<p>I'm from the northeast, but I wanna go to school with a little nicer weather. Im considering going down south or possibly into the midwest. </p>
<p>GPA: 3.6
Sat: 590 in math, 590 critical reading, 600 writing
Very few ec's but i am in the nat'l science honor society
Undecided major</p>
<p>I also want to go somewhere that has a lot of school spirit and good athletics cause I am a very big sports fan. However I know schools like this are notorious for greek life, and im not sure if I want to get involved (binge drinking/hazing). </p>
<p>I am currently considering clemson, maryland-college park, florida state, indiana-bloomington, NC state, Univ of Iowa, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia. I dont wanna drive 13 hours and not like the school the minute i walk on campus.</p>
<p>If anyone has an opinion on the schools i mentioned or other schools i would be interested in based on my criteria, just reply in the thread</p>
<p>Penn State. Although there’s a huge Greek presence, it’s large enough where even if you do not go Greek, you will still find your niche.</p>
<p>U of Dayton, Xavier. What can you afford?</p>
<p>It would all depend on how much the school offered as far as scholarship or financial aid. So i would say about $20,000-30,000 a year</p>
<p>My D from the west coast considered many schools on your list,applied to and visited Indiana and Iowa, along with a few others, and easily selected Iowa. </p>
<p>Nice, easy-to-navigate campus, friendly campus, great school spirit, very good academics, low cost for OOS relatively speaking, easy to fly into nearby Cedar Rapids. May be a good match based on your stats. </p>
<p>Indiana was also very nice, but a larger campus than what she was looking for, and she was just more comfortable with the Iowa vibe. Indiana is definitely one for you to consider though. IU-B does not have engineering. </p>
<p>You also might consider Kansas based on what you described. Maybe Oregon, Arizona or Colorado if willing to go farther west.</p>
<p>I have considered practically every school on your list.</p>
<p>Clemson - Visited and, of the eight schools I’ve visited so far, it was my favorite. Gorgeous campus, incredible school spirit and sense of community. The tour guide emphasized that while there is definitely greek life, it’s not to the point where you can’t avoid it if you’re not interested. I think it would be a great fit for you, based on what you say you’re looking for. The town is very small, so if you’re looking for an area with more activity, it might not be right for you. However, it is still a great college town that really revolves around the school and does have a few bars and restaurants.</p>
<p>I agree about considering Penn State; I feel the same way as you about wanting to get out of the northeast, but it’s the one school in this region that I’m applying to. I know a lot of people attending and everyone loves it and has incredible pride in their school.</p>
<p>Some people think Tennessee’s campus is ugly, although others disagree. Not sure how you feel about this, but that turned me off right away.</p>
<p>If you’d consider going to Alabama, University of Alabama and Auburn have beautiful campuses, great sports, etc. They do both have big greek lives, but that’s true for most schools in the south. Alabama has a great honors programs, and both have beautiful honors housing and generous scholarships which you might be eligible for if you get your SATs up a bit.</p>
<p>You also might consider Virginia Tech. I thought there was a good chance I could end up there but ended up not liking it when I visited, but a lot of people love it. It’s similar to most of the schools on your list.</p>
<p>I’m visiting Florida State in a couple days so I’ll update with any info about that.</p>
<p>Well i’ve visited, maryland CP, Penn state, syracuse, gwu, cu boulder, and i want to see virginia tech… id agree with you on maryland, but its a pretty competitive school especially if youre coming from out of state, because maryland law states they can only accept up to 30
% of out of state students…same goes with virginia tech. i think penn state was great, it seems to be a major party school but its well known so you wouldnt have a problem getting a job when you graduate.</p>
<p>*It would all depend on how much the school offered as far as scholarship or financial aid. So i would say about $20,000-30,000 a year *</p>
