Download - Because It's Not All About the HYP
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BecauseitactuallyisntjustaboutHarvard,Yale,Princeton,Columbia,UChicago,Stanford,MIT,
Penn,Dartmouth,Cornell,andBrown.
1. BarnardCollege 20122013AcceptanceRate:20.5%
StudenttoFacultyRatio:10:1
IfirstlearnedaboutBarnardthroughthetypicalcollegesearchduringjunioryear.Attendinga
women'scollegehadbeenathoughtinmymind,butIwasn'tsureifIwouldfit
insuchanenvironment.Whilesearchingthewebsiteformoreinformation
abouttheschool,IranacrossaflyincalledBarnardBound.Theapplication
wasshortandIwantedtolearnmoreaboutBarnard,soIdecidedtoapply.
DuringOctober2012IwasnotifiedthatIwaschosentoattend
BarnardBoundwithatravelgrant!IwasecstaticbecauseIdnevereven
beentoNYCbefore.WhileatBarnardBound,theentireexperiencewasenchanting.Barnardprovedto
betheperfectplaceforme.Thecampuswasbeautifulandtheoverallcommunitywasamazing.
WhileBarnardisanallwomenscollege,becauseofColumbia,thereareplentyofguysaround.
ThecommunityofBarnardandColumbiaisrichincultureandcontainssomanybrightstudents.
MorningsideheightsfeltsafeandIcouldimagineitbeingmynewhome.Not
onlythat,butasaBarnardstudent,yourenotonlyabletocrossregisterfor
classesatColumbiabuttheresourcesandextracurricularactivitiesthatare
availabletoColumbiastudentsareavailabletoyou!Evenresearch,soif
youreaprospectivesciencemajor,Barnardisagreatoption!
FollowingBB,IrealizedBarnardwasperfectandIhadtogothere.Thevast
amountofsupportforstudentsandthesenseofwomenempowermentwere
strongfactorsinmydecisiontoapply.Iappliedearlydecisionandtotomy
surprise,wasaccepted!LivinginNewYorkCityhasalwaysbeenadreamof
mineandthechancetoattendBarnardwastheperfectopportunityformetofulfillmydreams.
Barnardwillalsomeet100%demonstratedneed,andwillbeoneofthecheapestoptionsyoull
receive!Overall,BarnardCollegeisabeautifulschoolwithagreatrelationshipwithColumbia,andI
encourageyoutoapply!Ifyoureevenabitinterested,IencourageyoutoapplytoBarnardBound!
http://barnard.edu/admissions/barnardbound
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2. BatesCollege 20112012AcceptanceRate:26%
StudenttoFacultyRatio:10:1
Bates,althoughnotaQuestBridgepartner,isanamazingschool
withgreatfinancialaid.2/3ofstudentsparticipateinstudyabroad,soif
that'ssomethingyou'reinterestedin,Batesisaschoolyoushouldstrongly
considersincetheirprogramsarephenomenal.AtBates,youshouldexpect
alotofinteractionwithfacultybecausetheyplaceanemphasisonseminar
classes,research,servicelearning,andseniorthesiswork.
AnotheruniqueaspectofBatesisitscalendar.ThefiveweekspringShortTermenablesstudents
tofocusonasinglecourse,oftenoneyouwouldnotbeabletotakeotherwise.AtBates,thereisa
numberofpeopleveryinterestedintheenvironment.Notonlyisthereanactiveclub,butBateshasbeen
promotingawarenesstowardsenvironmentalissues,andtheyrealsostrivingtobecomeamore
sustainableschool.
Bates'ssenseofcommunityissostrongthatthereisonlyonedining
hall.Bateshasalargevegetarianandveganpopulation,andDining
Servicescertainlycaterstothem.Thereisaveganbarthatishalf
thedininghallinlength,andatleastonevegandessertisofferedat
everymeal.Thereisabrickovenstationwherepizzaisserved
almostdaily.Studentscanselectfromtwohotfoodslines:thegrillandtheeurostation.Thesaladbarand
deliareopenforlunchanddinner.Batesisalsoverygoodaboutinformingthepublicwheretheygettheir
foodfromandwhatingredientsareineachdish,avoidingcomplicationswithallergies.
Ifyoureinterestedinengineering,after3or4yearsoffulltimestudyat
Bates,youmayenrollina2yearengineeringprogramatColumbia,Dartmouth,
RPI,CaseWestern,orWashingtonUniversity,whereyouwillearnbothan
undergraduatedegreeinengineeringfromBatesandaBachelorofSciencefrom
theengineeringschoolaffiliate.
Batesalsooffersgreatfinancialaid,promisingtomeet100%demonstrated
need,sowhileitcurrentlyisntaQuestBridgeschool,itisquitegeneroustolowincomestudents.Batesis
anamazingschool,andIstronglyencourageyoutoapply!Ifyoureinterestedatall,applytotheirflyin!
http://asti.alamedausd.ca.schoolloop.com/calendar/view?id=1313210873247
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3. BostonCollege 20112012AcceptanceRate:29%
StudenttoFacultyRatio:14:1
BostonCollegeisaRomanCatholiccollege,anditslocatedinChestnutHill,Massachusetts(just
outsideofBoston).Thecampusareaisverybeautiful,notreallywhatone
wouldimagineinBoston,anditsrelaxedwithsomemagnificentscenery.
AcademicadvisingisacrucialelementofaBCeducation.Boston
Collegepairsstudentswithfacultyadvisorsintheirmajorfieldwhoare
availableforconsultationregardingcurriculum,researchopportunities,and
otheracademicissues,whichisawesomesupport,especiallysincewere
alllowincomestudents.Toensureawelldevelopededucation,studentsmeetwiththeirfacultyadvisors
beforeregisteringeachsemester.
BCisaprivateresearchuniversitywithitsmainemphasisbeingin
education,law,andthearts.Theirmostpopularprogramsarefunded
byAndrewCarnegiesCarnegieFoundationfortheAdvancementof
Teaching.Ifyouwanttobeateacher,thisisthecollegetoapplyto!
Theyarenotjustaliberalartscollegethoughtheyhaveeverything!
TheCoreCurriculumisthebackboneofJesuiteducationatBostonCollege.The"core"is
designedtogivestudentsanunderstandingofthesignificantforcesthathaveshapedworldcultureand
historyandtheabilitytoconnectthemesandideasacrossawidespectrum
ofdisciplines.Thiswillensureyougetawellroundededucation,whichis
extremelyimportantforyoutohave.
Financialaidwise,BostonCollegeisjustasgoodasmanyofthe
QuestBridgepartners.They'reneedblind,andtheywillmeet100%ofwhat
theythinkyourneedis!BostonCollegeisagreatoptiontopursueyour
education,soapplytherebecausewhoknows...Theymaybetheperfect
matchforyou!
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4. BowdoinCollege 20122013AcceptanceRate:14.5%
StudenttoFacultyRatio:9:1
Fromvisiting,I'verealizedthatthequalityofacademicsattopcollegesarealmostindiscernible.If
youwanttoknowabouttheschool'sprestige,placement,etc.,justGoogleit.In
thislittlepassage,Iwanttotellyouthelittleunmentioneddetailsthatmake
Bowdointhespecialplaceitisinmyheart.
BowdoinCollegeisnotforeveryone.ItissituatedinBrunswick,Maine,a
small,sixstreettowninbeautifulNewEnglandwheretheCivilWarbeganand
ended.Itisalso30minutesfromPortlandandhasadirecttrainroutetoBoston,so
youwon'tfeelsoisolatedfromcitiesifyouneedachangeofscenery.However,themediumsizedtown,
fewpeoplesettinggrantsBowdoinsomethingsospecial:theimpulsetoownandbecomeandimproveits
community.Itisn'tanunfamiliarsightwalkingdownthestreettoseeBowdoinstudentsplayingwiththe
townkidsorhearingstoryaboutaBowdoinupperclassmanbuyinggroceriesfortheelderlyladynextdoor.
Thisbringsmetothesecondpoint:Thefocusonimproving
communitymakesBowdoinawelcomingcultureforfuture
gamechangers.Studentsbuildrapportwitheachotherthroughcivilly
discussingsocialissueswithintheirclassandschoolcontextover
dinnerorintheirrooms.Thepresident,BarryMills,isalwaysaround
campusandprovidesadvicetoundergraduates.Professorsare
availableandencourageseveryonetocometotheiroffice.Iwasa
prospie,andIhadsomanyfunconversationswiththeBowdoinfacultyandstaff(includingareallycute
officelady)justbecauseIsimplyknockedontheirdoors.Itisn'tanoverstatementtosaythatBowdoin
facultyexpectstudentstoaskforhelp.Theyarementorswhofosterandsupportdreams.Itwasn't
surprisingtomehowmanyBowdoinkidsendupgovernors,judges,scientists,teachers,orlawyers.The
cultureofBowdoinencouragesstudentstogivebackandthat'swhattheydo.
TherearemanymorethingsaboutBowdointhatwordscannotdescribe.Youneedto
experienceBowdoininpersontounderstandthewarmatmospherethere.Therefore,applyto
ExploreBowdoininthesummerofyourjunioryearandcometotheFallvisits.MeetClaudia.
Youwon'tregretit.Btw,Bowdoinmeetsfulldemonstratedneedandhasanoloanpolicy!
http://www.bowdoin.edu/admissions/explore/
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5. BrandeisUniversity 20092010AcceptanceRate:40%
StudenttoFacultyRatio:9:1
BrandeisUniversityisoneofthetoprankedUniversitiesinUnitedStates.Itislocatedin
Waltham,Massachusetts,afewmilesfromBoston.Brandeishasa
beautifulandbreathtakingcampus.Generally,you'llsensethevibrant,
diverseandfreethinkingintellectualatmosphere.Brandeisprovides
tremendouslypersonaleducationwithacombinationofsmallliberal
artscollegeandtheintellectualpowerofalargeresearchuniversity.
Thebestpartis,althoughthestudentbodyisquitecompetitive,the
classesaresmallandtaughtbyprofessorswhoholdthehighestdegreeintheirfields.
Fortheadmission,interviewsarehighlyrecommended.Standardizedtests,althoughnotabig
factor,matter.Theadmissioncounselorsputalotofemphasisonthe
essaysbecausetheydonotonlywantpeoplewhoareacademically
inclinedbutthosewhoattainaninterestingpersonalityaswell.
SinceIwillbestudyingEngineering,IknowthatBrandeishasanup
growingengineeringprogramthatisreallyamazing.Studentsgetto
studyatBrandeisfortwoyearsandtheothertwoyearstheytransfer
toColumbiaUniversitytofinishtheirdegree.Withthatsaidwhenanengineerstudentgraduates,he/she
willgraduatefromColumbiaandBrandeis.
Ican'tstressenoughonhowimportantitistopayvisitstotheschoolsyouareinterestedin.I
highlyrecommendapplyingtotheflyinprogramavailablefortheseniors.Itiscalled"Seeds.Thiswill
helpyouexposetothedifferentdepartmentsthattheyhaveavailable,undergraduateandgraduate.Along
withthesenseofacademicsthatyouwillreceivethroughexperiencinginclasses,you'llgettoexplorethe
environmentwhichwillhelpyouunderstandwhetheryoubelongthereornot.
Nowfinancialaidisaveryimportantfactorthatdetermines
whereoneshouldsetouttheirfuture.Fortunately,Brandeisfinancial
aidisneedbasedwhichalwayshelpsifyouareabrilliant,lowincome
student.
