<p>Neither of my parents went to college, so I'm really at a loss as to what to do and all that jazz. And when it comes to picking a school... Yikes! I could use some help!
I'm thinking about majoring in some sort of environmental science. I'd prefer a smaller school (less than 10,000 please!), and in and around the western North Carolina area (I'm kinda thinking NC, TN, SC, VA). I'm a strong student (all A's), and my first SAT score was 2040 (640 math- I know this one is lower but I'm retaking in the fall, 690 cr, 720 writing). I've thought about places like Wake Forest, Elon, Furman, and Davidson, and this website matched me with Belmont.<br>
My head is spinning from all this different stuff! What smaller schools have a good envir. science program? Also, strong financial aid would definitely be a plus, my parents make about $30,000 a year.</p>
<p>Surprisingly, your best bet financially is to aim high. The very top colleges (Harvard, Yale, MIT, etc.) give ridiculously good need-based aid. If you could get into any of the 10 - 20 very top schools, you’d pay almost nothing. The second level of colleges gives good need-based aid but you’d still need to take out loans. Below that is schools that will give merit money for your stats (statistics - GPA, SAT, etc.) in order to lure you away from the top schools.</p>
<p>And although your SATs aren’t currently at the level of the Ivies, you’ll likely get them up a bit on a retake, and those schools like to take kids with potential and give them the support to really run. NOT NOT NOT NOT that you’re guaranteed a spot in the ivies!!! No matter what your qualifications, you need safety schools. I don’t know anything about the schools on your list, though, so I can speak only in generalities.</p>
<p>Duke?</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Actually davidson is loan free</p>
<p>UVA and UNC-CH claim to meet full need, even for OOS students.</p>
<p>U. Richmond meets full need.</p>
<p>Glad to see Furman on your list. They have a strong environmental science program and are committed to sustainability. They have been generous with financial aid in the past. If you get your SATs up a bit you should get some nice merit aid.</p>
<p>I second Furman. It’s a good match for your stats, intimate in size, in your geographic region, strong financial aid, and . . . </p>
<p>[Center</a> for Sustainability](<a href=“Furman University | Top Private Liberal Arts University in Greenville, SC”>Furman University | Top Private Liberal Arts University in Greenville, SC)</p>
<p>I actually just visited Furman, and was impressed by the sciences (sustainability was actually a pleasant surprise I found out about today). Pretty campus, too. High price tag, but maybe they’d send some financial aid my way, and make it manageable :)</p>