do wonder if that would change her mind. It’s definitely a target school for her, but she would have a better chance applying ED, and I don’t know if she’s going to want to do that. Thank you for that offer. I think that unless she chooses somewhere else to ED, she should definitely apply to W&M since it’s a really a great in state option.
Last day of our Philadelphia suburb area tour, and I’m back home! I will see if I can post these on that other thread too.
Today was Swarthmore. Honestly, I don’t think my kid is getting into Swarthmore and probably wouldn’t apply. She has a good GPA and SAT scores, but she doesn’t have any really exciting ECs or anything that would make her stand out. We were really just looking to compare the three schools because they are close and you can take classes at all three (although I think fewer students go between Swarthmore and Haverford/Bryn Mawr because of the distance).
Seeing three SLACs that are so close and have so many similarities really helped with identifying a vibe she liked.
Swarthmore was very pretty. I believe the tour guide said it’s an arboretum. I don’t know if that’s official, but it was really nicely landscaped! Much like Haverford, it had a mix of the old fashioned castle like buildings and new buildings. It definitely felt like it had more in common with Haverford than Bryn Mawr. I didn’t get that unique feeling I had at Bryn Mawr, like this place was really something a little different.
Students were uniformly nice at all three schools and the ones who spoke to us seemed very intelligent and seemed passionate about what they were learning. Today, there were very few students around, probably because of the holiday. But the students I talked to and heard from also just seemed more like the students at Haverford–except that maybe they seemed a little more driven? Or that could have been my perception knowing the admit rate of the school!
I’m struggling a little to say much more about the school, maybe because there did feel like such an overlap. Swarthmore is also a train ride away from Philadelphia, but I just think it’s a different line that the one for Haverford/Bryn Mawr.
Of the three, my daughter preferred Bryn Mawr. I think second was Swarthmore, and third was Haverford. I was pretty happy about that because I was hoping if she applied to Bryn Mawr, she might get some merit aid. That was a not unimportant reason we were considering it. Of course, there are no guarantees. One thing I’d like to do now that I’m home is try to see what merit people have been offered in the past based on their GPAs and test scores.
Thank you so much for all the help and advice! I really feel like this finally gave us a school she liked, and now I am trying to think of some other schools that have both that unique kind of vibe and also are somewhat close to a sizable city. I have some ideas!
I’m a high school senior who is 80% committing to Bryn Mawr so it’s super exciting to hear how much your daughter liked it!! If it helps in terms of what you mentioned about merit, I was offered the $45k presidential scholarship with a 1480 SAT, 3.9 UW GPA, pretty decent ECs (helped organize NY youth climate summit, founded Eco Club) and pretty decent essays. I also interviewed which I actually think was very important because they do consider it via the common data set and even recommend it on their website. Also, the Bryn Mawr specific supplemental essays I feel helped my case, because my admissions officer wrote a note specifically mentioning them in my acceptance package, so I’d definitely recommend to your daughter to focus on those as they really highlight specific interest in the school. I hope any of this is at all helpful, and good luck to your daughter in the college admissions process!! I’m sure she’ll end up somewhere phenomenal no matter what 
I scanned this thread and saw you are considering American University in DC. I have spent a lot of time on this campus and can affirm that it is a campus where all sorts of diversity including gender diversity is appreciated and accepted and in a city where there is a concentration of people of various gender identities and orientations. She will see other trans people going about their day in shops, restaurants, offices, etc. all around the school, but it is also a very cosmopolitan area. It’s a great school.
Thank you! That is very helpful. She is pretty close to those scores (hopefully this last SAT raised her math scores up a little…), same GPA, but she is introverted, so most of her ECs are things she does on her own. But they are interesting, and she has projects and supplemental materials to back them up. She IS in some clubs, but she doesn’t like a lot of attention. She’s a strong writer, and I think she could interview successfully. She’s quiet but well spoken. That is a great merit scholarship! Congratulations! And thank you for volunteering that information.
Yes! We are actually closer to American, and we have spent time around the GW campus but never American. So, that should actually be pretty easy to visit. DC is an awesome city that is very liberal. We are often up in DC, so very familiar with the city. I just don’t usually find myself around American.
I hear you, Williamsburg is not for everyone, and it is definitely not urban! D19 and D21 are New Yorkers who love being able to walk off campus down DOG Street (pedestrian), especially now with the gardens and the baby animals. They also have better weather than home. I’m sure it would have be different had they grown up in VA!
Bryn Mawr was the clear PA winner for us, and we have seen the ones you did plus Franklin & Marshall, Gettysburg and Dickinson. My S24 is looking at Wheaton (close to Providence), and loved American. Best of luck!
If your D doesn’t like Williamsburg, has she thought about Christopher Newport (perhaps in addition to, rather than instead of W&M)? I’m not as familiar with the social & cultural climate of CNU, but there should be lots of activities in the Newport area and perhaps an area where she might prefer? It could make a nice in-state safety if she doesn’t want a big school.
My daughter is a first year at Bryn Mawr and it’s been great! The students there seem so accepting of everyone. I was looking for a primary care doctor in the area for her the other day and came across this practice that specifically mentions their LGBTQ+ policy. I don’t know much about transgender health needs but just wanted to share in case it’s of interest.
