Wanted: The Perfect College

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Caucasian female junior in Michigan wondering where she'll fit in!</p>

<p>-STATS-
ACT: 36
PSAT: 224, off the top of my head
SAT - taking in June
SAT II: Math II, Chem - releasing on May 23!
GPA: 4.1-something, 4.0 unweighted (.012 added for each semester AP)
Rank: 3rd, as far as I know
APs:
APUSH - 4 (10)
AP Chem, AP Lang, AP Music Theory (11) - just took 'em; 5,4,3 respectively?
AP Bio, AP Calc, AP Lit (12) self-study AP Physics??</p>

<p>Band: alto saxophone, top ensemble 10,11,(12), first chair 9,11,(12)
Jazz Band: alto 9,10,12, bari 11, top ensemble 10,11,12
Marching Band: 9,10,11,12, field commander 11, drum major! 12
Pit orchestras, pep bands, etc, nine credits of music all together, phew...
NHS: 11,12, officer?? 12
plenty of volunteer hours</p>

<p>I'm considering biomedical engineering at the moment. The biomedical part is my thing. I have no idea if engineering is, but it sounds good to me. I'm a quirky, conservative, music-and-science-geeky, 120 lb 5'10" blonde looking for a not-too-big, not-/too/-liberal, private or public institution with a good job/grad school placement rate, a decent marching band and wind ensemble, and merit aid opportunities! I'd rather stay this side of the continental divide, but if you can tear me away from the midwest-east-south, more power to ya. I'd like to meet more people I can tell mathy-sciency jokes to that won't drive me away with their social ineptitude. I like Queen, Oingo Boingo, Glenn Miller, Disney movies, musicals, CSI-esque TV shows, my silly gamer friends, and science fiction. I don't like rap or affirmative action, I don't smoke or experiment with illegal substances, and I don't plan on drinking my brains out.</p>

<p>Can you give me an idea of what college has the kind of atmosphere I'd fit into? And if you can't, but you think I sound like an interesting person, IM me so I didn't write all of this for naught. AIM: obieluvshersax</p>

2

<p>Try Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, Ohio-it has one of the best undergrad bio-med programs (top 4 or 5) is a great feeder school for grad schools. Also it gives amazing merit aid.</p>

3

<p>But has the quality of life of a pipe factory...and she can do better. How's your financial situation? I bet if you apply to Johns Hopkins, Emory, Rice, and WUSTL you will get a semi free/ free merit ride at one of these. I would use these as matches (use Michigan as your safety, 99% chance you arent going to a safety). </p>

<p>As reaches, MIT, Princeton, Stanford.</p>

4

<p>Er, I know that you said probably no to west coast, but except for the not-too-liberal, Stanford seems to fit what you're thinking about pretty well. And it's not as liberal as SOME places. </p>

<p>I'd also suggest Rice, Duke might drink too much but it still sounds pretty good for you... University of Pennsylvania also sounds like a pretty good option. Oh, Davidson College too maybe. Emory too...</p>

5

<p>i'll second JHU</p>

6

<p>Oh yeah...add Duke for sure. I forgot about it. IMO:</p>

<p>Reach:
MIT
Stanford
Princeton</p>

<p>Match:
Duke
Northwestern</p>

<p>Safe Match:
JHU
WUSTL
Rice
Emory </p>

<p>Safety:
Michigan</p>

<p>If merit aid/ money isnt an issue, dump one or more of Rice/ WUSTL/ Emory.</p>

7

<p>I agree with slipper...
except, Duke is probably a reach. It's ivy caliber, I'd say.
I'd apply to UMich as a safety, but choose another one too...</p>

