<p>Dartmouth for a few reasons:
1.) Small, but not to small.
2.) Focused on undergraduates (from what I have researched it seems that Dartmouth and Princeton do the best out of the ivies)
3.) Amazing location and focus on outdoors. Some people might not like the rural setting, but I love the opportunities for outdoor activities and for Walden type reflection.
4.) Best academic reputation of the the schools to which I was accepted. This was the least important to me, but it certainly played a roll.</p>
<p>I think my daughter first noticed Swarthmore because the college guides say things like very intellectual, super academic, etc. The more she looked into it the more she liked it since she plans on grad school and their record is so good for students going on to higher degrees. Also earlier this year there was an article in the NYT about students making snap decisions on college visits and one mother said her daughter wouldn't get out of the car at Swat because she saw someone wearing birkenstocks. I thought maybe it is that simple since my daughter lives in birks.</p>
<p>ok, i guess i will give my input.
I am planning on majoring in business so the quality of the b-schools played a big factor.
I applied to Washington St. Louis, Emory, U of Miami (FL), Tulane, Brandeis, U of Texas, Baylor, and SMU.
I was accepted to all except WashU.</p>
<p>WashU- (ED) my first choice, visited it first and loved it. Hated it after they rejected me. lol. funny how that works...</p>
<p>SMU- (money awarded)This is about 20 min. from my house and has a great atmosphere and a highly ranked undergraduate b-school, although all things considered, the prestige of it and reputation didn't seem to leave dallas so I chose elsewhere. </p>
<p>Baylor- (money awarded)- again, atmosphere wasn't bad except I wanted a more free thinking school and this one is highly conservative and I wanted something more well known outside of texas as well.</p>
<p>U of Texas- I really just didn't like the large atmosphere and wanted to be more than a student id number at a school.</p>
<p>Brandeis- the oddball of the group, basically, the only reason i applied is because i received about a 100 emails over a year and a half and i was a blue ribbon applicant or whatever. (free application) i never really liked the school that much and i am not jewish so i felt very out of place. </p>
<p>Tulane- great reputation and all but the only reasons i turned them down was the lack of merit money and the fact i did not feel comfortable or safe living in new orleans after a visit down there. </p>
<p>U of Miami- my fun school, my favorite school for several years, mostly because of their football team. i felt i would get too caught up in the miami lifestyle of partying among other things so i ended up turning them down. </p>
<p>Emory- well, very good reputation, had everything i was looking for in a college really. my grandparents live out there so it makes a lot of things easier (ie. shipping and storage, hotel costs for parents). Goizueta is amazing so it really sealed the deal. </p>
<p>In hindsight I wish I had applied to more schools, but it seemed like a lot at the time. I am absolutely thrilled to be going to Emory, don't get me wrong, but I will always be left wondering about a lot of schools. If I had to apply again today, not knowing I would get into the schools I did I would also apply to these schools:
NYU(stern), Michigan(ross), UVA, CMU, Wake Forest, and USC.</p>
<p>But, Emory is where I belong and getting rejected from WashU was a good thing afterall.</p>
<p>It came down to a state U and Wesleyan University for me. Money was the primary factor, but after I pleaded my case for financial aid with Wesleyan, they rose up to my need and then some. I had received admission from other LACs as well, but the money factor pitted the state U versus Wesleyan, only because it had been my dream school for years. Moral of the story: If you need money to attend your dream school, ask for it! It can't hurt, and for me, it gave me my chance at school that had only existed as far as my wildest dreams.</p>
<p>I chose Princeton over Yale, UC Berkeley and Northwestern HPME. Not an easy choice. It came out to Princeton having a high quality of education across all departments and students who responded whole-heartedly to my emails and expressed how happy and intellectually exciting the campus was. One tip -- I thought it important to get in contact with the pre-med office; the quality of an undergraduate is important but realistically, if you know where you want to be in the future, it may be helpful to try and get a feel for what sort of help you'll receive getting there: at Yale, the office was quite closed-mouth about any hard stats and generally reserved and even a little hostile, whereas at Princeton they were warm, honest, and helpful.</p>
<p>Oberlin, because it wasn't preppy, and the people felt comfortable. There are so many geeks that it could be UChicago :D. And of course, academic reputation and majors and stuff.</p>
<p>Hockeydude:</p>
<p>I was almost with you. Emory (Goizueta) is a great place. No Friday B-school classes when you start junior year. I wasn't gonna have a car, and it would be somewhat of a hassle getting into town from Emory. </p>
