I have no idea how to pick, what to pick, or what colleges would be the best match!

College Search & Selection
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<p>The University of Connecticut would cost you (as an out-of-state student) nearly double what you’d pay for the University of Washington (at full rates). So I’d drop UConn.</p>

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<p>Carleton offers very little merit aid. These small liberal arts colleges are attractive, but some of them (esp. Amherst and Williams) will be reaches and all are expensive (although they do tend to offer good need-based aid if you qualify). Closer to home, Whitman College (in Walla Walla WA) is an excellent LAC, similar to the above but somewhat less selective than Amherst, Williams, Bowdoin, Wesleyan or Carleton. Whitman does offer merit aid, but the average grant is only about $8K (which would leave you with net costs over $40K if you get no other aid).</p>

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<p>Yeah UConn was a bit iffy for me. I’ll consider Whitman, its a little artsy though and I might as well go to Seattle U if I’m going for a liberal arts college. So should I am for some LAC’s? What are the benefits as a pre med student?</p>

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<p>Also, should I seriously consider UMich? I’m sorry if I’m being annoying!</p>

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<p>izb, UMich seems to fit in well with the rest of your list. I like it for its academics and I especially like it for its rolling admissions.</p>

<p>I’m not sure what you mean by “I might as well go to Seattle U if I’m going for a liberal arts college.” I don’t see the basis of comparison. Small liberal arts colleges can be every bit as academically distinguished as large and medium sized universities. </p>

<p>Some small liberal arts colleges do very well at getting their graduates into good medical schools. Like larger universities LACs vary in academic quality so it’s difficult to generalize.</p>

<p>The ones I listed offer a high level of academic excellence, notably in the sciences, or what is (inaccurately) considered as “premed.”</p>

<p>I also believe that at the ones I listed you would have an admissions advantage as a high achieving Muslim American woman. </p>

<p>I couldn’t tell you if you would like a small LAC, especially one not located in a city. At this point, you should just investigate the various options.</p>

<p>I’d suggest that you (gently) press your parents a little more on the financial picture. Private colleges cost over $250,000. They may be willing in theory to pay that amount, but not actually able. Colleges that don’t offer merit aid, don’t offer merit aid, period. [Put Carleton in the “need only” column, then.]</p>

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<p>Yeah I’ll need to press them a bit more. I personally don’t want to go somewhere thaaaat expensive either if it’s not worth it and if I won’t like it. Because then the whole undergrad debt factors in again. I’ll look into some LAC’s though. And I have to do my research into those schools you’re recommending, thanks again for putting thought into this! I’m really banking on the Univ. of Washington, it’s in-state and has one of the best med schools for being a public school. There’s just that slim chance I won’t get in, which is why I’m concerned as to where else. But you all are unbelievably helpful, keep the college suggestions coming hahaha :)</p>

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<p>Do you want to be part of a Muslim community? If so, is there a national organization for Muslim students (like Hillel for Jewish students) that you could contact for information?</p>

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<p>It’d be nice to have a strong community around wherever I go, which is why I’m leaning towards the East Coast where I have family close, maybe even California! There’s no organizations as far as I know, just a strong network!</p>

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<p>UWashington is an outstanding school with phenomenal science programs across the board.
Frankly, you shouldn’t bother applying to out-of-state public universities… you would have to pay out-of-state fees, and I don’t think any of the out-of-state publics are worth paying those fees given that you have an excellent in-state option. The highly regarded publics (Berkeley, UCLA, Michigan, etc) are not going to give you substantial financial aid.</p>

<p>Given that your chances of getting into UWashington are very high, and tuition will be reasonable, you need only consider other schools that are likely to give you financial aid. There is no point in going to an expensive private if they won’t give you financial aid when your eventual goal is medical school. Fortunately, many of the highly regarded privates have decent financial aid, so they can sometimes be cheaper than public schools when you take the financial aid into account.</p>

<p>Since you live in the Pacific northwest, consider these west-coast schools:
Reed College (Portland, Oregon)
Lewis & Clark (Portland, Oregon)
Pomona College (Claremont, CA)
Stanford University
University of Southern California</p>

<p>I didn’t recommend and of the Universities of California, because they will NOT give much financial aid to an out-of-state person, and the out-of-state fees are NOT worth it in comparison to UWashington (including even Berkeley, in my opinion).</p>

<p>You seem to have a strong interest in NYC… so def apply to Columbia as reach.
I wouldn’t bother with NYU… they are VERY expensive and notoriously stingy with financial aid, and frankly, the academics would not be significantly better (if at all) than UWashington. Same with Boston U (expensive stingy & financial aid, academics not better than UWash).</p>

<p>Also in Boston, consider Tufts University and Wellesley College.
In Providence, consider Brown.</p>

<p>The schools I listed have a lot of reaches, but the way I figure it, I think you have a 95% of getting into UWashington… which has outstanding academics and should be very affordable in-state.</p>

<p>If you are considering out-of-state public… maybe UMichigan because they have rolling admissions, and I believe they have a higher than average Muslim population.</p>

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<p>Okay thanks! Yeah some are bit of a reach, but worth a shot! It makes sense to consider schools with a lot of financial aid then if I’m going to apply out of state. Like I said, I’ll consider out of state if its <em>better</em> then UW and a good deal, but UW is my first choice. I’m glad I’m narrowing down my list though, or at least know what to look for. Stanford though? Hmmm…didn’t consider it. Definite reach. My dream Ivy is Columbia -I’m going there for a journalism conference in the fall so I can check it out. And good call on the U of Cali’s, they are waaay too expensive for out of state public schools, I’m glad I made my decision on those. If I were to go out of state, it would have to be one of the coasts. New York ideally since I have family, but everything there is so close to each other it doesn’t matter.</p>

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<p>Aaaand if I go to UW I’ll be paying $15,000 at most appx since I’ll be living at home too, its downtown and I can drive there. Haha. The only reason I’ve posted this thread is because the only one school I know for sure I’m going to apply to and is my first choice is UW, but I can’t put all my eggs in one basket!</p>

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<p>Well, you are fortunate. UWashington is outstanding across the board. I think it is very under-rated on this website.</p>

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<p>It really is! It has a great med school attached, it’s diverse, it’s fun etc, etc. But I’m slowly throwing around options in my head now, which is good. Calmness is setting in (:</p>