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6. BrynMawrCollege 20122013AcceptanceRate:39%
StudenttoFacultyRatio:8:1
BrynMawr,althoughnotaQuestBridgepartner,isawomen'scollegeyouladiesshoulddefinitely
considerforitsgreatacademicsANDgoodfinancialaid.Professorsare
typicallycharacterizedashelpful,encouraging,andenthusiastic,andare
consistentlyrankedassomeofthebestinthecountry.
About50percentofjuniorsstudyabroadforayearora
semester.BrynMawrsponsorsacademicyearprogramsinRussia,as
wellassummerprogramsinFlorenceandAvignon.Studentscanalso
choosetogoonover60approvedprogramsorhaveanewprogramapproved,soifstudyingabroadis
somethingyoufeelparticularlypassionateaboutdoing,BrynMawrisagreatoptionforyou.
BrynMawrispartoftheTriCollegeCommunity,afeaturethatallowsstudentstotakeclasses
andevenmajorsatHaverfordandSwarthmore,andviceversa.Thisallowsforanextraordinaryamount
ofresources,whichisyetanotherreasontoapplytoBrynMawr.Also
somethingremarkableistheoptiontocompletebothabachelor'sand
master'sdegreewithinfiveyearsthroughtheircombineddegree
program,whichisalsoofferedatHaverford.
OnethingparticularlyuniqueaboutBrynMawrareits360course
clusters.These360courseclustersareanewinterdisciplinary
experiencethatengagesseveralaspectsofatopicortheme,givingstudentsanopportunitytoinvestigate
thoroughlyandthoughtfullyarangeofperspectives.Acohortofstudentstakesaclusterofclassesover
thecourseofasemester,focusingonthehistory,economicconcerns,
culturalintersectionsandpoliticalimpactofanera,decision,event,
policy,orimportantscientificinnovation.360participantshonetheir
argumentsandinsightsthroughwritingandresearch,develop
strategiesforteamworkthatpushthelimitsoftheirtalentsand
creativity,andworkwithprofessorsandscholarstopromote
bigpicturethinking.
Lastly,althoughBrynMawrisnotaQuestBridgepartner,theirfinancialaidisgreat.They
promisetomeetfulldemonstratedneed,sothere'snoneedtoconcernyourselfwithbeingabletoaffordit!
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7. CarletonCollege 20122013AcceptanceRate:20.98%
StudenttoFacultyRatio:9:1
CarletonCollege,thelatestandgreatestQuestBridgeschooltomakethelist.Carletonislocated
inNorthfield,Minnesota.Yes,Minnesota.Butdon'tletthat
seeminglyemptyregionscareyouawayfromthisincredibleLiberal
Artsschool!
Thisvideo,courtesyofCarletonCollegeYouTubechannel,will
makeyoufallinlovewiththisQBschool:
http://youtu.be/jDiBHUIEXdM
Still,wanttoknowwhyyoushouldconsiderCarleton?Well...
1.PROFS:Carleton'steachingfacultyistopnotch.Notonlyaretheypassionateand
knowledgeableintheclassroom,butthey'renotoriousformeetingwithstudentsafter
classhasbeendismissed.It'sallaboutindividualattentionatthisinstitution.
2.SUMMERTIME:Unlikemostcolleges,Carletonhasthree10weekterms
peracademicyear:Fall,Winter,andSpring.Thisallowsyoutofocusmoreonyour
classesandhavemoretimetopursueotherinterests.
3.ACADEMICS:Carleton's"EssentialHabitsofMind"requirementsinclude
aheavyemphasisinwriting,research,quantitativereasoning,globalunderstanding,etc.
4.INCREDIBLECAMPUS:The880acreCowlingArboretumisagame
refugeofprairie,forest,water,andwetlandsbycampus.TheArbisaunique
resourcethatservesasanoutdoorclassroom,invaluableresearchsite,andtreasured
landforreflectivewalksorruns,accordingtotheirwebsite.
THELISTGOESON!Literally,formoreinfoonhishiddengem,visit
http://apps.carleton.edu/academics/liberalarts/
Lastly,CarletonCollegehasgreatfinancialaid!Theymeetfull
demonstratedneed,sonotonlywillyoureceiveaphenomenaleducation
fromCarleton,butyoullalsoreceiveanamazingfinancialaidpackage.
IfyoureevenalittlebitinterestedinCarletonCollege,applytotheir
flyinprogram,TasteofCarleton!
http://apps.carleton.edu/admissions/visit/TOC/
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8. ClaremontMcKennaCollege 20122013AcceptanceRate:12.4%
StudenttoFacultyRatio:9:1
ClaremontMcKennaCollegeisoneofthecollegesapartofthe
ClaremontCollegeConsortium.Likeitsconsortiumcounterparts,CMCislocated
insunnySoCal.Claremontisabitofaquirky,smallcollegetownthathasavery
suburbanfeel.Thesurroundingareahasatonofentertainmentpossibilities.
Academicsismixedintodailylifeandwovenintoeachindividual's
interests.Classestrytomaintainabalancebetweenintellectualismandpragmatism.The5College
Consortiummakesahugenumberofclassesavailable,farmorethanthetypical1,000studentschool.As
astudentoftheClaremontConsortium,youcanenrollinclassesattheotherschools,soifaclassthatyou
seekisnotofferedatCMC,youcanlikelyfinditsomewhereelse.
CMCssmallsizecreatesamoreintimatecampusexperience
wherenearlyeveryonewillknowyourname.Theprofessorsat
CMCarephenomenaltheyarefriendly,accessible,andintelligent.
Theyarefocusedonteachingfirstandresearchsecond.Ifyou
takeadvantageofofficehours,theyofferincredibleresearch
opportunitiesandinternshipsthatyouwouldseeatanyotheruniversity.
CMCpridesitselfongroomingfutureleadersinarangeofdisciplines.Theschoolisamongthe
eliteprivateliberalartscollegesintheUS.ClaremontMcKennahasstrongtiesandemphasizesitscore
focusingovernmentandeconomics,butitsresourcesanddiligentfocusonabroaderliberalartseducation
hasresultedinhighqualitydepartmentsacrosstheschool.Ifyoureaprospectiveeconomics,political
science,orinternationalrelationsmajor,CMCisaGREAToptionforyou,for
theyareliterallythebestamongLACsforthoseareas.
Notonlyallofthat,butCMCscampusisabsolutelystunning,asyou
cantellfromthepictures.Plus,ClaremontMcKennaisknownforalsohaving
fantasticdiningandoncampushousingoptions,sonotonlywillyoureceivea
greateducation,youllalsoreceiveagreatlivingenvironment!
Lastly,financialaid.CMC,whilenotcurrentlyaQuestbridgepartner,
actuallyusedtobeone,whichindicatestoyoutheirfinancialaidisphenomenal!Theymeet100%
demonstratedneed,soifyoudliketogotoCMC,theresnoneedtoworryaboutpayingforit.
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9. ColbyCollege 20112012AcceptanceRate:29%
StudenttoFacultyRatio:10:1
ColbyCollegeisabeautifulliberalartscollegeintheawesomestateofMaine!Professorsand
studentsatColbyshareacommitmenttolearningthatstretches
beyondgradesandnumbers.Professorswantstudentstocomeout
ofaclasswitharichunderstandingofthematerial,andstudents
strivetolearnalltheycan.Moreover,sinceColbyisaliberalarts
collegethroughandthrough,professorsemphasizecriticalthought,
writingskills,andspeaking,regardlessofthesubject.
AtColbyyoullbechallengedchallengedtotrysomethingnew,toredefineyourboundaries,and
tothinkdifferentlyabouttheworld.Whiletheworkloaddoesvarywitheachdepartment,everyclass
offersuniquechallengestohelpstudentsacquiredifferentskills.And,studentsfindpleasureinsharing
theseskillswiththeirpeers.Professorsencouragecollaborativework,andColbystudentslackan
intracompetitiveedge.StudentsatColbyworkhardbutremain
inspiredandmotivatedbythestrongintellectualcommunityfostered
byacloserelationshipbetweenstudentsandprofessors.
DiningisintegraltotheColbysociallife,andtheindividual
characteristicsofthethreedininghallspartlydefinecampuspolitics.
Tablesinthedininghallsarebig,astheyaremeantforlargegroups
offriendssothatlotsofsocialinteractionhappenoverdininghall
food.ThefoodatColbyisgreat,thedessertsarephenomenal,andthedininghallsprovideagreatsocial
outlet,especiallysincemealplansarerequired,soyou'dbeverysatisfiedwithColby!
Lastly,Colby'sfinancialaidisphenomenal!Notonlydotheymeet
fulldemonstratedneed,buttheyalsohaveanoloanpolicyforallstudents,
soyoucouldgraduatedebtfreewithagreateducationandexperience
fromColby!
Ifyou'reevenabitinterestedinapplyingtoColby,Ihighly
recommendyouapplytotheirflyinprogram!There'snothingbetterthan
visitingacollegetoseewhetheryoucouldseeyourselfthere.:)
http://www.colby.edu/admissions_cs/visit/ec/
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10. ColgateUniversity 20122013AcceptanceRate:26%
StudenttoFacultyRatio:9:1
Colgateisthebestcombinationofasmallliberalartscollegeanda
majoruniversityithasthestrongsenseofcommunityandwarmthofasmall
college,buttheimpressivefacultyandstaffofamajoruniversity.Students
haveavarietyofactivitiestochoosefrom,suchasstudentrunorganizations
andpublications,clubs,andathleticteams.Whatevertheirinterest,Colgate
studentsfindtheirnicheandflourish.TheUniversityfostersgrowthand
maturity,butmostimportantistheamazinggroupofindividualslivinginthedormsandonstaff.
FellowstudentsandtheprofessorsarewhatmakeColgatesuchagreatschool.TheUniversity
workshardtokeepclasssizessmallandtoprovideprofessorswithfundingtogoonfieldtripsand
immersetheirstudentsinthesubject.OnthesubjectofColgateasa"university,"youdontneedtoworry
aboutgettinglostintheseaofgraduatestudents.Thefocusreallyis
ontheundergraduatesideofeducation,asonlyahandfulof
graduatestudentsmatriculatefromthesolegraduateprogrameach
year.Thatdoesntmeanstudentsdontreaptherewardsassociated
withlargerresearchinstitutions,however.About150studentsstay
oncampuseachsummertoconductgraduatelevel,cuttingedge
researchinthesciences,humanities,andsocialsciences,andmany
continuethatresearchwithprofessorsduringtheschoolyear,andthefacilitiesaretopnotch.
ThereareahandfulofrequiredcoursesatColgatewithinthecorecurriculum,butmoststudents
agreethatthesecoursesareagreatwaytocomplementfieldsofstudyortodiscoveroneofinterestand
creategreatdiscussionsbothinsideandoutsideoftheclassroom.AnotherwayColgatelookstoimprove
classroomdiscussionsisthroughthecommitmenttooffcampusstudyabout
twothirdsofthestudentbodytravelsabroadthroughoneoftheUniversity's
programsorthroughanaffiliate,anditistheonlyinstitutionwithapartnershipwith
theNationalInstitutesofHealth(NID)inBethesda,Md.Theresmuchmoreto
Colgatethanacademics,butthisisdefinitelywheretheUniversityshines.
Colgateiscommittedtomeeting100percentofthedemonstratedneedof
acceptedstudents,soevenifyouneedaLOTofaid,youshouldntbeworriedaboutapplying!
