#need other options

36 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

spare sequoia
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Hi, I’m Nano, and currently a senior applying to college. I’ve been going crazy over my college list because I haven’t completely cemented it yet. This is the criteria I’m looking for and I listed my current list below.

Location/Region: I live in North NJ and prefer a school close by (not necessarily only in state, as I will dorm regardless) because I love having snow and seeing all of the four seasons, and having my family close by. The farthest I’d go is a few hours if the school’s quality warrants such a move.
Major: Psychology (and minor in public health wherever I can). I want to take pre-med.
GPA/ECs I’ve got a 4.6 GPA weighted and rather okay ECs (including participation in a UN group, MUN awards, regional/national citations for my nonprofit work) I don’t have the SAT though, so I’m applying test optional.
Curriculum: I tend to really like core curriculums that make you learn philosophy, literature, the arts, intensively with the rest of the student body.
Size: No real preference, but I like schools that have small class sizes for some things and large class sizes for other things. I grew up in a small private school (but small as in like 300 kids from K-12) where it’s difficult to find people like me, so a larger school might be good.
Costs: We’re okay. I’ll definitely apply for financial aid though.
Schools you're currently looking at (if any):

Currently, I’ve got this list:

Columbia University (ED’d here)
Princeton University
UPENN
UChicago
NYU
Boston University
Northeastern University
Fordham University
Rutgers – NB
Binghamton University

People stress me with the amount of schools they apply to. I’m just not sure if there’s a point in applying to out of state schools that aren’t dramatically exceptional and are similarly ranked to my state school, which is Rutgers.

This college list has been driving me a little crazy.

sharp jolt
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What about Union or Skidmore? Both have pretty good finaid plus merit scholarship

tame lance
spare sequoia
quick seal
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Not saying you won’t get in obv

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But it’s just hard in general

spare sequoia
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yeah no I get what you mean

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that's how I feel as well

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but when doing so I don't want to put colleges that are the same as Rutgers

quick seal
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Do you think you have a really good chance at Rutgers?

spare sequoia
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I think I do

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It's in state, and NJ students tend to easily get into Rutgers

quick seal
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And you’d probably go there even over schools that are better but further from home?

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Not too far obv

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Somewhere like UMich?

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Ok I feel like you could definitely get some LACs on here

spare sequoia
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probably something that isn't a flight away

quick seal
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So like Swarthmore would be in Pennsylvania which is close to NJ

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And Williams and Amherst are in Massachusetts…?

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So that might be borderline far

spare sequoia
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these are good options

quick seal
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There’s also haverford

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Which is close to Swarthmore

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And if you go to one of those you can take classes at penn

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What’s your intended major?

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PoliSci?

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Pitt, Penn State, and Villanova would all be good for that too I think

tame lance
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SUNYs are fire too

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And NYU ofc

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Hamilton, Colgate, Vassar

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New York elite college trio

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Rochester, Cornell, and Syracuse if you’re interested in up state

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And Fordham could be a good safety