<p>ACT: 32
GPA: Weighted: 4.10/4.00 Unweighted: 3.50/4.00
Class Rank: 70/570
One of the most rigorous courseloads.
7 AP Classes, rest honors/school reqs
Weak EC's, some honors (NHS, High Honor Roll, AP Scholar or w/e), 50 hrs volunteer (hopefully will work on this soon).</p>
<p>Alright so I have a massive list of schools. This shoudl be fun if you guys are interested.</p>
<p>What I'm looking for: Close-knit environment, looking for something like a summer camp, everyone hangs out together but the size of the school doesnt really matter. Atmosphere has to be relatively relaxed, with people hanging out in dorms, not just studying all the time. Should have nice scenery, things to do around campus. Has to offer some merit aid. My family makes 100,000 combined so lower middle class. My major will probably either focus around communications, business (more economics), or politcal science/int. relations</p>
<p>Schools:</p>
<p>Reaches:Looking to bring down to max 2-3.</p>
<p>Carleton
Chicago
Cornell
Northwestern
Notre Dame
Washington University in St. Louis</p>
<p>Matches: 3-4</p>
<p>Beloit
Grinell
U of I
Illinois Wesleyen
Kenyon
Macalester
U of Michigan
Oberlin
U of Wisconsin</p>
<p>Safety: 2-3</p>
<p>Indiana U
Iowa
Loyola Chicago
Marquette
U of Minnesota
Butler
Bradley</p>
<p>What are you interested in studying? Your stats are really good and I think your list is very reasonable for reaches, matches and safeties, though Grinnell might go to the reach list as their admission rate for RD was around 27% this year. Macalaster, Kenyon, and Oberlin might go to high match or reach as well.</p>
<p>Close knit, camp-like, relaxed, nice scenery, lots to do on campus may not be all achievable in any one school. The close knit, relaxed sounds like a LAC in the match or safety range. The top LACs such as Carleton have a wonderful close knit atmosphere but academically are extremely rigorous and not relaxed at all. Match: Beloit, Kalamazoo, Earlham…</p>
<p>Your safeties are all bigger schools, I think you need to do more homework on what you want and narrow down your list from there.</p>
<p>I agree with Simple Rules. You should be looking at LACs if you have correctly described the environment you thrive in. So why the huge state schools? Pick less competitive LACs as safeties. And why the mid-sized privates? Chicago, Cornell, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Washington University in St. Louis are great schools, but not consistent with what “Close-knit environment, looking for something like a summer camp, everyone hangs out together.” Also agree that Carleton isn’t relaxed, in part because they are on the trimester system-but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a great education. If you are willing to look outside the mid-west, take a look at Middlebury, Bowdoin, Claremont McKenna, Bates, Vassar, etc…</p>
<p>What are other LAC’s that are safeties for me though? The reason ive put those big schoosl for safeties is because I wouldnt mind going there because the size of the school really doesnt make a difference. Some of those big univiersities still have close knit environment.</p>
<p>I’d take Chicago off immediately if having a close-knit, relaxed campus feel is important to you.</p>
<p>I’d also agree that smaller LACs seem to fit you better, so why are your reaches and safeties so big? There are certainly smaller colleges we could suggest as both reaches and safeties (Amherst, Dartmouth; Knox, Kalamazoo). I also don’t think many/any of your current reaches offer merit aid, though few top schools do.</p>
<p>Also, some of your matches are more like high matches/low reaches. Grinnell and Macalester, for example. On the other hand, Beloit is more a low match/high safety.</p>
<p>That’s definitely solid middle class, not lower. Maybe even upper.</p>
<p>I know a girl with stats very similar to yours who got into Carleton but rejected from Grinnell. I think that some of your matches are really “low reaches” or whatever you want to call it. Beloit’s probably more of a safety. </p>
<p>Definitely check out smaller LACs, be they Amherst, Bowdoin, or Kalamazoo.</p>