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11. ColoradoCollege 20122013AcceptanceRate:22%
StudenttoFacultyRatio:10:1
ColoradoCollege,whichbecameaQuestBridgepartnerthisyear,
is.locatedinthestunninglybeautifulmountainsofColoradoSprings,itis
withoutadoubtthemostuniquecollegeyouwillevercomeacross.
TheBlockPlanisauniqueapproachtolearning.Insteadoftaking
fourclassesatonce,youtakeoneclassfor31/2weeks,endingina4day
BlockBreakbeforestartingthenextclass.Thefactthatyouonlyhave
toworryaboutoneclassopensmanydoors.ClassesatCCareknownforgoingontripsveryfrequently,
toplacesalloverthecountryandeventherestoftheworld.Thesetripsarefreetheyreintegratedinto
theclassscurriculum.Iftheressomewhereinparticularyoudliketoconductresearchat,applyfora
VentureGrantwhichfundsyourresearchforanentireblockperiod.
TheothergreatthingabouttheBlockPlanisthatallclassesrunfrom
9am12pmeveryweekday(withsomeclasses,likelabs,meetingagain
laterintheday).Thismeansthatby12pmalmosteveryoneisfreeat
thesametime,sotheresneveramomentwhenthecampusisdead.
AcademicsarenottheonlyhighlightofCCthough.WhenIvisitedfor
theMulticulturalOpenHouse,thefirstthingInoticedwhenIgotoffthe
buswasagroupofkidstightropewalkingbetweentrees.Thesportsgameswerewellattendedstudents
wereplayingonthesoccerfieldinthemiddleofcampus,andrightbythedormIstayedatwasabeach
volleyballcourt.ItsanunderstatementtosayCCisanactivecampus.Thebestactivitiesarethe
mountainones,likehikingandskiing.CCissituatedrightnexttoPikesPeak,andmanystudentstakefull
advantageofthatfact.
Overall,CCisawonderfulschool.Allthestudentsareextremelyfriendly,
spirited,andintellectualthesearethekindofstudentswhothrivewiththeblock
plan.Whiletheyrenotneedblindanddonotmeetfullneed(thoughtheaverage
percentmetis98%),thefactthatitbecameaQuestBridgeschoolprovesits
committedtobecomingmoreeconomicallydiverse.
IfyoureinterestedinColoradoCollegeatall,applytotheirflyinprogram!!
http://www.coloradocollege.edu/admission/introduceyourself/visit/multiculturalopenhouse/
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12. ConnecticutCollege 20122013AcceptanceRate:35%
StudenttoFacultyRatio:9:1
ConnecticutCollegeisatinyliberalartscollegeinConnecticutthatsoftenoverlooked,especially
bylowincomestudentslikeourselveshowever,ConnecticutCollegeis
actuallyagreatcollegewithgoodfinancialaid,whichiswhyyoushould
considerapplyingthere.Tostartoffinencouragingyoutoapplythere,
ConnecticutCollegeshonorcodemeansstudentshaveselfscheduled
finals,whichmeansifyougothere,youcanchoosefromalistof
availabletimesandthentaketheirfinalexamsunproctored!
ConnecticutCollegehasstrongandinnovativeacademicprograms.Ratherthanfollowa
predeterminedlistofclasses,studentsareencouragedtoactivelyplanouttheireducationatConn.Some
ofthespecialoptionsincludedesigningamajor,developingaconcentration,participatinginacertificate
program,orwritinganhonorsthesis.Manystudentstakeadvantageoftheseopportunities,andthevariety
ofindividualprojectshappeningoncampusmakeacademicsexciting.
AnotherimportantaspectofConnecticutCollegeisthattheprofessorstherearephenomenal.
Professorsaredevotedandhelpfulbothinsideandoutsidetheclassroom,andbecauseofConnssmall
size,therearentmanyhugelecturehallstyleclasses.Studentsusuallygettoknowtheprofessorsintheir
majorsverywell,whichmakesiteasytoseekouthelpafterclass,orfallintoresearchandintern
positions.Professorsareclearlyexuberantaboutthesubjectstheyteach,buttheyshyawayfrom
monotonouslecturesinordertogetstudentstoparticipateinclass.
Researchisaprioritytotheirfaculty,andstudentscollaboratewiththeir
professorsonresearchprojectsandcoauthorpapers.Theressuchanemphasis
onresearchthatConnecticutCollegeisespeciallyknownforhavingmany,many
summerresearchopportunitiestoo!Soevenifyouwanttodoresearchduring
yourundergraduateyears,ConnecticutCollegeisstillagreatoptionforyou.
BeforeIgetontothedetailsoffinancialaid,Imustmentionthatonceyoureach
yoursophomoreyear,asingledormroomisbasicallyguaranteed!Lastly,
financialaid.ConnecticutCollegemakesitagoaloftheirstosupport
outstandingstudentswhocouldnototherwiseaffordtoattendConnecticutCollege,whichiswhythey
offergreatfinancialaid,andyoucertainlyshouldnotbescaredtoapply!
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13. DavidsonCollege 20112012AcceptanceRate:25%
StudenttoFacultyRatio:11:1
Despiteitsgreatacademicsandfinancialaid,Davidsonisacollegethatsoverlookedallthetime,
unfortunately,butyoushouldstillconsideritstrongly!!Davidsonisa
workhard/playhardcommunity,andtheresnoquestionthatyoullput
insomesubstantialhoursatthelibrary,butyoucanalsoexpecttolet
looseontheweekends.Ifyourelookingforanenvironmentlikethat,
Davidsonmightbeagreatoptionforyou.Now,thatsnottosayyou
shouldexpectanendlessbeerfestlikeatlargerstateschoolsthough.
Davidsonisacollegethatpersonallycaterseverythingtotheneedsofits1,700students.Youcan
expectanoutstandingcommunityofstudentswhorespectandtrusteachother.Youcanexpectalake
andasprawlinggreencampusdisproportionatelyhugeincomparisontothesizeofthestudentbody.
YoullfindaDIathleticprogram,completewithaDIcalibersportscomplexthatmostsmallliberalarts
collegesdonthave.Youllfindyourselffacetofacewitheventhemostcelebratedathletesona
daytodaybasis,andtheyllbeheadedtothelibraryjustlikeyou.Youllsoonrecognizethefacesaround
you,andyoullfindthatafteralittlewhile,fewpeoplearestrangers.Youcanexpectsomegoodlooking
guysandsomegoodlookinggirls,withintelligencetoboot.Mostofall,youcanexpecttopnotch
academics,taughtbytopnotchprofessorsintopnotchfacilities,whichallcontributetoaninteractiveand
personallearningexperiencethatssimplyunparalleled.
Becauseabout95percentofDavidsonstudentsliveoncampusallfouryears,dormandfood
qualityisprettyawesomeatDavidson.ManyofDavidsonsdormshavebeenrenovatedwithinthelast
severalyears.BecauseDavidsonhasdonesuchagreatjobkeepingthe
dormsupdated,thesmallestroomsarelargeincomparisontothoseof
manyschools,andthedormsaregenerallywellmaintained.Davidson,
despiteitstinystudent,offersawidevarietyoffoodsintheirdininghalls,
sonomatterwhatyourelookingfor,youreboundtofinditatDavidson.
Davidsonsfinancialaid,asmentionedbefore,isexcellent.Notonlydo
theymeetfullneed,buttheyreoneofthefewcollegesthathasanoloanpolicyinsteadofhavingloans
inyourfinancialaidpackage,theygiveyouDavidsongrants,whichisanamazingoffer.Applyto
Davidson!Ifyouendupasastudentthere,youllbehappybothacademicallyANDfinancially!
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14. EmoryUniversity 20112012AcceptanceRate:27%
StudenttoFacultyRatio:7:1
EmoryisafantasticschoolyouallshouldstronglyconsiderEmoryhasgreatprofessors,classes,
ANDafun,livelycitytoexplore.
Emoryisconsistentlyrankedoneofthetopschools
forareason.Emoryalsoconsistentlyranksinthetopfive
nationwideformostAcademicAllAmericansandmost
postgraduatescholars.Theschoolisfullofnationally,even
globally,acclaimedprofessorswhoareexpertsintheirfields.Manyhaveevenauthoredtextbooks,which
theyhumblyuseintheirclasses.Otherthanintroductoryclasses,classsizesaretypicallysmallerthan20
orso,allowingforstudentstomakelastingconnectionswiththeirprofessors.TheEmoryemailsoftware,
LearnLink,allowsforeasycommunicationsbetweenprofessorsand
students,aswellasstudentsandtheirpeers.
Ifyou'resomeoneinterestedinmedicineresearch,orboth,Emoryis
probablytheperfectplaceforyou.Emoryisparticularlydistinctivein
theresearchopportunitiestheyoffertheirstudents,makingthemone
oftheleadinguniversitiesforsuchfields.
Emoryisprivilegedtohaveoneofthelargestuniversityendowments
inthenation,andthisalsoallowsfortheUniversitytoimproveuponandexpanditsacademics.Emory's
publichealthandbusinessschoolsarebothrankedintheTop5
nationally,andAtlantahasplentyofopportunitiesforgraduating
students.Emorytakesfulladvantageofthisbyholdingvarious
networkingeventsthroughouttheschoolyear.
TheirhugeendowmentalsoallowsforEmorytohavetheloan
replacementgapandtomeetfulldemonstratedneed!Ifyourfamily
makeslessthan$50,000,thenyoushouldexpecttoreceive0loansinyourfinancialaidpackage!Overall,
Emoryisafantasticuniversity,withamazingresources,andyoushouldstronglyconsiderapplying.
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15. GrinnellCollege 20112012AcceptanceRate:32%
StudenttoFacultyRatio:9:1
IappliedtoGrinnellsflyinbecauseIknewIreallywantedtogotoanLACwithagoodlanguage
programwithveryfriendlycommunity,allofwhichGrinnellCollegehave.Grinnellissuperuniqueand
interestingandmostpeopledontgiveitathoughtbecauseitsintherural
Midwest,butGrinnells$1.5billiondollarendowmentrivalsothertopLACs
likeWilliams,PomonaandAmherst.
GrinnellCollegeisoneofafewdozenUScollegesthatmaintainneedblind
admissionsandmeetsthefulldemonstratedfinancialneedofallU.S.
residentswhoareadmittedtothecollege.Grinnellishometosometruly
differentandintelligentpeople.Grinnellhasanopencurriculumwhichencourages
studentstotakeinitiativeandassumeresponsibilityfortheircourseofstudy.Nearly
allofGrinnellsteachingstaffhasaPh.DandtheacademiccommunityofGrinnell
alsoputsastrongemphasisnotonlyonrigorbutusingyourknowledgetodowellso
muchofGrinnellissociallyactive(suchaspolitics,education,etcetc.).One
GrinnellianIhadtheprivilegeoftalkingtoldmethis:Theonethingthatmakes
Grinnelliansalike,however,ifthattheyaretrulydriven,passionate,hardworkingpeople.
Grinnellsopencurriculumstressesitsliberalartseducationbyonlyrequiringafirstyeartutorial
(whichisafunanddifferentkindofclass)andrequirementswithinyourmajor.Usuallyamajorrequires
32credits124arerequiredtograduate.Grinnell'sarguablyproudestproductistheconceptofself
government,whichdictatesthatthegovernmentisinthestudents'hands.It'susuallycommonsense,but
basicallyauthorityfiguresstayoutofmostlyeverythingbecauseweareadults.AtGrinnellyouonlyneed
twopeopletostartaclub.
