<p>I am extremely confused on how to find universities for me. Everyone says that I should research them buy I don't know how to tell which universities are more my type and which aren't since all of them claim to be the best at what they do. I am interested in medicine. So basically my question is what tools do you guys use to determine which universities are good and are good matches for you, thank you! Hope this question makes sense</p>
<p>Fiske Guide to Colleges is a good place to start. If, say, you hear about an LAC that sounds intriguing, you can look it up and find out all kinds of information about it, both statistical and subjective. Then you can go follow the “Similar Colleges” feature and check out several other LACs. Then check out a large research university and read about it and its similar colleges. This will at least help you narrow the universe of what type of school you think might be a good fit for you. </p>
<p>If you find a few which tickle your fancy, that’s the time to check out the websites. From there, make a list of schools you’d like to visit in person.</p>
<p>I can’t remember it’s either the College Board or Princeton Review that has a web site search that has a similar schools feature as well. </p>
<p>Department of Education’s College Navigator search will help you find colleges according to a few criteria. </p>
<p>Look for colleges that have good premed advising, have strong sciences, have a record of sending kids to medical school, and who have other features you like (location in the US, city or rural, big or small, greek life, sports culture, music scene, whatever). </p>
<p>If you can describe the kind of college you’d like to explore, people here can give you some suggestions.</p>
<p>The best places to start online:</p>
<p>(1) [Princeton</a> Review](<a href=“http://www.princetonreview.com/schoolsearch.aspx]Princeton”>College Search | The Princeton Review) school search tool. You can search using any of multiple parameters, and the results you get about any school will include info about available majors, difficulty of admission, generosity of financial aid, and quality of life, among others. The BEST place to start!</p>
<p>(2) [Colleges</a> That Change Lives](<a href=“http://www.ctcl.org/]Colleges”>http://www.ctcl.org/). This website provides information about several “hidden gem” schools that you might not otherwise think of. A great resource not only for its list of schools, but also for its suggestions on how to search for a college.</p>
<p>(3) CC’s own [college-specific</a> sub-forums](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/alphabetic-list-colleges/]college-specific”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/alphabetic-list-colleges/). Once you’ve identified a school you might be interested in, go to the sub-forum for that school and search for a specific topic you’re interested in (e.g. “science,” “dorms”) or just browse through the forum and see what you find. If you have specific questions about the school, post them to that forum!</p>
<p>Additionally, if you do a google search for “college reviews” you’ll come up with several sites that provide student reviews of colleges and universities. Some of the sites are useful; some not so much.</p>
<p>I’d also strongly recommend the book [Cool</a> Colleges](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Cool-Colleges-Hyper-Intelligent-Self-Directed-Different/dp/1580088392/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1338213556&sr=8-1][u]Cool”>http://www.amazon.com/Cool-Colleges-Hyper-Intelligent-Self-Directed-Different/dp/1580088392/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1338213556&sr=8-1) by Donald Asher. It’s an easy read and will give you a great list of schools, as well as LOTS of ideas about what to look for when you’re doing your college search. It’s a few years old, so you should be able to find it in your library.</p>
<p>If finances are an issue (and they are for most people), you should also consider all of the following:</p>
<p>(1) [Colleges</a> that claim to meet full financial need](<a href=“http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/articles/2012/02/16/colleges-that-claim-to-meet-full-financial-need]Colleges”>http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/articles/2012/02/16/colleges-that-claim-to-meet-full-financial-need)</p>
<p>(2) [Colleges</a> that commit to meeting need with minimal or no loans](<a href=“http://projectonstudentdebt.org/pc_institution.php]Colleges”>http://projectonstudentdebt.org/pc_institution.php)</p>
<p>(3) Schools that offer [GUARANTEED/automatic</a> scholarships](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html]GUARANTEED/automatic”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html) based on GPA/test scores</p>
<p>(4) Schools that offer [competitive</a> merit scholarships](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/211927-institutional-merit-based-scholarships-full-tuition.html]competitive”>Institutional Merit Based Scholarships (Full Tuition +) - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums)</p>
<p>(5) Boston University’s [financial</a> aid table](<a href=“http://www.bu.edu/finaid/apply/incoming/freshman-receiving-scholarships/]financial”>http://www.bu.edu/finaid/apply/incoming/freshman-receiving-scholarships/). Relevant whether or not you are applying to BU, this table will give you an idea of what kinds of variables you’re dealing with if you choose to apply to a school that does NOT commit to meeting full need. How much aid you get could well depend on how much the school likes you!</p>
<p>Okay, that should be enough to keep you busy for a while! :)</p>
<p>You might want to start by visiting several types of schools locally. Check out your large state U. Visit a small liberal arts college. If you have a city nearby, check out an urban school (one without a defined campus) vs. a private with a defined campus (either urban or suburban). You don’t actually have to apply to any of these schools, but it will give you a feel for the type of school that fits bets. Search CC as well for LACs vs. Universities to read the pros and cons.</p>
<p>Once you know the type of school, you can narrow the field a lot more easily.</p>
<p>In the meantime, have a conversation with your parents about how much schools cost and how much they can afford. Many parents have no idea how expensive it is. Lastly, check if they have constraints that they will apply to your search, such as ‘it has to be driving distance’ (a very common constraint). No point in researching schools that are not even on the table from their perspective.</p>
<p>Thank you all so much!!! This helped a lot. Thank you!!!</p>