Please Help Me In My College Search!!

<p>Hi everyone. I really need help in my college search. I have been searching all day, originally thinking it to be a simple process, but I am overwhelmed. I have had no idea where to start all day long.</p>

<p>Most people reccomend applying to prestigious universities and the like, and that is the direction I have been heading. But also, I realize that their admission rates are quite low and that they may not be the best choices for me. And though I will probably apply to such schools, I also need to have other schools on my list.</p>

<p>I've heard from all over that I should make a list of answers to questions like "What area would I like to go?" and "What campus size is best for me?" and questions like that, however, a lot of these questions I don't have much preference for, I could live with anything I suppose. It's hard to force myself to answer these questions when I don't know the answers myself. </p>

<p>However, I am sure of one thing. The college I go to must be strong in the mathematics and science fields, especially in computer science and chemistry. I was thinking about possibly going to a college that is a liberal arts college but with strong math and science departments. But for now, let me list some info about myself.</p>

<p>Junior
Top of class
Several awards/nominations
Math team, science olympiad, track (indoor and outdoor), cross country,<br>
many others that I have done in earlier years (freshman and sophmore)
Work at a Library (both for job and volunteering when I don't put in my time
sheet)
Volunteered as a tutor, at a soup kitchen
Total Volunteering Time acquired thus far: about 25 hours (I know it's<br>
not much)
SAT (not the new one):
Best math ~ 790
Best verbal ~780</p>

<p>Also, possible majors that I have been looking towards include the following:</p>

<p>Computer science, Computer programming, Computer graphics, (basically anything with computers), chemistry, mathematics, physics, engineering, psychology</p>

<p>One of the reasons that I am having so much trouble is that my limiting of majors is so difficult. I know that I am definitely going to do SOMETHING in college with computer, but may either major in that or one of the other majors above or may double major. Thus, my indecision led me to suspect my possibility at going to a liberal arts college with strong math/science departments.</p>

<p>Finally, some factors I've decided on I think are these:
1) I'd like a small to medium college, no larger than 10000 students
2) I'd like to go to a college in either a rural, suburban, town, or very small city area, but preferably suburban/town.
3) Coed
4) I THINK that I want to go to a college in the northeast, about as far west as Illinois and as far south as Virginia, but anywhere inside that territory is fair game. However, I am not going to let location limit my choice. If I find a college that I like that is outside that area, so be it. </p>

<p>The point of this thread is this: I need help in my college search. Can someone please suggest some colleges that, considering the above material, will be good for me to look into and add to my list of possible colleges. Thank you a lot for your help and time, it is greatly appreciated!</p>

<p>jabber,</p>

<p>Your SATs indicate that a top tier school is not unrealistic (though it is great that you recognize that it is dicey, so "matches and "safetys" are very important.) I am listing in roughly "rank order" in each category.</p>

<p>You don't metion finances, which can be very important-- if you have no need or extreme need many schools will be okay. if you fall into the huge middle it is a good idea to check into schools that offer significant merit iad for excellent students.</p>

<p>Excellent Math/Science schools in N Eastern US:
-MIT-- top tier
-Carnegie Mellon-- slightly less selective
-RPI "
-RIT "</p>

<p>Excellent Math/Sci schools not in NE:
-Cal Tech - top tier
-Harvey Mudd - top tier</p>

<p>Great Smaller Us in N East with strong science/math depts:
-all Ivy League Schools--(Penn, Dartmouth, Brown, Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Cornell)
-Johns Hopkins-- just slightly less selective
-Syracuse-- less selective
-Lafayette-- "</p>

<p>Very Strong LACs, all very selective:
-Williams
-Amherst
-Swarthmore
-Wesleyan
-Haverford** strong track & cross county D3 team
-Bowdoin
-Middlebury</p>

<p>Merit Aid Schools (none that I know of in NE):
-Vanderbilt
-Grinnell
-Kenyon (known for Humanities, pushing sciences now)</p>

<p>Consider some of the Good State Us honors programs. Also Maybe think about the South and the West (Emory, Rice, Davidson, Stanford, Pomona, Claremont McKenna.)</p>

<p>Hopefully this will get you started. If you post in Parents Forum many more knowledgeable folk will help you! Once you know which highly selective schools appeal to you most (tone, politics, size, etc) then it will be easier to pick good match & safety "clones."</p>

<p>good luck!</p>