Great colleges you may not have

considered - until now!

Heather Lampron

Paula Macias-Gonzalez

“Too often college choices are made based on

false perceptions, misinformation, or a lack of

information-and these uninformed choices have

led to higher dropout, transfer, and failure rates

in higher education”. www.CTCL.org Lampron & Macias-Gonzalez, 2013

A Few Myths About Colleges

• Colleges are either good or bad

• Future employers and graduate schools

give an edge to graduates from prestigious

universities

• Schools that cost more are higher quality

• The tougher it is to get into a school, the

higher the quality of education

• A good college is hard to get into

Lampron & Macias-Gonzalez, 2013

Some College Selection Myths

• I’m a failure if I don't get in to ____________

• Some secret strategy can get me admitted to

__________________

• Test scores are the most important thing when

applying to college

• Colleges always choose the "best" students

• There is only one right college out there for me

Lampron & Macias-Gonzalez, 2013

OPTIONS, OPTIONS, OPTIONS!

• Ivy League

• Top colleges that rival the Ivy League

• Religious, minority, liberal arts focused

• Service Learning: colleges with a conscience

• Cool colleges for the unique personalities

• Colleges that change lives

• Cooperative Education

• Aviation, aeronautics, military academies

• Best colleges for B students

• Eco Schools

If the school fits.....

Lampron & Macias-Gonzalez, 2013

• Faculty - high level of full-time faculty, accessibility, opportunities to work with faculty, low faculty to undergraduate ratio, endowed chairs, diversity

• Outcomes - retention and graduation rate, successful graduation school admission, recruitment, employment

• Student body - selectivity, diversity, personality and culture

• Prestigious, rigorous, highly selective

Let’s compare…

A State University

• 45,072 applied

• 40% accepted

• 85% had job offers within 6 months after graduation

An Ivy University

• 30,383 applied

• 21% accepted

• 52% had job offers within 6 months after graduation

Retrieved from Peterson's 440 Colleges for Top Students

What are my odds of getting in?

For Ivy League schools and other top

universities and colleges:

• Acceptance rates are at an all-time low

• Application rates are at an all-time high

For example, for the class of 2017:

• Harvard, 5.89%, 35,000 applicants

• Cornell, 15% of 40,000 applicants

• Princeton, 7% of 26000 applicants

• Stanford, 5.69% of 38,000 applicants

Are you saying I shouldn’t apply to a “name” university?

Cast your net widely!

• Reach - Dream school (s), Early Decision?

• Match - Fit, academic record, test scores

• Safety - Be sure it is a school you would attend!

So.... Let’s expand your search!

And find the top school for you!!

Top State Schools

Originally, eight public schools that rival the Ivy League were nicknamed the “Public Ivies”:

• College of William & Mary (Williamsburg, Virginia)

• Miami University (Oxford, Ohio)

• University of California (campuses as of 1985)

• University of Michigan (Ann Arbor)

• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

• University of Texas at Austin

• University of Vermont (Burlington)

• University of Virginia (Charlottesville)

Top State Schools - West

• University of Arizona (Tucson)

• University of Colorado at Boulder

• University of Washington (Seattle)

Northeastern Top State Schools

• Pennsylvania State University (University Park)

• Rutgers University (New Brunswick, New Jersey)

• State University of New York at Binghamton (also known as

Binghamton University)

• University of Connecticut (Storrs)

Mid-Atlantic Top State Schools

• University of Delaware (Newark)

• University of Maryland (College Park)

• College of William & Mary (Williamsburg, Virginia)

• University of Virginia (Charlottesville)

Great Lakes/MI Top State Schools

• Indiana University (Bloomington)

• Miami University (Oxford, Ohio)

• Michigan State University (East Lansing)

• The Ohio State University (Columbus)

• University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign)

• University of Iowa (Iowa City)

• University of Michigan (Ann Arbor)

• University of Minnesota (Minneapolis–Saint Paul)

• University of Wisconsin (Madison)

Southern Top State Schools

• University of Florida (Gainesville)

• University of Georgia (Athens)

• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

• University of Texas at Austin

What is a liberal arts college?