8

<p>Case Western, Case Western, Case Western. I can't think of a better description for a perfect Case student! It's a good size school, that actually has a decent quality of life (I understand this has changed a bit in the past few years). I too am a bit quirky and a science and music geek...and I fit in perfectly at Case. The marching band leaves a lot to be desired for (I wasn't in it, but a friend of mine was), but you do get gym credits for it. The wind ensembles are great...we have most of our concerts in Severance Hall (home of the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra, it's a really amazing hall). Case students have the opportunity to take music lessons and classes at the Cleveland Institute of Music (lessons have a fee, the classes are free). Case has a great political environment in that everybody is entitled to their opinion, and we had great, good-natured, intellectual debates all year (most people I knew leaned towards the conservative side). Merit aid is very nice, and I would suggest applying Early Action (non-binding) to get the best consideration for merit aid. Biomedical Engineering at Case is exceptional, I would recommend it if you want to work hard in college (and it sounds like you intend to!).
Apply where you see yourself fitting in, you have lots of options open to you, but I think Case seems like a good fit.</p>

9

<p>Reach:
MIT
Stanford
Princeton
Duke
Northwestern
(none of the schools above is easy)</p>

<p>Match:
JHU
WUSTL
Rice
Emory </p>

<p>YOU NEED MORE SAFETIES, Michigan and at least 1 other</p>

10

<p>"I don't like rap or affirmative action"</p>

<p>-That's a random thing to put in a bio....</p>

11

<p>Slipper - The reason I said merit aid specifically is because that's about the only thing I'll be getting. Money is not really an issue, but I'd rather not pay the sticker price, y'know?</p>

<p>kk - Sorry, I was just putting down whatever I thought of. =)</p>

<p>It sounds like I'm right on track! My first choice at the moment is Northwestern, and I'm also considering Duke, WUSTL, and Michigan as a safety. I guess I'm also looking at MIT, Stanford a bit (a friend's parents both went there, they're pushing for it), and perhaps CalTech. Thanks for all your advice, keep it coming!!</p>

12

<p>
[QUOTE]
"I don't like rap or affirmative action"</p>

<p>-That's a random thing to put in a bio....

[/QUOTE]
</p>

<p>yeah, when i read that, i honestly couldn't help but think, "huh? is she implying she doesn't like black people?"</p>

13

<p>Haha, no, no, I'm just very against the theory behind it. Which is why I'm hesitant to go to Michigan or Case, because I'd rather not pay that kind of money to an institution that says that minority status is "important," according to US News. There are so many good quality colleges to choose from, I feel like I can make that a criterion. No offense to anyone of any race!! It's just been on my mind recently, my friend just wrote his bill for government class outlawing it.</p>

<p>And rap, well, rap is just dumb. I much prefer disco, jazz, classic rock, Disney songs, anything with chord changes, really.</p>

14

<p>how are you extrapolating that he dislikes blacks? i am in no way racist and ABHOR affirmative action as it is complete crap.</p>

15

<p>I just found a funny thing to have in a college bio. I also wish to remind everyone that this is not a debate on AA. Let's please stick to the issue at hand.</p>

16

<p>36 on ACT.. come on.. Slipper's list is more probable.</p>

17

<p>first of all, the OP is a female. second of all, i wasn't extrapolating anything out of just the affirmative action comment. the OP originally said, "i don't like rap and AA" or something to that effect. i was just saying that i couldn't help but think, "huh? is she implying she doesn't like black people?" (exactly what i wrote the first time... not exactly an accusatory question) after reading that a person randomly puts in her stat page that she doesn't like rap and AA, all in the same line. anyway, she politely and cheerfully cleared that up (and i'm sure the rap thing was a separate thought that just got accidentally put in the same sentence as her view on affirmative action). </p>

<p>supermurgatroyd, wasn't trying to pick on you! anyway, i love the fact that you were willing to clear things up w/o getting all fired up, unlike some people =)</p>

18

<p>I'd say Duke probably wouldn't fit you if you are into the 'quite' thing; great BME program though</p>

<p>but the rest of the colleges suggested are good places to apply, JHU especially is like number one for BME so apply there</p>

19

<p>take MIT and tech schools out of list because they might give you a boost for being female</p>

20

<p>Also, MIT doesn't have a marching band.</p>