<p>I'll be a senior in high school come August, and I really love neuroscience, so I want to major in it for my undergrad and specialize in it for my Masters and PhD. The only thing is, I have a relatively low GPA (3.42), so I definitely can't qualify for most merit scholarships right now, which means I have to stay in state to afford college. I live in Georgia and qualify for HOPE, so if I go to a public university, then I have most of tuition covered and Pell can cover the rest of the fees and books. I scored a 2080 on the SAT when I took it last month (Math: 640; Critical Reading: 690; Writing: 750) and I want to bring my Math up to at least a 700 and my Critical Reading up to at least a 750 when I retake it in October or November. I'm also taking the ACT in September and have been studying and, going off of the practice tests, I should score an average score of between a 30 and a 33. I'd always been on the Gifted/Honors track growing up and just got bored with some of my classes in the eighth grade and let my grades slip. Once in high school, I had developed some poor study habits and didn't start putting effort back into my schoolwork until the second semester of sophomore year when it hit me that I wouldn't get into any of the universities I wanted if I kept up the bad habits. From then, I've brought my GPA up from a 3.09 to a 3.42. If I continue with my current study habits and get all As this coming semester, then my GPA should be about a 3.5 when I send out my college applications. Also, I've taken four AP course: AP World History Sophomore Year (3 on the exam), AP US History Junior Year (5 on the exam), AP English Language and Composition Junior Year (4 on the exam), and AP Biology Junior Year (4 on the exam). In the coming year, depending on how my schedule works out (some classes only taught during certain periods may overlap), I will be taking AP Microeconomics, AP Macroeconomics, AP Psychology, AP Government and Politics: American, AP Government and Politics: Comparative, AP English Literature and Composition, AP Physics B, and AP Calculus AB. AP Physics B and/or AP Calculus AB may or may not be switched out for AP Human Geography and/or Calculus if I have scheduling conflicts. I'm the co-creator and President of the Debate Club at my high school, which will begin meeting in August, and am a member of Beta Club.
Okay, so there's my background info. Now, here is what is the problem. Neither UGA nor GATech offer a major in Neuroscience; they both only offer a major in Psychology "with an emphasis on Neuroscience". So that leaves Georgia State and Emory, who offer a major in Neuroscience and Neuroscience & Behavioral Biology, respectively. I know that I can get into Georgia State without too much worry, all costs to attend are covered by HOPE and Pell, I can get into the Honors Program, I will get more AP credits accepted, and I won't have to take SAT Subject Tests. I will have trouble getting accepted to Emory, so I may have to transfer in from Georgia State if I choose to graduate from Emory, some credits from Georgia State may not transfer, HOPE will only cover $3,500 of the $40,000+ tuition, I will only be able to afford the rest through need based financial aid from Emory (for which I probably qualify, but the question is how much will they award me...), I don't think there's an Honors Program at Emory, less AP credits will be accepted, and I will have to take SAT Subject Tests. Emory is more prestigious than Georgia State, so it might be easier to get into a top tier Graduate School, but I'm worried about the quality of the Neuroscience Programs at both. I'm applying to both, but if I miraculously get accepted to Emory as a Freshman or as a Transfer, I need help deciding from which university to graduate with my Undergraduate Degree. I definitely don't want to go into debt over my undergraduate when I am going to also be doing a Masters and a PhD program afterward.
Does anyone have any experience with the Neuroscience Programs at either? Any help toward making a decision from where I will graduate with my Undergraduate Degree would be greatly appreciated. Also, no rude comments, please.</p>
<p>OH MY GOD. I just realized I misspelled Emory in the title, and I don't know how to fix that once the thread is already posted. Please excuse that...</p>