advice/input for my college search

<p>Hi all,</p>

<p>Next academic year I will be a high school senior, but as of right now I have absolutely no idea of what college I want to attend, or if I even want to go to college. If any one has any advice or input, I would really appreciate it.</p>

<p>My great interest is foreign language, and I definitely want to do translation work, but I see myself doing that on more of a freelancing/part time basis. I should probably pair language skills with something else; business, law, international relations, etc. but the problem is I'm interested in everything. Right now I'm looking for large schools with strong foreign language programs and good programs in many other areas of study. I would really like to attend an urban school. Currently I'm looking at public schools- I couldn't afford private unless I won a lot of scholarships.</p>

<p>Quick stats: Pennsylvania resident, 3.9 GPA unweighted, 4.5 weighted, class rank unknown (school doesn't do them)</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>
[quote]
Currently I'm looking at public schools- I couldn't afford private unless I won a lot of scholarships.

[/quote]
I think you could get into some of the schools that guarantee to meet full demonstrated need. How'd you do on the standardized tests?</p>

<p>I don't know...I just took the SAT a few weeks ago and haven't gotten scores back yet.</p>

<p>Here is a list of top national universities sorted by the proportion of bachelors graduates who majored in foreign languages. based on 2004 IPEDS data.</p>

<p>university, SAT 75th percentile, total bachelors graduates, number of foreign language graduates, proportion of foreign language graduates</p>

<p>GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY 1470 1670 120 0.07
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO 1530 1014 72 0.07
BROWN UNIVERSITY 1520 1490 93 0.06
DARTMOUTH COLLEGE 1550 1064 63 0.06
BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY 1320 6829 312 0.05
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST LOUIS 1520 1634 78 0.05
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK 1560 1804 72 0.04
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY 1560 1114 48 0.04
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA-MAIN CAMPUS 1430 3207 121 0.04
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON-SEATTLE CAMPUS 1310 7194 315 0.04
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON 1390 6336 239 0.04
VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY 1440 1514 57 0.04
COLLEGE OF WILLIAM AND MARY 1440 1418 37 0.03
DUKE UNIVERSITY 1530 1539 39 0.03
HARVARD UNIVERSITY 1580 1797 49 0.03
SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY 1300 1397 36 0.03
STANFORD UNIVERSITY 1550 1713 47 0.03
THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN 1340 8917 245 0.03
TUFTS UNIVERSITY 1470 1336 44 0.03
TULANE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 1435 1452 49 0.03
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-BERKELEY 1450 6650 179 0.03
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-SANTA BARBARA 1300 4564 144 0.03
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AT BOULDER 1280 5196 175 0.03
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA-TWIN CITIES 1280 6049 170 0.03
UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH-MAIN CAMPUS 1330 3861 97 0.03
UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER 1410 1174 34 0.03</p>

<p>Here is a list of top liberal arts colleges sorted by the proportion of bachelors graduates who majored in foreign languages. based on 2004 IPEDS data.</p>

<p>college, SAT 75th percentile, total bachelors graduates, number of bachelors in foreign languages, proportion of foreign language graduates
DICKINSON COLLEGE 1370 512 65 0.13
BRYN MAWR COLLEGE 1410 299 32 0.11
SWEET BRIAR COLLEGE 1255 132 13 0.1
HAMILTON COLLEGE 1420 457 43 0.09
GRINNELL COLLEGE 1490 367 31 0.08
WELLESLEY COLLEGE 1460 603 46 0.08
AMHERST COLLEGE 1550 428 32 0.07
BELOIT COLLEGE 1300 261 19 0.07
BOWDOIN COLLEGE 1460 414 31 0.07
MACALESTER COLLEGE 1450 428 30 0.07
SMITH COLLEGE 1370 688 49 0.07
WELLS COLLEGE 1230 91 6 0.07
COLLEGE OF THE HOLY CROSS 1350 675 39 0.06
EARLHAM COLLEGE 1340 249 16 0.06
HAVERFORD COLLEGE 1460 323 18 0.06
HOLLINS UNIVERSITY 1280 189 11 0.06
KNOX COLLEGE 1340 265 15 0.06
MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE 1500 632 40 0.06
REED COLLEGE 1460 310 19 0.06
SWARTHMORE COLLEGE 1530 364 23 0.06
AUSTIN COLLEGE 1340 310 14 0.05
CARLETON COLLEGE 1480 455 24 0.05
COLBY COLLEGE 1430 486 25 0.05
COLGATE UNIVERSITY 1430 646 32 0.05
DAVIDSON COLLEGE 1440 426 22 0.05
DEPAUW UNIVERSITY 1320 522 26 0.05
FURMAN UNIVERSITY 1370 643 32 0.05
HOPE COLLEGE 1260 638 30 0.05
LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY 1340 314 17 0.05
SEWANEE: THE UNIVERSITY OF THE SOUTH 1320 313 17 0.05
UNIVERSITY OF PUGET SOUND 1355 579 31 0.05
WABASH COLLEGE 1310 181 9 0.05
WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY 1450 398 19 0.05
WHEATON COLLEGE 1420 604 30 0.05
WHITMAN COLLEGE 1440 337 16 0.05
WILLAMETTE UNIVERSITY 1340 420 21 0.05
AGNES SCOTT COLLEGE 1300 204 9 0.04
AUGUSTANA COLLEGE 1300 540 22 0.04
BARNARD COLLEGE 1430 600 24 0.04
DENISON UNIVERSITY 1330 514 18 0.04
GETTYSBURG COLLEGE 1340 597 25 0.04
GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS COLLEGE 1260 703 31 0.04
HANOVER COLLEGE 1280 217 9 0.04
KALAMAZOO COLLEGE 1380 285 10 0.04
PRINCIPIA COLLEGE 1270 113 4 0.04
RANDOLPH-MACON COLLEGE 1210 235 9 0.04
TRINITY COLLEGE 1400 492 18 0.04
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND 1390 757 32 0.04
WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY 1490 722 30 0.04
BATES COLLEGE 1420 450 14 0.03
BENNINGTON COLLEGE 1300 129 4 0.03
CENTRE COLLEGE 1340 258 9 0.03
COLORADO COLLEGE 1380 523 16 0.03
CONNECTICUT COLLEGE 1400 452 14 0.03
DREW UNIVERSITY 1320 359 10 0.03
FRANKLIN AND MARSHALL COLLEGE 1360 433 14 0.03
HENDRIX COLLEGE 1340 230 8 0.03
KENYON COLLEGE 1420 399 12 0.03
MILLSAPS COLLEGE 1290 225 6 0.03
MUHLENBERG COLLEGE 1320 595 18 0.03
OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE 1360 459 14 0.03
PITZER COLLEGE 1330 207 6 0.03
POMONA COLLEGE 1530 394 13 0.03
PRESBYTERIAN COLLEGE 1240 268 8 0.03
RHODES COLLEGE 1370 334 10 0.03
SAINT OLAF COLLEGE 1340 708 24 0.03
SCRIPPS COLLEGE 1440 172 5 0.03
SKIDMORE COLLEGE 1340 597 19 0.03
ST LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY 1250 499 14 0.03
URSINUS COLLEGE 1320 361 12 0.03
VASSAR COLLEGE 1460 614 21 0.03
WILLIAMS COLLEGE 1520 531 17 0.03</p>