Highlighting Some Liberal Arts Schools

• Rigorous, excellent schools with unique and innovative

approaches to education

• Classes taught by professors, not TA’s, opportunities

for out-of-classroom learning opportunities, holistic

admission policies, etc.

Examples of a few innovative and Exceptional Colleges

• Reed College, Portland, OR, Independent Study,

rigorous academics

• St. Olaf, Northfield, MN, Global perspective, study

abroad, Lutheran faith

• Bates College, Lewiston, ME, Ideas and principles

• Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA, “Down-to-earth

high achievers”

A few liberal arts colleges that rival the Ivy League - Northeast

• Amherst College

• Barnard College

• Bates College

• Boston College

• Bowdoin College

• Bryn Mawr College

• Bucknell University

• Colby College

• Colgate University

• Hamilton College

• Haverford College

• Lafayette College

• Lehigh University

• Middlebury College

• Mount Holyoke College

• Smith College

• Swarthmore College

• Trinity College

• Tufts University

• University of Rochester

• Vassar College

• Wellesley College

• Wesleyan University

• Williams College

Some Top Liberal Arts Colleges - South

• Davidson College

• Duke University

• Emory University

• Georgetown University

• Johns Hopkins University

• Rice University

• Tulane University

• University of Richmond

• Vanderbilt University

• Wake Forest University

• Washington and Lee University

Some Top Colleges - Midwest

• Carleton College

• Grinnell College

• Kenyon College

• Macalester College

• Northwestern University

• University of Chicago

• University of Notre Dame

• Oberlin College

• Washington University in St. Louis

Some Top Colleges - West

• Colorado College

• Pomona College

• Reed College

• Stanford University

Highlighting a few unique colleges

• Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL, THINKOUTSIDE

• Haverford College, Haverford, PA, Honor Code,

Independence, Curiosity, Confidence

• Beloit College, Beloit, WI, Long tradition of internship and

research

• St. Mary’s College, Moraga, CA, Committed to social

justice, respect for all persons, and the power of education to transform lives

A few additional Groupings of Excellence

• Black Ivy League

• Jesuit Ivy

• Little Three

• Little Ivies

• Seven Sisters

• Southern Ivies

• Military Academies

The Eco League

A commitment to environmental learning

• Alaska Pacific University, Anchorage, AK

• Antioch College, Yellow Springs, OH

• College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, ME

• Green Mountain College, Poultney, VT

• Northland College, Ashland, WI

• Prescott College, Prescott, AZ

Cooperative Learning

• Co-op - short for "cooperative education”

• Gain professional experience related to their major or

career interest

• With employers across the United States and

countries around the world

• Internship Video, Northeastern University

http://www.northeastern.edu/experiential-

learning/cooperative-

education/multimedia/awards2013.html

Some schools with Cooperative Education and Internships

To list a few:

• Clarkson University

• Drexel University

• Eastern Kentucky U.

• Johnson & Wales University

• Kettering University

• Lane Community College

• Long Island University

• Merrimack College

• Miami Dade College

• RIT

• Northeast University

• University of Cincinnati

• University of Mass-Lowell

• University of Toledo

• Wentworth Institute

Colleges and universities committed to:

• social responsibility

• community and public service

• civic engagement on their campuses

• meaningful experience in college

• Public mission of higher education

• Educating citizens

California Service Learning Schools

• Azusa Pacific University

• Biola University

• University of San Diego

• Pepperdine

• UC San Diego

• Cal State San Marcos

• San Diego State University

• University of Redlands

• and many more!

Service Learning Outside California

• Cornell University, New York

• University of Nevada, Reno

• Montana State University

• University of Michigan

• Northeastern University, Massachusetts

• Tulane University, Louisiana

• Spelman College, Georgia

• University of Colorado

• University of Miami, Florida

Great Schools for B Students Regional Universities (West Region)

• Loyola Marymount U.

• Gonzaga University

• Mills College

• Seattle University

• University of Portland

• St. Mary's College of California

• University of Redlands

• University of Dallas

• Seattle Pacific University

• Point Loma Nazarene

• California Lutheran U.

• Western Washington U.

