Click here to go to the NEW College Discussion Forum

Hey. I have a list of schools, but I'm not sure if they are all right for me (and I'd prefer to maximize the amount of schools in my list that fit my profile).

I'm a swimmer (and aim to swim in college -- except probably Stanford, if I were to be accepted). I'm interested in business management and technology (hence, the JF for MT at UPenn), but I'm willing to take up any vocation or field of learning that interests me (hence, liberal arts schools). I've got a 1490 SAT, 800 Math IIC, 720 writing, and will take lit later. Top in my class, run two business, bilingual, pianist, etc. etc... well, basically your run-of-the-mill ivy-caliber applicant. Here's my list as yet:

upenn-wharton (engineering/business)
swarthmore (engineering/liberal arts)
amherst (liberal arts)
columbia (love campus/city)
stanford (engineering/business)
carnegie mellon (engineering/business)
emory
nyu (business/city)
rutgers (state safety)

i'm considering adding williams, uchicago, princeton or UNC-CH (not all - way too many) and maybe removing Swarthmore (although I'm being recruited for swimming) and Emory. As far as location goes, I'd prefer to either stay in the northeast or go to California (no idea why, but...).

Do you have any other suggestions? Maybe some other safety/match schools? Maybe a more fitting reach?

By Mulan (Mulan) on Saturday, December 06, 2003 - 09:50 pm: Edit

usc has great business, and is in los angeles if you like california

By Jamimom (Jamimom) on Sunday, December 07, 2003 - 10:30 am: Edit

Princeton and UNCh are tough swim schools. Unless you have overriding reasons to go there you might want to leave your list with just Stanford that will discount your swimming. You have great stats so any school where they can use you as a swimmer is a good shot for you. There are some recent threads comparing Swarthmore to Williams on this site that you may want to read, and if you can visit the "little ivies", it can give you a better idea which one suits you the most. They seem more similar than different to me and if the atmosphere is what you like, by applying to several of them you enhance the chances of getting into one of them. If you want more of a variety to pick from, adding UC would be a good move.
Emory and CMU have top D-3 swim teams so they get a lot of attention on campus. Kenyon and Hopkins are the top 2 of that division with E and CMU coming in next followed by Denision and Wash USL, I believe. I mention this because swimming is not a high impact sport at most schools ( other than the Olympian producing schools) and many of the swimmers do not get as well treated as some athletes particularly considering the time they put into the sport. By going to a school where the sport is well regarded, you do get some benefits. I know at CMU the swim coach is well regarded among the college environment and has a lot of pull for his swimmers which he uses. I lived in Oakland for several years and was familiar with the set up there. The CMU swimmers do very well. In contrast, you can go to a school where you struggle each year to put the time into this timeconsuming, jealous support and get very little out of it.
My son is a college athlete and is grateful having picked a school that supports his school. Though he does not have an athletic scholarship, the merit award he got full recognized his athletic contributions and the team is well treated at his school as far as perks, transportation, freebies, particularly in the food area. They have a luxerious training camp vacation and the coach watches over his charges and intervenes when necessary. A highschool teammate, his former co-captain, went to a college where the coach spends the minimal amount of time with the team and the kids have to subsidize their sport and no one cares about the team. It is discourageing when someone makes a committment to playing a sport and it is not recognized. People chafe about athletes getting special treatment but very few kids spend 20+ out of the classroom on behalf of a school the way an athlete does. And if the sport is not high visibility, it is unlikely you get money or anything for it other than personal achievement. Just an enhanced chance of getting into the school. Few kids work the hours athletes train and compete during college. Do keep that it mind.

By Momx4 (Momx4) on Sunday, December 07, 2003 - 01:57 pm: Edit

I found your response very informative, Jamimom. I just want to add that it was good advice of yours for Sauronone to keep Stanford on his list. They seem to be supportive of all sports that I have been aware of, even club sports. My son was on the wrestling team for a few months freshman year, and wrestling is one of the few varsity sports in which Stanford does not do well. My son still felt that wrestling was well regarded at Stanford. After several concussions, he had to quit wrestling. He joined the badminton team, a club sport. He played badminton all four undergrad years at Stanford and is still on the team as a co-term (master's student). Even club sports at Stanford are supported rather well financially. His badminton team travels and usually plays in the Nationals. Their transportation and lodging is covered, and that includes trips out of California. I don't know how club sports fare at other schools, but Stanford treats them royally.