<p>Many OOS publics are costing about $30k - $45k+ per year. </p>
<p>Your estimation that your parents will pay $20k - 30k per year may limit you a bit. Publics don’t give much aid to out of state students. So, if you’re not sure how much your parents will pay (is it closer to $20k or $30k per year?), you need to ask to get a firmer number. $20k would greatly limit your list, while $30k could make some possible.</p>
<p>You need to test again (and also take the ACT - some do better on the ACT). This will better your chances for merit to make some out of state publics affordable.</p>
<p>For you to have a chance at good sized merit scholarships at the schools that give them, your scores need to be in the upper 5-10% of the school.</p>
<p>For instance, at UMaryland…your scores are low. To be in the upper 5-10% of the school, your scores would have to be in the mid-to-high 700s in CR and math. </p>
<p>*Test Scores Middle 50% of First-Year Students </p>
<p>SAT Critical Reading: 580 - 680<br>
SAT Math: 620 - 710 *</p>
<p>Well I’m taking the ACT this sept. And the SAT again in October so I know my scores are going to go up a couple of points. I’m also hoping to get slot of federal aid due to the fact that I have an older brother already in college. But as of right now I’m more concerned about getting into a school than how much it costs.</p>
<p>I think reginaphalange nailed it on the head with Clemson and you should definitely keep it on your list. We have great athletics and it’s really your choice whether to get involved in the party scene. I tried the party scene out last year but this year I’ve found a group of friends that I can have fun with without drinking or partying so it’s your choice what people to hang out with.</p>
<p>Feel free to ask me if you have any questions or concerns about Clemson!</p>
<p>Thanks pierre0913. From the looks of the website, Clemson Is an incredible school. Did you come from OOS or instate? If you came from OOS, could you tell me what the admission process was like and what the transition was like coming from a different state?</p>
<p>Clemson is a great school, but not likely affordable. It’s current COA is $41k for OOS students and scholarships require much higher stats - such as 2100+. :(</p>
<p>I’m also hoping to get slot of federal aid due to the fact that I have an older brother already in college.</p>
<p>You misunderstand. There’s no such thing as “a lot of federal aid.” Federal grants are small and for low EFCs. </p>
<p>Since you said that your family can pay $20k-30k per year and you have a brother in school (which your parents are also contributing), it is rather safe to say that you probably won’t qualify for any free federal aid. </p>
<p>What is your brother’s EFC this year? </p>
<p>*But as of right now I’m more concerned about getting into a school than how much it costs. *</p>
<p>Unfortunately that is not the right way to approach things. When students have good, but not top, top stats, and the family will only pay up to a certain amount, then cost has to be a factor when creating lists.</p>
<p>What good does it do to have a big list of schools that you can get into if none are affordable? </p>
<p>Some students make this mistake every year. They spend needless hours creating lists of schools that they love, but then become very upset when none are affordable. Then they have to start the whole process all over again - which can be a huge problem if the realization doesn’t happen until late in the application season.</p>
<p>Creating lists is time-consuming, so start with knowing your financial situation and then proceed to create a good list of schools that will admit you **and **be likely affordable.</p>
<p>If you don’t know your brother’s FAFSA EFC, find out. Also get a firm budget from your parents.</p>
<p>Thanks mom2collegekids. Your advice is very helpful and well thought out. As of right now, I’m just trying to compile a list of similar schools that I could be interested in, not fall in love with. Also, it is not definate, but there is a possibility that if I go to a public oos school, my parents will move down to the state with me and receive the in state tuition the following year.</p>
<p>*Also, it is not definate, but there is a possibility that if I go to a public oos school, my parents will move down to the state with me and receive the in state tuition the following year. *</p>
<p>Ahhh…that would be nice. Are your parents retiring soon? </p>
