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I'm only a junior, but I'm deadset on finalizing my college list before the end of the (school) year. I've been doing some research, but for the most part I've been left pretty unsatisfied from what I've read and seen and heard, etc. about a number of schools. I'm not too concerned about prestige or rank (yes, that's right, I'm attracted to Yale for purely educational reasons), but I am concerned about location. With that in mind, my geographical guidelines:

-No Oregon (health-related) I'm perfectly fine in Washington and Northern California, but my body reacts negatively everytime I visit Oregon
-No Midwest
-No Florida
-No South except for Virginia

I have about four schools I'd be equally content attending, but I'm aware I need more (especially safeties.) On to the list!

Keepers:
Wesleyan
Yale
UC Berkeley
George Washington University <--- which is appealling to me more and more every day

Borderline:
Haverford
Amherst
Williams
Hampshire
University of Washington, Seattle

Side note: I have a natural inclination towards humanities and music with a minor (but distinct) interest in politics.

Any suggestions?

By Culovv (Culovv) on Saturday, October 25, 2003 - 11:14 pm: Edit

I too was really interested in George Washington University until recently. I heard about 10 horror stories about the administration and tuition costs. Its a conservative campus so if you enjoy a little protest once in a while, its not your type of place. If you want to go to school in DC, maybe you should check out Georgetown. Without your stats we cant really suggest any safeties or matches.

By Theplaymaker (Theplaymaker) on Saturday, October 25, 2003 - 11:16 pm: Edit

What are your stats, even your estimated SAT scores? It would be nice to know such things.

By Anothersuitcase (Anothersuitcase) on Saturday, October 25, 2003 - 11:37 pm: Edit

Stats are few and far between since I haven't taken the SAT, ACT, or any SAT II's.

Menial stats, but stats nonetheless:

GPA:
4.4 W
4.0 UW

9th grade PSATs: 1250
10th grade PSATs: 1280 (I skipped a question at one point in the verbal section and messed the rest of the answers up)

I'm taking the hardest course load available at my school (AP/Honors), but I'm not too keen on typing it all out now (unless I positively must.)

ECs:
-Mu Alpha Theta (Historian)
-Choir Council (Vice President)
-Center for Fine and Performing Arts (Historian)
-ASIA Club [I'm white/Asian]
-Concert Choir
-Consonance (women's vocal ensemble)
-CFPA Volunteering

Music Honors:
-All-County Honor Choir (VA and FL)
-All-District Honor Choir (VA; FL doesn't have it)
-University of Miami Honor Choir
-All-State Honor Choir? (results pending)

Awards/etc:
-Viking Pride Award
-Woodbridge Academic Award (9th and 10th grade)
-Published writing (short story nonfiction) in Northern Virginia writing anthology (I'll get back to you on what the competition was called)

Summer:
-2003 Virginia Governor's School for Humanities at the University of Richmond
-2002 Sculling Camp (Occoquan River)

Most likely I've left out a thing or two, but I'll add it/them if I remember it/them later.

By Reidmc (Reidmc) on Sunday, October 26, 2003 - 01:07 am: Edit

Assuming improvement from PSATs to SAT Is - which is usually but not always the case - look into Vassar. Bard might be another good choice. Sarah Lawrence and Skidmore could be interesting safeties. (FWIW, M/F ratio at Sarah Lawrence is 25/75.)

Too bad you're skipping the Midwest - I think you'd like Oberlin and Kenyon. Maybe you should think of Ohio as the Mideast.

Re: George Washington U. I've heard great things about the political science, economics and communications departments, and not-so-great things about the rest of the school.

By Breeze (Breeze) on Sunday, October 26, 2003 - 02:49 am: Edit

Virginia, Virginia, Virginia. As in, Mr. Jefferson's University.

Amazing in political science, very strong in humanities, and a brand new music department coming just in time for you including a brand new building/complex that you can be the first to set foot in as a student.