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My mom still wants me to apply to about 2 or three more schools. She is scared I will strike out with my first choice schools. Which common app schools are cool / reputable / quality? p.s. I am not ready for Middlebury and other such near ivies.

The 230 colleges that accept common app are: https://app.commonapp.org

Please give your suggestion! It will be very useful to me!

By B18c1cx (B18c1cx) on Friday, January 17, 2003 - 04:45 pm: Edit

just a start...

what do you think of
Bradley University
and
Saint Louis University.

(ps if you were wondering these both are considered safeties for me.)

By yo on Friday, January 17, 2003 - 05:19 pm: Edit

The best liberal arts schools (Middlebury?!):
Amhers College-very well reputed, same league as ivies
Swarthmore-prolly the most well known, excellent programs once again
Wellesley College-One of the best science liberal arts curriculum, excellent at economics
Williams college-well known for englishy stuff
Pomona, Bowdoin

These are the top most selective liberal arts school

By B18c1cx (B18c1cx) on Saturday, January 18, 2003 - 02:10 am: Edit

Isn't middlebury up in the same catagory?

By Thedad (Thedad) on Saturday, January 18, 2003 - 12:17 pm: Edit

In terms of selectivity, Middlebury's interquartile SAT ranges are 670-740 verbal, 670-730 math. Looks pretty decent to me. Cf., (Wellesley, 630-730 verbal, 620-710 math; Williams, 650-760 verbal, 660-750 math.) You're over-stressing if you're worried about a 20-point per side SAT differential; at that point, there are so many other factors that determine which hypothetical schools are a better fit for you.

According to PR (paraphrasing), Middlebury is full of skiers and rock-climbers who positively enjoy freezing their nards off. Has a rep for good food.

By wuz up on Saturday, January 18, 2003 - 02:05 pm: Edit

Middlebury is not that well known though for it's academics. The top ivies that I listed have specialities. Amhers, Swarthmore, Williams, and Wellesley are the most presitigious liberal arts schools. For example, Hillary Clinton went to Wellesley. Swarthmore's language departments are internationally renowned! Middlebury is definately a great school, just not the best. Still, apply to any one of these (if you're a senior, the deadlines may have passed). Good Luck

By JSwanz on Saturday, January 18, 2003 - 06:42 pm: Edit

The Princeton Review Ranking of Liberal Arts schools is as follows:
1. Amherst
2. Swarthmore
3. Williams
4. Wellesley
5. Carleton
6. Pomona
7. Bowdoin
8. Middlebury

By justmyopinion on Saturday, January 18, 2003 - 07:43 pm: Edit

As good as Swarthmore might be for languages -- although I had never heard this specifically, the name Middlebury is almost synonymous with excellent language instruction. Their summer programs are famous for the immersion environments they provide for a long list of languages. Unfortunately, Middlebury is famous more for language instruction than literature/culture studies in the language, so if you want to go there--be sure your primary intent is to speak a foreign language well--not necessarily to discover foreign literature, etc.

Middlebury tends to put all its eggs in one basket, so to speak, since its languages are by far its strongest program. Int'l Affairs, PoliSci, etc are not bad, but not great.

If you are looking for some other LAC's--the tops are Amherst, Swarth., Williams, and Pomona. Carleton is great too. On the same level as Middlebury are Bowdoin and Haverford, both excellent. A little lower, you can find less well-known schools of high quality like Grinell, the University of Puget Sound, Clairmont-Mckenna, and others. I strongly suggest you look at these, since they are a tad less selective, yet still well-worth attending.

By Cindy on Saturday, January 18, 2003 - 11:49 pm: Edit

Does anyone have knowledge about Sarah Lawrence? Their main attraction seems to be the low class size and "don" system of advising.

By B18c1cx (B18c1cx) on Sunday, January 19, 2003 - 01:21 am: Edit

wtf is "don"

By Mar1steph (Mar1steph) on Thursday, February 27, 2003 - 08:11 pm: Edit

A don is a faculty member you are assigned to having as a first-year student. They teach the "first-year study" main class you choose over the summer, and you have weekly visits with your don during the first semester (only every other week second semester). You discuss what type of courses you want to be involved in with your don, they are advisers, really.

By Justine (Justine) on Tuesday, April 22, 2003 - 06:45 pm: Edit

Does anyone know what the average SAT scores are to get into Swathmore are? Also, does Swathmore have a good science department?

By Wadad (Wadad) on Tuesday, April 22, 2003 - 07:25 pm: Edit

All the numbers available for Swat are in their common data set at: http://www.swarthmore.edu/Admin/institutional_research/cds2002.pdf

The average SAT score is probably around 1400. And yes, Swarthmore has good science departments in Biology, Chemistry & Physics. It also has an Engineering program, which is very unusual to find in a Liberal Arts College.