I just want to be happy.

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Lately, I've been thinking about where I could end up spending the next four years of my life. And I've come to the conclusion that above finding a place great for my prospective majors (Biology and English)(Pre-Med or Pre-Law...maybe)), and above finding a place my family can brag about. I truly just want to find a place that I can be for the most part happy at!
And that is where you come in. </p>

<pre><code> Help? Can any of you offer suggestions on places I can go that fit my criteria?
</code></pre>

<p>Things I'd like in a school:</p>

<p>-Challenging Academics that I would be able to actually do! I don't want an ulcer from my freshman year!</p>

<p>-Friendly people, (I'm from the south... we're pretty hospitable here...) And I'm pretty quirky... Interesting people too?</p>

<p>-A place in a Urban area, but that still has a campus! I want some school pride, but also a life outside of it.</p>

<p>-The ability to join a Sorority, but not an over abundance of Greek life on campus!</p>

<p>-I don't want to be a number in all of my classes. I want some personalized attention... Also I don't want to be taught by a TA, I want to be taught by my actual professors.</p>

<p>-And I will definitely need financial aid to cover the cost of going to school, we aren't "under-privileged" but I have 4 sisters who all got out of college close to each other... And I'm last, we're "tapped out". </p>

<pre><code> And that's all really...
Here is a recent chance thread I posted! It has my academic credentials so you can match me with places I actually have a chance to get into!
</code></pre>

<p>HERE GOES:</p>

<p>-About Me-</p>

<p>African American(URM)
Female
Income: 120,000$
South Carolina
Perspective Majors:
Physics, Computer Science, English, Bio/Pre-Med, Pre-Law.</p>

<p>-Academic Stats-</p>

<p>-My Schedule is the Most Rigorous offered at my School, all honors and AP where Available.
-AP Courses so far:
-AP World History, AP Chemistry, AP US History, AP Bio, AP English III
-Senior Year Schedule: AP Physics B, AP Calc AB, AP English IV, AP French, AP Gov, AP Econ, Accelerated Computer IV/Computer Science 221 (Taken through a local college, so we receive college credit for it)</p>

<p>-GPA: 3.9 (Damn that B+ in sophomore year!)
-SAT I: 1500/2220 (700 (M) 790 (CR) 720 (W))
-SAT II: Literature-780, US History-710, Biology-680(Grrrrr.)
-AP Scores: World History: 5, US History-5, English Lang-5,Bio-4, Chem: 4</p>

<p>-Extracurriculars-
Extra Curricular Activities:
-Debate Team -9th/10th/11th/12th
-Quiz Bowl- 9th/ 10th/11th/12th
-National Honor Society- 11th/12th
-Newspaper/Literary Magazine - 9th/10th/11th/12th
-Great Books-9th/10th/11th/12th
- School Musical- 9th (Les Miserables), 10th(Grease), 11th(Sweeney Todd),12th(Beauty and the Beast)
-Co-Creator(Co-President) Sci-fi/Fantasy Club-10th/11th/12th
-Vestry - 9th/10th/11th/12th
-YIG-10th/11th/12th
-National French Honor Society -10th/11th/12th
-Summer Reading Committee-9th/10th/11th/12th
-Service Leader Program-11th/12th
-Peer Leader- 11th/12th
-Tutor for Algebra I
-Chorus- 9th/10th/11th/12th</p>

<p>Awards:</p>

<p>-AP Scholar with Distinction – 2011
-National Achievement Semifinalist 2011
-Poet Laureate of High School 2011-2012
-NCWIT National Award for Aspirations in Computing sponsored by NCWIT and the Bank of America 2011- 11th
- Smith College Book Award 2011
-Charleston Scholar of the College of Charleston 2011
-Honor Roll 2009/2010/2011
-National French Honor Society 2009/2010/2011/2012
--3rd Place School Poetry Contest 2011
-NHS-2010/2011/2012
-1st Place School Poetry Contest 2010
--2nd place Poetry Out Loud 2009/2010
-2nd Place Irmo Public Forum Debate 2009
-1st place Academic Magnet Public Forum Debate 2008
- Kids Jeopardy Contestant 2006
-NAACP Local Chapter Exhibition of Student Excellence Award 2006</p>

<p>Service Projects:</p>

<p>-Old Folks Home-9th/10th/11th/12th
-YMCA-Arts/Tutoring-9th/10th/11th/12th
-Hospital Volunteer work- 11th/12th
-Girl Scout Troop Assistant-9th/10th/11th/12th</p>

<p>Leadership:</p>

<p>-Co Creator of Sci-Fi fantasy Club(President)-10th/11th/12th
-Service Leader -11th/12th
-Peer Leader-11th/12th
-Senior Member of the Literary Magazine- 12th
-Youth in Government Committee Chair-12th</p>

