Looking for a college?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hi, I know this is a pretty broad question but I am a freshman in high school looking for a school. I have a 3.5 weighted gpa which is improving (I am also taking honors and AP classes) but I am in the 98-99th percentile in the previous standardized tests.</p>

<p>I am looking for a good school, as in top 100 or top 50 in the nation. I don't know if I am over my head a little bit, but I am new to this whole process and I wanted to get a head start on looking for a college.</p>

<p>I would like to look in the midwest or mid-atlantic regions if possible. I am interested in majoring in economics, law, and (sports) management. I would appreciate it greatly if you could throw out the names of some schools I might be interested.</p>

<p>Thank you for your help.</p>

<p>ALSO: My family is not financially strong so nothing too expensive but I would be interested in a potential scholarship or financial helping school.</p>

2

<p>Get a book like Princeton Review’s 376 Best Colleges and look up the ones in the mid west and mid-atlantic and just start reading about them.</p>

3

<p>Thanks
BUMP</p>

4

<p>It’s really too soon to be worrying about this stuff. But if you really, really feel you have to, then here are a few suggestions:</p>

<p>1) Start with your in-state public universities. They are likely to be the most affordable option you have. Visit to get a sense of what they are like. They are often the most affordable option for most families, barring major scholarships at schools where your stats would place you in the top 20% of the admitted class academically.</p>

<p>2) Spend time thinking/reading about the attributes of a school that would be the best fit for you: size, distance from home, urban/rural/suburban, culture (rah-rah, intellectual,artsy, etc…). Would you consider schools that are single sex, religious, big frat culture, etc…? There are hundreds of great schools out there - knowing what you want is half the battle.</p>

<p>3) Have a preliminary talk with your parents - they may have strong preferences and financial constraints that you might want to surface early in the process. For example, they may want you within driving distance or have already decided that you’ll be going to your state U unless you get some big scholarships.</p>

<p>4) The summer after sophomore year, practice for your PSAT. This is a test that CAN be studied for. Once you know your score, you’ll be in a better position to think about specific schools.</p>

<p>5) Make a point of getting to know at least a few teachers really well in high school - two of them have to write letters of recommendation for you.</p>

<p>6) Google ‘best sports management programs for undergraduates’ and see what comes up. Read up on those schools. Read about the programs and what courses you’d be taking. Is that really want you want to study? More than 50% of undergrads change their majors so you need to like the school as well as the program.</p>

<p>7) Since you are interested in sports mgt., I assume you are an athlete. That’s a great EC. Find a few things you really like and once you do, invest all the time you would be spending on a college search in yr freshman and sophomore years, on those ECs instead. You’ll learn more, get more out of them, and have more to show for your efforts by the end of junior year.</p>

5

<p>Thanks, my parents thought I should get into it earlier that’s why I am trying to gain knowledge this earlier. I really appreciate your response.</p>