I know what I'm looking for, but I need to know where to start

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I know exactly what I want in a college, but it's hard to get started and I need a chunk of colleges to look deeper into. Princeton Review, etc. isn't all that much help for me at this point. If you guys could give me some colleges to check out, it would be most helpful.</p>

<p>Here's my stats so far:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Taking nearly the hardest course load that my school offers. (I took two CP instead of Honors Freshman, and only one Sophomore, I haven't taken any CP-level classes that had honors equivs in Junior year, and I intend to do the same denior year.) I will be taking 2 APs Senior year, Literature/Comp and History (I would have taken more APs if my school offered them, but most APs offered are Seniors only, and there isn't a very wide selection)</p></li>
<li><p>I don't know if this is actually my GPA, since they only report GPA at the end of junior year, but I asked for an unofficial transcript for personal reference and it had a weighted GPA of 4.72 on it, no idea on unweighted but probably somewhere inbetween 3.9 and 4. </p></li>
<li><p>Don't know class rank yet, but probably in the top 1% somewhere as it's not a super-competitive school.</p></li>
<li><p>Took the new SATs. Way back when I took the PSATs I got a 180, which was dissapointing for me, but that was mostly because I didn't practice at all for it. I practiced a ton for the SATs and I'm confident that I got between a 2100 and 2250.</p></li>
<li><p>I've been the computer guy (page designer, graphics editor and cleanup, etc.) for my school's literary and art magazine Sophomore and Junior year, and intend to be Senior year as well. I have also been on JROTC Drill Team for Junior year, and also intend to be Senior year. I only joined the clubs and orgs that I really wanted to and had a passion for, not because it would look good on a college app like I have seen others do. I also have just been accepted into the National Honor Society at our school.</p></li>
<li><p>Standard community service, also had a part time job over summertime. I don't feel like listing all the stuff right now.</p></li>
</ul>

<p>What I want in a college:</p>

<ul>
<li>Pennsylvania, Virginia, New Jersey, New York preferred. I want to stay decently close to home (NJ).</li>
<li>Suburban or Urban area, not rural</li>
<li>Small to moderate class sizes and student populations</li>
<li>Good dorm life, not a "briefcase" or commuter school. A nice campus social life, too, with places to go around town for dates or with friends.</li>
<li>Good engineering department, as I want to get into Electrical/Computer Engineering</li>
<li>Diversity doesn't matter to me, but I don't want a school that is clique'y, I've had enough of that in High School.</li>
<li>Drugs and Drinking are fine with me, but I don't want a dealer around every corner.</li>
<li>No extreme religious or political extremes preferred</li>
<li>Nice looking, accessible campus! I don't just want to stay inside. Doesn't matter if it's modern or classic architecture as long as the campus has some nice grassy areas, I don't want it to be completely concrete, brick, and glass.</li>
<li>Money shouldn't be a problem, but a school with good financial aid would be another plus.</li>
</ul>

<p>Am I asking for too much? I can eliminate the less important factors if I am. Thanks in advance for any help.</p>

2

<p>CHeck out the patriot league schools that have engineering. I think Lehigh, maybe Lafayette.</p>

3

<p>Yes. Lehigh would be a "match" to look at. Swarthmore would be a possibility on the "reach" end of the scale.</p>

<p>I have no idea if Villanova has engineering, but that would be another "match" option.</p>

4

<p>oops - duplicate post</p>

5

<p>Caedar - </p>

<p>Buy (or go to the library and leaf through) the Fiske Guide to Colleges and Universities. Look for schools with engineering programs in the states you are interested in, check the school size (maybe stay 1500-15,000) and write down all the schools that interest you. There is no substitute for your reaction to these schools.</p>

<p>Then go to their websites and check out their programs; order information from them. And then run everything by your parents and guidance counselor. There are quite a few good options in the areas you have chosen.</p>

6

<p>I'd suggest: Lehigh, Bucknell, Swarthmore, Carnegie Mellon, U of Rochester, Cornell, Columbia, Union College, Princeton, Rutgers. All would be nice fits for what you are looking for, although Rutgers is obviously on the large side.</p>

7

<p>Princeton
Brown
Penn
UVA
Vassar (you'd have to do a 3-2 engineering though)
UNC (A little bit of a drive but worth it)
Bucknell (Its sort of rural, but its a sweet place)
University of Richmond</p>

8

<p>If you'll willing to drive down to Virginia, you should be willing to drive the same amount of time in other directions. This might get you North all the way to Boston, depending on where you are exactly.</p>

<p>In addition to (some of) the schools mentioned above, there are other colleges in this vicinity you might check out. They have engineering programs, but I haven't visited so I don't know how well they fit your other criteria.</p>

