rising jr looking for a good match!

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hi Guys,
I'm a rising jr and beginning my college search. I am seeking some advice on the types of colleges that would be in my reach or even slightly above. I don't want to shoot to high or too low so I'm hoping someone can give me some advice. Here's my resume.
Class Rank: 11/179 (fairly competitive private school)
GPA: 3.7
SATs: still have to take those...</p>

<p>Freshman Year Schedule:
Advanced Honors Alg 1 >most challenging course available as a freshman
American History > most challenging course available as a freshman (no honors option)
Survey of Lit & Grammar Comp 1
Honors Physical Science > most challenging course available as a freshman
Theology 1 (I go to a catholic school) > most challenging course available as a freshman
French 1 > most challenging course available as a freshman</p>

<p>Sophomore Year Schedule:
Honors Geometry > most challenging course available as a sophomore
French 2 > most challenging course available as a sophomore
Honors Bio > most challenging course available as a sophomore
American Lit
Honors Sacraments & Morality > most challenging course available as a sophomore
Honors Western Civ > most challenging course available as a sophomore</p>

<p>Summer: Taking an Alg2 course</p>

<p>Upcoming Junior Year Schedule:
Honors French 3 > most challenging class available as a junior
APUSH > most challenging class available as a junior
Honors Chemistry > most challenging class available as a junior
Brit Lit
Accounting 1 or Honors pre calc, i am still undecided
Honors Church History & Social Justice > most challenging course available as a junior
Marketing 1 - elective semester course
Business & Personal Law - elective semester course</p>

<p>I know my course load is pretty weak compared to other applicants, but my school offers very little </p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
Forensics (speech & debate):
-Congressional Debater
-team captain since sophomore year
-2 time NCFL national semifinalist
-NFL national semifinalist
-Pennsylvania state champion sophomore year
-Tournament of Champions Semifinalist
-Villiger Invitational (St. Josephs University) Champion
-6th place at GMU Patriot Games Invitational
-numerous local awards including many first place finishes</p>

<p>Mock Trial:
-best witness & attorney award freshman year
-best attorney award sophomore year
-helped team advance to semifinals 2 years in a row
-interviewed on TV for success in mock trial</p>

<p>FBLA (future business leaders of america):
-district champion in Public Speaking 1
-4th place in PA states in public speaking 1
-local chapter's reporter</p>

<p>Girl Scouts:
-presidential award in community service
-bronze award
-silver award
-led troop meetings and served as a mentor for younger scouts
-completed gold award, my project involved working with a local pediatric rehab hospital to develop a guide full of activities for all different ages and skill sets so once the children went home they could carry on their rehab with their guardians. The guide is a living document and will be sustained after I am out of the picture. I also held a toy drive to raise awareness of the hospitals needs and raised over $1500 in toys. </p>

<p>FRIENDS:
-this is my school's peer counseling group.
-in order to be a part of this I went through an application and interview process and once accepted, attended a 2-day overnight training session. </p>

<p>MISC.
-Marine Corps Good Citizenship Award</p>

2

<p>Your qualifications are good, and there will be many matches for you. But there are thousands of colleges out there, and thousands of matches. It would be most helpful if you tell us your major, and where you are looking geographically, and attributes you would like to see in a school - type of student, type of environment (sporty? Greek? artsy? etc.), size of school.</p>

<p>What helped us was to visit several local colleges, so my son could begin to see what he is looking for. I can’t emphasize this enough. Every school we visited helped us narrow it down in one way, shape, or form. It helped us in ways we weren’t expecting. At one school, for example, he realized air quality is an issue so he can’t be inland in California. At another, he realized he is absolutely turned off by gum and litter on the sidewalk: this was a deal-breaker for him and he needs a fairly pristine campus. He learned the sizes of schools he likes, and what he is looking for in student attitudes.</p>

<p>Right now it is theoretical for you. You will be a match for many schools: go ahead and put your personality into what YOU are looking for, not just what school will accept you.</p>

3

<p>I am not quite sure of my major yet but my options are poll sci, econ, international affairs (or something involving foreign policy), & philosophy. I’m still narrowing it down. I would potentially like to have a double major but I’m not sure. As of now my goal is to go to law school after my 4years at college. I’m very social & enjoy getting involved in many activities. I’d like to attend a college with a political scene and hopefully a mock trial team. I wouldn’t mind going to a school with a lot of parties but I don’t necessarily want the school to be known as a “party school” I’d like a city atmosphere but if i found the right college somewhere else that would be fine. I’m also not going to limit myself by putting a specific geographic location on a potential college. </p>

<p>I’m just curious of colleges in my reach, and which ones not to bother with…</p>

4

<p>muhlenberg college
butler university
drake university
rollins college
elizabethtown college</p>

5

<p>thank you! however, i’d like a bigger college than these. I must’ve forgotten to mention that in my previous post… I’d like a larger school.</p>

6

<p>Will cost be a factor? What do your parents say?</p>

<p>If you are planning on law school, then cost MAY be a factor, as you will have law school to pay for after your bachelor’s.</p>

7

<p>Cost is a factor, however I don’t want to limit myself by cost yet. I’d like to consider all options, and once i have a good list based off of everything else, then narrow it down by cost.</p>

8

<p>You’d be better served looking at cost first. Make sure you have a safety on your list you can definitely get into, you can definitely afford, and would be happy attending.</p>

9

<p>A good place for you to get started is by using the college search on the main CC site. Narrow down your list from that, and then plug the names into a search on this forum to read comments about the different schools.</p>