Which selective colleges do NOT require a supplemental application, ie just use the Common App?

Parents Forum
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<p>Since it’s apparent you need merit aid to be able to afford $60K/yr colleges, I would suggest Hobart William Smith and St. Lawrence. With his stats (forgetting about his plagiarism) he should qualify for significant merit. My son got $28/k/yr from HWS and $30K/yr from SLU. Both required supplemental essays. </p>

<p>Also, Clark U. They are known for the psych department and he should be able to get merit. My son didn’t apply but a friend’s D did and I saw her FA package and lots of people have commented on Clark’s packages on CC. . </p>

<p>You should read this thread:</p>

<p><a href=“Schools known for good merit aid - Parents Forum - College Confidential Forums”>Schools known for good merit aid - Parents Forum - College Confidential Forums; </p>

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<p>The University of Miami meets most of your criteria; east coast, 10k undergrads, strong neuroscience program with great research opportunities, good merit aid and club water polo.</p>

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<p>The OP’s son’s stats are WAY more than good enough to get into UConn.</p>

<p>Fairfield U? When I was in HS in Fairfield County no one that I knew who was a good student considered it for a nanosecond. It seems to have come up in the world to some degree, but I really can’t see your S going there. Or Quinnipiac. I think he would be far better off taking a gap year than going to a school that would bore him stiff.</p>

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<p>Consolation…how long ago was that?</p>

<p>Quinnipiac, in particular, has become a much better school. It has some very strong programs that students seek ( physician assistant, occupational therapy, business). Overall, it is a much better school, and has grown considerably in the last 20 years.</p>

<p>Fairfield is not as competitive, but still draws some good students from the area. The school is generous with merit awards for high achievers.</p>

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<p>Q is a fine option for a kid who wants a pre-professional degree with a fast track to a job after graduation. For a kid looking for a traditional academic/liberal arts experience, it is an extremely expensive, suboptimal choice.</p>

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<p>Agree. Blossom. But it’s not a bad option for those programs.</p>

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<p>Barb, you mentioned that many schools meet 75 percent of your son’s wish list… think about it the other way: How much does he meet a school’s wish list?</p>

<p>Is there any chance he would want to live elsewhere in the country? If so, hunt down 1-2 schools elsewhere in the country. Out West, you might want to look at merit money opportunities for Pacific, St. Mary’s, Loyola Marymount, or Seattle University. I think those all have water polo.</p>

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<p>Carleton has a short supplement! Reed College also has a short supplement, but it’s a very particular kind of place lol neither is on the east coast, though </p>

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<p>Thumper1, a long time ago…the early 70s. :)</p>

<p>Fairfield U’s top 25% begins with SATs that would convert to an ACT of 27. The OP’s son has a 32, plus excellent grades, very strong preparation, intellectual interests…doesn’t seem like a good alternative to me. Quinnipiac’s is even lower. I think you are right that Q is solid in a cluster of vocational majors, but again, it doesn’t sound like a fit for the OP’s son.</p>

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<p>I know this school won’t meet all his criteria, but I think it’s worth considering UPitt. It has a leading neuroscience department, amazing research opportunities, a cool urban campus, and a terrific honors program. For honors, If I remember correctly, you need at least a 1480 or 1490 cr& math SAt and a top 10% class rank, although perhaps the adcom will overlook a lower rank bc he’s coming from a leading prep school. It’s also known for its merit aid. If he applies, he should do so early bc it’s a rolling admission. If he gets his app in by end of sept thru mid Oct., he’ll hear back in about 3 weeks, and if accepted, the pressure is off.</p>

<p>My oldest son, who is a neuro concentrator at brown, had Pitt on his list, and my younger son, an English/creative writing major about to enter college, did too as the school also has a well-regarded English dept. (btw, its philosophy phd program is ranked no.1 in the country.) I think Pitt is a gem that’s often overlooked. Take a look at the neuro dept web page…you won’t believe what you’ll see. Also, it is among the top 20 NIH funded schools with plenty of research opportunities for undergrads. And it has a leading hospital at which to volunteer. Perhaps the only thing missing is water polo, but who knows, maybe it has that covered too. </p>

<p>Oh, and even if he doesn’t get merit money, the tuition is lower than the private schools you’re considering, and I think well worth it, particularly for the neuro& sciences education. It’s a good value. There are plenty of kids there who could have gone to an ivy. In fact, when we used the alumni college counselor at brown, she told us of a girl she had last year who was admitted to ivies and top LACs who chose Pitt for the merit $. She didn’t want to graduate with debt, particularly bc she may want to attend grad school too. So I think he’ll find plenty of like-minded peers. Lots of bright CC kids with amazing stats choose Pitt.</p>

