<p>For those of you asking for advise and suggestions on this forum as to what colleges to apply to, I would suggest that you supply as much of the following info as you can--</p>
<ol>
<li>Your GPA- weighted/unweighted</li>
<li>Your SAT or ACT score. And your SAT IIs</li>
<li>Your class standing</li>
<li>Your geographic preference for a school ( northeast, west, city, rural, etc.)</li>
<li>Student body size preference. (LAC ok or want bigger)</li>
<li>Your financial situation/ need</li>
<li> Your must haves, wants and do not want in schools ( pro/con Greek, beautiful campus,<br>
active gay/lesbian community, etc.)</li>
<li> Your extracurricular activities, stated succinctly</li>
<li> A tentitive list of schools you might be interested in.</li>
</ol>
<p>Answering these would facilitate answers.</p>
<p>Posting such a guideline is a great idea!</p>
<h1>6 is very important. Two pieces of information are vital:</h1>
<p>a. What is your Expected Family Contribution (EFC)? This is the amount the colleges expect you to pay. ([FinAid</a> | Calculators | QuickEFC](<a href=“Your Guide for College Financial Aid - Finaid”>Quick EFC - Finaid))
b. What is your budget? This is the amount your family actually is able and willing to pay. Ask your parents how much of your estimated EFC they can and will cover. Do not assume you can borrow more than the annual Stafford unsubsidized student loan limits to cover any gap between your budget and your EFC ([FinAid</a> | Loans | Student Loans](<a href=“Your Guide for College Financial Aid - Finaid”>Student Loans - Finaid)).</p>
<p>Other useful information:
10. Your state of residence (or indicate if you are an international student)
11. Hooks? (underrepresented minority? recruited athlete? legacy status at one or more schools?)</p>
<p>Every time I read posts on this site I wish there were a FORM that students filled out in order to post a question! Thanks for actually suggesting this. We waste so much time going back and forth asking the same questions!</p>
<p>Also please add any potential majors.</p>
<p>Moderators - can this topic get pinned to the top?</p>