<p>You have an undecided major which is fine. Do you lean more to the sciences or the humanities (like history, English, poly sci, etc)?</p>
<p>There are several schools that fit your criteria of having big sports to watch, warm weather, and good academics. :)</p>
<p>As Regina mentioned above, Bama has a gorgeous campus, big sports, and strong academics. I have 2 sons there and they love it. Bama also has awesome dorms and facilities. </p>
<p>I can almost guarantee that you will LOVE the campus the moment you step foot on it. The buildings are beautiful, the landscaping is well-designed and colorful, etc. </p>
<p>Since you want to love the look of a campus…here are some pics to give you a general idea of the campus “look”…</p>
<p>Shelby Hall [Shelby</a> Hall - The University of Alabama](<a href=“Page Not Found | The University of Alabama”>Page Not Found | The University of Alabama)
Science and Engineering Complex (this is just one part - the complex is huge) [Science</a> and Engineering Complex - The University of Alabama](<a href=“Page Not Found | The University of Alabama”>Page Not Found | The University of Alabama)
Brand new College of Nursing (just opened last week) [Capstone</a> College of Nursing - The University of Alabama](<a href=“http://nursing.ua.edu/]Capstone”>http://nursing.ua.edu/)
Bruno Business Library [Angelo</a> Bruno Business Library and Bashinsky Computer Center - The University of Alabama](<a href=“Page Not Found | The University of Alabama”>Page Not Found | The University of Alabama)
A sample of residence halls [Ridgecrest</a> East, South, and West Residential Complex - The University of Alabama](<a href=“Page Not Found | The University of Alabama”>Page Not Found | The University of Alabama) [Riverside</a> East, North, and West Residential Complex - The University of Alabama](<a href=“Page Not Found | The University of Alabama”>Page Not Found | The University of Alabama) [Lakeside</a> Residential Areas - The University of Alabama](<a href=“Page Not Found | The University of Alabama”>Page Not Found | The University of Alabama)
Student Services [Student</a> Services Center - The University of Alabama](<a href=“Page Not Found | The University of Alabama”>Page Not Found | The University of Alabama)
The Quad (more thumbnail pics on bottom) [The</a> Quad - The University of Alabama](<a href=“Page Not Found | The University of Alabama”>Page Not Found | The University of Alabama)</p>
<p>And…since you like sports…</p>
<p>Bryant-Denny Football Stadium (5th largest in the country) [ALABAMA</a> CRIMSON TIDE - University of Alabama Official Athletic Site - Facilities](<a href=“http://www.rolltide.com/facilities/bryant-denny.html]ALABAMA”>http://www.rolltide.com/facilities/bryant-denny.html)</p>
<p>Student Rec Center [Student</a> Recreation Center - The University of Alabama](<a href=“Page Not Found | The University of Alabama”>Page Not Found | The University of Alabama)</p>
<p>That actually is a very good suggestion and I was previously interested in visiting Alabama, but my parents said they would be unwilling to move there for some reason they wouldn’t tell me. But thank you for going through the trouble of with all of the links. </p>
<p>As far as my major goes, I’m leaning toward possibly business or communications, which I know is offered at most schools, but I am open to anything. </p>
<p>Any other suggestions from anyone???</p>
<p>but my parents said they would be unwilling to move there for some reason they wouldn’t tell me</p>
<p>Yes, at first glance, it can seem odd to move to Alabama. However, there are cities in Alabama that are very much like anywhere else. I moved to Alabama from California, which many would think would be a huge change…but it wasn’t. </p>
<p>I live in the Huntsville area (Madison County) which is very Southern California-like and has been ranked the #1 place to live by Kiplinger and Moody.</p>
<p><a href=“Redirect Notice”>Redirect Notice;
<p><a href=“Redirect Notice”>Redirect Notice;
<p>Forbes names Huntsville #8
[#8</a> Huntsville AL - Forbes.com](<a href=“Forbes List Directory”>Forbes List Directory)</p>
<p>State taxes and property taxes are low, home prices are reasonable, the job market is good…your parents hesitation about Alabama may simply be due to misinformation. Try to find out what their hesitation is…it may be unfounded. You should at least visit. You will be surprised.</p>