Senior in high school with almost no idea where to start...

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Sorry about the long read!!!</p>

<p>Hey guys, I am starting my senior year of high school, and have no idea what colleges I could apply to or where it would be a good fit for me-- and I have to find out soon. A little about me is in order I presume:
avg. High school GPA-- 3.03 currently (reason it is so low was because I was dealing with fallout from parent's substance abuse issues that turned to me following the same path. Clean and sober for over a year now, but was a dark and rough time. Should I include that with my counselor's recommendation?</p>

<p>ACT-- 32</p>

<p>APs Taken-- Computer Science, European History, Physics B, Statistics, English Language and Comp, English Lit and Comp, Calculus AB, Government and Politics, Biology</p>

<p>Clubs-- Senator in Junior State of America(dedicated to fighting political apathy), Treasurer for GirlUp club at my school(helps women around the world), Vice President of science club(fairly self explanatory i hope!), Link Crew(help freshman get oriented with high school)</p>

<p>Sports-- Varsity Water Polo and swimming for 4 years, brazilian jiu jitsu for a year, judo for a year, boxing for two years
Musical experience-- played in 2 orchestras and school band. Play bass, viola, violin, percussion, and flute since I was 3(14 years of experience)</p>

<p>Personality (no reason not to right?): Pretty much no idea what to do with my life at this point. Not sure where to go, or what I want to study. I need to be able to explore-- not only my academic interests, but the world around me. Have lived in Cali my whole life, and want to leave so I can see some of this nation's other great states. Political discourse is wonderful, as is math and science and reading and writing and just about everything else under the sun. I want to go to college to discover who I am and what my passions really are, because unlike most people on CC, I don't have it all figured out.</p>

<p>The kind of school I am looking for is a smallish liberal arts school, probably between 3,000-5,000 undergrads, with a large variety of majors to choose from, as I have no idea what I want to do yet. If there is truly no small liberal arts school with a wide selection of majors, as I have found it to be the case with Lewis & Clark, then are there any large schools that would fit me and my academic interest of discovering myself and what I want to do? I want to find a school I can get excited about applying to, and I just havent found one yet. All responses and suggestions are welcome. Thank you!!!!!</p>

<p>TL;DR have no idea what I want to do with my life, want to find a small liberal arts college that promotes my self growth and ability to discover new things.</p>

2

<p>The first question is how much can your family afford for college each year? The vast majority of liberal arts colleges (LACs) are very like L&C except in tone and environment. You get to try many different subjects and don’t have to declare a major going in.</p>

3

<p>Look at the “Colleges That Change Lives” consortium. Most of them have holistic admission policies, and will respect your honesty and courage. Your ACT score is adequate for almost every college; look at schools that will see your progress in the best possible light. Willamette, Whitman, Puget Sound, and even Reed are all CTCL members. They are a little smaller than your target size, but do not have the partying culture. Also, look at Carleton and St. Olaf in Minneapolis/St. Paul area. It has become the national center for sobriety, owing to the presence of Hazelden. Lots of young adults have chosen to remain there after stays at Hazelden, creating an entire sober subculture, with coffee and juice bars galore. </p>

4

<p>@woogzmama Coffee and juice bars sound amazing, I will definitely look into these colleges.</p>

<p>@Erin’s Dad My parents are looking to pay from their income about $20,000-$30,000 a year for college.</p>

5

<p>If you’re open to Florida as a destination, look into Eckerd and New College of FL. NCF’s cost of attendance for out-of-state students this year is within your range, and Eckerd might offer you enough merit aid to bring it down to that level. Among CTCL schools, I would also suggest Guilford and Earlham. They are Quaker-affiliated, which means that they are progressive without being party-oriented. </p>