<p>Long time reader, but posting for the first time.</p>
<p>We are very scared after looking through the Columbia ED Thread.
My child has only one ‘safety’ school. My husband and I think he needs to have couple more safety schools on his college list.</p>
<p>What will be a good safety LAC for an 'undecided major' Asian boy?
1. Northeast or Midwest LAC would be better
2. Good merit scholarship
3. Diversity is relatively important</p>
<p>I know I am asking a lot but any suggestion will be appreciated.</p>
<p>SAT I: 2390 (Single sitting)
SAT II: 780-800-800
UW GPA: 3.975 (One B+ in freshman year)</p>
<p>Swarthmore is nearly as selective as Columbia, so, no, not a safety. And Haverford is tiny (therefor not so predictable), and I don’t think it does merit at all. The good news, though, is that I think at LACs below a very thin top layer “Asian” is a sought-after minority.</p>
<p>I would look at Carleton (probably not a safety, but maybe close enough, not known for merit) and Macalaster in Minnesota, Oberlin, Grinnell, Vassar, maybe Connecticut College. And Washington University in St. Louis (see Carleton above, but more aggressive with merit) and University of Rochester. Those are all top-line colleges. If you really want to fish for substantial merit, you would probably need to head a few rungs down the prestige ladder.</p>
<p>Think about Bard, in Annadale-on -the-Hudson, an hour and a half’s drive north of NYC, Macalester in St.Paul MN, and Connecticut College in New London CT. The first tow have decent aid I’ve heard, for top scoring students. Don’t know that much about Conn.</p>
<p>Consider Dickinson College in Carlisle PA. Asian numbers are lowish here but that could help with merit aid.</p>
<p>Goucher College in MD, is another place to check out, if your son is fairly left-leaning.</p>
<p>(Is he? I would suggest different schools for a more conservative kid.)</p>
<p>Must it be an LAC? American U., for example gives out lots of merit aid and offers a broad range of majors for the undecided. Brandeis U., just outside of Boston, is another thought.</p>
<p>U. of Rochester (already mentioned) is a good suggestion. </p>
<p>Some schools named do not give merit aid, only need-based.</p>
<p>Grinnell–strong opportunity for merit $$, and it is a fine school.</p>
<p>Of the tippy top LACs, the data I see on Williams indicate that it is the least likely to reject a candidate with scores and GPA in the rafters. (Swat, on the other hand, is much more random.) But it is not a merit aid school.</p>
<p>Don’t let the Columbia ED thread freak you. Even though I have referred to it as a bloodbath elsewhere, I think the early posters were predominantly the negative ones, while the accepted applicants took more time. In addition, I think they may have been more conservative in their admit rate because they are expecting a big RD bump caused by their switch to the Common App.</p>
<p>Even so, you need more than one safety, despite those very fine scores and GPA. No one wants to be the one left standing when the music stops next spring.</p>
<p>My son is applying to Swarthmore. It is very high on his list. He really loved the school when we visited it.
He considers Swarthmore as a reach school.</p>
<p>I think Wesleyen and Oberlin would be matches. Williams, though a reach for everyone, looks favorably upon Asian candidates. Remember, you want diversity, which means LACS may pass on academically qualified candidates to meet diversity goals.</p>
<p>If your safety school is truly a safety - affordable, your student’s stats above the median; school accepts over 50% of the applicants - all you need is one. </p>
<p>For your student, 2-3 LACs with a US News selectivity ranking 15 or lower may be a suitable safety substitute, or a useful application tactic.</p>
<p>Some of the schools listed may well be safeties and good sources of merit aid, but may not be good ideas for other reasons. A relative very recently had a bad experience at Union – just not a very academic place. She transferred to one of the small, private universities mentioned in this thread, and is much, much happier.</p>
<p>The OP’s kid is clearly a really good student. I would encourage him to go somewhere where he won’t automatically be one of the top 2-3 students at the college. That doesn’t mean he can only go to Williams or Swarthmore, but it does call some of these colleges into question.</p>
<p>I understand why the OP is freaking out reading the Columbia ED threads. It’s a real splash of cold water. “Perfect” students get rejected by elite colleges a lot. However, they also get accepted by elite colleges. I’m sure the OP’s son will find a good academic home.</p>
<p>I think Oberlin, Grinnell and Rochester are all excellent choices. I think Rochester is likely in the safety column, with Oberlin and Grinnell being strong matches. All 3 schools offer merit aid. My white, midwestern son with similar stats got very nice merit scholarships from both Rochester and Oberlin. He did not apply to Grinnell.</p>
<p>Swarthmore is a reach for anyone. Vassar is definitely a good bet - the odds are better for males. I think because of its proximity to NY its a bit more diverse than most LACs. Bard should be a shoe-in. </p>
<p>I agree with Sally Rubenstone - the schools she suggested were all ones my son considered as matches or safeties - and his stats were lower than your sons. American, Brandeis, U of Rochester. All nice sizes, and like Columbia urban or suburban campuses. I do think it is nice to have two safeties - just to have a choice if the worst happens.</p>
<p>I really think it’s rare that schools waitlist students using them as safeties. I think they waitlist students that don’t put enough effort into their applications. </p>
<p>For example Vassar allows the option to send something extra in - this is a real opportunity to show a different side of yourself. My son sent in origami earrings he had made himself.</p>