There'snoGreeklifesoIguessthatcanbeaprooracon
dependingontheperson.Ohandstudentgovernmenthasabudget
of$450ksoyeahGOBIGASSENDOWMENTS.After
graduating,Grinnellianssuccessfullyenterprofessionsrangingfrom
investmentbankingtoteachingtoPeaceCorpsvolunteeringtomedicineeveryoneatGrinnellisso
differentandquirky.Grinnellisareallygreatplacetonotonlyjustspecializeinonethingbuttogetyour
feetwetinatonofsubjectsandinterests.Plusyoumeetsomereallyamazingpeople.
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16. HamiltonCollege 20122013AcceptanceRate:27.1%
StudenttoFacultyRatio:9:1
HamiltonCollegeoffersitsstudentsanincredibleopportunitytotakeadvantageofanintellectual
facultyandstudentbodythroughsmallclassrooms,supportivecomputer
networks,andfairlymagnificentcampusfacilities.Hamiltonstudentshave
greathousingoptions,greatoffcampusdining,andhavesnowballfights
together!Unlikealmosteveryothercollege,Hamiltonoffersa21mealplan
andstudentscancomeandgoastheypleasebetweenclasses,youcangrab
acupofcoffeeandstillbeabletocomebackanhourlaterforlunch.
Theprofessorsarethebestreasonstudentslovethisschool.Professorswillgooutoftheirwayto
helpastudentsaslongastheyaren'tafraidtoask.Classesarehard,andthegreatestprofessorsareoften
themostdemanding.Theychallengestudentstothinkindependentlyin
theclassroom,anditisveryrareforaprofessortoonlylecture.
Discussionscarryalotofweight,eveninmathandscienceclasses.
Professorsareaccessibleoutsideoftheclassroomaswell,and
happilytalktotheirstudentsaboutwhatishappeningintheirlives
beyondacademics.Advisorscalltheirstudentstotalkabouteverything.Professorstakeinterestin
students'livesandareexceedinglyhelpfulforamultitudeofworries.
HamiltonCollege'smissionstatementisthatthey'recommittedtotheintellectualandpersonal
developmentofstudentstheyseektonourishaloveoflearning,acreativespirit,andaninformedand
responsibleengagementwithaneverchangingworld.AtHamilton,besidesthethreerequired
writingintensivecourses,therearenodistributionrequirementsthey
believethatthatstudentsshouldtakecoursesbecausethey'reinterested
inthem,notbecausetheyhavetotakethecoursetograduate.
Ifyou'reinterestedinresearch,Hamiltonisstillagreatoption
foryou.Throughindependentprojects,theSeniorProgram,andsummer
internshipswithfacultymembers,Hamiltonprovidesanlargenumberof
opportunitiesforstudentstoengagein,oftenpublishable,researchattheundergraduatelevel.
Hamiltoniscommittedtoitsreputationasaschoolofopportunity,soifyouneedasignificant
amountoffinancialaid,noneedtoworrybecauseHamiltonmeetsfulldemonstratedneed!
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17. HarveyMuddCollege 20112012AcceptanceRate:17.9%
StudenttoFacultyRatio:8:1
Unlikemosttopengineeringschoolsinthecountry,HarveyMuddCollegeisfocusedentirelyon
undergraduateeducation,andthecollegefrequentlyranks#1or#2
amongtopundergraduateengineeringcolleges.HarveyMuddgraduates
havesomeofthehighestaveragesalariesofanycollegeinthecountry.
LocatedinClaremont,California,HarveyMuddisamemberof
theClaremontCollegeswithScrippsCollege,PitzerCollege,Claremont
McKennaCollege,andPomonaCollege.Studentsatanyofthesefive
highlyselectivecollegescaneasilycrossregisterforcoursesontheothercampuses,andtheschools
sharemanyresources.Becauseofthiscollaboration,HarveyMuddisasmallcollegewiththeresources
ofamuchlargerone.
HMCistinyliberalartscollegewithunder800undergradstotalwhichdefinitelycreatesasmall
communitythatisverytightknit.HMCresearchisnotascuttingedgelikearesearchuniversitysuchas
CaltechorMIT,buthereundergraduatestudentsactuallygettoparticipatemeaningfullyinresearch.That
makesHMCexceptionallygoodaspreparingfutureacademicorindustryresearchersinmyopinion,
betterthanresearchuniversitiesthemselves.HMChasagood
location(dependingonyourinclination)nottoofarfromLos
Angelesandbothanhourawayfromthebeachandthemountains.
OffcampusClaremontisnotveryexcitingbutstudentsspendmost
oftheirtimeatthe5Csanyway.LAhaslotsofculturetoexplore
onweekendsandthenearbymountainsaregoodforoutdoortype
people.
Lastly,HarveyMuddhasAMAZINGfinancialaid.Theypromisetomeet100%demonstrated
need,soyoudonthavetoworryaboutdiggingyourselfinalotofdebttogohere.Whatsevenmore
impressiveisthat83%ofallHarveyMuddstudentsreceivesomesortoffinancialaid,whichjustfurther
proveshowcommittedtheyaretomakingtheirschoolaffordable.Istronglyencourageyoutoapplyitsa
greatschoolwithbrilliantstudents!
IfyoureinterestedinHarveyMuddatall,applytotheirflyinprogram,FAST!
http://newwww.hmc.edu/admission/fast/
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18. HaverfordCollege 20112012AcceptanceRate:23.26%
FacultytoStudentRatio:8:1
Whilenotverywellknown,likesomeoftheIvies,HaverforddoesrankverywellonUSNews
liberalartslist!Currently,itslistedas#9,butwhocaresaboutrank?Itssmallsize(UNDER1200for
entirestudentbody)andlocationmakeitacloseknitcommunity,
andatthesametimeitsNOTcutofffromamazingopportunities
oftheamazingcityofPhiladelphia.
Thereisalsothetricollegeconsortiumwherestudentsof
HaverfordcancrossenrollatBrynMawrandSwarthmore.Ifthe
classyourelookingforisntatanyofthosethreeschools,youcan
eventakeclassesatPenn(yes,evenWharton).Sothiscreatesresearchuniversityresourceswitha
lovelyliberalartsfeel.Bestofbothworlds!
ThehonorcodeisaHUGEpartofHaverford.Andyes,thissupplementisgoingtobedifficult(the
supplementhasntchangedinthelasttwoyearsatleast),butifyoutrulywanttoattend,youcanpullitout
(or,insomepeoplescase,haveoverenthusiasticHaverfordadmitshelp,coughcough).Thehonorcodeis
amazing,itcreatesamorerelaxedatmosphere.Inthedininghall,theresamoundofbackpacksnearthe
entrance,theyhavesomuchtrust,theykindofjustleaveitallthere,awesome!
Also,ifyouresomeoneinterestedinengineering,Haverfordnotonlyhasa3/2programwith
Caltech,buttheyalsohaveanawesome4+1programwithPenn,whereyouearnyourbachelorsat
HaverfordandanengineeringmastersatPenn.
FinancialAidwise,thisschoolisgold!100%fullneedAND
NOLOANSINTHEPACKAGE!!!Thatmeans,ifyour
determinedneedis59,000,that59,000willcompriseofgrants,
nothingyouhavetopayback.Haverfordalsohasawesome
studentsattending,likethisreallyawesomegirlnamedAlexis
Schafsnitz.Ifyouhaveanyotherquestions,youcanjustmessageAlexisSchafsnitz,thatawesome
Haverfordgirl.
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19. KenyonCollege 20122013AcceptanceRate:38%
StudenttoFacultyRatio:10:1
Kenyonprovidesatopnotcheducationinanidyllicsetting.Theclasssizesaresmall,usuallyno
morethan15students,allowingformorediscussion.Studentsmustparticipatein
classdailyandcomeinpreparedtowork.Professorshaveopenofficepolicies
andarewillingtomeetwithstudentsanytimeoftheday.Thelearningcommunity
allowsforgreaterinteractionbetweenfacultyandstudents.Oftenpresentonthe
syllabusisahomephonenumber,tobeusedwheneveraquestioncomesup.
ThoughKenyondoesattractsomehighprofileprofessors,theseinstructorsare
requiredtointeractwithstudentsinthesamemannerasanyotherprofessoratanyothercollege.
Kenyonsdininghallisuniqueinthatyoucanwalkrightinandeatyourmeal.Thereisnoswipe
cardsystem,nonumberofbreakfastitemsthatyoucaneat.ThisisbecauseKenyonhasnomealplan.
StudentspayastandardfeeforallyoucaneatfoodwheneverPeirceHallisopen,whichisreally
awesomeifyouknowyou'reabigeater.:3
Generally,studentsflocktoKenyonforitsexcellentEnglish
literatureprogram.ThesmalltownofGambierishometoThe
KenyonReview,oneofthenation'spremierliteraryjournals,and
readingssponsoredbythejournalareheldthroughouttheyear,and
creativewritingclassesarealsoabigdraw.Othermajorsat
Kenyonareontherise,withanewlybuiltsciencefacilitydrawingthoseinterestedinpremed.Anew
studioartbuildingiscurrentlyintheworksandisexpectedtoenhancethenumberofartmajors,too.
Kenyonhasalotofuniquefactsabouttheircollegethatyoushouldseriouslyconsider,andthelist
theygatheredhereissomethingyoushoulddefinitelylookthrough:http://www.kenyon.edu/x714.xml
KenyonalsohasaLOTofnotablealumni.JohnGreen?Kenyonalumni!Kenyon'sjob
shadowingnetworkhelpsstudentstryacareeronforsizebyspendingtimewithalumni
orparentprofessionals.TheKenyonCareerNetworkconnectsstudentswithmorethan
8,000Kenyonalumniandparentswhohavevolunteeredtoprovidecareeradvice.
Lastly,Kenyonfinancialaidisdefinitelygreat!Theypromisetomeet100%
demonstratedneed!Ifyou'reinterestedinKenyonatall,applytotheirflyinprogram!
http://www.kenyon.edu/x1697.xml
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20. LafayetteCollege 20112012AcceptanceRate:34%
StudenttoFacultyRatio:11:1
OneofthebestqualitiesofLafayetteisitscommunityatmosphere.Students
supportoneanother,andspendalmosteverywakingmomenttogether,and
thisclosecomfortisahugebenetfit.LafayetteCollegestudentsknowhowto
workhard.Theyallknowwhattheyaregettingintowiththeintensecourse
load,buttheyalsolovetohavefunwiththeirfriendsanditshows.TheGreek
systemandnightlifearepopularandsocialorganizationsarethriving.
LafayetteCollegeislaudedforanumberofthings:itsstrongliberalartsprogram,stellar
engineeringdepartment,andsmallstudenttoteacherratio.EngineeringisoneoftheCollegestopfive
majors,alongwithEnglish,psychology,andsocialsciences.Mosthumanitiesclassesdonotexceed1520
students,withengineering/scienceclassesrunning2530students.
Curriculumdependslargelyontheindividualstudentsdegree.
BachelorofSciencedegreesaregenerallymorestructured,with
certaincoursesthatneedtobetakenatcertainpointsofthe
academicyear.Engineeringmajors,forexample,haveasetagenda
forthefouryearsoftheircollegecareer.Liberalartsmajors,on
theotherhand,havemorewiggleroomintermsofwhatclassestheywanttotake.MostBachelorofArts
majorsrequirenineto11coursesinagivenspecialty.Itisnotunusualtofindliberalartsstudentswhoare
doublemajors,soifthatsinyourplans,considerLafayette!