<p>NYU no car needed. Too expensive to have in NYC anyway. I will be living on 5th Ave with a view of Washington Sq. Park.</p>
<p>Mine was fairly easy, as I was only accepted into two schools (waitlisted at 3, rejected at 2).</p>
<p>Here is why I chose Rollins over UF, in no particular order:
-Smaller class sizes
-Undergrad research opportunities
-More personal attention
-Beautiful campus/area
-Being able to swim at the varsity level
-I could stay an Ohio State fan without constant criticism</p>
<p>BTW, I received enough scholarships from Rollins to make it about the same price as UF.</p>
<p>Pepperdine was always my dream school. It's where my mom went, and is affiliated with the Church of Christ, so as a little kid I just thought, "I want to go there too!"</p>
<p>When it came time to actually apply for schools, despite the massive amount of mail I'd received from various colleges, I'd hardly done any research. I ended up applying to Pepperdine, UCI (where I'd already been guaranteed acceptance through ELC), UCLA (mainly because I was already applying to UCI and wouldn't have to fill out a seperate application, and wanted to see if I'd get it), University of Nebraska (who was offering me a full scholarship for being a National Hispanic Scholar), and Cal State Long Beach and Fullerton (just to keep options open).</p>
<p>By this point I at least had better reasons for wanting to go to Pepperdine. I still liked the fact that it was with the Church of Christ, but I also liked that it was a smaller school and had a pretty good program for my major. I'd been to the campus a few times for various events (twice for their lecturships, their senior preview day, a weekend trip with my youth group) and loved everything about it.</p>
<p>The only other school I actually visited to check out the campus was Nebraska. They had a National Hispanic Scholars weekend, which I went to with my dad. It was okay, they definitely had a good journalism department, but I couldn't really see myself there.</p>
<p>I ended up getting accepted at all the schools I applied to. Pepperdine was the last I heard back from; their acceptance letter came the day before I flew out to Nebraska with Dad, and the day after we got back I got a call from Pepperdine informing me that I'd been awarded their top merit scholarship. Since financial aid was always the biggest concern about Pepperdine, that phone call cinched the decision.</p>
<p>After one year at Pepperdine, I know it was definitely the right choice for me. Still, looking back I know I really should have looked more into other schools. Had things not worked out with Pepperdine, I honestly have no idea where I would have ended up.</p>
<p>My D. applied only to schools that have combined BS/MD programs. All, except for one were in-state. She got into all colleges with huge scholarships. However, she did not get into all BS/MD programs. She did not get into #1 on her list at Case Western , but got into #2 at Miami University. Since practically all her tuition at Miami will be covered by various scholarships, including summers and studies abroad, the decision was very easy.</p>
<p>Well, I only applied to Stanford and Berkeley and I got WL/rejected at Stanford, so the decision was pretty easy.</p>
<p>Well, I applied early decision to Wesleyan University, so I never had the agonizing choice of "Ahh!! I got into these two schools, neither of which is perfect, but both of which seem acceptable!" Wesleyan University was kind of the standout choice for me from the beginning. While not quite as prestigious as most of the other schools I was looking at, it just felt right, and seemed like the perfect "fit."</p>
<p>I was deciding whether to apply early decision to Yale, Brown, or Wesleyan. I actually visited both Brown and Wesleyan on the same college tour, and it was during Passover (a Jewish holiday) so I went to both schools' Jewish houses. At Brown, the center was brand new and absolutely GORGEOUS. The services were split up by denomination and such. At Wesleyan, it was a converted old frat house with a makeshift really messy library and cozy couches where the services were held - and services were student led, with everyone all together. Wesleyan's wasn't as physically impressive, but it just felt more homey. And I feel this was fairly representative of the school in general.</p>
<p>Similarly, I compared the school newspapers at all the colleges (since I was editor-in-chief of my high school paper, this was important to me). A lot of schools had papers that were technically very good - but the Wesleyan Argus was casual, student-oriented, informal, and everyone on campus read it. Its "Wespeak" (letter-to-the-editor) section was a common source of controversy and seemed widely used. That's the type of school newspaper I wanted.</p>
<p>So, yeah. Wesleyan just had a really passionate, active feel to it. It was also kind of intellectual and pretentious, which is really important to me, because I enjoy pretentious intellectual discussion and find it necessary to continue challenging me and making me think.</p>
<p>Unlike other schools I was looking at, </p>
<ul>
<li>Wesleyan felt friendly and laidback; it did not feel overly competitive and high pressure (unlike Swarthmore, UChicago, Yale, Columbia)</li>
