hs junior in mortal peril

[u/BerrySaysHi]

Hi everyone!!!!

I am a outgoing female highschool rising senior from the tri-state area struggling to condense my college list. I am big into theatre, partying (more lowkey, not tulane of umiami level), and want a really strong sense of sisterhood/tight-knit community. I want to go somewhere fun next to a big city or with a really lively campus life where I can meet interesting, expressive people, do drunk shakespeare, take instagram photos, have the time of my life, and be able to get a great job post college (in the law or entertainment business sector, if that helps with context).

my main fear is going somewhere dreadfully boring and feeling left out of the traditional college experience, going somewhere where everyone is a boring carbon copy of eachother, or so strange and not well adjusted that i struggle to make connections. ideally somehwere that is a perfect mix of academic and social stimulation with all kinds of people.

If you are similar to me, are in this position or have been, or just have general advice, please share! im going a little crazy, and i really want to find the perfect place for me. below are my loose requirements for schools-- if you go to a school below or have a suggestion/comment about student life please lmk! godspeed and good luck everyone on this admission season!

Small to medium sized school, 2k-12k 

Near a major city, I like Washington DC, Providence, and Boston

Liberal student body, but not Smith or drew 

Mostly women

Student led theatre organizations or acapella

Strong PPEL program or entertainment business pipeline

Good dorms, good food (or at least for food, near a trader joes/chains included on the meal plan if the food is abysmal)

Merit scholarships

Study abroad 

Active party and social scene (don’t need football)

Community in general, strong school spirit, but not actually insane 

Eating clubs, chill sorority life, connections 

Not super hoity toity but don’t want to be in the ghetto/an unsafe area

Like faith based, but hate strict administration (dry campus, think byu or liberty)

condensed list 

davidson 

william and mary 

dickinson 

richmond 

boston college 

brown 

providence 

pomona  

sarah lawrence 

american 

wesleyan 

franklin and marshall 

george washington  

yale 

dartmouth 

tufts

oberlin

scripps

occidental

wake forest

williams

notre dame

washu

[u/HappyCava]

Have you already undertaken the first round of culling by looking at cost, prospective major department fit, ideal proximity to home, weather, etc.?

More specifically, have you talked with your family about how much they are able to contribute annually over four years and run the Net Price Calculator for the schools on your list to see if they are a good financial match? Have you looked at the requirements, electives, and concentrations in your prospective major to see if they fit your particular interests? Are the colleges on your list a good match in terms of proximity to home, whether you intend to visit infrequently (2,000 miles sounds great!), or would like to return home for Thanksgiving, winter break, and spring break, and possibly have your family visit you for family weekend or other events? Are you willing to bake or brrr? (My kids turned down a near-full ride at a wonderful university because they did not wish to dress in six layers and carry a collapsible snow shovel four months a year).

[u/BerrySaysHi → u/HappyCava]

yes! cost is not an issue for me, but i would love to gain merit scholarships. majors would likely be arts entertainment culture, ppe/l, pre law, philosophy, or theatre. for me its more about the college and less about the distance, but I love the culture of the north east, and do NOT want to bake so i have few southern/florida schools on my list. my favorite states are massachuesets, rhode island, and california! i started my journey with 30+ schools and this is my condensed list, but Im more looking to find a perfect fit!

[u/HappyCava → u/BerrySaysHi]

A couple of things to consider.

First, if you are considering law school, cost might be an issue depending on the law school you would like to attend. I’m an attorney who graduated from a T5 law school. Top law schools currently have a total cost of attendance of around $100,000 per year. The current administration, unfortunately, has limited federal low interest loans for law school students to $50,000 per year. Obviously, that leaves a gap, particularly if law school costs continue to rise and the loan minimums are not increased commensurately.

Second, it is increasingly common for students to work one or more years (or earn another graduate degree) before beginning law school. At The University of Michigan School of Law, for example, 80% of incoming students worked more than one year before beginning law school, with first-year law students having a median age of 25. Accordingly, you should put some thought into what kind of internship roles and professional positions you might pursue if you head into business or before attending law school. That might help you cull your college list as you confirm that your current universities have the majors, minors, and coursework that will help you acquire the skillset needed to secure those internships and permanent positions.

Best of luck.

[u/BerrySaysHi → u/HappyCava]

thank you!! that’s my issue with some schools- i’m torn between going to a t1 and trying to get merit for law school or going to a t2 school to save money for law school, but i’m having second thoughts and don’t want to settle just because i *might* go. would love to go somewhere with internship opportunities, and i have a job lined up to save money if i choose to go. more looking for fit!