LafayetteCollegescampusisalsobeautiful.Thequad,fullofgrassandtrees,isbreathtaking.
Treeslinethestreetsthatlooparoundthebuildings,andthestatueoftheMarquis
deLafayetteoverlooksthebeautifulfountainofColtonChapel.Thebasementof
thestudentcenteralsohastheLimburgTheater,wheremonthlyscreeningsof
recentlyreleasedfilmsplaythroughouttheweek.TheKirbySportsCenterisalso
prettyremarkabletheresarockclimbingwall,twoindoorswimmingpools,the
indoortrack,squashandracquetballcourts,andtheKaminegym.
Lastly,financialaid.Lafayetteiscommittedtohelpingstudentsofallfinancialbackgroundsafford
ouractive,globallyconnectededucation,soevenifyouneedalotoffinancialaid,Lafayettewillgiveitto
you!Theresnoneedtoworry,sogoonandapply!
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21. LehighUniversity 20112012AcceptanceRate:33%
StudenttoFacultyRatio:10:1
Ladiesandgentz,IpresenttoyouLehighUniversity!LocatedinbeautifulBethlehem,
Pennsylvania,Lehighissituatedinasmalltownenvironmentwith
acresoffieldsandhills.Itconsistentlyranksamongthetop30
universitiesinthenation,andisaDivision1athleticschool!
Lehighisgreatforitsengineeringandbusiness/finance
programsandplacesgreatemphasisongraduatingstudentswhoare
wellrounded(i.e.theirbusinessprogramnotonlyfocusesonthe
abstractsofeconomics,butalsothepracticalskillsneededforpropermanagementandapplication).
TherearegreattravelservicesofferedbytheschoolnamelytheMountaintopbusandTRACS.
Theyoffertransportationtothehikingtrailsonthenearbymountains
andstudentsraveabouttheviewoverlookingLehighValleyatthe
summit.Thecampusisbeautifulduringallfourseasonsandthereis
plentyofvitaminDtosoakupduringthesummer.Bigcitieslike
PhiladelphiaandNewYorkCityarelessthan90milesaway,and
studentsdotrekoutwardsforthecitylife.
Unfortunately,Lehighsstudentbodyhasthereputationoflackingdiversityandbeinghometo
rich,white,straightmaleshowever,manyprogramslikeDlifeandLGBTgroupshavesprungupto
increasediversityandacceptanceacrosscampus!Thesocialsceneisgreatfraternitiesandsororities
(Greeklife)aboundinLehigh,andtheathleticstudentbodyisnoeyesore.Everyyearthebiggameis
LehighvLafayette(theircollegerival).
Additionally,Lehighsalumninetworkdoesagreatjobintakingcareof
theirstudentstheschooladvisorsareefficientinlandingnearbyinternshipsand
opportunitiesforthecurrentstudentswithinBethlehem.Definitelylookintothis
school,andgiveitashot!
Oh,andincaseyou'reworriedaboutpayingtogohere,don't.Lehigh
meetsdemonstratedaid!
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22. MacalesterCollege 20122013AcceptanceRate:34%
StudenttoFacultyRatio:10:1
MacalesterCollegeisoneofthemostunderratedcollegesoutthere!Itllbehardtofindastudent
atMacalesterwhodoesn'twanttobethere.Theintimacyofthesmall
campusgivesstudentsasenseofcommunityandsupport,yettheliberal
spiritoftheCollegegivesstudentsthespaceandindependencethey
needtomaketheirowndecisionsandexperiences.Theprofessorsand
theCollegestaffatMacarenottheretodrawconclusionsforstudents
ortotellthemwhattothinkrather,theyaretheretohelpundergrads
maketheirownchoices.Ifyou'reinterestedingettingafantasticeducationandmeetingsomevery
amiableandinterestingindividualsalongtheway,Macalesteristherightschoolforyou.
StudentsoftenpraisethesenseofbalancetheygetbygoingtocollegeatMacalester.Most
studentsdon'thavetospendeveryweekendcoopedupdoinghomework,yettheworkloadischallenging
enoughthatstudentscan'taffordtomakeeverydayaparty.
Macalesterstudentsknowhowtousetheirtimewell,andprofessors
assignprojectsandpapersinadvanceanddon'twastetimewith
busywork.Studentsalsofindbalancebygoingtoaschoolthatfeelslike
asmallvillage,butislocatedinthemetropolitanTwinCitiesarea,
whichoffersplentyofworkandrecreationalopportunities.Aboveall,thevarietyofintelligent,friendly,
andgoodnaturedpeoplewhomyoufindatMacalesteristrulyoneofthemostimpressiveandcelebrated
aspectsthatMacalesteroffers.Studentsdosometimesgrumbleabouttheweather,thefood,andthe
smallnessofthecampus,butmostagreethatthosecomplaintsaretrivialinthegrandschemeofthings.
Besidesthefactthatitslocationisawesome,herearesomequickfacts:Lastyear,Macalester
facultywere#3amongpeersforNationalScienceFoundationGrants!72%ofstudentshadaninternship
thattheyreportthatithelpedthemmakefutureplans.17istheaverageclasssize,wherestudentsengage
inapowerfuldynamicwithgreatresults.60%ofstudentsstudyabroadinover45countries!
Lastly,Macalester,althoughnotaQuestBridgepartner,meets
100%need,soyou'dreceiveagreateducationforavery,very
reasonableprice.Macalesterisagreatliberalartsschool,andyou
should,attheveryleast,considerapplyingthere!:)
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23. MiddleburyCollege 20122013AcceptanceRate:19.2%
StudenttoFacultyRatio:9:1
MiddleburyCollegeisaprestigiousliberalartscollegelocatedin
Vermont.AlthoughitsnotaQuestBridgepartnercollege,Iencourage
youtoapply!Itsacademicreputation,alongwithitsamazingfinancial
aid,putsitinthesameleagueasQuestBridgepartnercolleges.
First,Middleburyhasgreatfinancialaid.Studentswithfamilies
earning
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24. OberlinCollege 20112012AcceptanceRate:30%
StudenttoFaculty:11:1
FreedomistheonewordthatepitomizesOberlinCollege.Itputsthe
liberalinliberalartscolleges.Infact,thereisastudentrundepartmentcalled
theExperimentalCollege.ThecoursestaughtintheExperimentalCollegeare
taughtbythestudentsthemselvesforalimitednumberofcredits.
Foralongtimenow,Oberlinhashadthereputationforbeingahavenfor
liberals/progressives.Oberlinhasalwaysbeenatthevanguardofprogressive
movementsineducation.Itshistoryisproofofthis.IntheDecemberof1833,Oberlinbecamethefirst
coeducationalinstitutioninthecountry.Twoyearslater,Oberlinbecamethefirstpredominantlywhite
campustoacceptAfroAmericanstudents.Again,freedomistheonewordthatepitomizesOberlin.
Obies(Oberlinstudents)areoftenthoughtofasthestudentsthatneveractuallyfittedinatschool.Thus,
thesenseofacceptanceatOberlinisverygreat.Thestudentsexpressthemselveshowevertheyplease
andarenotjudgedforit.
Oberlin,ofcourse,providesagreatacademicexperience.Thisis
mainlyasaresultoftheveryclosebondsbetweenprofessorsand
students.ItisnotuncommonforanOberlinprofessortoinvitehis/her
studentstoacookoutattheirhome.Theprofessorsareinsanely
passionateaboutteachingandoftenleaddiscussionintensiveclasses.
Theseclassesmayseemintimidating,buttheyareactuallywhatmaketheacademicexperiencesogreat.
Theyallowformanyofthestudentstogetaccustomedtobeingspeakinginfrontoftheirpeers.
AlthoughOberlinisanacademicpowerhouse,Oberlinisalsoacenterforart.Itishometothe
veryprestigiousOberlinConservatoryofMusic.TheOberlinconservatoryhasareputationforproducing
alonglistofveryaccomplishedalumnisuchasSiminGanatraandSibbi
BernhardssonofthePacificaQuartet,MattHubbard,BrianChase,andthelistgoes
on.AsamemberoftheOberlinConservatory,youwillhavetheopportunityto
travelthroughoutthecountryandperformatmagnificentconcerthalls.
Inregardstofinancialaid,Oberlinisdefinitelyagreatchoice.Withsucha
hugeendowment,Oberlinmeets100%demonstratedneed.Thus,Oberlinwould
definitelybeagreatchoiceforthosethatarelookingforatrulyliberalacademicexperience.
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25. OccidentalCollege 20112012AcceptanceRate:42%
StudenttoFacultyratio:10:1
OccidentalCollege,oftenreferredtoas"Oxy,"isacoeducationalliberalartsschoollocatedin
LosAngeles,California.PresidentBarackObamadescribes
Occidentalasa"wonderful,smallliberalartscollege"andcallsthe
professors"diverseandinspiring."Everyotherstudentas
Occidentalwouldsurelyagree.
OccidentalisnestedintheEagleRockneighborhoodof
LosAngeles,providingthesmall,tightknitfeelofaliberalartscollegewhilebeinglocatedinoneofthe
largestcitiesintheUnitedStates.Thisisappealingformanystudentswhowantastrongconnectionwith
theirpeersandprofessors,butwhoalsowanttoexplorealloftheopportunitiesLosAngeleshastooffer.
TheprofessorsandfacultyatOccidentalhavedevelopedwhatmostattheschoolcallthe
"StrategicPlan"whichsolidifiesthekeyvaluesoftheschool:
academiccommons,thearts,civicengagement,aninterdisciplinary
corecurriculum,diversityequityandexcellence,environmental
stewardship,policyandscience,globalcitizenship,theresidential
collegeanddevelopingthewholestudent,teaching,and
undergraduateresearch.Occidentalplacesafocusonresearchthat
isunmatchedbymostliberalartscolleges.Eachstudentisassignedanadvisorintheschool'sCollege
AdvisingCenter,butalsotoanotherfacultymemberforpersonalacademicadvisingandresearch.
OccidentalCollegealsooffersjointdegreeprogramswithColumbia,KeckGraduateInstitute,andthe
CaliforniaInstituteofTechnology.
OccidentalCollegeshoulddefinitelybeconsideredbythose
seekingatightknit,diverse,academicallydrivenstudentbodywiththe
perksofalargecitywithinarmsreach.Occidental'sfinancialaidstrivesto
makethispossibleforeveryadmittedstudent,andonaverage,Occidental
meets100%ofdemonstratedfinancialneedforstudentswhoapply.
Lastly,ifyoureinterestedinOccidentalatall,applytotheirflyin
program!
https://oxyadmission.wufoo.com/forms/q7x0a7/
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26. PomonaCollege 20122013AcceptanceRate:12.89%
StudenttoFacultyRatio:7:1
WidelyconsideredthebestliberalartscollegeintheWestCoast,
andaworthycontenderforthebestofthebest,Pomonaisaliberalarts
collegethatpridesitselfonbalance.
Pomonaisasmallschool,butithasthebestdesignedconsortium
systeminthecountry.Insteadofrelyingonpublictransportation,Pomona
studentsneedtowalknomorethan10minutestogettofiveamazingliberal
artcolleges:HarveyMudd,Pitzer,ClaremontMcKenna,andScripps.Withtheconsortiumcome7dining
halls,2500classes,alimitlessnumberofevents,andover7000peopletomeet.Nonetheless,Pomona
studentsenjoyallthebenefitsofaliberalartsschool:anurturingcommunity,smallseminarstyledclasses,
andgreatprofessors.I'dcheckoutallofthesecollegesbecausethey
meet100%ofapplicantneed!
