Finding, not choosing, a college

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I'm having trouble finding a college. If anyone knows of any college that fits this criteria, please let me know!! Thanks!</p>

<p>Right now my options are:
(reach)
Stanford (early action)
Cal Tech</p>

<p>(match)
US Air Force Academy
U of Michigan</p>

<p>(safety)
Michigan Tech (accepted)</p>

<p>I'm looking for high end colleges, so please dont be hesitant to put the most prestigious school you know on here. However, it's still a reach, so please list any college that you think will suit me.</p>

<p>Academics: I'm looking for an Engineering degree. Possibly environmental, chemical, biomedical....but I'm open to ANY type of engineering because these 3 are simply ideas.</p>

<p>Size: Ideally (3500-4000) to (13000-14000) (undergraduates). If it has over 20,000 undergraduates, I don't really want to go. However, please list it anyway, because I won't reject a college solely based on size.</p>

<p>Distance: I'd love to stay close to Michigan, however I am willing to travel anywhere in the U.S.</p>

<p>Type: I don't care, public, private, military academy.....</p>

<p>Reputation: A "prestigious" label would be nice, but not necessary.</p>

<p>Faculty: Obviously a low Fac/student ratio, but I would like an institution where the professors really care about what they do (they are always open to helping students, they are constantly trying to improve their knowledge of a subject). A lot of schools brag that they posses this quality, but how am I supposed to know i they actually do? Do most schools posses this, or do very few? Any help on this topic would be much appreciated.</p>

<p>Support Services: Similar to professors always wanting to help students.</p>

<p>Class sizes: I guess this one takes care of itself because I want a small-school institution, but obviously low class sizes would be nice.</p>

<p>Diversity: Sorry asians and geeks....you're nice people, but I don't want to spend my next four years with all of you. And the male to female ratio thing...I understand I want to go into a field where there are very few females. However, I don't want to go to Michigan Tech, where the school is 75-80% male. I would like a school with at least 35-40% females.</p>

<p>Special Programs: Co-op and internships...really ANY extra opportunities are wanted. I don't want to go to a school that only offers academics.</p>

<p>Safety: As long as this college is not in the slums of Detroit, I'll be fine.</p>

<p>Housing: Doesn't really matter to me. I'd prefer no requirements after freshman year, but I'll probably live on campus anyway.</p>

<p>Graduation time: Hopefully 4 years, but I understand that most engineering degrees take longer.</p>

<p>Placement after graduation: After USAFA it's guaranteed, and after MichTech it's 95% likely. I'd like to eventually obtain a Master's (or higher) degree, and then not have trouble finding work (which I believe many UofMichigan grads are facing right now).</p>

<p>Setting: I'd prefer seasons, especially a good snow season. However, this is not a super important factor to me. I'd also prefer rural, but like I said, setting is not too important.</p>

<p>Sports: I'd love to play college football, but I seriously doubt it would happen. I'd probably end up playing flag football, swimming or golfing (for fun, probably not for competition either).</p>

<p>Cost: I am willing to pay for any institution, no matter the cost, however, it better be a damn good match to what I want. My parents make a combined 55k/yr, so hopefully I will qualify for need-based finacial aid. My goal is to graduate with little to no debt, so any help on scholarship stuff is also appreciated.</p>

<p>Thank you so much!!!! If you list a college and know any alumni please let me know!!!!</p>

2

<p>Rice University
Carnegie Mellon
Case Western Reserve</p>

3

<p>Cost: I am willing to pay for any institution, no matter the cost, however, it better be a damn good match to what I want. My parents make a combined 55k/yr, so hopefully I will qualify for need-based finacial aid. My goal is to graduate with little to no debt, so any help on scholarship stuff is also appreciated.</p>

<p>You are contradicting yourself. You have a modest income so you can’t pay for any school you want. How would you “pay” for any school you want??? </p>

<p>Are you aware that MOST schools do not give much aid? If a school cost $60k and only gave you $15k in aid, would YOU be able to pay the rest? Not likely unless you have a trust fund somewhere. </p>

<p>How much have your parents SAID that they’ll pay each year? If you don’t know, ask them.</p>

<p>And, what the heck are your test scores and GPA???</p>

4

<p>*ACT (best subscores): Science: 36 Math: 35 English: 32 Reading: 30 Writing: 9
4.07 Weighted GPA
*</p>

<p>Your superscore ACT is a 33…what is your ACT composite from your best single sitting???</p>

5

<p>Also Rice meets full need for anyone whose income is under 80k I believe</p>

6

<p>My best ACT composite in one sitting is 32.</p>

<p>As for financial aid, I am willing to <em>be in debt</em> for any school, as long as it is near exactly to what I want (and if it’s less than what I want, obviously I am willing to pay less)</p>

