wise mantle
Location/Region: All I ask is that it isn't in the South due to weather and political issues (Virginia is the farthest South I'll go when it comes to the traditional South). I'd also rather study in the US as a domestic student, and I have no preference as to whether the college is rural, in the suburbs, etc. as long as it's not dangerous around campus. In general, I'd either like to stay in California (NOT Central Valley so don't suggest UC Merced)/West Coast or go to the Northeast/somewhere cold. I also would like a walkable or bicycle-friendly campus/local town with a touch of nature, too.
Major: Political science/government/public policy depending on the school.
GPA/Test Scores: 1380 SAT superscore (aiming for 1470+ by November); 4.57 W GPA, 4.0 UW, top 3% of my class at a relatively competitive high school
Curriculum: As long as the curriculum isn't too focused on general ed requirements like UChicago with its Core, I'll be fine with taking those required classes. Open curriculum is cool, as well. I would really like a good mock trial or debate team and prefer passionate school spirit (not a dealbreaker).
Size: In general, I would like not to be in classes with 30+ students because it would remind me of high school, so less than that is preferable (I will soon contradict this with my list, so this isn't something that would totally make or break a school for me).
Costs: I need a full ride, full stop (I am a US citizen); I am also low-income.
Schools You're Currently Looking At:
Safeties:
SJSU
UC Riverside
Local CSU
Hard to Soft Targets:
University of Richmond
SDSU
UC Santa Barbara
UC San Diego
Reaches:
Amherst College (ED)
Bowdoin College
Carleton College
Dartmouth College
Hamilton College
Georgetown University
Middlebury College
Stanford University
UC Berkeley
UC Irvine
UCLA
University of Southern California
Williams College
Additional: Beyond the already listed CSUs, I would not see myself attending any other CSU due to fit or overall vibes. I'm just looking for safeties at this point, but feel free to suggest removing or adding non-safety schools. Also, I am aware of QuestBridge and the match! I just don't think it's right for me as of right now. I would also like to live on campus all four years if possible so I get that complete undergrad experience, but if it's only guaranteed housing the first two years, that also wouldn't kill me, but that also means commuting is a no-go for me.
rustic trout