<p>stats:
3.96 gpa (weighted)
3 APs & 8 hnrs (sen. yr. will be taking 6 AP & 1 hnr)
ranked 29/605 (public)
27 ACT (for now)
my ec's aren't the best, because i have to work full time while in school.
will be appplying for financial aid (single parent income $30,000)
i'm white, from arkansas, and lesbian (if that helps)</p>
<p>college interests:
good pre-med program (bio major?)
decent housing
somewhat diverse
GLBT acceptance/community
10,000+ students</p>
<p><strong>i'm looking for some good schools,
but none that are way out of my league.</strong></p>
<p>I think you would be best to look at good liberal arts colleges because they have a lot of range in their acceptances and many offer great fin aid. Have you looked at the U.S. News and World Report just to get a few names and stats? I would also try and bump up your scores. Also, I wouldn't focus too much on the fact that you are lesbian. However, if a certain school has a club or organization that you are interested in that has to do with that, you should mention that you are interested in that club or what-not. Anyway, best of luck. I know how hard it is to find schools that fit and that are realistic. I had so many friends apply unrealistically and the really regretted it when they weren't getting acceptances.</p>
<p>Of course, there are other, similar schools, e.g. Michigan, Minnesota. I don't know personally whether they fit all of your requirements, but I would guess that many do.</p>
<p>Why a school with 10,000+ students? There are only a few private schools that large and, with your parents' income, private schools may actually cost you less out of pocket than public schools.</p>
<p>it doesn't matter if the school is public or private.
and the "college interests" are just suggestions, not exactly requirements.</p>
<p>i do plan on taking out a big college loan.
money is something that has been holding me back all of my life, so i don't want to not go to a college i love, merely because it is too expensive.</p>
<p>and i don't know, i just like being in an environment with lots of people.</p>
<p>Look, you will probably have to take out SOME loans, but with a single parent with an income of $30,000, you are quite likely to qualify for a significant amount of pure grants, plus government Pell Grants. Private schools (generally but not always) often have substantial financial aid for people in your situation. It could even be less expensive to attend a private school than the University of Arkansas!</p>
<p>The issue is that there are not a whole lost of private schools with enrollments in excess of 10,000. There are a few, but not all of them are easy to get into.</p>
<p>May I suggest that you seriously consider some liberal arts colleges (LACs)? They are smaller than you say you want (generally in the 1,000 to 3,000 range with 2,000 being about average), but they usually offer smaller classes, a better relationship with one's teachers, more personalized administration, and the like.</p>
<p>If you're interested in a LAC, I would be happy to suggest some that might suit you (and others on this board would also be happy to do that).</p>
<p>
[quote]
and i don't know, i just like being in an environment with lots of people
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Nothing wrong with that. I went to big schools myself and I enjoyed the myriad people and opportunities. I didn't need much personal attention, and I was able to get the attention that I did need.</p>
<p>Even now I find it a little confining to visit a small college, <=3000 students. I understand and admire them, but I still feel that they would not suit me. </p>
<p>Consider all sorts of schools. You might, in the end, find it worthwhile to compromise on some of your requirements for financial reasons. But: there is a big difference between a compromise and a capitulation. Don't give up your basic personality for the sake of financial aid.</p>
<p>OK, your class ranking is top 5%, you're taking a difficult schedule, your GPA is quite good, and your ACT score is a bit below what the most selective schools would like to see. That means that you're a good "catch" for a number of schools that are a bit below the most selective tier.</p>
<p>I really don't know much about GLBT friendliness at various schools. That's something you'll have to look into, yourself. I suspect, however, that you haven't been overly happy with open-mindedness towards GLBT people in Arkansas, and I suspect you will not find many GLBT-friendly schools in the old Confederacy (though I think you could certainly find some schools where the culture is indifferent instead of hostile).</p>
<p>So, looking outside the South for the time being, I have some suggestions for you.</p>
<p>NYU might be just right, but it is known for having inadequate financial aid, and that will not do for you. Still, it might be worth applying. Financial aid packages can vary substantially from one person to another.</p>
<p>Other colleges to consider that are fairly close matches (especially if you improve the ACT score):</p>
<p>Dickinson
Gettysburg
Skidmore
Union College
Bard (a bit of a stretch at this point)
Lafayette College
Trinity College (CT)
Macalester (a stretch)
Wellesley (a huge stretch)
Marlboro
Sarah Lawrence
Hampshire College</p>
<p>That's just a partial list, but should give you a start.</p>
<p>PS -- I have a very good friend who grew up lesbian in Fayetteville, AK in the 60s and 70s. She didn't enjoy the experience.</p>
<p>hah yeah, i live in bentonville, ar. it's about 20mins from fayetteville. deffinately not a gay-friendly place.</p>
<p>so yes, i am trying to get out of the south. i've been looking at colleges like syracuse, northeastern, and indiana-bloomington. i like the idea of big cities.</p>
<p>but i am open to smaller schools. so all suggestions will be considered.
i appreciate the help, and much thanks to all.</p>
<p>and yeah, i'm working to get my act score up.</p>
<p>
[quote]
GLBT acceptance/community
10,000+ students
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I think there's a big difference between going to a place where there are lots of students and going to a place where there are lots of people. If you just want to be in a school that lots of people, and especially with GLBT tolerance, then go to a school in/near a big city - i.e. New York, Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, LA, Chicago, etc. Many of the schools in those areas don't have a lot of students, but I hardly see how that matters when you figure in all of the rest of the people who are there. To paraphrase Samuel Johnson, if you're tired of New York, or Boston, or LA, or any of those cities, you are tired of life.</p>
<p>What about Smith or Mt Holyoke? Good FA and significant gay population at both... Plus, you get the 5 college exchange with Amherst, UMass & Hampshire.</p>
<p>LOL i remember those days of thinking that taking out a big loan "wasn't a big deal" as i was looking to attend an out of state public school. It'll hit you when you get that financial aid package back and realize you're looking at 20-30,000 a year in loans. You REALLY have to think about that: it means that you're prolly gonna owe at least 80,000 dollars when you graduate. You're not even gauranteed to find a JOB when you graduate so why would you want to leave school owing that much money. My advice, apply to a lot of different places (you should be eligable for some application fee waivers if you're poor enough) and see what kind of aid you can come out with. I had a higher ACT than you (34) but lower grades (3.6 weighted at the time of applications). I, to my surprise, qualified for MERIT aid at a number of the schools I had applied to making them much more affordable. Case Western is one example- they offered me over 20,000 a year in merit aid alone. I was also given a hefty scholarship to the University of South Carolina AND at South Carolina if they give you a scholarship you are also given in-state rates making it SUPER affordable. I ended up chosing the University of Michigan as I was in-state and they provided me with sufficient aid and it was my DREAM school. I'd say you're an accademic and social fit for michigan which is in a lively college town with a decent gay community and an accepting student body. Michigan, however, is notoriously stingy with aid for out of staters. GOOD LUCK WITH THE PROCESS!</p>
<p>I second the South Carolina comment, lots of top applicants get good aid there. Also check out U Miami, they give out good aid for top students. If you are awarded a scholarship at Texas-Austin, you get the in-state rate in addition to the scholarship.</p>