<p>Im currently a high school junior in West Virginia. I scored a 28 on the ACT with around a 3.3(poor freshman year)GPA. Ive always wanted to join the FBI or another federal agency to become a special agent, so I plan on a criminology degree which combines criminal justice, sociology, and psychology. I want a good program that is nationally ranked, and the opportunity to study abroad. I've toured WVU, but failed to like their atmosphere, and I toured Marshall, but I honestly hated the faculty. What are some good schools that I could possibly like that arent extremely expensive. I dont expect to receive a lot of help from my parents, so the cost will be on my shoulders. Thanks!</p>
<p>University of Scranton</p>
<p>financing college 101: YOU cannot pay for college since you can only borrow $5500 your first year and 27K for four years. schools will expect you and your family to pay an amount (the Expected Family Contribution) determined by your family’s income and assets. In order to determine what that amount is, you must go to the financial aid page of any school in which you’re interested, click on the net price calculator (npc), and provide the info they request. The npc will provide you with an EFC and that will pretty accurately tell you what you’ve have to pay the first year and perhaps each year thereafter unless there’s a change in your family’s assets, income, or ability to pay. Do this for each college.</p>
<p>So any school that is suggested to you must be affordable, and only you and your parents can determine that. You might have to go to a school you loathe, or go to a community college for a couple years. Lots of Americans are in this situation. I doubt this is the first time you’ve had to do something other than what you’d prefer to do.</p>
<p>Secondly, you need to do some narrowing down before we can help you. Use the SuperMatch function in the column to the left of this page. Plug in your preferences and data and it will punch out some schools. Narrow the list down and run the net price calculators at these schools. Public schools in WVU might be your best bet, OOS publics might not be, but privates might be affordable, too. You have to run the npc to find out.</p>
<p>It’s good that you’re starting to look early. Your GPA isn’t going to get you merit aid. If college costs are absolutely on your shoulders you might consider community college for two years and transfer your last two years. As the poster above mentioned you can only borrow $5500 your first year which would cover tuition and books at a community college. If you want to be considered for FBI you should look at what they want for new recruits re: classes. You will need to keep your grades up too.</p>
<p>Just a note: a friend of mine worked for the Justice Dept. and now works for the FBI and told me both recruit heavily from WVU. My DD2 wants to major in Forensic Biology and that’s why WVU is on her list. </p>
<p>Undergraduate programs generally aren’t nationally ranked. Moreover, criminology is often ‘buried’ within sociology departments; many schools might not have an explicit criminology or criminal justice major, but still have enough classes in criminology for you to do a little concentration within the sociology department.</p>
<p>Another note - you don’t have to major in criminal justice or criminology to work with the FBI, even as a special agent. In fact, right now the FBI’s top three critical areas for special agents are accounting, finance, and computer science/IT. After that they value engineering, foreign language, and intelligence experience. Law enforcement experience is down the list, and by that I think they mean experience on a law enforcement force like a police department.</p>
<p>Most universities with criminal justice major are public universities that are unlikely to give you a lot of financial aid. One place that does come to mind is the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, part of CUNY. They are public, but their OOS tuition is pretty cheap (about $10K); however, living in NYC is very expensive. A couple of SUNY campuses also have criminal justice or related majors - Fredonia, Buffalo, Albany, Plattsburgh, Oneonta and Potsdam. SUNY OOS costs are also more affordable than most public universities.</p>
<p>If you have high stats, you might try to get a scholarship at the University of Alabama.</p>
<p>Some other places that have criminology, criminal justice, or related majors are Butler University, American University (justice and law), Loyola Chicago (also has forensic science), Northeastern, Guilford College, Nova Southeastern, Seton Hall, Gonzaga, High Point, the University of Richmond (an LAC), Temple, and Utica College.</p>
<p>Mercer University has a criminal justice minor. You can major in law & public policy there; they also have a major in public safety leadership.</p>
<p>Although I have to say that if you have a good criminal justice program at your home state’s public flagship and money is an issue…that’s probably going to be your best choice.</p>