<p>Does anyone have any suggestions as to respected private schools on the west coast, preferably liberal arts colleges?
Here are my stats:
GPA: 3.25
SAT: M-680, V-690, W-690
Tons of ECs (3 years of student government, MUN awards, etc.) and over 1000 hours vounteering at a summer camp.
Do I have a chance at schools like Whitman or Occidental? Any other suggestions?
Thanks a lot!</p>
<p>Yes, I think you have a good shot at those. What's your class rank for perspective? Pepperdine and Mills should be a safeties. Scripps a match if you're female.</p>
<p>I go to a pretty competitive public school, so my class rank isn't very high (last I checked I was in the top 40%). My weighted rank is probably higher because I have taken a fair amount of honors and AP classes. I am planning on visiting some California schools (Pitzer, Whittier, Redlands, Oxy) in November, and I may visit Pepperdine. The thing is I heard it has a really strong religious atmosphere and I am not very religious guy.</p>
<p>Chec k out USD as well. it is similar to Pepperdine without the highly religious aspect. My D liked Pepperdine despite the religious atmosphere, as students are very down to earth. Location can be isolated without a car however. USD is not liberal arts but a small university with personalized atention and small class sizes.</p>
<p>With that GPA (though depending on the school), Scripps would be more of a match-reach. Most students have at least a 3.5 unweighted GPA. Rank is also an important factor in admissions. Additionally, Scripps' acceptance rate this year hovered around 45% and the class was overenrolled.</p>
<p>Although most of the 'respected' private LAC's on the west coast typically take in students with higher GPA's, you seem to have a pretty decent shot at a handful of schools. For an interest in investing your time in a liberal arts education, I would take a look at schools further north, such as Willamette and Whitman, or if you don't mind being engulfed in left-wing political activity, Lewis & Clark and Reed College.</p>
<p>I think Whitman (a match in selectivity) admissions would be appreciative of your dedication to your extracurriculars, as social life for Whitman is centered around student organizations and activities on campus. Climate is way different from Pitzer of course, since you have clean but cold piney air in place of warm, humid smoggyness.</p>
<p>Reed (taking into account your rigorous curriculum would be a match-reachish choice) in particular is a hard-core LAC with a classical education that requires rigorous discipline, appealing to the right type of student. If that sounds good to you, definitely go up for a visit and interview!</p>
<p>Just a quick warning, Whitman has really gotten a lot more selective, particularly this year. It was my top choice and my counselor (who's decent) said that it was a match easily with my stats (3.98, hardest course load, 31 ACT, really dedicated to my main EC (theatre)). She said we'd gotten quite a few acceptances there last year and everyone had lower stats than I did. And I was waitlisted. So, I still say shoot for it, but just be warned that it really did get more competitive this year. </p>
<p>I definitely second looking at Lewis & Clark and Wilamette. Also, I'd recommend looking at Linfield College. Its an LAC located in McMinnville Oregon and has been looking to improve its image. Because of this, it is more inclined to offer scholarship money and whatnot.</p>
<p>Definitly check out Pitzer. YOu might want to check out Redlands also. Little different feel, but still a decent school.</p>
<p>Pitzer is good- Linfield, University of the Pacific( they call themselves a U but have less than 3,500 undergrad), Lewis and Clark
I hear Pitzer doesn't have great aid however</p>
<p>I applied to both. I was accepted at Pitzer, waitlisted and then denied by Oxy.</p>
<p>Here are my stats:
1. Female
2. GPA: 3.4 (unweighted)
3. SAT: 1400 (or about 2100 on new SAT scale)
4. Lots of ECs: piano, violin, swimming, editor for school magazine, editor for school newspaper, etc
5. Live on the East coast, which I thought would get me "points" at Oxy, since they don't get many people from my specific geographic area
6. I have Asian minority status-- but not URM, obviously</p>
<p>Pitzer should be a match for you. I'm NOT SURE about Oxy. It's getting very competitive. </p>
<p>BY the way, someone mentioned Scripps. I know the original poster is not female, so it would be a mistaken recommendation to him personally. But I ALSO applied to Scripps, and was denied. Their GPA is above both mine and the org. poster. </p>
<p>I think in most cases a high GPA is in order if you want to be seriously considered by Scripps. It is also competitive in its admissions.</p>
<p>Best wishes.</p>
<p>Pitzer does offer very substantial aid to those who need it. However, if you are capable of paying for it via loans or savings they will not help out.</p>
<p>Not sure about a match with any of the Claremont schools, perhaps Pitzer, but it has a VERY small class admitted each year and is on the rise. Occidental is a fine school and would be worth looking into. Pepperdine is also getting very tough to get in to, but worth a shot. Loyola Marymount might be a good possibility. there is also Redlands and LaVerne which are good schools.
Univ of San Diego is a fine school and relatively easier to gain admission. throughout the state of CA, you may also consider St. Mary's, Santa Clara, Pacific and U of San Francisco. There is also Gonzaga in Wash state and in Oregon there is Lewis and Clark and Reed, but I think Reed is getting pretty tough.</p>
<p>Good luck in your search.</p>
<p>Also, take a look at the University of Puget Sound. Great school...very underrated...</p>
<p>Pitzer and Oxy are getting harder and harder rapidly. Pitzer takes a class of 250, and this year there will be just an incredible amount of applicants.I think the official acceptance rate of 50% is going to be more like 30% now. Pepperdine has also gotten harder, official stats say the acceptance rate is 36% but I just talked to the admission director there and he said they're at 25% now. It's also ultra conservative and not tolerant of non-Christians/minorities.</p>
<p>If finaid is an issue, we found USD to be great, also very good with merit, Scripps and Pitzer are also good. Pepperdine and Santa Clara were both pretty bad for aid and merit(especially Pepp). My D's stats were 3.8GPA and 1320(old SAT, 29 ACT) Other great merit schools mentioned here were Puget Sound and Lewis and Clark and Linfield. Check out Willamette as well if you don't mind rain. It would have been my D's choice if we could have moved it to Ca. lol</p>
<p>Pacific is lac-like, in a uni kinda way</p>
<p>UOP, Loyola Marymount, Scripps</p>
<p>Pitzer, Whittier, Occidental and UPS. You have a shot at all of them and all of them are pretty solid schools.</p>
<p>My first three choices would be (all respected school around 5,000 students and good focus on undergrad):
*University of San Francisco
*Santa Clara University
*University of the Pacific</p>
<p>Others to Consider:
University of Redlands
Pepperdine University
Occidental College
Pitzer College
Mills College
Chapman University</p>
<p>I second Loyola Marymount.</p>