School suggestions?

<p>I'm an all AP and honors student at my high school which is fairly large. I have a weighted GPA of 4.92 and I participate (and do well in) several extra curriculars. I really like schools in VA but I'm open to anything pretty much. What schools would I have a good chance of getting into? (I'm waiting for SAT scores currently.)</p>

<p>Well, it’s really hard to tell without your SATs and your exact extra curriculars. But based on your GPA, I think that you could be accepted to any decent school (if you done any volunteering, you should try Ivies - they love volunteers). You should have mentioned what you specifically want to major in. I think that you should google “best colleges for <em>insert your major</em> major”. But College of William and Mary and George Mason University are one of best schools in VA. </p>

<p>@aly15berkeley I took my SATs once and got an 1880 but I’m hoping my second set will be better. I want to be a bio major with a pre-med focus and I really liked UVA but I think it might be a reach for me. I play violin and I sing and have gone to regional orchestra which is pretty respectable. I am in chamber chorus, 4-H club, NHS, Foreign Language Honors Society, and Music Honors Society. I’ve won some writing ad academic awards here and there as well. I volunteer some for $-H but this summer I am volunteering 50+ hours at my local hospital.</p>

<p>I also have participated in my school’d mudical every year. Overall, I’ve been consistent and dedicated with my ECs.</p>

<p>ECs are much less important than GPA and scores. Probably most important are your state of residence and what your family can afford. Are you in-state for UVA? </p>

<p>Unfortunately no, I’m out of state which makes it much more competitive to get in. That’s why I’m hoping for better SAT scores and why I plan on taking subject tests in the fall</p>

<p>What is your home state and what can your family afford? Make sure you have that conversation with your parents. Many parents who graduated >20 years ago don’t know that some colleges now cost $65K/year.</p>

<p>I’m from PA and my parents and I have discussed college price and, while I have a college fund, I’m hoping for some scholarships to help. Price won’t be a deciding factor though.</p>

<p>Be sure you run the net price calculators on the college websites (on the financial aid webpage) at each college you are interested in so your parents can see the actual price. Having a college fund and being able to come up with over $200,000 for four years of education are two different things. Lots of parents tell their students not to worry about it, but then they are shocked in the spring of senior year at what they are expected to pay where their kid is accepted. Better to evaluate it up front…</p>

<p>So a lot depends on your second set of SAT scores. What specific schools besides UVA do you like? What specific size and atmosphere of school are you looking for? If you are pre-med, the important things to consider are:

  • Getting a very good GPA
  • Strong MCAT preparation
  • Keeping your debt down as low as possible; med school is expensive and you likely will come out of it with a lot of debt.</p>

<p>So with those criteria in mind, there are a lot of schools that could work for you (probably hundreds).</p>

<p>Have you spent any time with a Fiske Guide to Colleges? Great to spend a couple of hours with a package of post-its to get a feeling for colleges you may not have heard of but would want to consider. Your GC or library probably would have a copy.</p>

<p>I should have clarified, I don’t plan to go into med school. I want to be a physician’s assistant which requires a masters degree and a bachelors in a science. I just want to get a good range of colleges to look at. I visited UVA and U of Richmond. I plan on visiting Penn State, U Del, UMD, and maybe James Madison? I just want to make sure I have a few safeties but I’m not sure what should be a target school or a safety school for me. @intparent</p>

<p>Start with the safety first. A school you will definitely be accepted to, you would be happy to attend, and your family can definitely afford. That is your most important choice. Then add matches and reaches as you see fit.</p>