I’m a current high school junior and I’m beginning my college search. I have a 31 ACT although I’ll be taking it again and hopefully increasing it. I really want to go to a school close to the mountains. I’m also looking for a bigger school, with upwards of 5,000 students. Another important thing is being academically challenging. Any help is welcome!!
We are going to need more information.
What is your home state? If you are an international student, what is your home country? What is your unweighted GPA? What is your intended major or majors?
What is your budget? How much can you afford to spend for university without taking on any debt?
“Mountains” makes me think of UVM, U.Mass Amherst, University of Colorado, and perhaps Wyoming, Calgary, and UBC. McGill has a small mountain right in its backyard but is more know for being in the middle of a bilingual city. Simon Fraser is on the top of a mountain. Of all of these, Colorado might be the most obvious. These are however very different universities and which one, if any, makes sense for you will depend upon a lot of other things.
Thanks for asking, I didn’t know that info was needed!
I am originally from Minnesota and my GPA is 3.65. I am intending to major in Biomedical Engineering. I haven’t really talked with my family about budget yet, we are upper middle class but I am currently in the midst of applying for scholarships.
In our experience by far the biggest scholarships come from the universities themselves. There is also a huge range in terms of what a university will cost, although to some limited extent the more expensive universities will sometimes (not always) offset the cost with scholarships.
You should probably look very carefully at your in-state public flagship. It is very good and is likely to be affordable. I have a vague recollection that Minnesota might have a deal with Wisconsin also.
When you say “originally from”, do you still live in Minnesota?
Yes, I am still in Minnesota
U of Utah should probably be on your list - the access to mountain recreation is unrivaled, and Utah gives students a path to residency after the first year which can be a huge help in terms of affordability. (Relatively generous merit as well.) U of Nevada Reno could also be worth a look - very close to the Sierra and Lake Tahoe. Virginia Tech could also be a good choice if the Blue Ridge Mtns appeal. CU Boulder, CO Mines, UVM… all great schools but expensive for OOS students.
Clarkson University could also be worth a look - it’s in far-upstate NY with lots of Adirondack mountain recreation. They don’t have an undergrad major in biomedical engineering, but MechE and EE students do a lot of medical-adjacent research, as Clarkson has grad programs in PT and OT, and there’s a lot of R&D collaboration e.g. in prosthetics. They often give good merit $.