<p>I want to go to a school that will teach me to think critically, write well, and be a place where I can grow both as a scholar and as a human being. I don't care about prestige, I don't care about location. Please suggest schools.</p>
<p>Maybe one of those Colleges that Changes Lives…</p>
<p>What kind of major or career do you want?</p>
<p>I plan on going to law school. What from what i’ve gathered the prestige of UG institutions matters little in LS admissions, so I am just looking for a school that will train me well in the arts.</p>
<p>Well, there are a bunch of things to consider.</p>
<p>Do you like small classes? If that’s the case, you might want to look into a liberal arts college, which are very good with the whole “critical thinking and writing” thing, and certainly will provide you with scholarship and humanity.</p>
<p>Much as you may not care about prestige, there is a pretty strong correlation between selectivity and school quality. If you have the grades - and the money - you might be really happy at a school like Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, Pomona, Carleton, and others like those.</p>
<p>If money is a concern (which it might well be), you can certainly get a very strong education at a state school (depending on what state you’re from). I’m not sure how most schools work, but I know my local university (Washington) has an honors college that functions much like a traditional liberal arts college, so you might be happy there.</p>
<p>The truth is that there are dozens, if not hundreds, of schools that can teach you critical thinking and writing skills, and will provide you with a place to grow and develop. You need to decide what other factors are important to you in order to formulate a list.</p>
<p>My recipe for a “good, solid education”:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Pick a school that you love, stand a good chance of admission, can afford, and that offers a strong program in your intended major. (Pick several, because you may not get into your first choice.) If you don’t yet have an intended major, pick a school that makes it easy to explore choices. Don’t sweat prestige.</p></li>
<li><p>When you get there, enroll in the most challenging courses you can: for your GEs, in your major, and for your electives.</p></li>
<li><p>Work your tail off. Do more than is necessary for the grade. Interact with your professors at every opportunity. Look for opportunities to open your mind and stretch your intellect.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>*I plan on going to law school. What from what i’ve gathered the prestige of UG institutions matters little in LS admissions, so I am just looking for a school that will train me well in the arts. *</p>
<p>Good. </p>
<p>What is your budget? How much will your parents pay?</p>
<p>What are your stats?</p>
<p>Stats:</p>
<p>3.2 GPA
2100 SAT
Black Male (apparently this is a plus)</p>
<p>My parents can’t pay a single red dime, so I’ll need a school that will fund my education or give me nice loans. I don’t have a reason for why my GPA is low, and no it’s not a function of my school’s rigor, I just simply have always been a B student. Other than that I have solid extracurriculars, solid letters of recommendation, and what I hope to be compelling essays to possibly tip the balance against the “low” GPA. Also my grade trend has NOT been going up, rather my grades are more wavy (some semesters up, some semesters down) and I have one or two C’s and D’s, a few B’s, and quite a bit of A’s. So I’ll need a college that looks at the whole person and not just individual grades</p>
<p>My parents can’t pay a single red dime,</p>
<p>Does that mean that you’re low income …or does that mean that your parents do have a good income, but they can’t pay anything?</p>
<p>Is that your weighted GPA?</p>
<p>That is my unweighted GPA. My school does not weigh GPAs. And yes, my parents cannot pay because they are unable not because they are unwilling.</p>
<p>* And yes, my parents cannot pay because they are unable not because they are unwilling.*</p>
<p>please clarify. I didn’t ask if they are “unwilling”…I asked if they have a good income, but they are still unable to pay…or are they low income.</p>
<p>Anyway…assuming that they are low income (like $40k or below), then hopefully some here can recommend some schools that give GREAT financial aid and they want more male AA’s for diversity.</p>
<p>I think my mom makes around 50K. My dad doesn’t make anything. </p>
<p>Any school suggestions would be nice.</p>
<p>Have you run a calculator to estimate what your Family EFC will be? This site has one–I don’t know why it is still asking for 2009 data. If your EFC is more than your parents can/will pay then you need to be aware.</p>
