<p>I'm a senior in high school and I have NO idea where I want to go to college. I'd like go into medicine. I'm interested in psychology as well! I'd like to go to a school with 5-10 thousand students (I"m from a small high school of 200 students). Please help!!</p>
<p>You have to tell us more about yourself if you want valid suggestions. What are your qualifications? Do you have any preferences other than just the size of the school? What geographic areas are you interested in?</p>
<p>27 ACT (should get 28/29)
4.2 GPA. School doesn’t offer AP’s only dual college credit. I’ll have 25 dual credits at the end of this year.
I’m a minority. (Half african american/half caucasian).
From Iowa. I don’t want to go to college in the West. I want to go to a good school that will help prepare me for medical school. --I don’t have many preferences.
I have tons of extracurriculars (I can elaborate if you want). Also, many leadership positions.
NHS president, Senior class president, Student council president, Girls state participant, Captain of multiple varsity sports.</p>
<p>You sound like a great student! I suspect you will have tons of options. It will be tough to narrow them all down if you’re not picky enough. Let me ask a few more questions. Are you planning on playing a sport in college? Do you need much financial aid? Are merit scholarships really important to you, or is money not an issue at all? </p>
<p>Have you visited any colleges yet? If so, which ones? What did you like most/least during those visits?</p>
<p>It is tough! I have NO idea 
I don’t plan to play a sport in college. However, if I go to a really small school (less than 3,000) I would consider playing a sport.
Financial aid: I have a single mother, there are 6 kids. I’d be the first to go to college. I’m not in contact with my real father. So… I should get quite a bit for financial aid. (She’s only a waitress) However, I’m not concerned with money, I think it’s important to go to the school I feel is the best fit for me and then weigh financial options later. I do plan to apply for scholarships. (But, I do have a $50,000 conservatorship that I will receive when I’m 18- that will be used for college)</p>
<p>Chapel Hill
Like- the area! I LOVED it there. Weather and everything. However, that’s about all I liked.
Dislike- Didn’t seem very safe- very,very open campus. They haven’t sent me any letters or other information about the school after visiting. Found that very strange. Also, the size may be too big for me. 16/17,000? too many.</p>
<p>Iowa State University
(short tour guide when I was at girls state)
Too big. Too close to home. Everyone I know goes there to party. Not enough prestige.</p>
<p>Chapel Hill out of state is a pretty big reach, Wake Forest University is probably more reasonable, because SAT/ACT’s are optional for admission. We have excellent medical school placement. We have about 4,000 students and are located a little over an hour away from UNC. I think it would be a reasonable reach to have.
Maybe some smaller LAC’s like Wheaton, Grinnell, Kenyon, DePauw.</p>
<p>Smaller than you may want, but look into Clark (MA).</p>
<p>wilmingtonwave-</p>
<p>reasonable reach? what do you think my chances are?</p>
<p>You might like Johns Hopskins.</p>
<p>thank you all for the suggestions! </p>
<p>However, I feel like a lot of these schools will definitely be reach schools. I certainly don’t have the high ACT score-- and I won’t take the SAT’s until next month.
Any suggestions for schools that are not only good, but I would also have a pretty good chance of getting into. I need a few safety and reach schools.</p>
<p>Based on what you’ve told us, I don’t think Wake is a reach at all. If anything, it’s a definite match. I do agree that it deserves your attention. </p>
<p>Here are some others to consider including Wake, but in no particular order: </p>
<p>Wake
Emory
Rice
Davidson
Richmond
Duke</p>
<p>In other climates:
Dartmouth
Notre Dame
Bucknell</p>
<p>I think Vanderbilt would be an interesting choice also, but based on your comment about UNC not sure you’d feel safe, but I think it is, and I think you’d like the school. </p>
<p>These should get you off to a decent start. Once you start looking you will undoubtedly come up with your own discoveries as well.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Don’t underestimate yourself. You have some very sought after qualities that many schools are looking for. Your GPA is solid, your ACT score is still in the 85th percentile, you are in Iowa which adds some geographic diversity, and it sounds as if you have accomplished quite a bit despite some economic disadvantages.(if I understood you correctly).</p>
<p>You are much more than just an ACT score. Plus, if you prepare, your scores will probably fit just fine.</p>
<p>shay_888,
I think you would like Wake Forest. Unlike Chapel Hill, which I have visited several times, it is gated and enclosed from the community. </p>
<p>As far as chances, admission to Wake Forest is much more holistic than many other schools and the essays are of particular importance. If you are serious, I would work hard on your essays. The fact that Wake Forest University is standardized testing optional along with your GPA will help you. Pretty much, I think you have a pretty good shot, provided you write great essays. If you have any specific questions, shoot me a PM.</p>
<p>flvadad-</p>
<p>thank you for some other climate changes!
also, i’m looking into vanderbilt.
I’m very interested in appyling there.</p>
<p>You are quite welcome. Please keep us posted on how things shape up for you.</p>
<p>what about northwestern university?</p>
<p>I’m definitely a fan of Northwestern. They offer a lot for a school its size. Most people actually think it’s a lot bigger than it is. I agree that it also belongs on the list. Campus is not as nice as some of the others, but it’s a great school, no question. I also think Evanston is a great location given it’s proximity to Chicago. It comes with the added bonus for you of not being too far from home, plus they play Iowa a lot - same conference. I definitely vote for you to check it out.</p>
<p>I think I will look into it. Although I love the weather of the east, I’m not going to limit my colleges to just those out there. (however, the weather change would be great) As for area, I just don’t want to go to school in the middle of nowhere. I live in a town that is an hour away from any nightlife, malls, etc… and I don’t want to go to college in a place where there’s nothing to do!</p>
<p>Be aware that to get in medical school, getting a high undergraduate gpa is very important, but going to a great college is not very important. In other words, it’s better to get a high gpa at a less-competitive college than mediocre grades at a very difficult college (Johns Hopkins, for example).</p>
<p>So, I finally think I have a good idea where I want to go to school, but I have NO idea.
As you can see, my credentials are above, but I need some schools that are safeties, and I want schools that give good financial aid for students with EFC of 0.
Any good schools for pre-med that I can safely get into, but still prepare me to get a good score on the MCAT? I wouldn’t mind a school that has an ACT average of 27-28 where I’d be an above average student.</p>