<p>I'm transferring out of NYU and deciding on where I want to apply for Fall 2013. I don't like the enormity of NYU, in terms of total students, and how this creates very little feeling of community (especially since there are no sports to rally around). I didn't realize I would mind any of this until I spent a semester here, but I guess that's just the way it goes. And while I love NYC, I've decided that my college years would be better spent in a more low-key area with less distractions. I have had some good professors, though most were very hard graders (I don't know anyone who got above a B on any paper in my freshmen writing class). I also think that the subject material for my major is not geared towards my particular interests. Basically, I've decided a smaller school with a tighter community would be best for me. Also, I'd like to participate in club sports. The sports I'd like to play aren't offered as club sports at NYU. This isn't super important, but something I'll be looking at. So I struggled a bit to buckle down academically first semester and also had a couple notoriously difficult professors which resulted in a lower GPA for the schools I'd like to apply to (3.1ish). My high school record is much better - I had a 3.92 unweighted and 4.2 weighted on a 4.5 scale...2030 SAT, and a couple APs I would send. I have lots of extracurriculars including varsity tennis and a couple internships. </p>
<p>At this point, I'm trying to find colleges that I have a shot at getting into and which fit into what I am looking for. Also, I'd like to stay in the northeast.</p>
<p>I'm looking at:</p>
<p>Bates
Connecticut College
Hamilton
Amherst
Cornell (triple legacy and applying to a program that generally has a high acceptance..for them)</p>
<p>Any other schools that seem to fit what I'm looking for?
I know a few of these are reaches, but could you see me getting into any of them?
Thanks for any advice!</p>
<p>I’m thinking Fordham might be the perfect combo of beautiful campus and community while maintaining access to the city you love so much.</p>
<p>Hmm…that seems like it would fit but I’ve stayed over there a few times when I visited a friend and didn’t really like it. Not sure why exactly, maybe I’ll give it another chance and look into it. I don’t care too much about staying close to New York. I live about an hour away from the city so I can always visit while I’m home. Thanks for the response…it does make sense!</p>
<p>I feel as if you should spend another year at NYU in order to raise your GPA. As of now your best chances would be at Conn College or Bates. Both have around an 18-20 percent transfer acceptance rate and Bates is SAT optional. You have excellent high school stats but the 3.1 GPA is going to be tough to overcome compared to most applicants for these highly selective schools.</p>
<p>Hamilton will be slightly more difficult than Bates and Conn College based on a lower transfer acceptance rate and higher admission requirements. </p>
<p>Amherst last year accepted ONLY 14/500 applicants and it is fair to assume all had almost close to perfect college grades.</p>
<p>As for Cornell, I am unsure of the impact of legacies but a 3.1 GPA seems like an uphill battle for anyone.</p>
<p>Thanks for your comment! Yeah the GPA will definitely be something I have to overcome. I know I have better professors for this upcoming semester and I’m focused on bringing up my GPA so hopefully the colleges will see that reflected in my midterm grades. I’ll probably take Amherst off the list though, didn’t realize they had that low of a transfer rate. I don’t think I want to spend another year here since it is really expensive to stay just to boost my GPA.</p>
<p>If you do not mind me asking, what is your major? This will probably help other members suggest more schools that might fit your requirements. If you do not mind going down the ranking list you should take a look at schools like Lehigh, Villanova, and Bucknell.</p>
<p>I’m majoring in communications, but would change to psychology if I went to a school like Bates. Cornell and Hamilton have communications, but most of the other schools I’m gravitating towards don’t. I’m just about equally interested in psychology so I wouldn’t mind switching. I am considering Lehigh…I have a couple family members who went there. Bucknell and Villanova are too preppy and the social scene isn’t really what I’m looking for (this is based off of what I’ve heard from friends who go to these schools).</p>
<p>I have a hard time thinking Nova and Bucknell are more preppy than Cornell. Sounds like you’re looking for a reason to say no to lower ranked schools.</p>
<p>No I’m really applying to Cornell because of the communications program. Neither Nova nor Bucknell have communications, so that’s when I look at if I really love everything else about the school if it doesn’t have exactly what I want to study.</p>
<p>I personally haven’t been to Bucknell but have visited and spend the night at Villanova. It has a nice small suburban campus with easy access to the septa trains to take you into Philly and other colleges such as Haverford, Swarthmore, and Bryn mawr. It did seem to be fairly preppy but that is really up to your liking. As you probably already know Syracuse has a terrific school of communications called Newhouse but I would assume that would be too large for your liking. I would also look into Northwestern for communications but that would be a reach but worth exploring further.</p>
<p>Thank you for the suggestions! I have been back and forth on whether I should apply to Syracuse. It is a little bigger than I’m looking for at this point, but the communications program is very strong. Northwestern is great too but not really the location I’m looking for and, yeah, it would be unlikely for me to get in.
I really am leaning towards the smaller liberal arts colleges right now. It’s too bad Hamilton is the only one with communications.</p>
<p>University of Richmond which is a pretty good school (# 28 in National Liberal Arts Colleges) has a communication program. Enrolls about 3,000 students and in central Virginia with a gorgeous campus.</p>
<p>Denison University, a small respected liberal arts college in Ohio has a communications program.</p>
<p>Not exactly a liberal arts college but the Park School of Communications at Ithaca College is well known in that field and quite isolated in upstate NY right near Cornell.</p>
<p>It appears that most of the Top Liberal Arts colleges do not have a comm program that you desire unfortunately. Boston University supposedly as a good communications program but that experience would most likely mirror that of NYU. As does USC at the Annenburg school of Communications but similar story.</p>
<p>I was just about to mention Richmond as well. It’s a bigger step down but perhaps Franklin and Marshall</p>
<p>It’s pretty important to me to stay in the Northeast. If we could bump Richmond up a few states then we’d be set haha. Ithaca could be an option…my mom went there, and when I visit Cornell next week we’re going to see Ithaca too. I’ll also look into F&M. </p>
<p>Thanks for helping me with options!</p>
<p>Try Williams and Swarthmore.</p>