<p>hey guys, I'm having a little college crisis here... I know this is super long, but I would appreciate it if you could give advice on any small part of my thread. any help would be appreciated to the max! and anyone in a similar situation on any level (can't decide which school, scared of pre-med, worried about making friends, doesn't like drunkenness, worried about faith surviving, etc.), I'd love to discuss.</p>
<p>Here's a little about me: I go to a small, Catholic school on the west coast. I'm used to being surrounded by similarly minded people, and sunshine, and my family, and beaches. I'm also used to being the smartest in my class (of 12 kids...:p). I have a 2340 SAT (800CR, 800M, 740W), 4.0 unweighted GPA, and I take the hardest classes my school offers. I have good ECs and leadership: varsity volleyball w/ 3 years as captain, 4 years stuco and current Pres, founded and pres of pro-life club, intern for pro-life organization. I want to study liberal studies, american studies, and pre med, with the hope of becoming a doctor, lawyer, or teacher. I love the environment I'm in now, but I'm ready for a change. I'm ready to break out of my comfortable little bubble and be in the real world. Here's my dilemma.</p>
<p>1) I don't know if I'm academically prepared. I've always been at the top at my school, which is very strong in liberal arts but not so hot in the sciences. I'm worried at a top school I won't be able to handle pre-med.</p>
<p>2) I'm worried I won't make friends. I'm not into the whole party scene with drunkenness and hook-ups. I love dancing and I don't mind drinking, and I'm not anti-social at all. I love having a good time, just being drunk and having sex with some random guy isn't my idea of having fun.</p>
<p>3) I don't really have any idea which college I want to go to. Here are my choices and my reasons for liking/disliking the schools.</p>
<p>--Notre Dame: +good balance of Catholic/real world, +very good academics, but not out of my league, +I might be a Hesburgh-Yusko Scholar (currently a semifinalist awaiting the skype interview), +my sister and a few friends go there, +I love the campus especially the Grotto, +football, +Program of Liberal Studies, Dept of American Studies, -I went to the summer scholars program and I didn't fall in love the way many people seemed to, -drinking, -South Bend is in the middle of nowhere, -cold!</p>
<p>--Georgetown: +DC, +American Studies (esp in DC!), +Catholic, +academics are prob not out of my league, +DC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, +beautiful campus, +Program of Liberal Studies, +more prestigious than ND but Catholic, -calls itself Catholic but doesn't really act Catholic sometimes)</p>
<p>--Princeton: +best undergraduate college in U.S., +James Madison Program is exactly the American Studies/Liberal Studies that I want, +good Catholic club, +on east coast so near a bunch of major cities, -cold!, -though there's a good Catholic club, the atmosphere of the college as a whole isn't Catholic, -majorly intimidating</p>
<p>--Stanford: +California, +social dances, +Catholic club, +American Studies, +SLE, +beautiful campus with beautiful chapel, -very intimidating</p>
<p>--University of Chicago: +Chicago, +HIPS major, +I'm so down with the "where fun goes to die" reputation, -same as above with Catholic stuff, -intimidating, -I've heard from some people the intellectual atmosphere is weird but I don't know exactly what they meant.</p>
<p>If you read all the way down here, you get 100,000,000,000 brownie points. Thank you.</p>