7

<p>

</p>

<p>And yet you are applying to Caltech. Sounds like you really need to think about your criteria a little more.</p>

8

<p>Well that’s the thing…I don’t know what nearly any school is like…that’s why I’m asking for help!</p>

9

<p>Are your parents, with an income of 55K per year, willing to co-sign your loans? Because you won’t be able to borrow enough money on your own to pay for “any institution.”</p>

<p>Why are you certain that the Air Force Academy is a match rather than a reach? Do you know you will be nominated by your congressman?</p>

10

<p>Look at Rice, JHU, Case. You have your safety all set up so you can go to town with the rest of your choices. Cal Tech is a contradiction of what you say you want. How about Harvey Mudd?</p>

11

<p>Are your parents, with an income of 55K per year, willing to co-sign your loans? Because you won’t be able to borrow enough money on your own to pay for “any institution.”</p>

<p>Exactly! YOU don’t have the income to qualify for such loans, and your parents may not qualify to co-sign…and they may say “no” since their credit would be at risk. Most parents refuse to co-sign. </p>

<p>YOU can only borrow the following amounts:</p>

<p>$5500 frosh
$6500 soph
$7500 jr
$7500 sr</p>

<p>and, these amounts will likely already be in your FA pkg, so you won’t be able to borrow to cover any shortfalls or cover any EFC.</p>

<p>“I am willing to be in debt for any school…”</p>

<p>And that’s why they don’t let kids borrow lots of money…they are moved by emotion and not the realities of debt and how debt affects one’s life.</p>

12

<p>With your smarts and stats, why not pick up a Fiske or Princeton Review and get a fast glimpse of competitiveness, diversity and all the other minutiae. Lots of kids want a near exact love match. As for the Asians and geeks comment…</p>

13

<p>Thank you! See, I didn’t realize that Cal Tech didn’t offer what I wanted here. In fact, I thought it was a good match. What about Cal Tech isnt what I listed?</p>

14

<p>I’ve had much reassurance from my counselor and admissions liaison officer that I have a great chance of getting in to USAFA.</p>

15

<p>Exactly! YOU don’t have the income to qualify for such loans, and your parents may not qualify to co-sign…and they may say “no” since their credit would be at risk. Most parents refuse to co-sign.</p>

<p>I’m pretty sure my parent’s credit score is zero right now.</p>

16

<p>" Sorry asians and geeks…you’re nice people, but I don’t want to spend my next four years with all of you."</p>

<p>Yikes, what happens after you graduate and you need to work with “asians and geeks”!
Between that statement and looking for a good male/female ratio - that rules out a lot of excellent engineering schools such as CMU, RPI etc. Good luck on your quest to find your idealized college environment…</p>

17

<p>I’m pretty sure my parent’s credit score is zero right now.</p>

<p>Well then, they won’t be co-signing any loans for you. That means that you won’t be able to borrow to go wherever you want. it’s good to know this NOW, so that you’re not compiling a list that requires you to borrow lots of money.</p>

<p>Looks like you need either HUGE merit or a school that gives super FA. </p>

<p>What would your parents’ EFC be? Can they help you at all with college costs?</p>

18

<p>OP, a good place to start looking is with College Confidential’s search [College</a> Search - College Confidential](<a href=“http://www.collegeconfidential.com/college_search]College”>http://www.collegeconfidential.com/college_search). Try playing around with the various parameters and see what pops up. You can also use similar tools on sites like the College Board. As others have said, get a copy of some of the many college guidebooks. </p>

<p>It sounds like your parents won’t be able to pay anything towards your education, and that they might not be able to sign for additional loans. That means that you must find good financial safeties–schools which will be affordable either because you’re living at home or because they offer substantial merit aid. USAFA would be in that category, but admission is not a sure thing. You’ve been admitted to one school–can you afford to attend using just that $5500 freshman year Stafford loan and working part-time?</p>

<p>Caltech is a small intense highly academic school specializing in STEM fields. Not surprisingly, it’s a very geeky environment. It is not for everyone–in fact, it’s most decidedly not for most people. What made you consider it at all?</p>

19

<p>Something else- don’t know about USAFA, but Mich, Stanford and other schools on this level will have holistic admissions reviews. Along with looking for near perfection, you might want to turn to the CA and supplements and see the sort of picture of yourself you will need to present. It’s just not all about how perfect you think a place is, how schools meet or avoid certain demographics or other personal preferences. In the end, it’s what you show that makes them want you, over the other thousands of applicants. Some sense you are grounded, realistic, open-minded and willing to adapt yourself to their realities is important. To them.</p>

20

<p>If you want to become an officer in the Air Force (which is the assumption if you are applying to the USAFA), have you looked at ROTC programs and scholarships at the other schools?</p>

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<p>And you want to study engineering at a “prestigious” college?</p>