<p>I've been spending at least an hour a night college-searching lately, but I'm still not entirely sure where I plan to apply. I currently live in Georgia but would rather not go to school here. I was born in New York, and my parents graduated from SUNY New Paltz and Hofstra. Majors I'm considering include European Studies, history, East Asian Studies, environmental science, and psychology. I'm very interested in Irish Studies in particular, though I'm aware that not many schools offer it. I have no desire to go to a religious school and I'd enjoy a school with a population that is much more liberal-minded and environmentally conscious than where I live. </p>
<p>My current weighted GPA is 3.44 and I think my unweighted is around 3.2 or so. I've yet to take any AP classes, but I've taken at least two honors classes every semester. My SAT score is 1250/1900 and I don't plan on taking the ACT. I have one failing grade from a particularly bad period sophomore year. My counselor offered to touch on the reason for this in her letter, and I'll do the same in my essays. </p>
<p>I am currently the secretary for Young Democrats and Book Club at my school, and I hold the same position in the choral program here. I belong to the Environmental Action League and helped to raise money ($2000) for an orphanage in Kenya over the summer with the same group of five or six people. I'm also a Japanese language board member for the Foreign Languages Club. I come from a single-parent home, so I do plan to apply for financial aid and student loans.</p>
<p>Schools that friends have suggested to me in the past include Evergreen, UMass Amherst, and the University of Vermont. What suggestions do you guys have? All thoughts would be helpful.</p>
<p>Exactly what kind of college are you looking for? Do you want big or small, public or private, rural or urban, etc.? U Mass-Boston has an Irish Studies program, I think.</p>
<p>I'm not sure either what you are actually looking for...If you would like to know in specific detail great colleges try buying 'The Best 357 Colleges'. This book tells you if the college you're looking for is in an rural or urban or, public, private, small, big, etc. Contact me if you have anymore questions.</p>
<p>I'd prefer the college to be in an urban area, but whether it's private or public doesn't matter to me at all. The same goes for the size of the school. </p>
<p>Thanks for the book suggestion. Is it from Princeton Review? If so, I believe a friend of mine has a copy.</p>
<p>My D attends Evergreen. Sounds like a fit for you, but be aware that there are no majors. Everyone takes interdisciplinary courses. Research the current academic catalog to see if it appeals to you. Tuition for out of state students is very reasonable compared to some other public colleges.</p>
<p>I'm not sure that you can get much financial aid from state universities if you are out-of-state. You should check into that. Many of the small liberal arts colleges are socially liberal and give aid. You could look at places like Bard, Muhlenberg, Beloit, Simmons, Goucher. Private universities like Drew (NY) and Clark (Worchester Mass.) may be worth looking at.</p>
<p>O.K., let's look at your worst-case senario first, which you said means staying in Georgia.</p>
<p>There may be at least one attractive and quite affordable option in-state; Georgia Tech. You may know that GT has an extensive International Affairs program, so find out if there's a section or courses that will allow for 'Irish Studies."</p>
<p>Also, GT does have some offerings in Environmental Science (Environment, Technology and Society). Too many people overlook the fact that GT offers more than engineering.</p>
<p>As for out-of-state, you said preferably urban. One affordable option in the southeast is U of Alabama-Birmingham, not terribly far from Atlanta. UAB is entirely different from Tuscaloosa. You'll likely find the campus atmosphere a better fit, according to your stated preferences.</p>
<p>Also think about...
Assumption College, MA
Towson University, MD
U of Buffalo (SUNY), NY
Connecticut College
Michigan State University
Northwestern University. IL
Skidmore College. NY
George Washington University, DC
Canisius College, NY
U of San Francisco
U of San Diego</p>