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<p>I agree with the suggestion for Pitt. It’s a little out of their geographic range, but it’s a pretty drive and there are lots of flights. The city is really nice. He could look at CMU as well, but that’s likely to be more expensive and harder to get into. (And probably not as good in neuroscience.)</p>

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<p>Did anyone suggest Case Western? It’s outside of the geographic range also, but not any more than Emory. Another great school where merit could come his way.</p>

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<p>University of Vermont appears to fit all criteria.</p>

<p>9,970 undergrads
3hrs 35min from Hartford, CT
Burlington is largest city in Vermont (40,000 pop)
Neuro undergrad major and Neuro Phd program
Medical school
Club water polo (9th place CWPA/North Atlantic )
ACT 26-31
“Public Ivy” & US News “Up and Coming”
Founded 1791
Early Action
Merit Scholarships
No essay (true a few years ago)
Cold, but much less annual snowfall than Colgate</p>

<p>This is one of the popular “merit schools” for academically inclined students from the Boston area. Your current 32 ACT puts you in the upper quartile, which should be merit range. Beautiful campus, a little north of Middlebury, but easier access due to highways.</p>

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<p>And if he applies to UVM by November 1 EA, he will have an admissions decision by. December 17.</p>

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<p>I agree: UVM is an excellent choice. And the students seem to love it there.</p>

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<p>The two other popular “merit schools” for academically inclined students from the Boston area that want to stay local are Clark University (already mentioned) and Wheaton College (not to be confused with Wheaton in Illinois). </p>

<p>Clark is a near miss
2,277 undergrads, but it has about 1,100 grad students.
Worcester is second largest city in New England (180,000 pop)
1 Hr from Hartford
Strong Psych Undergrad and Phd. (the only school in america where Freud lectured), but no separate Neuro major
UMass Med school is a few miles away (one Clark student is doing summer neuro research there)
Pool, but no water polo
One of the “colleges that change lives”
5th year free (to get master’s) program
Founded as a graduate (research only) college
Early Action
Merit scholarships
No essay</p>

<p>This school is pretty unique in that it is the size of a traditional liberal arts college, but is categorized as a research university due to its Phd programs and level of research activity. </p>

<p>Wheaton is a near miss
1,600 undergrads
Norton is a suburban town, 30 min to Providence (3rd largest city in New England -pop 178,00)
1.5 hours from Hartford
Strong sciences
Neuro major (traditional LAC-no grad school)
Had a water polo club, looking for student to restart (opportunity?)</p>

<h1>19 in top 25 “Brainiac” schools</h1>

<p>One of the top 10 liberal arts colleges for Fulbright Scholars
One of the top producers of Rhodes and Marshal scholars<br>
Partnership allows students to take courses at Brown University
All women until around the 1980’s, now coed
No early action
Merit scholarships
No essay</p>

<p>Nice campus, not as isolated as other LACs. Great support services for pursuing prestigious scholarships - the number of these scholars that they produce (relative to the stats of the incoming students) is impressive. Science students have also landed summer internships at MIT research labs.</p>

<p><a href=“http://wheatoncollege.edu/sga/2010/09/13/water-polo-club/”>http://wheatoncollege.edu/sga/2010/09/13/water-polo-club/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>In case you were wondering, Worcester is very proud of the fact that they are now the second largest city in New England :-)</p>

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<p>Both Brown and Fordham have D1 varsity water polo teams,(not club teams) and play in CWPA Varsity/North.</p>

<p>Conn College also has a varsity team and plays in CWPA Varsity/North, but they lost every game last fall </p>

<p>Pitt and CMU both have club water polo teams and play in CWPA/Mid Atlantic</p>

<p>CMU fits at 6,000 undergrads, but Pitt is big at 18,000 undergrads</p>

<p>I could not find Case Western in the CWPA standings.</p>

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<p>Wow, great info @ mastodon! Pitt will feel smaller if he gets into the honors college. I second Wheaton. Some of its students moved on to brown for a phd in neuroscience. And as you said, Wheaton kids can take courses at brown if it’s a course not offered at Wheaton, which I’d imagine there are for neuro, like the neuro stats course my S took last semester.</p>

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<p>If they do not require supplemental, then maybe they are not quite that selective…LOL…
Just kidding.
Few LACS do not.
By the way, supplements are not that bad, just additional essays that helps them get to know more about the applicant. </p>

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<p>Kenyon, Colby, and Muhlenberg. Bowdoin and Bates have very short essays. Dickinson is optional. U of Rochester is also short. </p>