So far I’ve been looking into colleges for 5 months or so just very generally and I have found very little.
My Ideal School would have:
10k-20k people
A wide range of majors. I’m a bit of a jack of all trades so I’d like the chance to explore and find what works for me.
Some rain and/or snow in the winter
I’m dead set against going to school in Oregon or Southern California
I don’t plan on playing sports in college, but I love going to sporting events
A school that allows me to learn things that aren’t specifically my major
Not too urban but not too rural
I also want to be able to go to professors for help and not just be a face in the crowd.
My Stats
Rising Junior
3.49 UW/ 3.74 W
Took one Honors class freshman year, three sophomore year.
Plan on taking 5 AP classes next year, 4 senior year
Am planning on taking AP French, I love French
PSAT score of 660 Math, 640 Reading/Writing
That should go up since the ACT is more suited for me and I did not study for PSAT
I’m also two grades advanced in math and just finished Pre Calc if that is of any importance
I am from the PNW and I’m fine with going far from home. Any help would be much appreciated!
It sounds to me as though you want a Liberal Arts major-- at least as a start-- so you can dabble in a variety of subjects.
I live in NY, so I’m familiar with schools in the Northeast. There are certainly any number of schools like the ones you mention around here.
Hofstra comes to mind right away, probably because it’s local. We get plenty of snow most winters, we’re 45 minutes from NYC, close enough to the mall and the beaches. The same could be said for SUNY Stony Brook (though, they’re probably closer to 90 minutes from NYC.)
Look at the zillions of schools in Boston and Providence, and their suburbs.
Google “EFC” and learn the EFC for your family. This is what the colleges will expect you to pay every year based on your parents income. Then learn how this varies depending on the type of school (public, private, meets full need, doesn’t meet full need etc).
THEN you and your parents decide on a budget—what can they afford to pay every year without Parent Plus Loans. You will be restricted in your borrowing and can only borrow a certain amount of $$ in your name every year. Freshman year it is $5,500.
Once you know your EFC AND your budget, then continue your search. You have a bit of time because you are only a junior. Trust me, do NOT put the budget stuff on the back burner. There are lots of seniors who ignore or parents who just keep brushing it aside and they get to senior year and do not have affordable schools to choose from.
Unfortunately the money does play into it a lot. We were lucky and were able to afford most schools. There were a couple we had to say no to but S really didn’t like them anyway. The ones I was thinking of meet your description but are probably too rural. Wherever you go if you keep your grades up look into the honors programs at the colleges. My S loves his honors college because it will allow him to explore other areas outside his major and travel abroad more easily. Plus they help him get research experience early in his college career. Even though it is a 25,000 person state school it feels small and comfortable and challenging to him in his major with the Honors college option. Just something to think about.
@momocarly Agreed that money is very much a limiting factor, and not one you can easily change like test scores. Would you mind sharing the schools you were thinking of? I don’t think a school being rural or urban is a disqualifying element, it just may not be perfect for me but I’m open to learning.
Check out schools in the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE).
This program would allow you to attend a participating out-of-state public institution at reduced tuition rates (higher than the in-state rates but lower than the full out-of-state rates).
several of the Cal States participate in WUE. Chico and Pomona are 2 that seem to fit your parameters. Colroado State in Ft Collins, as well as Reno and Boise State are also worth a look