Know nearly nothing about colleges; please recommend some for me

Applying to College
1

<p>I'd prefer to stay in California. I don't really care about how large the school is, whether there are plenty of parties, etc. I'm mainly concerned with getting into whatever offers the best course for my major (which would be either computer science/engineering), while still letting me have a good shot.</p>

<p>Going to become a senior in high school this year.</p>

<p>Class Rank: ~30
Asian male, sub 40k income</p>

<p>U/W GPA: 3.7~
W GPA: 4.5~</p>

<p>SAT Reasoning
1. Reading 620, Math 660, Writing 630; 1920 total
2. Reading 600, Math 690, Writing 680; 1970 total</p>

<p>SAT Subject
Math Level II: 700
Chemistry: 740
US History: 700</p>

<p>AP Courses I've taken (waiting on scores):
US History (predicting a 3/4)
Chemistry (predicting a 3)
Psychology (predicting a 4)
English Language and Comp(predicting a 3)</p>

<p>Honors courses included Integrated Science I, Geometry, Algebra II, English II, World History, Biology, Pre-calculus</p>

<p>I'm planning on taking 6 APs come senior year - Calculus, Physics, Stats, Literature, Gov., and either Biology or Spanish.</p>

<p>My ECs are pretty meh; I've had around 80 hours of community service in Key Club and Rotary Club, and I hold no officer positions.</p>

<p>So, my questions:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>What colleges would you recommend? I'm looking at UCs, but I'm sure there are a lot more excellent colleges out there. What colleges would be relatively easy to get into (given my somewhat low test scores), what colleges are hard to reach, etc.?</p></li>
<li><p>Typically, when would I start applying if I want to apply for Fall [2013]? I think for UCs, it begins early October, but...</p></li>
</ol>

2

<p>If you are at all interested in a private school, U of San Francisco might be an option. They have a large scholarship if you have a 3.8 gpa and a 1800 SAT (I think, you would have to check) plus they have more financial aid. I also think your stats could get you into USD or LMU.</p>

3

<p>Cal Poly could be a good option.</p>

4

<p>UCs and some of the CSUs like the Cal Polys and San Jose State.</p>

<p>Check the net price calculators on each school’s web site to see what kind of financial aid they may offer. Consider UCs and CSUs that you can commute to in order to save money.</p>

<p>For other colleges, you need to consider need based financial aid (check the net price calculator at each college) and merit scholarships, since a family income of $40,000 per year is unlikely to be able to afford much.</p>

5

<p>Google USC’s financial aid calculator. They give a lot in need based financial aid. There’s a good chance it would be cheaper than public school. You would have to improve your test scores to have a good shot.</p>