<p>Research:</p>

<ul>
<li>Internship in the Neuroscience-Optometry Department(Experimentation with Mice and Rats for further Study of Age Related Macular Degeneration) 10th grade summer/11th Grade Year
-Summer Internship Awarded School in Neurology (Growth of Cell cultures and Isolation of certain cytokines for treatment of patients suffering from MS and Glaucoma/Treatment of Cancer with Naturally occurring compounds) -11th Grade Summer</li>
</ul>

<p>-Year Long Internship (“Girls in Science”) – 12th Grade Year</p>

<p>Some Schools I've been looking at to apply to, it's getting down to the wire so I need to know soon!</p>

<p>Oberlin University
Boston University
Tufts University
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
George Washington University
Barnard College
University of Michigan
Rice University
University of Virginia
Emory University
Boston College
University of Pennsylvania
Duke University
Columbia University
Yale University
University of Chicago
Brown University
Princeton University</p>

<p>Application Fee Waivers for:</p>

<p>Hampton University
Howard University
Smith College
Washington and Lee University</p>

2

<p>*And I will definitely need financial aid to cover the cost of going to school, we aren’t “under-privileged” but I have 4 sisters who all got out of college close to each other… And I’m last, we’re “tapped out”. </p>

<p>Family income $120k*</p>

<p>Financial aid is based on demonstrated “need” after a school looks at income/assets. It won’t care if your family has (non-medical) debt or already put a few kids thru college. </p>

<p>You have a lot of schools that are “need-based” only and they will expect your family to contribute a good amount of money since your income is $120k. With that income, you’re going to have a highish EFC. </p>

<p>Even the few schools (Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Princeton) that give “mega FA” will expect your family to pay at least $12k or so per year. Schools like Rice, BC, and others will expect more. </p>

<p>How much can your family contribute? If you don’t know ask them. If they can’t contribute much (or anything) then you have to apply to a couple of schools that will give you huge merit scholarships for your stats. Since you’re a NA student, there are schools that will give you large merit for your stats.</p>

<p>If money is an issue, your issue won’t necessarily be getting accepted (you have great stats), your issue will be that schools will expect your family to pay more than it can/will.</p>

3

<p>Thank you for your advice on Financial Aid! I am aware that I unfortunately live in Middle Class Purgatory when it come to college, because my EFC isn’t 0 and I’m definitely not a full pay student.
But the point of the thread wasn’t chances… it was to suggest schools that have the things I’m looking for that I’d be happy attending.
Trust me, the Financial Aid battle is something we talk often about in my family, and we have a plan in place based on my happiness at a school and what my parents to can pay to send me there.</p>

4

<p>In addition to the obvious problem that m2ck mentioned that you seem to be willing to ignore,</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>If you want academics that are truly challenging, you are going to have to work very, very hard, and you are going to have to take the chance that you will fail. If you’re guaranteed to pass everything, then by definition, that ain’t challenging.</p>

5

<p>How many sisters will be in college when you apply for the college? That will cut you EFC a lot. In addiiton, have you run the EFC estimater or Net Price Estimator for each school? I think you have a good chance to get a lot of FA, if you can be accepted by those need based schools.</p>

6

<p>I would suggest, especially for Bio/Pre-Med, looking in Wake Forest. Although statistically there is a pretty large percentage of Greek life on campus, it honestly doesn’t feel that way or get overwhelming. I’m not rushing, I have friends that are and friends that aren’t and I don’t feel like it affects anything. Everything else on your list sounds like stuff that Wake has, especially the class size. Give us a look :)</p>

7

<p>Wake is another need based school. UMich would cost $50K OOS. Why aren’t USC or Clemson on the list?</p>

8

<p>*I have 4 sisters who all got out of college close to each other… And I’m last, we’re “tapped out”. *</p>

<p>*How many sisters will be in college when you apply for the college? That will cut you EFC a lot. *</p>

<p>Unless the OP didn’t choose her words carefully, her words suggest that her sisters are already out of college. If so, then the OP will have a high EFC.</p>

<p>*I’m definitely not a full pay student.
But the point of the thread wasn’t chances… it was to suggest schools that have the things I’m looking for that I’d be happy attending.
Trust me, the Financial Aid battle is something we talk often about in my family, and we have a plan in place based on my happiness at a school and what my parents to can pay to send me there. *</p>

<p>I could be wrong, but is sounds like the plan involves a bunch of loans. Believe me, any “happiness” at a school will be long lost if you rack up a bunch of undergrad debt…especially if you have med school in your plans which will require MORE debt.</p>

<p>And, seriously, you can be “happy” at a whole bunch of schools. </p>

<p>Erin’sDad is right. You need to have Clemson and So Carolina on your list. Since you’re a NA student, you should also include a school or two that gives huge merit for that. </p>

<p>*Challenging Academics that I would be able to actually do! I don’t want an ulcer from my freshman year! *</p>

<p>I find this interesting especially if you’re pre-med. Pre-med pre-reqs begin frosh year…and they’re brutal. I’m wondering why you have such top schools on your lists when those schools are loaded with top-stats pre-med students all vying for the limited number of A’s in the pre-med weeder classes. ???</p>

