<p>I am only a sophomore, but my guidance counselor is really pushing me to start looking at colleges this summer. Being a sophomore, I do not have my SAT/ACT scores, but I am planning to prepare well for them.</p>
<p>I have a 96 average and have been in all honors and will be taking 3 APs next year.<br>
I want to become and American History Teacher (favorite: colonial)
Ideal states: NJ, PA, VA, NY
I would like more of the country feeling so rural or suburban would be best but I can deal with anything.</p>
<p>If you’re interested in Colonial American History, the schools that quickly come to mind are William & Mary (what could be better for a history major than Williamsburg right outside their dorm?) and UVa. I would also consider U of Del. I would consider all these schools as suburban.</p>
<p>I live in NJ and I have 2 other sisters, so my family cannot spend all of our money on me, but we do have a decent amount. I haven’t specifically talked about it yet.</p>
<p>When you say American History Teacher, do you mean middle school, high school, or college professor? </p>
<p>If it’s the former two, than a solid education at any strong school will be fantastic - I would even apply for Teach For America your senior year of college if you’re able to do so! </p>
<p>If it’s the latter, then you might want to look at what you think are the top schools you can get into: professorships usually demand PhD degress from the most elite schools, so keep that in mind when deciding. </p>
<p>Schools to Consider
College of William and Mary
UVA
UDelaware
Penn State
UMaryland-College Park
College of New Jersey
Rutgers
Leigh University
Bucknell</p>
<p>If high school or middle school teaching is your goal, you may want to first look up the teacher credentialing requirements in the states you are considering a teaching career in, then look up which schools will best help you meet those requirements (often state universities in the same states will have tailored course work for this purpose). Obviously, a school should have a decent history major program (you can check course catalogs on-line).</p>
<p>You may want to ask your parents what the price limit is, and try the net price calculators at some of the schools to get an idea of cost and financial aid.</p>
<p>If you pre-screen for affordability and academic appropriateness, you can cut down on costly visits to schools which do not make sense to begin with.</p>
<p>First, you should have that “money talk” with your parents and see if that will be a limiting factor as to where you look. Second, as a sophomore, I would focus more on seeing different types of schools…maybe one LAC, one mid-sized school, and one large school. See what time of environment feels right. The only specific school I might look at for a good student in NJ where money might be an issue is TCNJ.</p>
<p>Gettysburg and Dickinson College also come to mind (about 45 minutes apart) in rural Pennsylvania, but they’re both smaller LACs if you’re into that. Good merit aid if you can get a solid SAT/ACT score with your average.</p>