college search help??

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I'm really confused and overwhelmed as to how to even begin the college search process. I realised that I only have about a few months to go before I start applications and I am FREAKING OUT. I know I want to major in finance/minor in accounting, but I can't seem to find schools that offer good finance majors, that are also not terribly hard to get into. I know there are schools like UPenn and NYU, but apart from that, I feel like I am not very efficient in combing through school websites, and I really need some advice on how to find suitable schools that I will be likely to be accepted, but schools that are also well known for their finance/accounting programs. I am panicking because my parents seem to be not very interested in getting involved in my college search process, so I'm pretty much on my own. Also, I am not from the states, so everything has to be searched from an international student perspective.</p>

<p>TLDR: So does anyone know how I can narrow down a list of schools with finance majors/ accounting minors?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>This may seem like a shameless plug, but start with College Confidential’s SuperMatch (see [College</a> Admissions, Search, and Financial Aid Help from College Confidential - College Admissions, Search, and Financial Aid Help from College Confidential](<a href=“http://www.collegeconfidential.com/college_search/]College”>http://www.collegeconfidential.com/college_search/))</p>

<p>Here, you can plug in many of your preferences … for size, location, etc. as well as for major. You can search for schools with a big party scene, not much of a party scene, a liberal vibe, etc. You can also indicate how important each of these preferences is to you.</p>

<p>By entering your GPA and test scores, you will be able to find places that are likely to admit you. You can even indicate that you want to identify “merit aid” colleges where the typical student will have stats that are lower than yours. (If you’re an international student seeking financial aid, then you should definitely tick this box.)</p>

<p>Once SuperMatch generates a list of colleges, you can see whether these schools match your preferences 100 percent or less (and if it’s less, SuperMatch will tell you why. Depending on the reason why a school isn’t a perfect match, you can decide whether or not to keep it on your list. For instance, if the college doesn’t offer your intended major, then you’ll want to scratch it. But if the school is just a little bigger or smaller than your ideal, it may not matter.) Once you have your Results roster, you can then research the top finishers.</p>

<p>SuperMatch isn’t likely to allay all of your college-selection fears, but I think it’s a good place to jump-start the process.</p>

3

<p>If you can get a copy of the Fiske Guide to Colleges, that is another way to get information on a few hundred top colleges, mostly in the US. It is okay if the copy you get is a couple years old, the info does not change a lot. One thing it shows is strongest majors for each school (although some large universities are good at a LOT of majors, and they don’t all get listed).</p>

4

<p>It may also help to rule out broad categories by criteria like cost, distance from home, size, setting (major city or rural) etc.</p>

5

<p>I take NCalRent’s advice one step further. Your parents may not be interested in getting involved, but it’s really important that you have a conversation with them about how much they can afford by way of tuition and living expenses. Schools will want to know this and it is a waste of your time to apply to places that you can’t afford and won’t receive sufficient aid to attend. It’s like shopping for a home without knowing if you are looking for a mansion or a studio apt. Know your budget.</p>

<p>Second, find out if they have any firm criteria in mind. If they feel strongly about something (distance from home? political orientation? religion?) you want to know up front. The time to discover that they don’t like your choices isn’t after all the applications are in the mail.</p>

6

<p>Great advice from everyone. </p>

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<p>Maybe your parents can help you play with the Net Price Calculators for the colleges that interest you, once you start to develop a list. (You can do this yourself but will need your parents’ tax data.) The NPC provides a ballpark idea of how much a college will actually cost you … not the sticker price but the amount you should expect to pay after financial aid (if you qualify for aid in the first place). Every college is now required to post their NPC online. Sometimes the NPC estimates can be pretty rough (and, occasionally even inaccurate), but in general the NPC should be able to help you figure out how much your family is going to have to contribute to your college costs every year. If an NPC gives you a number that is a lot higher than what you parents say they can pay, you may have to cross that college off your list.</p>

7

<p>sorry if I sound ignorant, but what is NPC? Is that for the states only, because I live in canada.</p>

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<p>every time I try talking to them about finance, they tell me that I can choose to go to any university I like, and the money would be taken care of… they never give me a straight answer as to how much they can pay… D:</p>

8

<p>NPC stands for ‘Net Price Calculator’. Every school in the United States has them somewhere on their website and you can also search for them. Be aware, however, that they are a bit of a crap shoot (gamble) because some schools have obviously put more time and effort into building theirs than others - Some will not include automatic scholarships, etc. Most of the better schools, however, do a fair job and it will give you somewhat of an idea of the costs. </p>

<p>That said, a NPC will require assistance from a parent as they need to supply information about their salaries and assets they have. (I believe most have Canada as an option early on in the process of going through the NPC)</p>

<p>Good luck in your search!</p>

9

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<p>Overall that’s good news. Of course, it would be helpful if your parents would be more forthcoming–and specific–with you. But perhaps that will come … gradually.</p>

<p>So what I suggest you do is to start to make a list of colleges, following the suggestions you’ve gotten already. When you hone in on a school that you especially like (or maybe a couple), show the price tag (s) to your parents and say, “Do you think I could enroll here even if I don’t get financial aid or a scholarship?”</p>

<p>Your parents may say, “YES!! We already told you that you don’t need to worry about cost. You’re covered.” But, conversely, they may not be up to speed on the price of the most expensive colleges, which could spark the conversation that you’ve been eager to have with them about college affordability.</p>

<p>Another thing that your parents need to know is this:</p>

<p>They’ve told you that your college costs will be “taken care of” but do you know if this will be by them or perhaps by someone ELSE (grandparent, aunt, uncle, etc.)? If a family member or friend has volunteered to cover your college expenses, that’s a very generous offer but it may not be one that you need right now.</p>

<p>Depending where you apply and are accepted–and on your parents’ income and assets–you may be qualified for a lot of need-based financial aid. If that’s the case, you may want to talk to your parents about putting the promised funding aside for later (if you think you might end up in graduate school) and take advantage of the aid and scholarships you qualify for now.</p>

<p>Of course, if the money is coming from your parents, that probably won’t be an option because you may not qualify for any need-based aid at all. (This is where the Net Price Calculator could be helpful. It will let you know if you do qualify for some need-based aid.) </p>

<p>But, on the other hand, even if the money is coming from elsewhere (not from your parents), you may still want to consider accepting the generous offer so that you can free up financial aid for students who can’t enroll without it.</p>

<p>In any case, it would certainly be helpful for your parents to be more candid with you about money matters.</p>

10

<p>^ thank you so much sally for answering my question to thoroughly!</p>

11

<p>nervousfreshie … you’re very welcome. Now I hope you’re not so nervous anymore. :)</p>

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<p>you will find a list of schools that everyone should look at, even if none of these schools were on your radar before!
[Colleges</a> That Change Lives | Changing Lives. One Student at a Time.](<a href=“http://www.ctcl.org/]Colleges”>http://www.ctcl.org/)</p>