<p>@mom2collegekids my PSAT scores was 232. I don’t strictly have location restrictions, but I’d prefer the northeast (as I live there) or the west coast. I guess I don’t need any merit per say, but again, the more merit aid I can get, the better especially for safety schools (my parents have agreed that finance won’t be considered if I get into Ivies or Ivy-level colleges). My parents will help to fund my location, but for safety schools I would not like to burden them too much or have to take out many loans. I guess for pre-med programs what I’ve heard are qualities that judge how good they are (I know no “pre-med” major exists per Se) are how easy it is to get good grades which play a huge role in med-school admissions, how helpful/good their counseling is, and how many research/shadowing opportunities they provide, along with the prestige of the school playing a small role (all factors being equal, a student from Harvard would be preferred compared to a student from a state school for example in med-school applications. Are there any other factors I should consider? I
Might keep a more open mind towards southern schools I guess but things like the vestiges of racism left there, heat (I get headaches in the summer in NY and college dorms often don’t have AC, maybe they’re mandated to have AC in the south?), distance from home, and likely on average fewer outside opportunities in the south have discouraged me from thinking of the south. Girls will likely play only a small role in determining my college. I’ve also heard many public schools in the south offer full-rides or lots of merit aid for students with my qualifications, but is this only for in-state applicants? What about private schools? Thanks for your help,</p>