Thebestwaytocharacterizethestudentshereisthattheyrenot
reallyabletobecharacterized.Youmightbeclosefriendswitha
partyragingjockwholovesfootballandphysicsandaquietloner
whoexcelsinballroomdancingandcreativewriting.Everyoneis
howeverdrivenandsmart.
PomonahasthemostsciencemajorsofanyQuestbridgeliberalartscollege(40%)andanequalnumber
ofhumanitymajors.Pomonaenjoysagreatlocation.Locatedinsafe,
sunny,andbeautifulClaremont,Pomonaislessthananhourawayfrom
snowcappedmountains,thedesert,thePacificOcean,LosAngeles,
Disneyland,andnationalforests.JustastepawayfromtheClaremont
Villageandatrainstation,Pomonastudentsenjoythebestofbothworlds.
Lastly,Pomona'sfinancialaidisphenomenal!Notonlyarethey
needblind,buttheypromisetomeet100%need,sothere'snoneedtoworryabouthavingtopayifyougo
toPomona!Oh,andapplytoPomonasflyin!Admissioniscompetitive,butsoworthit!
http://www.pomona.edu/admissions/diversity/msapfallweekend.aspx
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27. PitzerCollege 20122013AcceptanceRate:14.6%
StudenttoFacultyRatio:11:1
PitzerCollegeisyetanotherexampleofanonQuestBridgepartnerwithgreatfinancialaid.Pitzer
isoneofthefiveClaremontColleges,whichisagreatresource
foritsstudentsbecauseofthesharedresourceswithinthe
claremontcollegesystem.AtPitzer,it'salsopossibletocross
registerattheotherfourcolleges.Pitzerhasroughly1,000
studentsonits35acrecampus,butthecollaborationsbetween
theClaremontCollegesgivesittheresourcesofamuchlarger
university.
Pitzerhaseducationalobjectivesinsteadofcorerequirements,andthecurriculumishighly
interdisciplinarywithanemphasisonsocialjustice,interculturalunderstandingandenvironmental
sensitivity.Ifyourelookingforaschoolwithaflexiblecurriculum,Pitzeristheperfectplaceforyou.
Pitzerencouragesitsstudentstodeveloptheirownmajorandcourseofstudyiftheyfeelsoinclined,
whichiswhytheyoftendoublemajororcombinetheirmajorsinordertocompleteaconcentrationthat
intereststhemortofocusonanareaofspecialty.Pitzerisnotonlynumberoneinmostflexibleworkloads
butalsoinmostmanageableworkloads.Combined,thesetwofactorsmakeforaveryrelaxedcollege
environment.
ThePitzerCollegecommunityisespeciallyknownforitsinvolvementoutsideoftheclassroom.Its
studentsdonateover100,000hourstocommunityservice
annually,soifcommunityserviceissomethingyou'repassionate,
seriouslyconsiderPitzer!Ifyoureinterestedinresearch,Pitzer
isalsoagreatoptionbecausePitzerstudentshaveresearch
opportunitiesasearlyastheirfirstyear.AsaPitzerstudent,you
mayapplyforgrantmoneyanddoindependentstudiesand
researchforcredit.Asmentionedbefore,Pitzerhasgreat
financialaid.They'recommittedtomeeting100%demonstratedneed,soaslowincomestudents,Pitzeris
agreatoptionwithphenomenalresources.
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28. ReedCollege 20112012AcceptanceRate:34%
StudenttoFacultyRatio:10:1
DontbefooledbyReedsrankingitsoneofthemostprestigiousliberalartscollegesinthe
nation,evenoncebeingrankedinthetop10.Reedisasprestigious
asanyothertop10liberalartscollege.Whathappened?Reednever
agreedwiththerankingmethodologyusedbyUSNew,thus,Reed
stoppedsupplyingUSNewswiththeinformationthattheyrequest
and,asaresult,theirrankinghadadrasticdrop.
Anyway,likeSwarthmoreandOberlin,Reedisalsoa
havenforthosehardcoreliberalsandprogressives.Althoughitmaylackindiversity,Reedisavery
acceptingcommunity.YoudefinitelydonothavetoworryaboutfittinginatReed.Everythereisweird
andquirky,soyouarefreetobeyourweirdandquirkyself.ReedhasincrediblesupportfortheLGBTQ
community.Coincidentally,Reedisalsolocatedintheweirdest
cityofthemallPortland,Oregon.
Academically,Reedalsohasalongreputationforhavingoneof
themostintensecourseloads.However,donotletthisscare.This
iswhatmakesReedsuchanacademicpowerhouse.Inthelife
sciencesfield,Reedhasthe2ndhighestpercentageofgraduates
thatearnPhDs.Inthehumanitiesfield,Reedhasthe2ndhighestpercentageofgraduatesthatearnPhDs.
Inthephysicalsciencesfield,Reedhasthe3rdhighestpercentageofgraduatesthatearnPhDs.Inthe
psychologyfield,Reedhasthe11thhighestpercentageofgraduatesthatearnPhDs.Intheothersocial
sciencesfield,Reedhasthe2ndhighestpercentageofgraduatesthatearnPhDs.
Reedalsoprovidesgreatfinancialaidpackagesandmeets100%ofastudentsdemonstrated
need.OveronethirdofReediesdonotreceivefinancialaid,sothereisplentytogoaround.Also,the
averageReediegraduateswithaloandebtof$16,910,whereas,theaverageAmericanstudentgraduates
withaloandebtof$27,000.Clearly,Reedprovidesyou
withnotonlyagreatacademicexperience,butalsogreat
financialaid.Thus,youshoulddefinitelyconsiderReed
Collegebecauseitsunlimitedfreedomandintensecourse
loadprovideanidealplacetohoneyouracademicskills.
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29. ScrippsCollege 20112012AcceptanceRate:36%
StudenttoFacultyRatio:11:1
Withanenrollmentofapproximately950students,Scrippsisacommunityofscholarlywomenall
workingindependentlyandtogethertocontributetosocietythroughleadership,service,integrity,and
creativity.AlthoughScrippsisanintimatecollege,studentshaveaccesstoallofthe
resourcesofalargeruniversity,sinceScrippsisafaithfulmemberofthe5
undergraduatecollegesintheClaremontConsortium:PitzerCollege(see#29onthislist),
HarveyMuddCollege(#18),PomonaCollege(#28),andClaremontMcKenna(#8).
Studentsmaytakeclassesatanyoftheotherconsortiumcollegesallwhileremaininga
proudScrippsie.(Thisisuseful,especiallyifyoudidntgetacceptedtoPomona/Harvey
Mudd/etc.youcanstilltakeclassesthere!)Scrippsiesalsohaveaccesstotheother
schoolsinternships,researchopportunities,events,parties,etc.The5Cs(whatthe
undergradcollegesoftheClaremontConsortiumarelovinglycalled)offerthe
encouragingfoundationofasmallliberalartscollegeallwhileprovidingthebreadthofprofessional
opportunities(andsize)auniversityoffers.Thismakesforasupportiveyetchallengingenvironment.
Now,IcanttellyoueverythingaboutScrippsina~300wordblurbhowever,Icangiveyoua
fewpointers.Gotoscrippscollege.edu(orjustWiki)andreadupabouttheschool.ReadabouttheCore
Curriculum,thecoursesofstudytheyoffer,theamazingnetwork
ofalumnae.Thencomeandaskmeaboutthesocialprosandcons:
theamazingdormstheevenmoreamazingfoodFamily,the
GayStraightAllianceoftheconsortiumtheprobodyimage
actionsScrippsistakingforitsfightformentalhealththeir
prosafetyapproachtoalcoholandsexthetypeofstudentsthe
collegeattractsthelackofalackofmen(yes,thereareindeed
menallovercampus)thesomewhatlackofdiversityoncampusbuttheyreworkingonitandanything
andeverythingelse.Also,Scrippshasfantasticaidtoo!Notonlydotheymeetfulldemonstratedneed,but
theyhavemeritscholarshipstopayforotherneedsaswell,sodontworryaboutaffordingScrippseither!
IfyouhaveevenabitofinterestinScripps,applytoDiscoverScripps,andcontactme,JasmineRussell.
Imhorribleatwritingconcisely(andthisneededtobeshort),butIloveScripps.Letmerambletoyou.
http://admission.scrippscollege.edu/discoverscrippsnomination
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30. SmithCollege 20122013AcceptanceRate:42%
StudenttoFacultyRatio:9:1
ATTENTIONLADIES!ApplytoSmithCollege,awomenscollegeinthequirkytownof
Northampton,Massachusetts.Goingtoawomenscollegeisaboutbeing
surroundedbyequallyambitiousyetamazingsupportivediversegroupof
women.ThismeansSmithhasoneofthelargeststudentbodiesamongwomens
colleges.However,thesearenottheonlystudentsyouwillbeinteractingwith.
Smithispartofthe5CollegeConsortium,consistingofAmherst,Hampshire
College,MountHolyoke,andUMassAmherst.Smithstudentscantakeclasses
andparticipateineventsinanyofthesefourcolleges,soyes!therearechancestomeetguysifyouwish,
byafreeshuttlebus.Intheend,atyourfingertipsisanopencurriculum,liberalartsenvironment(small
classesandcloseinteractionswithyourprofessorsandpeers)withabundantuniversityresources.
Bonus:Smithhasanartmuseumoncampus,itssculptureclassesinclude
bronzecasting,andover50%ofjuniorschoosetostudyabroadatSmiths
ownprogramsinFlorence,Geneva,HamburgandParisorotherprogramsall
acrosstheworld.
Mostliberalartscollegesoffera32programinEngineering.Well,atSmith
youcancompleteyourengineeringdegreeoncampusandin4years,rightintimetograduatewiththerest
ofyourpeers.Itisoneofthehandfulofcollegesinthiscountrythatoffersthisopportunity.Plus,the
PickerEngineeringProgramisexcellent.Thatwasoneofthefirstthingsthatattractedmetothiscollege.
Smithisuniqueinitshousing.Insteadofdormsandsororities,thereare36selfgoverninghouses
locatedin6differentpartofcampusinwhichyoucanlivein.Eachof
thesehouseshasanetworkofstudentsworkingtohelpyoutransition
fromhighschooltocollegeanditprovidesanexcellentchancetomake
friendsfromallfouryears.Eachhousealsohasitsowntraditionsand
parties.Someevenhavetheirownlibrariesormagnificentdiningrooms.
Lastly,ifIhavenotconvincedyouenough,Smith,whileNOTaQuestBridgepartner,meetsfull
demonstratedneedsoyouwillgetthemoneyyouneedtoattendthisincrediblecollege.
Don'tforgettoapplytoitsflyin,WomenofDistinction,toexperienceSmithforyourself!
https://www.smith.edu/admission/wod/apply/login.php
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31. SwarthmoreCollege 20122013AcceptanceRate:14.05%
StudenttoFacultyRatio:8:1
WedenystereotypesiswhatoneSwarthmorestudentoncesaidinaninterview.Afterwatching
thissceneinSwarthmoreUnscripted,Ibecameenamoredwiththe
institution.Swarthmoreisaninstitutionwhereyoucantrulybewhat
youwanttobe.AtSwarthmore,youcanbeyourselfandforgetwhat
othersoncethoughtofyou.AtSwarthmore,youwillbeacceptedby
everyone.ThisiswhyIbelievethatSwarthmoretrulyepitomizesthe
senseofcommunitythatliberalcollegesaimtohave.Swarthmores
senseofcommunityisalsobackedupbyits8to1studentfacultyratioanditshonorcode.
