<p>I need a bit of help on my college search - it seems most of the schools I'm looking at would have to be generous to let me in, and a little more than generous to give me the merit money I need to go there.</p>
<p>I have a 33 on my ACT (hoping for 35 next time I take it and I'm consistently making 34's on practice tests), decent EC's, 3.92 UW GPA, 9 AP's - most rigorous course load offered to me, attend an average Georgia public school, and I can write a mean essay. My parents make above $100k, but I think the most they will pay for college is about $10-$15k/year; so, I figure I need a pretty good scholarship to go to most colleges I'm looking at.</p>
<p>I can't stand the cold and I've spent my boyhood trapped in sub-suburbia, so naturally I'd really prefer a college that is in a huge city with a hot climate. City size and climate are some of the biggest factors in where I want to go to school. I really would much prefer the college to be in the heart of the city rather than just the outskirts.</p>
<p>I want a college with lots of opportunities - academic, artistic, and community-oriented ones. I never want to stop going once I'm out of high school. I'd really like to do a lot of research as an undergraduate, so opportunities like that are key. I plan on becoming an English college professor (I absolutely adore literary analysis), and I to take plenty of classes across many subjects: literature (comparative literature particularly), history (to catch historical analogues in literature), French (my lost heritage), and perhaps theatre or film studies (I also naturally love analyzing good theatre and film). Even if I'm not involved with fine arts, it would still be nice if there were a lot of visual and theatrical arts activity on campus or in that area of the city.</p>
<p>Thanks for taking the time to read this! Any suggestions for colleges to look at are greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>You sound like a great fit for Tulane...and New Orleans! They are generous with financial aid, strong in the humanities that you like and the service opportunities after Katrina are now an important element of the Tulane experience.</p>
<p>Tulane in an unsafe area? Have you or your parents been there? While crime is up throughout New Orleans as a result of Katrina, Tulane's neighborhood was and remains one of the best areas in the city. Tulane's undergraduate campus is about 4 miles from downtown and the infamous Ninth Ward. Take the streetcar up St. Charles Avenue and you will appreciate the change/improvement in neighborhood as you leave the downtown area. Your parents may be thinking about Tulane's medical center which is located close to downtown.</p>
<p>I agree that Rice, UCs and Vanderbilt and USC would also be good options, but they each are, to varying degrees, more difficult for getting merit aid than is Tulane.</p>
<p>Emory, in Atlanta, which is a city that I've only heard amazing things about. Not sure what you'll get in terms of aid, though. </p>
<p>UMiami should give you some good merit aid. I live near Miami and think that the nice areas of it are absolutely great. Very diverse and you see a lot of different fashions and cultures (especially european, and of course cuban). the best part is that if you don't want to deal with the stereotype south, you definitely won't have to there (same could be said for Atlanta, though). Miami is also somewhat close to a bunch of other big cities (Tampa Bay, Orlando are both 6 hrs or less), and smaller cities like Fort Lauderdale and West Palm.</p>
<p>Rice sounds what you are looking for with the exception that you can't count on getting merit aid. Rice is located in an area of Houston with easy access to the arts -- near the Museum District and a quick light rail trip (with free pass given out to all Rice students) to the Theatre District downtown (symphony, ballet, plays, concert venues, etc.).</p>
<p>"You sound like a great fit for Tulane...and New Orleans!"</p>
<p>I thought the exact same thing as I was reading his post. You'll likely get some good merit aid with those stats and the service opportunities that the school promotes sound like a good match for you. Also, New Orleans is an incredible, unique city and Tulane is in a very nice area. It is definitely very safe. I'd recommend taking a visit and bringing your parents if they have any hesitations about the area.</p>
<p>I might be a little too optimistic but Vanderbilt and Duke sound like possibilities...</p>
<p>Miami, Rice and Emory seem fit the bill as well. They are all in major vibrant cities with lots of culture. While they are all great schools, I would still suggest to aim a little higher, thus I mention Duke and Vandy.</p>
<p>For someone whose priorities are weather and proximity to a big city, I think that U of San Diego would make an excellent safety. San Diego has excellent weather year round and USD is within easy reach of the beach, shopping, nightlife, and culture. With your stats, I'm sure you could get a nice scholarship.</p>