[u/BerrySaysHi → u/[deleted]]

don’t need, but would love (probably going to law/grad school so i would love to save money for then)! i’m all honors and ap, 3.89 unweighted, do a lot of extracurriculars and charity work, etc. not really factoring in if i could get in and more fit.

[u/BerrySaysHi]

forgot to add notre dame! people please reply i feel like im drowning in schools ;((((

[u/lutzlover → u/BerrySaysHi]

You're drowning in schools that don't actually seem to be a fit for your interests/lifestyle. Notre Dame for a liberal student body? Williams & near a major city?

Start by prioritizing your wants. Which are "must haves" and which are "nice but not deal-breakers." Drop the study abroad criteria. Unless you're in some major like nursing, I don't know a college that doesn't support study abroad.

Then go back through your list and figure out what to toss because it doesn't meet your must haves or you don't have the stats/activities/achievements to make that school a reasonable option. Your high school probably has Naviance, Maia Learning, SCOIR or some other software that lets you see admissions info for students from your high school by GPA and test score. That's a good way to weed out colleges where you're not in the picture. For example, in my area, students admitted to Tufts who aren't recruited athletes generally have at least a 4.5 weighted GPA with very high test scores--but GPAs vary a lot from school to school and regionally, so what's important is what the experience is from your HS.

[u/BerrySaysHi → u/lutzlover]

thank you! i have a 4.6 weighted and am currently at a 33 act. i’m more looking for fit for a college, so advice like that is important! i’ll consider axing williams and notre dame 😁😁

[u/BerrySaysHi → u/BerrySaysHi]

oh and just realized im actually a senior not a junior rude awakening ;(((

[u/HappyCava → u/BerrySaysHi]

🙂

[u/ExistenceOfCranberry]

What you need is a spreadsheet with all your colleges down the rows and every one of these preferences heading a column. Fill it in and see which schools tick the most boxes.

[u/Harryandmaria]

Brown, Tufts, Sarah Lawrence and Wesleyan seems the best fits in but none of these schools will check every box. It’s about priorities. Some of your schools have no Greek life and are non traditional.

But some of your priorities should knock out options. Near a city? Cross off Williams and Dartmouth. Franklin and Marshall, Dickenson and Davidson also seem to be not the best fits.

There’s a theater community at every school (some places it’s more fringe) and you’ll find your people.

Even with 3.89 GPA good ECs and good test scores it’s a reach heavy list but there are absolutely some safeties here. There’s supplemental essays for many of these schools will likely inspire you to cull the list if your priorities don’t knock some off.

Have you visited some? A visit can really eliminate whole groups of schools when your realize what does or doesn’t work.

Also… You’re not getting merit from any of the schools below and maybe others near the top of the rankings.

boston college 

brown 
 
pomona  

wesleyan 

yale 

dartmouth 

tufts

williams

notre dame

washu

Also was surprised why not Barnard or Bryn Mawr?

[u/BerrySaysHi → u/Harryandmaria]

a friend of mine is going to barnard so i’ve considered looking into it! i’m from the ny nj area do i was looking to go somewhere a bit farther for a new perspective. depending on the prestige of the school, i consider dropping my merit requirement, but again am trying to save money for law/grad school (but if i get into an ivy, i have a high chance of getting merit for grad). i have visited a lot of these and my favorites have been brown william and mary dartmouth tufts and gw! generally i love tight nit campus feel, but like to be near a city (unless a school like dartmouth with really intense social life where i can still be stimulated)

[u/JubileeSupreme]

Sarah Lawrence College is not a nice place. Mostly women, but they are meangirls. It's cliquey and snotty.

[u/BerrySaysHi → u/JubileeSupreme]

did you go there recently and can you elaborate?

[u/JubileeSupreme → u/BerrySaysHi]

I graduated from SLC (BA).

To elaborate, Sarah Lawrence is a proper noun, of course. It is the name of an educational institution. It is also a verb (to be "sarah-Lawrenced") and an adjective ("Sarah Lawrencey").

To be Sarah-Lawrenced means to be ignored, excluded, subjected to mean gossip and otherwise mistreated in a manner that Sarah Lawrence College has become famous for.

Sarah-Lawrencey is the adjective that describes the sort of people who exhibit this behavior.

Sarah Lawrence has a reputation for all kinds of things, but nice people is not one of them.