Thesmalloftheinstitutionnotonlyaffectsyouonasociallevel,butalsoonanacademiclevel.In
college,youwillcomeacrossdifferentareasofstudy,butyoumaynotfindtheopportunitytostudythat
topicatyourschool.AtSwarthmore,however,youmayrequestthe
courseandhaveoneononesessionswithyourprofessors.This,I
believe,helpslowerthebarrierbetweenstudentandprofessor.At
Swarthmore,theprofessorsaremorethanjustyourmentorsyour
professorsareyourfriends.Swarthmoreprofessorsactuallywant
youtosucceedandaretheretohelpyouasmuchastheycan.
Forallyouengineeringmajorsoutthere,heresthegreatthingaboutSwarthmore:THEYHAVE
ENGINEERING!Thatsright,theyrealiberalartscollegewithanactualABETaccreditedengineering
department!Soevenifengineeringisoneofyourinterests,yououghttostronglyconsiderSwarthmore,
becausenotonlyaretheyoneofthefewLACsthatdoestheyhaveengineeringbuttheirengineering
departmentisactuallyprettydamngood,too.
Swarthmorescostofattendanceisabout60k.Soundsscary,right?Fearnot.Amongstliberalarts
colleges,Swarthmorehasthefourthhighestendowment.Itisvaluedatover1.4billiondollars.
Swarthmorealsomeets100%ofeachstudentsdemonstratedneed.Whatdoes
thismean?ItmeansthatSwarthmoreiswillingtodoasmuchasittakestoget
youtobeapartoftheircommunity.Thus,youshouldapplytoSwarthmore
becauseitfostersacommunityoflearnedindividualsthatarenotthereto
competewitheachotherbuttoactuallylearn.
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32. TrinityCollege 20122013AcceptanceRate:31%
StudenttoFacultyRatio:10:1
MostofyouwillprobablylookdownatTrinityCollegejustbecauseitsnotwellknown,butitisa
topnotchschoolthatiscomparabletoeventhetopLACs.
HeressomekickassfactsaboutTrinity:
TheFirstYearProgramatTrinityCollegeisdesignedto
integratetheacademicandcommunitylifeoffirstyear
students.Theprogramincludesfirstyearseminarswhichare
designedtotrainstudentstowrite,discuss,andthinkcritically.
TrinityisamongthefewselectiveliberalartscollegesthatofferanABETaccreditedengineering
program.TrinityalsooffersaFiveYearEngineeringprogramwithRensselaerPolytechnicInstitute.
StudentschoosingthisprogramreceivetheB.S.degreeinengineeringfromTrinityafterfouryearsand
theM.S.degreefromRensselaerafterthefifthyear.
Approximately70%ofTrinityundergraduatesstudyabroadorinanotherU.S.citybeforegraduating,
mostforasemesteroracademicyear.
Trinitysfinancial,likemostoftheotherQuestBridgepartners,meets100%demonstratedneed,sodonot
beconcernedaboutmoneybecausetheyhaveitforyou.
TrinityCollegewillofferyouavarietyofopportunities,
alongwithanintelligentstudentbody,andyoushould
definitelyconsiderapplying!
Oh,andifyoureinterestedinvisitingthisawesomeschool,
applyfortheirflyinprogram!Itsfree!:)
http://www.trincoll.edu/StudentLife/Diversity/Pages/Preview.aspx
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33. TuftsUniversity 20122013AcceptanceRate:18.7%
StudenttoFacultyRatio:9:1
TuftsisSUCHagreatschool,andyoushouldreally
considerapplyinghere!Notonlyistheircampusbeautifulandina
greatlocation,buttheacademicsandfinancialaidarephenomenal.
Tobemorespecificthough,Tuftshasanawesomecourse
variety!Theresclassesforso,somanythings,frombugsto
massagetherapy,ANDyougetcreditforthem.Additionally,Tuftshasmany,manyresearchand
internshipopportunities,soifthatssomethingyoureparticularlyinterestedin,Tuftsisagreatoptionfor
you.BecauseofTuftslocation,youdalsohaveaccesstothegreatcityofBoston,whichisliterallyonly
sixmilesaway.Atthesametimethough,Tuftscampusisstillisolatedenoughtogiveyouthetruefeeling
ofbeingonacollegecampus.
Ifyouresomeonewhosinterestedinengineering,Tuftsisalsoaplaceyoushouldconsider
applyingto.TuftsoffersABETaccrediteddegreesineightareas,
ASWELLassevenuniqueadditionalmajors,including
EngineeringPhysics,EngineeringPsychology,andEnvironmental
Health.LikeTuftssCollegeofArtsandSciences,youllalsohad
aridiculouslylargenumberofopportunitiestoparticipatein
researchandinternshipsasanengineeringmajor.Tuftsisa
phenomenalchoiceforyourundergraduatestudies,regardlessofwhatyouwanttostudy!
Besidesgreatacademics,Tuftsalsohasanamazingcommunity.Tuftssstudentbodyis
consistentlyrankedasoneofthehappieststudentbodies,andthisisprobably
duetothefactthatTuftsisanincredibleschool.NotonlyareTuftsstudents
awesome,butTuftsdiningfoodisgloriousANDhealthy!Whilethisfactmay
seemirrelevant,butyouregoingtospendfouryearshere!
Lastly,Tuftshasamazingfinancialaid.Ifyourparentsmakeless
than60Kayear,Tuftswontevenincludeanyloansinyourfinancialaid
package!ApplytoTufts,guys!Theresnoreasonnotto!
AndifyouwanttovisitTuftsthisfall,forfree,applytoVoicesofTufts!Itsagreatexperience!
http://admissions.tufts.edu/voices
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34. UnionCollege 20112012AcceptanceRate:38%
StudenttoFacultyRatio:10:1
So,whatmakesUniondifferent?1)Incredibleacademics.Theclassroomsizesareverysmalland
incrediblydevotedprofessorswithlongofficehours.Furthermore,itseasytohave
aninterdisciplinarymajorortodesignyourownmajor.2)Funding.Although
studentsareintodoingtheirownthing,fundingisavailableforjustaboutanything.
Wanttostartaclub?Get10peopleandwriteabudget.Wanttoorganizeaprotest
inDC?GetanIEG(IntellectualEnrichmentGrant)and/oraSEG(Social
EnrichmentGrant)orfindfundingfromaparticulardepartment.3)TheMinervaSystem.Nooneknows
whereexactlythehousesystemwilltakeUnion,butithasthepotentialtoaddalottothecampus.
Theacademicsherearechallenging,whichissomethingUnionisveryfondof.Sinceitsfounding
in1795,Unionsacademicshavebeensomeofthestrongestinthecountry.Itsevidentfromthestudents
opinionsthatacademicsarethepriorityofthecollegeandoftheprofessors.Collegeismeanttobe
challenging,andtheprofessorsatUnionreallypushyoutonotonlyto
performwellontestsandtosucceedintheclassroom,butalsototrulyto
understandthematerial.Theprofessorsmakethemselvesavailable,dayor
night,oftengivingouthomephonenumbersandemailaddresses,andthey
areveryhelpfulwhenstudentsmeetwiththem.Beforefinals,professors
willusuallyhaveafewlatenightstudysessionsfortheirstudentsand
extensiveofficehours.Thiscomesinhandyduringsomeofthoselatenightcrammingsessionsorjust
whenyourefreakingoutbeforefinals.Classsizesaresmall,whichissomethingthatenhancesthe
classroomexperienceandoffersstudentstheopportunitytobecomemorethanjustanumber.
UnionCollegewasthefirstcollegetobecharteredbytheNewYorkBoardofRegents,andwas
alsothefirstliberalartscollegetoofferengineeringin1845.Evenifyourplansinvolveengineering,
considerUnionbecausetheyhaveprettysolidengineeringprogramsthey'reevenABETaccredited!
Lastly,Union'sfinancialaidisalsoprettyspectacular!They
promisetomeetfulldemonstratedneed,soifyougotoUnion,youwill
receiveaworldclasseducationforalowcost!Oh,andifyou're
worriedaboutyourtestscoresnotbeinguptofarforUnion,don'tbe.
They'reatestoptionalschool!
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35. UniversityofVirginia 20122013AcceptanceRate:29.4%
StudenttoFacultyRatio:16:1
Hello!ImgoingtotalktoyouabouttheUniversityofVirginia.Itwasmydreamschoolforfour
years.Everysingleyear,itseitherrankedasnumberoneortwofor
thepublicschools.AccordingtoWikipedia(andIknow,Iknowits
notareliablesource,butImusingitfortherestofmahlife),UVAis a
publicivy.Ifyouwantthewholecollegeexperience,gothere!There
aretonsofpartiesovertheweekends,itssizeisapproximately21,000
students,andtheclassesarereallyheartwarming.Iwenttoa
psychologyclassthereonce,andtheprofessorthattaughttheclasshadaoneononeconversationwithall
200+studentsonthefirstfewdaysofclassandaskedthemhowtheywouldvetaughttheclassandwhat
theyhopedtocontributetopsych.Ithoughtthatwasreallycoolbecause
apparently,duetothestudents,thatclassisdifferenteveryyear,and
whatintrotoanythingteacherwillsitdownandtalktoyouaboutwhat
youexpectoutofaclass?
Ialsowanttotalkabouttheview.Ohmahgod.Itskindaonahill,well
notreally.Themaincampgroundisonthehillandtherearebuildings
thatareontheslopesofthehills.Whenyouwakeupinthemorning,youcansmellthispinegreen,likethe
smellfromalogcabinresort.Also,ifyoulikevintage,theshopsarounditrepresentColonialWilliamsburg
andthefoodthereisawesome!
Last,butdefinitelynotleast,Iwannatalkaboutfinancialaid.First,UVAisoneoftheonlypublic
schoolsthatisneedblindandwillmeet100%ofyourneed.However,Ido
havetowarnyou,therecanbeloans(somepeoplegetthem,othersdontfor
somereason).Theirendowmentisntaslargeastheivies(familyincomeunder
40,000)buttheydotrytogiveyouscholarships.So,maybethisisntyourtop
choice,butitsdefinitelyaschoolyoushouldconsiderincaseyourother
schoolsdontworkoutasplanned.TheyLOVEquesties,sodefinitelyconsider
UVa!Ifyouhaveanyquestionsabouttheschool,oranythingingeneral,please
donthesitatetocontactKerryorme,JennyLi.Althoughifyouwanttoknowmoreabouttheclasses,
contactKerrybecauseshesgoingtherenextfall!Goodluckonyourcollegesearch!
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36. VassarCollege 20122013AcceptanceRate:23.1%
StudenttoFacultyRatio:8:1
Vassarisabeautifulliberalartscollege.WhenIvisited,studentsweregreat!Thecommunityisn't
competitiveit'sverynurturing.Studentsarentafraidtobethemselves,andthe
studentfacultyrelationshipisamazing.Sinceit'saLAC,studentsandprofessors
havetheopportunityknoweachother.Eachstudentisassignedanadvisoras
soonastheyarrive,andtheadvisoractsasamentor,guidingandadvisingeach
studenttomakesure(s)hesucceeds.Evenifyoudislikeyouradvisor,youcan
alwaysaskforadifferentoneyoucanevenrequestaprofessorinyourareaofstudy,gettoknow
him/herandfindresearchopportunitiesthatwaysincemostprofessorsareinvolvedinresearchatVassar.
