<p>I'm starting my college search this summer. I really want to major in Middle Eastern Studies (or some type of IR with this as a concentration) or Arabic, or something similar.</p>
<p>So, obviously, I'm looking in the Washington D.C. area. But I live in Pennsylvania--so it'd be OOS--and I'd need a lot of help with paying for college.</p>
<p>About Me: I get A's in everything except Math classes (I get at least mid-B's). My practice SAT scores are decent for taking it the first time, and my ACT Eng (practice, all I took so far) was good, in my opinion.</p>
<p>Any suggestions?</p>
<p>You’re going to need to define “decent.” What are your extra-curricular activities?</p>
<p>I suggest Georgetown and American University.</p>
<p>You also need to define what kind of help you need paying for college. Does your family qualify for need based aid or do you need merit aid?</p>
<p>Most financial aid will be based on your grades and scores. The schools that give good need based aid tend to be top schools that require top stats and ECs to get into. Merit aid is also given based on stats and leadership qualities.</p>
<p>To get any real help here, you need to give a lot of detail.</p>
<p>""Rising Junior
White Female
PA
Public High School mainly known for football/sports</p>
<p>GPA: 3.89-3.9 (not sure if it’s W or UW)
SATs (taken the 1st time (early) soph year, w/o studying): 1790
~(will DEFINITELY retake! expecting higher score with studying)
ACTs: 32 (English), 28 (Math)…(didn’t take the others)
^^both were practice tests.</p>
<p>Freshman year:
*<em>Special Integrated 2 (Math): B/B
*Gym: A+/A+
*</em>Academic Bio: A+/A+
*<em>Academic Spanish 1: A+/A+
*</em>Academic English: A+/A+
*Global studies (semester): A+
*U.S. History 2 (semester): A+
Visual Basic (semester): A+</p>
<p>Soph year:
Integrated 3 (Math): B+/B+ (A’s on midterm and 1 nine weeks; I should have gotten an A the 2nd semester, but my teacher refused to change a grade problem that was his fault.)
<em>Gym: A+/A+
*</em>Academic Chem: A+/A
*<em>Academic Spanish 2: A+/A+
*</em>Honors English 10: A+/A+
*Econ (semester): A
*Government (semester): A+
Anatomy and Physiology: A+/A</p>
<p>Junior year schedule: (I expect to do well in ALL of these classes)
Pre-Calculus
<em>Gym
Academic Physics
*</em>AP English Language and Comp.
*<em>AP US History
Written Expression/(another elective to be determined) OR French 1
*</em>Spanish 3
(may self study AP psych)</p>
<p><em>Required classes for my grade level
*</em>Highest level possible at my school
(can only take APs starting junior year at my school)</p>
<p>I know I’m definitely in the top 15% of my class, and not too too far from the top of about 250 students</p>
<p>ECs:
~Science Club (9/10/11)
~Spanish Club (9/10/11)
~Book/Teen Club (6 --> )
~Teen Advisory Board of Library (8 --> )
~Volunteer at library: at least 75 hours
~Newspaper (10/11) (Politics Editor (11))
~Spanish Honors Society member (since 10th...running for pos. senior year)
~self studying (two) languages other than English and Spanish...
~NHS future member (my school's NHS starts junior year)
~Marching Band (Student Manager of Band) (10/11)
~Volunteer @ hospital (almost 40 hours, starting again in summer)
~Charity Walks:
...Walk Now for Autism
...CF Walk
...Make a Wish Foundation Walk
~Occasionally worked as waitress @ aunt's church functions.. and cleaning apartments
~Was in the Gifted program from K --> 8 (whole span of program available, if it makes a difference at all).
~Was nominated by my school to the Congressional Page program (ended up not doing it, though.)
~participated in a Downtown Vibrancy Project (where our suggestions and evaluations led to changes in one of the most frequented areas of our city)
~attended Health Career Academy last summer
~attending a very good (local) university's Law and Forensics Science workshop (Summer 2010)
~accepted for an International Affairs Apprenticeship next fall</p>
<p>Leadership:
~Band: Student Manager
~Newspaper: one of the editors for 11th grade, running again for managing editor 12th grade
~running for science club VP (11), spanish club pres. (11), and planning on running for spanish honor society pres./VP (12)</p>
<p>~I was interested in science and maybe even medicine, but I do not like math and it does not like me After thinking about it I realized that I can do something I always loved and never thought was an option: study cultures and languages! (This is why there was a somewhat sudden change from science-based ECs to politics/IR ones)</p>
<p>Thanks!! ""
.........................................</p>
<p>My family makes less than 100K a year, I'm pretty sure. I would take any type of aid I can get: merit or need based.</p>
<p>Schools don’t consider work done before high school.</p>
<p>George Washington or American?</p>
<p>Do you know if they give good financial aid?</p>