• Westminster College

• LeTourneau University

• Regis University

• University of St. Thomas

Western Undergraduate Exchange WUE

• Reduced tuition rate – discounted or resident tuition

• At participating colleges programs

• Reduced tuition rate is NOT automatically awarded

• Many institutions limit the number each year

• Soooooooo, apply early!

WUE STATES

• Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming

• Visit the website for participating colleges

• http://wiche.edu/wue

Some Fit Categories To Consider

• Type of school

• Selectivity

• Location, Setting, Size of student body

• Diversity

• Class size, access to professors

• Opportunities for work study, research

• Internships/ co-op learning

• Majors, honors, double majors, design your own

• Sports, activities, clubs, organizations

Some “unique” selection categories

Pranks

Rodeo programs

Secret societies

Wacky traditions

Haunted campuses

Why is fit so important?

College applications are an investment:

• Cost

• Match

• Time

Instead of “Can I get in?”

Let’s add:

• Do I want to go there?

• Why am I going to college?

• What do I hope to get out of this experience?

• Which colleges and universities can help me reach my goals?

College Search Options

1. Naviance Family Connection

2. bigfuture.collegeboard.org/college-search

3. Colleges That Change Lives, ctcl.org

4. College and University websites

5. Some have virtual tours online, Ex. Eckerd

6. Books, Library

7. School Counseling Center

8. Tours

9. Alumni

Type of School

• 2 year or 4 year

• Public or private

• Size

• Coed or single sex

• Religious affiliation

Location

• Location

• Proximity to home

• Specific regions

• Setting

• Urban or rural

• Commuter or residential

• Guaranteed on campus housing

Learning Environment 1. Majors

2. Double majors

3. Design your own

4. Learning Environments

5. Internships

6. Research and mentorship opportunities

7. Honors

8. Study abroad

9. Living learning communities

Activities, Interests

• Sports

• Men’s, women’s, intramural

• Activities

• Music

• Drama

• Film

• Radio station student newspaper

• Sorority, fraternity

• Academic societies and clubs

Selectivity

• Varies in Reach, Match, and Safety selections

• Open admission (all or most admitted)

• Less selective (>75% admitted)

• Somewhat selective (50–75% admitted)

• Very selective (25–50% admitted)

• Most selective (<25% admitted)

What should I look for during a tour?

• Attend informational sessions

• Take an organized tour

• Sit in a few classes if possible

• Ask current students what they like about the school and what

they’d change

• Talk to professors in your area of interest

• Talk to coaches, club and society leaders

• Check out media, website, radio, newspaper

• Explore the surrounding community

What’s the REAL cost?

• COST Sticker Price

• Find Out Your Net Price of College

– Every college and university has an online net price calculator

• Consider the entire financial aid package

Online Resources

• Campus Compact and the Princeton Review, Educating Citizens, Building Communities, http://www.compact.org

• CollegeBoard.org

– College search. https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/college-search

– Campus visit guide https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/find-colleges/campus-visit-guide

– Campus Visit Checklist. https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/find-colleges/campus-visit-guide/campus-visit-checklist

– College Ed College Planning Program. https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/get-started/educator-resource-center/collegeed-college-planning-program

– You can go! http://youcango.collegeboard.org

• CollegeMapper.com. Map your education. http://www.collegemapper.com

• Colleges That Change Lives, http://www.ctcl.org

• Cooperative Education and Internship Association Search Directory, (Note: Search by city, state, name, or leave search fields blank to list all schools) http://www.ceiainc.org/directory.asp?PageID=261

• The Eco League, www.ecoleague.org

• Fastweb! Paying for school just got easier, Fastweb.com

• Scholarship.com. (2013). Non-academic college scholarships. Scholarships aren't just for "A students" anymore. http://www.scholarships.com/financial-aid/college-scholarships/scholarships-by-type/non-academic-college-scholarships-scholarships-arent-just-for-a-students-anymore/

• ScholarshipMonkey.com

• U. S. News & World Report. Compare 5 top scholarship engines. http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/the-scholarship-coach/2011/01/20/compare-5-top-scholarship-search-engines

• U. S. News & World Report. (2013) . Best college rankings and lists. http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings

• Work College Consortium, http://www.workcolleges.org

Thank you!