Ifyoureinterestedinresearch,thereareplentyofopportunitiesoncampus!ApartfromwhatI've
mentioned,studentsalsohavetheopportunitytotakescienceresearchclassesbeginningtheirfirstyear,
wheretheyllbeassignedanadvisortohelpthemwiththeirresearch.
It'sanentireclassesdedicatedtoresearchsoyoudon'tevenhaveto
competeforit!Vassaralsohasresearch/internshipopportunities
duringthesummer.IntheUndergraduateResearchInstitute(USRI),
eachyear,over50studentsspend10weeksduringthesummerworkingwithfacultymembersfrom
anthropology,astronomy,biology,physics,psychology,etc.onresearchprojectsatVassar.Considering
therearentmanySTEMstudentsatVassar,beingoneofthe50isnotimpossibleatall!
Additionally,ifyouareinterestedinapreprofessionalstudies(premed,prelaw,etc),youwillalso
beassignedacareeradvisortoguideyouinchoosingclasses,andtoensurethatyougraduatein4years.
SinceVassarhasanopencurriculum,itisfairlyeasytocompletemajorrequirementsandprerequisitesfor
gradschool.HOWEVER,Vassarrequiresstudentstotake1/3oftheirclasses
outsideoftheirareaofstudy,whichhelpsstudentsbecomemorewellrounded
withoutforcingthemtotakespecificclassestocompleteasetcurriculum.
Vassarhasexcellentfinancialaid!Theyhaveanoloanpolicyfor
incomesof
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37. Washington&LeeUniversity 20112012AcceptanceRate:18%
StudenttoFacultyRatio:9:1
Notalotofpeopleknowmuchaboutthisschool,butinreality,Washington&Leeisawonderful
school:itscozy,itsliberalarts,anditsinLexington,Virginia.ItwasfoundedbyGeorgeWashingtonand
RobertE.Lee(hencethename)afterthecivilwar,soapparentlythereareghostslikeNearlyHeadless
Nick(sorry,HarryPotterfan)floatingaround.
OnethingthatreallymadeWashingtonandLeestandoutformewastheatmosphere.Everyone
wassofriendly!WhenIwaswalkingaroundcampusduringtheJohnsonWeekend,
peopleactuallysmiledatmeasIwalkedalong,saidgoodmorning,andevenaskedif
Iwaslost.Anotherplusaboutthisschoolisthatitissmall.Somemayseethatwasa
turnoff,butevenbasicfreshmenclasseslikeChem101orBio101havenomore
than20studentsinit,whichmeansisthatyouhavetheprofessorsattentionatall
times.Italsomakessecuringresearchsupereasy.W&Lhasmoreopportunitiesthanstudents!Italsohas
anamazingpremedadvisingandmorethan95%ofstudentsgetintomedschool.Anotherthing,thougha
lotofyoumaybeputoffthetermfraternityorsorority,80%ofkidsatW&Lareinone.Whatthis
meansisthatitisnotsomethingthatisexclusiveitssimplythenormandsoyoudonthavethattypical
elitisthierarchy.Asforthosewhoarentswornin,theysaytheydontfeelthedifferenceatall!
OneofthemostdefiningfactorsofW&Lisitshonorsystem.StudentsREALLYvalueit.Noone
lockstheirdormsbecausetheyknownothingwillbestolen.Ifyouleavealaptopinthelibraryandwalk
away,youknowitllbethere.Ifyoutellyourprofessoryouvebeensickduringexamweek,theyllallow
youtotaketheEXAMINYOURROOM.Yes,THEYTRUSTYOUENOUGHtoknowyouwont
cheat.Allschoolexamsarealsoselfproctoredbystudents!
HonestyisabigthingatW&L.
Financialaidwise,theyareamazing.IwenttotheJohnson
Weekend,theyflewmeoutthereforfree,andfedmewith
theiramazingfood.Ifyoureinvitedtotheweekendyou
knowyouareadmittedandthatyouwillgetclosetoafullride.Theweekenditselfisgreatforlearning
moreabouttheschoolandtheinterviewprocessisintwoparts:oneatnightyou+3/4facultymembers
orcurrentstudentsquizzingyouandonethenextmorning4ofyouguys+oneofthemseeinghowwell
youworkinagroup.Overall,itisagreatschoolandseriouslyunderrated!Apply!
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38. WashingtonUniversityinSt.Louis 20112012AcceptanceRate:18%
StudenttoFacultyRatio:7:1
ThisisWashingtonUniversityinSt.Louis!Althoughit'snotaswellknownasotherinstitutionsin
America(probablybecauseit'snotaspublicized),WUSTLisan
amazingtop15university!
WUSTL'sSchoolofMedicineisoutofthisworld.They
haveaguaranteedmedicalprogram(likeBrownand
Northwestern)calledtheUniversityScholarsProgram,andtomy
knowledge,thisisthehighestrankedmedicalschooltobe
affiliatedinaguaranteedmedicalprogram!Allyoupremedsoontobeseniorsshoulddefinitelyconsider
applyingtothisprogram.Mybiggestregretaboutthewholecollegeadmissionsprocessisnotgiving
myselfthechanceinapplyingtotheseguaranteedmedprograms!
Thinkabouthowsetyouwouldbeifyouknowyou'llbegettingyour
M.D.8yearsinadvance!
WUSTLalsohaspossiblythebestdormsinthenation.Theyhave
actualmaidservicelikeyou'relivinginahotel.Soareyoumessy?
NOPROBLEM.Someonewillactuallybetheretocleanyourroom
foryou!!
Inaddition,WUSTLalsohasagreatalumninetworkandoutofthisworldpostcollegeadvising
programwheretheyhelpyoufindjobs.Myregionaldirectortoldmethatsomeridiculouslyhigh
percentageofWUSTLSeniorsusethisadvisingprogramanditworkswonders.Unemploymentisnotan
option.>:)
Lastly,WUSTLhasgreatfinancialaid.Notonlydothey
meetfulldemonstratedbuttheyalsohaveanoloanpolicyfor
lowincomestudents.Together,thismakesWashingtonUniversity
inSt.Louisoneofthemostaffordableschoolsyoucouldapplyto,
soIwouldstronglyurgeyoutoapply!
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39. WellesleyCollege 20122013AcceptanceRate:28.16%
StudenttoFacultyRatio:8:1
Evenifyouthinkyouwouldntwanttoattendawomenscollege,Isuggestyoustillapplybecause
theyreactuallyprettyawesome,especiallyWellesley!Remember,applying
doesntmeancommitting!Ifyoureaccepted,theyhaveSpringOpenCampus
andtheypayforyourtraveling,soyoucanseewhetherWellesleyis
somewhereyoucouldspendfouryearsat.:)
Now,forspecificsonwhyyoushouldapply.Firstoff,Wellesleys
campusisnotonlybreathtakingbutalsoatagreatlocation!Theyrelocatedin
asuburbofBoston,whichmeansyouhaveaccesstosomanyresourcesbut
atthesametime,youhavethisquietandwonderfulcampustogetawayfromthecrazinessofBoston.
Wellesleywillofferyouamazingresources,especiallywithitsstrongnetworkofwomen.
InternshipsarearemarkablepartoftheWellesleyexperience,especiallywiththeScienceCenter!
Wellesleysacademicsarephenomenal.AsMITssisterschool,Wellesleywomenareallowedto
crossregistertherewithasmanycoursesastheywant,whichnotonlyopensuptheopportunityof
meetingevenmorephenomenalprofessorsbutalsosomeoftheresearchopportunitiesavailabletoMIT.
WellesleywomencanalsocrossregisteratBabson,Olin,andBrandeis!Classesareincrediblysmall
evenintroclasses,whichareusually200students,arenomore
than35studentsatWellesley,whichwillgiveyoutheopportunity
togettoknowyourprofessorsbetter,whom,bytheway,arealso
recognizedforbeingsomeofthebestprofessorsinthenation.
WhatIbelieveismostdistinctaboutWellesley,however,arethe
studentbodyandlearningenvironment.Wellesleyemphasizesapassionforlearning,sotheychoose
womeneagertolearn,whichisoneofthereasonsIapplied.Notonlythat,buttheWellesleystudentbody
isincrediblypassionateanddiverse.EveryoneIknowwhohasbeenacceptedtherehadapassionfor
somethingbeyondthemselves,andIbelievethatiswhyWellesleyhassuchadistinctstudentbody.
Inshort,ItrulyrecommendapplyingtoWellesley!Itsagreatschoolwithgreatresources,andI
trulyencourageyoutogiveWellesleyashot!Oh,andHillaryClintonwentthere!
Lastly,ifyouwanttovisitthismagnificentschoolforfree,applyfortheirtravelgrant!
http://new.wellesley.edu/admission/falltravelgrant
http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fnew.wellesley.edu%2Fadmission%2Ffalltravelgrant&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNHleO4FoXeIuIYxPQhsEBOMPvnYhw
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40. WesleyanUniversity 20122013AcceptanceRate:19.37%
StudenttoFacultyRatio:8:1
WesleyanUniversityisaliberalartscollegeinMiddletown,Connecticut,andweencourageyouto
apply!WesleyanistheonlyCollegeinthenationthat
emphasizesundergraduateinstructionintheartsandsciences,
alsoprovidesgraduateresearchinmanyacademicdisciplines,
andgrantsPhDdegreesprimarilyinthesciencesandmath.
Wesleyanischaracterizedbythesimultaneousfreedomandseriousnessassociatedwithits
academics.Whilestudentscertainlyliketohaveagoodtime,theyputacademicsfirstnotbecausethey
areobsessedwithgrades,butbecausetheyaretrulyinterestedinwhattheyarestudying.Wesleyan
studentspursueaselfdirectedcurriculumandhaveremarkableopportunitiestoconductresearchwith
professorswhoareleadersintheirfields.Thisconducesavibrant,intellectualenvironmentwherestudents
arecollaboratingwitheachotherratherthancompeting.
Professorsareverypresentandavailabletostudents,andmostaresuperfriendlyitwouldnotbe
unusualforaprofessortoinvitehisorherstudentstohavelunchwithhim/hertocontinueadiscussion
fromclass.Wesleyanhasaveryextensivestudyabroadprogram.What'ssoawesomeaboutthestudy
abroadprogramisthatistravelingabroadiscoveredbytuition.HousingatWesleyanisamongthebestin
thecountry,anditgetsbetterandbettereveryyear.
ManystudentsparticipateintheTwelveCollegeExchange
program,whichallowsforstudyforasemesterorayearat
anotherofthetwelvecollegecampuses:Amherst,Bowdoin,
ConnecticutCollege,Dartmouth,MountHolyoke,Smith,Trinity,
Vassar,Wellesley,Wheaton,andWilliams.Evenifyoure
interestedinengineering,Wesleyanoffers32programsin
engineeringwiththeCaliforniaInstituteofTechnologyand
ColumbiaUniversity'sSchoolofEngineering.Theseprogramsallowundergraduatestoreceivedegreesin
fiveyearsfrombothWesleyanandCaltechorColumbia.Lastly,Wesleyanpromisestomeet100%
demonstratedneed,sodontworryaboutnotbeingabletopayforyourwonderfuleducationthere!
Also,ifyouwanttovisitWesleyan,forfree,applytotheirtravelgrantprogram!!!
http://www.wesleyan.edu/admission/visiting_campus/transportation_assistance.html