<p>Some schools offer very good need based aid but these schools are often extremely competitive and admits rates are low. Some D’s could put you out of the running. Though you are going to be a desirable demographic at many places.</p>
<p>Are you an athlete by any chance? What state are you from? What is your class rank?</p>
<p>It does sound like an LAC would suit your needs very well.</p>
<p>It is certainly possible for you to get into some great schools if you focus on your essays and present yourself in the right light. My GPA was similar to yours and I did just fine (no upward trend here either), and your URM status will give you an additional boost that I didn’t have. I also needed even more money and applied as an international, so I definitely think you’re in a better situation than me. Which is not to say that you should expect miracles, but there’s definitely a chance things will turn out well for you, imo. Just pick your schools wisely.</p>
<p>I was going to suggest you check out QuestBridge, but then I remembered most QuestBridge scholars are in the top 10% of their classes, and it doesn’t sound like you’re near the top of yours. I’d still recommend two of QB’s partners, though, Oberlin and Haverford, as reach schools that *might *consider you anyway.</p>
<p>Chech out the Colleges that Change Lives, as someone else suggested. Here:</p>
<p>[Colleges</a> That Change Lives | Changing Lives, One Student at a Time](<a href=“http://www.ctcl.org/]Colleges”>http://www.ctcl.org/)</p>
<p>Hopefully you’ll find a school that will give you sufficient aid. Good luck!</p>
<p>ETA: Consider retaking the SAT if you can afford it and think you can still expect some improvement. A higher SAT score isn’t going to erase your transcript, but with a 3.2 GPA you need every possible advantage.</p>
<p>Another great resource is Choosing the Right College: The Whole Truth About America’s Top Schools. Your public library might have a copy.</p>
<p>Romulus, what state are you a resident of?</p>
<p>I wonder if Howard or Morehouse would give this young man a big merit scholarship for his SAT?</p>
<p>Also…Loyola Maryland seems to be very generous to AAs because they want diversity.</p>
<p>Also…look at DePauw (good aid!) …and DePaul (for diversity)</p>
<p>Do you know if you’ll be a National Achievement Scholar? How did you do on your PSAT? (or will GPA prevent that? Don’t know the NA guidelines for GPA).</p>
<p>I agree on the colleges that Change Lives book --some good options in there for you (Goucher, College of Wooster, Earlham). Ohio Wesleyan is one of my favorites in that book and I will bet they will offer you plenty of merit aid with your SAT scores. It’s a challenging school, but it sounds like that’s what you are looking for in a college. They have one of the highest percentages of med school acceptance rates of the LAC’s (I know you’re not looking at med school, but this is a good indicator of the type of education OWU provides). What state are you located in? If you are a National Achievement Scholar, you will have some other options to consider as well (schools that are sponsored by National Merit Corp.). Do you know what your PSAT scores were?</p>
<p>Also, look at Ohio University. Your SAT scores may earn you a full tuition ride there. My nephew had a 3.0 with 2100 SAT (NMF) He’s in his second year of pre-law (although changing majors to political science).</p>
<p>If his mother makes about 50k/ year he will still have an EFC. After the FAFSA & CSS PROFILE (if required) are completed, tax returns sent in, etc, none of this information will be ignored! OP will have to pursue the full ride scenario, how many are out there? Even then some are free tuition and room and board are not included. Room & board can go between $10,000-$13,000 per year. Would OP be able to borrow enough in loans to cover his room & board? I don’t think he will. He is in a very tough place.</p>
<p>^</p>
<p>She may make 50k, but we still qualify for free lunch and government subsidized housing. I live in the state of Washington, and the state government will pay full tuition for me to attend any public school in the state. I will probably take them up on that offer and attend either Western Washington University or the University of Washington. However, I was wondering if there were any private universtities out there willing to overlook my B+ academic record (which is pretty damn decent) considering my good SAT scores and extracurricular activities. I’d imagine the pool of qualified black males to be very small, so when the Ivy League takes its pickings, isn’t there a lot of room left for someone like me at a smaller, isolated but wealthy LAC? Or will my transcript put me out of the running at all those places?</p>
<p>Consider the following:
Money+grades= Great awesome education.</p>