<li>Wesleyan seemed really passionate and cozy; it did not feel like everyone was just kind of skating by (unlike the impression I got, though it may be unfair, at Brown and University of Rochester)</li>
<li>Wesleyan seemed to have a really diverse and not preppy student body, without a ridiculous artificial emphasis on athletics, and with an "open-minded" political bent (unlike Williams, Bowdoin, Middlebury)</li>
</ul>
<p>I have to say - it was the perfect choice. it felt right, and against the advice of my close family, I went for it. I'll always be curious what other (possibly more prestigious) schools I would have gotten into RD, but, as expected, I've been really challenged here; my views on social justice have been changed drastically and, I believe, for the better, though I've still held onto some conservative opinions like being pro-life and pro-gun-rights. Can't imagine a better liberal arts school!</p>
<p>I am a much more "average" student than pretty much everyone on this thread, so perhaps my experience will be valuable. </p>
<p>I applied to two safeties and one reach-ish match. My safeties were two in state universities that pretty much everyone could get into. The school I really wanted was University of Missouri - Columbia, because of its prestigious journalism program and because it was out of state. I was accepted and offered a good financial aid package so it was a no brainer.</p>
<p>There are pros and cons to any school, and I have definitely had challenges at Mizzou that you wouldn't encounter at a small liberal-arts college. But the enormity of Mizzou has ended up being a plus. There's always new people to meet and there are endless opportunities and resources available. I literally feel limitless as far as the university goes. And the bureaucracy isn't all that hard to nagivate, if you are persistent and polite. </p>
<p>The town is quaint but small and a bit isolated. Sometimes I wish I was in a bigger city, though Mizzou has great exchange / study abroad programs for the J-school, one of which is in NYC.</p>
<p>I chose Princeton because I was highly impressed with the biology facilities and the department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. I got to meet some of the professors and I was pretty much sold. Also, my high school biology teacher, a '69 Princeton alum, helped me get to see what Princeton had to offer. Its study abroad opportunities and programs, especially those within the department, were vast compared to what I saw at other schools. A lot of the Ivy League schools have similar departments (Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Brown), but only Princeton had the amount of offerings with a small department where you would get a lot of attention. </p>
<p>A lot of people say you shouldn't choose a school based on a department, mainly because you might decide later that its not right for you. For me, making it through my introductory requirements to study abroad in Kenya is a very important goal now, and I am not giving it up anytime soon. My freshman year wasn't easy, and I had a lot of trouble with university bureaucracy, but the courses have made that frustration dissipate rather quickly.</p>
<p>In a response to madjoy, I visited a lot of schools' Hillel/ Jewish facilities as well, and that also had a big impact on my decision. I never made it to Brown's Hillel, but I did visit Princeton's CJL and Yale's Hillel for Friday services, and I definitely had that homey feel you were talking about at Princeton. It is a good point to make, but I fear it can be hard to find sometimes when you are preoccupied, as many prospective students are.</p>
<p>I applied this summer, a little late, for the fall semester at a junior college here in Phoenix, AZ. I chose South Mountain Community College to obtain my Associates in Early Childhood Development, my Associates in Business, and my Associates in Business Management (my triple major) plus my certificate in small business entrepreneurship. </p>
<p>I chose this school first off because it's very close to home, not even 6 miles away. This matters because I have recently developed a seizure disorder that prevents me from driving and using the buses (driving is obvious - I've legally lost my licence. My medication reacts with the heat out here so I can't be outside for long periods of time, therefore waiting for or walking to and from the buses is a no-go). </p>
<p>Next, as long as I maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA, remain an Arizona resident, and graduate from SMCC I will be automatically accepted into NAU, which is where I've wanted to go since I was 13 or 14. I am planning to transfer only the business and childhood development degrees up there into bachelors and hold onto my associates in business management -- I see no need to further my education in that right now but if it changes at that time I will re-triple major up there.</p>
<p>The + side to these colleges and doing it the way I am doing it is that if I get sicker, which lately I have been, then when I am ready to goto NAU I can choose to stay right here at my house in phx and continue to goto SMCC campus because they host NAU's "distance learning" and both my majors that I am choosing to goto NAU for are being taught at this campus. </p>
<p>...it's just funny how life works.
