Hi, I’m trying to gauge where I should apply and thought some advice on here would help. I’m looking for schools with pretty traditional, closed campuses and a liberal arts vibe (although that part is less important to me). It’s important to either be urban or to have oretty easy access to a city. My stats are 3.96 UW, around 4.2-4.3 W, 1590 SAT (800 M 790 E), 730 SAT II literature and 760 SAT II Math 2. Pretty strong ECs. Don’t know about major but I know I don’t want to do business or engineering. Thanks in advance!
Brown, Princeton, Columbia, Chicago, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Penn, Emory, Swarthmore, Haverford, etc.
Need more info. regarding finances / ability to pay.
You might have better advice if you pair this with your other post about wanting to take a gap year, which included the schools where you applied this cycle. My bet is that you’ll get a lot of people posting schools that were on your original and re-applying to schools where you were rejected is not likely to give you different results.
FWIW, I think it’s unlikely that you are going to have better results the next go around. If I recall, you already have acceptances at some great schools.
How about schools you like, are affordable, and are less selective than those on your previous application list?
@momofsenior1 totally understand, but I did visit the schools I got into and really disliked them unfortunately. Overall I’m just trying to find some similar places.
@ucbalumnus sure! i made this post so I could get answers about what specific schools have that.
This was my worry, that I was just gonna get comments about my last posts 
I applied to schools that were less selective, ie George Washington, and got rejected, so my worry is finding places that I like that will take me. There’s lots that I would like to change about my application this time around.
@Publisher finances arent too much of a worry. probably could pay about 1/3- 1/2. Couldnt afford to pay for a state school (out of state)
All I can offer is to edit & critique your application essays. I do it for free & I know what resonates with colleges, universities & law schools as well as MBA programs.
Your numbers are fine.
Use any ED /EA option wisely.
OK, lets start from the beginning:
What’s your budget?
Any geographic limitations?
Can you go visit the schools before applying so you don’t end up applying to schools you don’t like?
Can you tell us what you don’t like in a school? (That could help too).
I’m thinking some of the Philly area LACs too - Bryn Mawr, Swat, Haverford (Swat and Haverford would be reaches and Bryn Mawr more of a low reach/high match).
Others to consider that have an urban liberal arts vibe that are less selective:
Sarah Lawrence
MacCalaster
St. Olaf (about 40 minutes for Minneapolis…maybe too far from urban?)
Can you tell us where you applied this year and the results? Also what do you intend to do with your gap year?
What about the process will you approach differently?
@Publisher Thanks! I will definitely consider it. Thoughts on retaking the SAT II tests?
@momofsenior1 thanks! to answer your questions: budget is most anything, geography is anything other than the South or midwest/super rural states. i dont think i can visit beforehand, and I don’t like a big frat/party/sports culture, a super spread out school, or somewhere that tries too hard to push the “we are all a family here” thing, if I’m being honest.
Really love the ideas of Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore! will definitely be looking into those. 
@privatebanker of course! I applied to a lot of reaches but tried my best to balance it out:
Got in to:
Macalester
Wellesley
Northeastern
Boston University
Waitlisted:
Georgetown
UPenn
Rejected:
Barnard
Brown
Columbia
Harvard
Yale
UChicago
George Washington
Stanford
Princeton
Tufts
With my gap year I’m going to take online classes, get a job, and hopefully work on an app idea that i have. It’s mostly about what I want to do and just getting older so I can experience more things in college. I think my essays could use some work, and my application didnt really “sell me” enough; I couldve kind of phrased a lot of things better. I also had some crazy stuff happen with my transcripts and counselor recommendation that really messed things up, so that could definitely use fixing. I’ve also heard colleges are less likely to admit younger applicants, so I’m gonna play up my maturity and hopefully being 16 now will help things.
Wow. Great schools and not too surprising. You have some great acceptances too.
What didn’t you like about them? Location vibe. Campus. Programs. Activities. Wellesley bu neu GWU and mcalester seem to run a broad spectrum of choice. Not knocking your decision at all. Just the more info into your preferences will be helpful for us.
If looking for another reach or two that appear to match your criteria take a look at Vassar and Wesleyan perhaps…
Thanks! NEU felt super depressing to me (no offense totally a personal thing) and I wasnt into the co-op thing. BU I didnt feel like had a great culture and I felt the campus was a bit uninspiring. Macalester was just a location thing, I wasn’t going to be able to visit and didn’t want to commit w/o visiting (and more than I would like to pay for it). Wellesley is where I am closest to committing, but the huge campus and the remote location was a pretty big downside for me. Re: GWU I actually got rejected lol
Oh. I am sorry. My mistake. Or theirs actually.
I get it.
What about school spirit and sports. You’ll be younger still. And you are gong to want to have fun things to do and places where it’s easy to be part of group. I wouldn’t assume you are going to be wanting the big party scene with your academic focus and youth.
And location or weather preference. As to money. What did you aid look like at the private’s. And is mass your home state?
OP, so you are only just now turning 16? I wonder if age played into it at all…did you skip grades when you were younger? (and you sound very accomplished!)
@privatebanker haha no worries! I think school spirit was something I wasn’t super into, especially because I’m from a very sports-obsessed school, but I guess some games could be fun. Aid at the private schools was for sure doable, and will be better next year. I’m very much into colder weather, so that was something I looked into. And no, I am from Oregon! Not too much here, that’s why I would like to be in a city.
@SouthernHope Yep! I submitted most of my apps on my 16th birthday. It playing a role seems to be a popular theory with people I’ve talked to. And yeah, I skipped 3rd and 4th grade!
Wellesley College in Wellesley, MA? 2500 students and 16 miles to Boston…that Wellesley College?
Honestly I’m not sure how much smaller you can get in/near an urban center.
@momofsenior1 haha yes, that Wellesley! it was the geographical size of it, not the number of students. I had a really hard time getting around to be honest. And most of the girls I talked to almost never went into Boston, esp. because it’s only 16 m but a 45 min train ride.
I have family in that area and I always thought campus was small (my daughter is at a huge state flagship so much different perspective).
Wellesley College has a free bus for students that goes into the city. No train needed. Yes, the 16 miles can be longer because of traffic but it will be that way at any school in the outskirts of a big city.
I would also caution you about trying not to feel too overwhelmed about getting around a campus when you first visit. Every campus will be an adjustment and most schools do an excellent job during orientation of making sure every student feels comfortable getting around before classes begin.