<p>As a rising junior, I'm beginning to look into colleges, but I really have no idea where to start. I'm thinking of majoring in Physics or Psych, minor in music.
GPA: W 4.78, UW 4.0
ACT: 34
Rank: 2/550
From Colorado, I like colder climates, but definitely not a deal breaker.
Would like to keep total costs under $30,000
Rural vs. urban?...doesn't matter</p>
<p>Any schools that come to mind?</p>
<p>Great stats!</p>
<p>Do you expect to qualify for financial aid?</p>
<p>Total costs as in over 4 years? Or total cost $30K per year? Low cost schools tend to be in the northern tier (the Dakotas, Minnesota). Good merit aid at schools near the Mississippi Delta (Alabama, Auburn).</p>
<p>… How did you get a class rank before the end of Junior year? </p>
<p>Sent from my DROID BIONIC using CC</p>
<p>@bobwallace no probably not, and if so, not a significant amount</p>
<p>@erin’s dad sorry, total of $30,000 per year. as in, i’m willing to spend enough to attend a good school, but I don’t want to be in debt the rest of my life because I spent over $200,000 on a bachelor’s degree.</p>
<p>@logic, my school ranks at each semester, your final rank being afer 1st semester of senior year. So it could change.</p>
<p>It would probably help if you could narrow the field a bit more - as is, there are hundreds of schools that would meet your criteria. Read up on LACs vs. Universities - size can be the biggest differentiating factor. If by reading up on these, you still don’t know, then go visit your nearest LAC, your nearest big state school and your nearest mid sized private. Sit in on classes, eat in the cafeteria, and get a feel for why these types of schools are so different and appeal to different people. </p>
<p>Ultimately, if you still don’t have any preferences, then your local state U is likely to be the most cost-effective choice and, like all state Us, will have a decent psych and physics dept. These aren’t unusual majors so most large and medium sized schools will meet your basic academic needs.</p>
<p>Look at both Carleton and Grinnell. Both have decent merit aid. Prepare for the PSAT. NMF status helps.</p>
<p>^^^ Carleton doesn’t have merit aid anymore. </p>
<p>*@bobwallace no probably not, and if so, not a significant amount</p>
<p>@erin’s dad sorry, total of $30,000 per year. as in, i’m willing to spend enough to attend a good school, but I don’t want to be in debt the rest of my life because I spent over $200,000 on a bachelor’s degree.
*</p>
<p>Ok…so you won’t qualify for need-based aid, and your parents’ will spend up to $30k…is that right?</p>
<p>If so, then your options will be largely limited to instate publics AND other schools that will give you large merit scholarships for your stats.</p>
<p>Once a student goes to either a private or OOS public, the costs often jump to $40k-60k per year. However, large merit scholarships (from the schools that give them) can bring the costs down to your budget.</p>
<p>Be sure to take the PSAT seriously, and practice for it. A high PSAT score can result in some good merit offers from some schools. </p>
<p>Physics and Psych are very different majors. What kind of career interests you? </p>
<p>do you like small quiet schools? LACs??? or larger rah-rah schools?</p>
<p>Also since you are in Colorado a lot of the WUE schools may be affordable, if you don’t want to stay in state.</p>
<p>Thanks everybody :)</p>
<p>I’m not really interested in LACs, I’d rather look into universities. I’m taking the PSAT in a couple months, I’ll definitely prepare for that.</p>
<p>@bobwallace I didn’t know what WUE was, so I researched it. Really interesting, thanks a lot.</p>
<p>
I had to go look at the history on this. I looked at the Common Data Set for Carleton going back to 1999. In 199 the average merit aid was $3800 distributed to 120 freshmen. In 2011 it was $1960 distributed to 26. The change started in 2000 when only 75 freshmen were awarded an average of $2300. I merely did this because I was unaware Carleton EVER offered any significant merit aid. It seems they might have in the last century… :)</p>