<p>I would think that if you want some level of sanity, you would be looking at some mid-tiers where your classmates won’t be so competitive and your chances of getting a high GPA are stronger…and you’ll get better merit scholarships.</p>

9

<p>

</p>

<p>And be very happy.</p>

10

<p>Definitely take a look at Clemson!</p>

<p>-25th ranked public university - Challenging academics but nothing that you can’t handle (with good time management skills!). I think the University Of South Carolina is ranked 54th in comparison</p>

<p>-Very friendly people at Clemson! The Princeton Review ranked us as the 2nd happiest college students in the country</p>

<p>-Unfortunately Clemson isn’t in an urban area (might take a look at College of Charleston for this!) As for school pride, it is contagious. We love our school. Clemson is in a small town in upstate South Carolina though. </p>

<p>-about 20% of students at Clemson are in a fraternity/sorority so there is definitely an opportunity to join but like I said it’s 20% so if it’s something you choose not to participate in, you don’t have to!</p>

<p>-classes at Clemson have ranged from 16 to 100 students (will get smaller as you move from year to year and get more into your major). I’ve only had one class taught by a TA (required freshman English class - they had 5000 sections so they couldn’t have a professor teach it). Professors are very friendly, they encourage you to stop by office hours and if you can’t make it, you can arrange a time outside of class to meet with them. There are also many other resources offered to help you out like tutoring and the larger classes will have weekly smaller optional review sessions (about 2-3 times a week) to help you master the material (led by a student who previously took the class and got an A and who sits in your class).</p>

<p>-As an in-state resident of South Carolina, Clemson will probably one of the more affordable college options.</p>

<p>So I think Clemson would be a good fit for you (and if you want an urban setting, definitely consider College of Charleston as well). Definitely let me know if you have any questions about Clemson!! I’m a junior there majoring in civil engineering.</p>

11

<p>I’m also going to add a little bit for Wake regarding financial aid. On average, the college covers about 95% of demonstrated financial need. Now, because your family makes $120,000 a year, you may not think you will get much but you’d be so wrong and surprised. I have a sister in college too (a local public university) and my family makes roughly the same. I received a lot of merit and need based aid from the school and am only paying just over $10,000 a year, excluding books (obviously). So just because we are private, we do cover a lot of need. :)</p>

12

<p>I like your list a lot. Just make sure to keep Brown as a low reach (seems PERFECT for you) and UNC as an almost safety. Those two look great for you. It doesn’t sounds like you’ll love Columbia and Penn to be honest, and I’d toss out GWU.</p>

13

<p>Lol, you sound like me, only with a higher GPA! May I suggest: </p>

<p>Lewis & Clark, UCSC/ UCSD and University of Portland in the West all are in pretty nice locations(not really “urban” but definintly with nice surroundings and semi easy access to a city to kerp you entertained)</p>

<p>Or Northeastern and Boston Univ in the Northeast (great premed and in the best college town: Boston)</p>

<p>Or Tulane , UNC-CH, Emory, Loyola- New Orleans, and UABirmingham (All great science schools and in my opinion pretty interesting towns)</p>

<p>Those are some of the schools I looked into!</p>

14

<p>UCSC/ UCSD</p>

<p>These UCs are OOS publics and will expect the OP to pay full freight (about $50k per year). The OP has said that they can’t afford to pay that much. </p>

<p>This student needs schools where she would get large merit scholarships. She should look at Grinnell and other schools that would give her large merit.</p>

15

<p>[Chancellor’s</a> Scholars | Scholarships | Vanderbilt University](<a href=“http://www.vanderbilt.edu/scholarships/chancellor.php]Chancellor’s”>Chancellor's Scholars | Scholarships | Vanderbilt University)</p>

<p>Chancellor’s scholarship at Vanderbilt? I’m guessing there is a reason you haven’t included Vanderbilt on your list, but this merit scholarship is full tuition plus. Competitive, for sure, but perhaps worth submitting an app (by Dec. 15)</p>

<p>Urban, actual campus, sororities if you wish (I don’t think they are as overwhelming as many on CC seem to think, but my sample is small).</p>

<p>I agree with the concerns of some previous posters that most schools are going to think you are indeed full-pay or close to it, even if your family can’t/won’t swing it. You should be including some schools with easier-to-get merit awards, but it doesn’t cost you much to apply for some of the competitive ones.</p>

<p>I will send you a PM with the name of a poster whose son attends VU on the Chancellor’s scholarship. She might be able to answer any questions you may have.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

<p>PS Even very bright, hard-working students can find freshman year stressful. Not necessarily ulcer-inducing, buy stress is to be expected.</p>

16

<p>50% of Vanderbilt’s female undergraduates are sorority members. On the Vanderbilt boards, there are many posters who will assure prospective students that their students who chose not to be Greek still had plenty to do, but there are other posters who say the Greek system dominates at least freshman social life.</p>

17

<p>The first college that came to mind when I read your original post was Furman University. Just make sure you apply for all the scholarships b/c it is expensive!</p>