<p>eg: RPI, Trinity College (CT), Tufts, Johns Hopkins</p>

<p>Like others said, get the guide books and start reading.</p>

9

<p>There are too many good schools that somewhat fit your needs. What do you want to major in? What do youlike to do in your free time? Would you describe yourself as an intellectual, a social butterfly, a jock...none of the above? Help us narrow that list for you.
Barnard College
Boston College
Brown University
Bryn Mawr College
Columbia University
Georgetown University
Harvard University
Haverford College
Johns Hopkins University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Princeton University
Swarthmore College
Tufts University
University of Pennsylvania
University of Virginia
Wellesley College</p>

<p>If you change your mind and are willing to consider other parts of the country:
Claremont McKenna College
Duke University
Emory University
Northwestern University
Pomona College
Reed College
Rice University
Stanford University
University of Chicago
Washington University-St Louis</p>

10

<p>I want to major in some form of Electrical or Computer Engineering. I've noticed that colleges usually have a joint degree in those. Engineering Physics would also be one I would consider.</p>

<p>As for free time, where I live right now it's really hard to find things to do, but I do like to just walk around town, especially with friends, I like to spend time discussing interesting topics with others a lot, I also like to go to plays and concerts sometimes, and I also like playing guitar a lot. I definitely would want a town surrounding the campus with a variety of things to do.</p>

<p>I consider myself an intellectual, kind of quirky, but very social as well. I'm definitely not a jock, I'm not all that much into sports. Pick-up sports are fun though, I'd probably never compete in sports, though.</p>

11

<p>Ok, now I can narrow down the list substantially!</p>

<p>Columbia University
Harvard University
Johns Hopkins University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Princeton University
Swarthmore College</p>

<p>If you don't mind rural areas:
Cornell University
Rose Hulman Institute of Technology</p>

<p>If you don't mind being far from home.
Duke University
Harvey Mudd College
Northwestern University
Rice University
Stanford University</p>

<p>If you don't mind large schools far from home:
University of California-Berkeley
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor</p>

12

<p>I also hold an interest in guns, but obviously that's quenched in NJ and NY. If any of these schools have a form of pistol or rifle club (I know Bucknell does), it would be helpful if mentioned, sometimes wading through the extracurricular lists is tedius.</p>

13

<p>My first thoughts have been said already:</p>

<p>Bucknell, Lafayette</p>

<p>The Reach schools shouldn't be hard to find it is the matches & safeties that are harder.</p>

<p>Maybe Dickinson, Allegheny, Syracuse ?</p>

14

<p>"If you don't mind rural areas:"</p>

<p>From post #1:
"- Suburban or Urban area, not rural"</p>

<p>"If you don't mind being far from home. "</p>

<p>From post #1:
" I want to stay decently close to home (NJ)."</p>

<p>"If you don't mind large schools far from home:"
From post #1:
"- Small to moderate class sizes and student populations"
" I want to stay decently close to home (NJ)."</p>

<p>[ mention Barnard, Welleley, Dickinson, Allegheny, Vassar, Haverford..]
From post 1:
"- Good engineering department, as I want to get into Electrical/Computer Engineering"</p>

<p>Did this post#1 just show up only on my screen or something?</p>

15

<p>Monydad, I read exactly what you read...and that is why I separated the schools that did not meet the OP's exact specs and I explained how they were different. But at the same time, I think limiting oneself to a geographic location is a mistake many students make and grow to regret. One should go to the best possible university and fit...regradless of pre-conceived notions.</p>

16

<p>Personally I don't think a list that ignores one's stated college major, geographic preference. size preference and other preferences is conducive to developing a good "fit". You've actually ignored most of the elements you're trying to "fit" to!!!</p>

<p>You might as well start listing random universities in Europe, and architecture and Agriculture colleges. I mean why limit yourself to what OP says he wants!!!</p>

17

<p>I am pretty sure that all the universities I recommended have top notch Engineering programs.</p>

18

<p>Nine or ten of the colleges listed in your post #9 do not offer engineering, as far as I'm aware. Those in your subsequent lists do, but the OP's intended major was stated in post #1.</p>

19

<p>Monyday, I do not recall insulting anybody's religion. You actlike I was misleading the OP intenrionally. </p>

<p>The OP did in fact mention his intended major in post #1. It was burried in a pile of information and I obviously did not see it. When the OP specified his intended major, I narrowed my list accordingly. No harm was done. And I did add a few schools that the OP may not have thought of, but I separated them according to their differences. If the OP does not want to consider them, he does not have to.</p>

20

<p>You should go to MIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</p>

<p>Its the best place for Engineering where you live.</p>

<p>You'll be around intellects that know how to tickle your mind.
hehehehe</p>