My choices didn't fall around curriculum, or teachers, or stats, it was mainly what was best for my health. </p>
<p>-Jessie
Future Entrepreneur</p>
<p>I knew I wanted to do research so I applied to universities that emphasized research. It ultimately came down to Johns Hopkins, Carnegie Mellon, and Wash U. Hopkins gets more research money than any other university in the country and they are pretty small (4,800) so it was a pretty easy choice. It also had to do with vibe. I got a weird vibe while visiting Wash U, and while Hopkins is not often regarded as a great social environment, I found it more pleasant and I liked the campus more. Also, since I am not pre-med, rather math and physics, I get two departments with not too many students so that means more personal attention and opportunities. And although all three cities fit, I had to choose a university in a city with a baseball team.</p>
<p>^^i dont know if im misunderstanding your post, but all 3 of those cities have baseball teams.</p>
<p>I was deciding between Syracuse, UCLA, Northwestern, USC, and University of Maryland.</p>
<p>I easily ruled Syracuse out b/c it was too cold and not near an exciting city. I only applied because my parents wanted me to, anyway.</p>
<p>I considered UCLA on par with USC. I recieved a large scholarship to USC so easily ruled out UCLA.</p>
<p>I got into the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern. Immediately I said, yes, I'm going here! But then logic kicked in. 50K a year is a royal rip off - who the heck did they think they were, charging that much? I wasn't duped into the scam. Turned them down.</p>
<p>Ah, USC. My #1 school. The love of my life. The one place I would do anything to go to. I recieved a large scholarship, making it very affordable for my parents and I. But the 'rents didn't want me out in CA where they couldn't "watch over me". So, they refused to pay for it or let me take out loans. Was crying when I was subsequently forced to turn down my scholarship/the school...It was probably one of the worst days of my life. I'm still really beat up over it.</p>
<p>So, that left good old UMD at 15K a year :/.</p>
<p>^That sucks and my sympathies are with you. Anyways my story is a little strange.</p>
<p>I grew up in a VERY divided house. My dad was a devout UNC-CH fan, and my mother was a devout NC State fan. There was no discussion about it, I was going to an ACC school. So I fell in love with Carolina, and everything about it. I loved the programs there, it's beautiful and to make a long story short it "fit." I hated everything about NC State, the location, the looks, the programs. It's a very good school for science, math and technology, and since I hate all three there was no need for me to waste my time or money. So I went through my high school years preparing for Carolina. I was invited for two honors programs, which included me staying in their dorms for a total of about 5 days.</p>
<p>Second semester of my junior year in HS, we were playing "The Sound of Music" in band to prepared us for our TSOM tour in Austria the following summer. My band director thought it would be neat to listen to a marching band arrangement of it. He never got around to playing for my particular class. I was disappointed as I love marching band (band geek hence the name). I knew I wanted to listen to that cd!
