Arkansas guy needs help on college picks...not much in state

<p>hey guys i live in arkansas. I do, however, go to one of the state's few private schools. I'm trying to pick the colleges for me (wanting a good school w/ a business/ computer engineering double major or related program i.e Penn) anyway, I'm starting to feel like the schools i'm looking at are out of my league. any ideas? suggestions?</p>

<p>top schools:
Rice
Penn
Carnegie M.
WUSTL</p>

<p>mid-schools:
U. Virginia
Vanderbilt
Boston College</p>

<p>safety:
U. of Arkansas
Southern methodist u.</p>

<p>My stats:
30 ACT (bad science section)
2000 SAT w/ 600 math, 730 writing, 680 verbal (i'll take sat and act again this october, but base any info for schools off of previous tests)</p>

<p>-taking AP stats,AP literature, AP calculus (made 4's on AP chem. and eng.language last year) physics honors, journalism, world religion, u.s. history</p>

<p>-EXTRA C. and awards
founded and organize church youth group comm. service (over 200 hrs.)
varsity cross country captain
yearbook
student council, NHS
film club
Who's Who
English Merit scholar award</p>

<p>other:
parents divorced. neither went to college, mom makes 35000 a year at a factory job.</p>

<p>I will need lots of financial aid. any ideas on my schools or others? thanks</p>

<p>NYU, BU may be match-safeties for you. Also, you should have some financial safeties as well. What do you want to study and become? What kind of weather do you like? etc...</p>

<p>And don't put Who's Who on your app cuz it's a scam. I got that one too, and people told me to don't put it cuz I'll look stupid lol</p>

<p>wow that who's who thing is weird lol. i'm wanting to study undergrad business/marketing and computer tech, like comp. engineering. i would like to be in the south or mid-south areas, extremely cold weather isnt the best for me, unless I get into a really good school in the north than it is prob. not for me. any other ideas??
also i forgot this.
4.0 GPA on 4.0 scale
class valedictorian (55) small priv. school</p>

<p>umm U Chicago, Northwestern, William and Mary, Emory</p>

<p>would those be match schools or ones i should hope to get in to. I would think those are the 'reach' schools for me lol.</p>

<p>Are my Sat and ACT too low? I did well on my AP's, but i'm going to try and improve my test scores. are the scroes I have now enough to get me into Rice or vandy? What about my financial situation?</p>

<p>Unlikely at Rice, but not impossible. Would you be happy at your safeties? If not, dig up some more match schools.</p>

<p>Base on your current SATs:</p>

<p>top schools:
Rice - Reach
Penn - Big Reach
Carnegie M. - Reach
WUSTL - Big Reach</p>

<p>mid-schools:
U. Virginia - Reach (because you're out of state)
Vanderbilt - Reach
Boston College - Match</p>

<p>safety:
U. of Arkansas - Safety
Southern methodist u. - Safety</p>

<p>You definitely need to look for more match level schools. Here's a few with good business schools:</p>

<p>Lehigh
Boston University
Case Western</p>

<p>Also, pick up a copy of the Aug 28th issue of US News. It has the college ratings and, more importantly for you, a list of good business schools in the back. For many of them, you'd be a competitive applicant.</p>

<p>are there any private schools that are good in business or engineering that I could get into by "match school" by my test scores and EC and finances?</p>

<p>Lehigh would be a match. You have a boost for low income and good geography, but you need 200 more SAT points to be strong at your top schools.</p>