Thank you! I think that being so close to Philly, it would not be difficult to find care. But that is nice of you! Yes. I have been thinking a lot about Bryn Mawr. I tried to come up with a list of similar schools, but no other ones are checking all the boxes in the same way!!! There are lots of good schools, but the combination of vibe, location, traditions, bi/tri consortium, etc…feels difficult to replicate. Some schools seem like really good fits, like Oberlin, for example. But it’s hard to get to and like 30 minutes from Cleveland in Ohio, which I’m not feeling great about. Or Macalester, but we don’t have any direct flights to MN. Mount Holyoke is kind of the same. I guess something has to give! Can I just pay Bryn Mawr now, and we can stop thinking about this? 
I think she could get in, based on her scores and especially if she interviewed, submitted a supplemental portfolio…really showed a lot of interest…(although I guess who knows now…) but I am scared for her to ED because I would really hope for SOME merit aid since schools are so expensive. And I don’t know if they award merit (assuming she would get any) if you ED.
I have heard about Christopher Newport from a few people. I admit it hasn’t been on my radar. I feel like if she can get into W&M (counselor thinks good chance if she did ED), it’s really not very far from Newport News. W&M actually has a reputation as being LGBTQ friendly. It’s just that Williamsburg is boring. However, it is ALSO very very very cheap compared to other schools that we are thinking about!
My daughter did ED, she’s using transferred GI Bill benefits which covers almost all costs. It’s also easy to get a student job. I know that others in the ED round did receive merit aid but don’t know details. She can talk to her admissions rep about the likelihood and other ED considerations when the time is right. Have you used the Net Price Calculator or determine any potential need based aid?
We won’t qualify for financial aid. So, we either look at in state schools, OOS that provide merit, or bite the bullet! We do have money saved up for her, but we assumed she’d probably go to some kind of grad school, so it would be nice if we didn’t have to use all of it. It gets harder to justify full price private OOS schools when you have good in state options. But god those full price stickers are insane.
But that is good to know! I know some schools will give you pre-reads and some won’t. I really learned a lot from that book The Price You Pay for College.
Be aware that American University places a lot of importance on level of applicant’s interest. Apparently, it does not like being used as a low choice “backup” by “overqualified” applicants, especially behind Georgetown University or George Washington University. The result is that waitlist or reject results from American University are not too unusual for “overqualified” applicants to report here.
So if a student wants to apply to American University but appears to be “overqualified”, the student should be sure to show enough additional interest. Applying ED if American University is the student’s first choice would be the strongest way to show such interest.
I have heard that too. We will definitely visit, and if she likes it, we would show more interest. I don’t know that she is super overqualified for American. Honestly, I don’t really know what is not qualified enough, qualified, or overqualified anymore! How do you know?
Because of optional SATs, only kids with the best scores submit, which makes it seem like why submit anything under 1500. And it feels like every kid I know has a 4. something something something GPA. It seems like you can have perfect SATs, perfect grades and still get rejected from very competitive schools.
Currently, my kid has a 3.9 unweighted GPA, 4.75 weighted, 1410 SAT (760 verbal/650 math…we’re trying to bring up the math to 700 if possible), 6APs. 5 more next year. 13 honors classes. 2 dual enrollments. No sports. ECs are mostly activities and interests she pursues on her own. I have tried to help guide her throughout high school to have things to “show” for those interests through projects, programs and a few awards. But nothing really impressive leadership-wise or national honors or awards or anything. She’s an introverted nerd.
When so many kids have good grades and test scores, the only things that really set you apart are your essays, extracurriculars, and I suppose references. (But what teacher would agree to send a reference if they didn’t like the kid?) (Also, interviews, if you can do them. I am a little worried my kid will freeze.)
I don’t know whether this is really the thread to ask–but I know I’m not the only parent who really doesn’t know what schools are attainable and what schools aren’t.
But then if you ARE “overqualified,” or basically in the running for merit aid and you apply ED, they have no motivation to actually GIVE you any merit!
Yes, for an “overqualified” applicant, how to show enough interest to make the college believe that the applicant can be enticed by merit scholarships is guesswork. Too little interest could mean waitlist/rejection, while too much interest (including ED) could mean no merit offer.
“Overqualified” from American’s perspective probably means an applicant likely (in American’s view) to get into GWU or GU.
I think there is a big difference between getting into GW and getting into Georgetown. GW is ranked at 62 for national universities and American is ranked 72. They are not that far apart, and one could argue that American might be more enjoyable for some students because it has more of a campus. (I know GW also has a campus, but it’s not in the same location as the Foggy Bottom location.)
Georgetown is ranked 22, and I believe they don’t use the common app and don’t superscore? (Or at least make you show all of your scores). I don’t know if we’re in the same area. I know of several students in recent years who have applied to all of those schools.
But I have seen what you are talking about online–some students specifically who were specifically rejected from American because it seemed like American knew they were considering them safeties. I certainly don’t know what the right things to do are! Now I’m considering hiring a counselor to help us create a list!
Another ding on Oberlin is that it is in Ohio. I live in Pennsylvania and while many of our politics and politicians scare me, especially at the local levels, we at least have Gov. Shapiro for the next 4 years, Sen. Fetterman for 6, and Sen. Casey just announced he will run for re-election.
Ohio’s Sen. Sherrod Brown is one of the best there is, but the political climate there reflects JD Vance and Mike DeWine more than it does Sherrod Brown.
I know. It is a very liberal little bubble in Ohio…also kind of difficult to get to from where we are. I would like to at least see it, but I’m not sure that will happen because of time and money. You can only go see so many schools.