So one day before winterguard practice, I went in the band room to put something away, when I happen to see the CD at the front of the room. I double checked to make sure no one was there, and I swiped the cd and took it home to listen. WOW, it was the best marching band ever. I had to find out who this was. It was obvious by the skill level that this was no HS band. I looked at the cd and it had JMU written on it with a felt pen. I googled JMU marching band, and was directed to the Marching Royal Dukes page. I looked at the page, and immediately downloaded every song I could get. This marching band was incredible. I thought "THEY HAVE TO HAVE A MUSIC SCHOOL!" I did some research and sure enough they did. And it appeared to be well known with composers such as Robert W. Smith teaching there back in '94. The next day I talked to my band director about JMU, and his eyes lit up. He was excited that I considered JMU as a school, though he warned me that Out Of State tuition was a killer. I still had my heart set on Carolina, but JMU attracted my interest. I became educated and looked at all my options, and unfortunately Carolina was ruled out. That day was full of tears and crying. They had my major and everything, but it just wasn’t the BEST one. If I’m going to spend four years in an intense research environment, it better be the best in that field. Carolina just wasn’t up to my standards as far as their music program, but JMU was. I looked at WCU also as it was in-state and much MUCH cheaper. I applied to both. </p>
<p>Both had great music schools, but every time I said James Madison, I just felt proud. It sounded intelligent. It wasn’t too well known down here in North Carolina, but those who were familiar with the programs there, knew that it was one of the schools to be desired. I was often complimented for making James Madison University one of my choices.</p>
<p>Letters began to come back. JMU waitlisted me! WCU accepted me. I practically tore the house up. I even went driving on the near by highway in excess of 100+, I was just that mad (I don’t process rejection well!). DEFERRED?!? JMU is selective, but I knew with my GPA, ACT scores, and course load, I merited acceptance. I knew I could get into Carolina if I had applied, and that’s saying something. Carolina is much harder to get into than JMU so yes I was mad. I had forgotten that I was out of state. So I was preparing to go to my second choice, and send in the tuition deposit. I cried every time I thought about what COULD have been. There isn’t a word in the English Dictionary that describe the hurt I had. I wanted JMU like people wanted admissions into an Ivy League. As a matter of fact, I would turn down any college and I do mean ANY college (except for Cambridge University in England), for JMU. That’s how much I’d fallen in love with that school. A DAY BEFORE I mailed my check to Western Carolina University, James Madison University called and told me that they would grant them acceptance if I were still interested. I lost it over the phone. The counselor told me he understood, and even gave me a minute to recuperate. It was like a huge boulder being lifted from my back. I was going to get the chance to attend my number one choice, and I would do anything in my power to protect it. I quickly tore up my check for WCU, and wrote a new one.</p>
<p>Needless to say when my parents found out what I’d done, they were MAD! I didn’t care. Yes financial aid should be a determining factor in college decision, however if your child shows interest in a college, and worked hard in high school and shows potential, then I feel the parents owe it to that child to do everything in their power to make it happen. It’s a team effort. Anyway that’s another soap box for another time. We argued over it, but it was after they visited the college that they were sold. Yes it was out of state. Yes my dad took out enormous loans, and yes it took extensive prayer to make it happen. I don’t take my upcoming freshman year at JMU likely. I know to stay here that it will be a constant struggle, but it’s worth it. I’ve never felt this passionate about Carolina, and I tried to make as many home games as I could be it football or basketball. I bought as many UNC paraphernalia as I could possibly afford. I was and will always be a dedicated Tar Heel fan. They just didn’t fit my needs for college like James Madison University did. Now I don’t recommend applying to a college before visiting like I did, but I just had that blind faith. I knew JMU was everything I wanted it to be. If there’s a certain college you want be it Ivy or not, and you have the GPA, SAT/ACT scores, and other qualifications for it, my advice is to fight for it. Do whatever is necessary to make it happen. Don't let the prices of Out of State, or Private scare you away. Where there's a will there's a way. I don’t care that JMU is Div. I AA, I’m happy. I don’t care that I’m not going to Yale or Harvard. I’m going somewhere that I truly love, and I would NOT accept any other college than JMU. As you can see, my pride for this school runs deep.</p>
<p>I couldnt choose...so i took my college letters...threw them over my head...and picked the one that was closest to me</p>