<p>I'm a senior in high school, I live in the Northeast (MA) and right now I really don't know what I want to major in/where I want to go to school.</p>
<p>I am one of those kids with good grades, but bad test scores/lacking extracurriculars.</p>
<p>I have a 4.27 weighted, (3.87 unweighted). And 1790 right now on SATS (going to take them again). And no extracurriculars (yeah I was kind of a wallflower and focused on school).</p>
<p>Looking at schools, I really just want to apply to ones with campuses that look nice and have a lot of programs.</p>
<p>My mom is encouraging me to apply to these really ugly state schools and other ugly campuses because they are cheaper and might even have better programs (Drexel, UMASS AMHERST, etc).</p>
<p>Is it shallow/a waste of money to REALLY want to base my decision on how beautiful the campus is? But I mean, honestly, if I'm going to go there and study for the next 4+ years, why would I want to be in some ugly, disgusting looking, unremarkable campus?</p>
<p>I want a beautiful palace with parties...yeah a beautiful campus is my dream lol.</p>
<p>So what do you think about basing my decision on the beauty of the campus (since I don't know what to do)?</p>
<p>BQ: For a poor family, and for a student with statistics like mine (listed above^), where are some good schools to apply to that have a lot of options for those unsure of what to major in?</p>
<p>You will probably not be happy later in life to have a lot of debt in order to have attended a lovely campus with a lot of parties… The good thing about UMass Amherst is that it is part of the consortium with colleges like Mt. Holyoke and Smith, so you can take a few classes on those campuses and attend parties there. :)</p>
<p>Yes, it’s very stupid. (And btw, there’s nothing that ugly about Umass Amherst.) Believe me, once you’ve been on campus a week or so, you’ll stop seeing it the way a visitor sees it–it just becomes the place you live and learn. You’ll have your classes and your social life, and your surroundings won’t matter. In fact, in all the years I’ve been on the CC forums, I don’t think I’ve ever read any complaints from undergrads that they dislike the colleges they attend because of the appearance of the campus–and they sure complain about a lot of other things!</p>
<p>Ultimately it all boils down to one question - how are you going to pay for college? You need to have a serious talk with your Mom about how much money there is for college. And then start looking at schools you will be able to afford. Sure, a beautiful campus is wonderful - but if you only look at schools you ultimately can’t afford, what is the point? I’d love to live in a villa in Italy, but I can’t afford that either.</p>
<p>Have you visited any of these “really ugly” schools to see if they’re really that ugly? Or are you just biased against what your mother is picking? If you don’t like her choices, then look around to find “more beautiful” alternatives that are within your price range. It’s not worth going into significant debt just to have a beautiful campus.</p>
<p>if you can convince your parents to underwrite your wish for “a beautiful palace with parties” then more power to you. Most parents see the substantial expense of college as their burden in order to give their children a chance for a rewarding future in a society in which a formal education is often a prerequisite to getting ahead. If you can convince your folks that instead they ought to fork out that money so you can have 4 years of fun, I guess that’s to be decided privately something between you and your folks.</p>