Tell me what to look into?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hi. I'm a junior right now, currently getting pressure from my parents to start looking into schools, scholarships, and college so I can get cracking during the summer.</p>

<p>Things to know:
- I am interested mostly in law, haven't decided whether I would work with public or private.
- I come from a strong academic high school, Newsweek/US News and Report ranked top 50 or so in the nation
- GPA: Freshman : 4.0/4.0 Sophomore: 3.71/3.86 (weighted for both is 4.0+), Junior: 3.86/???
- SAT: 2280 (800 W 790 CR 690 M) signed up to take again. ACT: 33, not going to retake
- APs: HumanGeo 5, Euro 5, currently taking Chem, Psych, Lang, APUSH. Senior year plan is Physics CEM, Calc BC, Lit, Macro/Micro, Comp/Gov, Latin, maybe World
- Honors: Chem Honors, Physics Honors, PreCal Honors, (all weighted); English Honors since 2nd semester freshman year (unweighted)
- EC: Varsity Parli debater, Latin club copresident, Knitting Club, Science research (learning about science, getting internships in labs, etc.), Peer Mentor, member of CSF (CA scholarship federation, basically providing tutoring to my peers), member of school's honor society
- Volunteer work: Volunteering at the same community center for 4+ years now, head of the interns during a summer camp, and other assorted volunteer work
- Other interesting things: 3 Dan in abacus skills (which I am certified to teach, apparently), history of graphical design, used to do chinese speech competitions.</p>

<p>Schools that I (read: parents want me to go there) am interested in:
UC Berkeley
UCLA
Princeton
Harvard
Ivies, etc.</p>

<p>As you can see, my list is rather grasping, which is why I need you to tell me what to look into and consider. My goal is to get into UCB so I can save money on undergrad fees and save up for law school. My curriculum of APs (6/7 in senior year, whew) will hopefully propel me through undergrad as fast as possible. Looking to double major in polsci/history.</p>

2

<p>Is going to a state school and getting a diploma cheaply and quickly your primary goal? Or are there any other factors at work here, factors that would make you go to, say, Harvard–an expensive school that wouldn’t allow you to graduate early or give you any merit aid–if you were accepted there?</p>

<p>In other words, how important is graduating early/saving money to you? I’d like to know this before giving you college recommendations. Also, are there any regions of the US you aren’t willing to consider? Do you qualify for need-based aid? Are you inclined to consider liberal arts colleges and less well-known universities, or do you insist on going to a school that will impress the neighbors?</p>

<p>In any case, your stats look really solid to me and I think you can look forward to some very nice merit aid awards if you play your cards right.</p>

3

<p>I think the notoriety of the undergrad school does matter to me, as I do have to apply to law school after undergrad. Getting a diploma fast is a goal, but the name on it does matter to me. I’m applying to east coast schools simply for the sake of applying and having more possible options. It’s not my preferred choice to go there, as I would rather hunker down at home in CA and commute to school or live within driving distance of school. Dorms and renting an apartment are expensive. I think the main reason why I’m applying to the Ivies is to make my parents happy (typical asian devoted child here).</p>

<p>Saving money is important to me. I come from a moderate to high middle-class family, so need-based aid would be almost nonexistent. Graduating early obviously saves me money and gets me into and out of law school faster, so I can start earning money faster. I can mostly pay my way through undergrad, but grad school tuition is the killer here. I would prefer to stick with the coasts. Living next to the pacific ocean will do that to you. I am also OK with international schools, provided the programs they have are strong enough. I don’t think my race as a whole appreciates the whole strong academic school to LAC transition. Asians love throwing around big names, and there’s little I can do to change that. I’m personally neutral towards almost all colleges.</p>

<p>Thanks for the help and response, I really appreciate it.</p>

4

<p>Bump for more answers? I don’t want to start a new thread.</p>

5

<p>In addition to all those colleges on your list, please also look for safeties. I don’t know anything about the majors you’re looking for.</p>

<p>Do you want a big or small school? Can/will your parents pay for the EFC you get when you run the FAFSA Forecaster (presumably full pay)? </p>

<p>Don’t plan on taking out loans to go to a fancy full-pay private - you’ll find dozens of threads on CC saying why not.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

6

<p>Reading your post the following stand out:</p>

<ol>
<li>Your parents want to make your decisions for you</li>
<li>You want to rush through life</li>
<li>In high school you already have your grad school picked out</li>
</ol>

<p>I mean this in the most constructive and friendly way; you need to grow up a bit and not just rack up classes and scores. Part of college is to explore interests and grow. If you take a breath and approach college as the opportunity for a very interesting and useful time you may find different career paths revealing themselves to you. An idealistic response, I know, but I hope that you will reflect on this.</p>

7

<p>^^I have to reluctantly agree, somewhat. The OP is sort of setting themselves up for one of those ubiquitous “I Was Rejected By HYP and It Was All the Fault of AA”, threads. We really don’t need any more of those and the reality is that many, many, many (emphasis, <em>many</em>) well-qualified people will get rejected by the ivies this year precisely because such an incredible number of them are trying to make their parents happy by gaining admission to the same three or four schools!</p>

<p>In answer to the general question of what to do? Go to Berkeley. It’s well-known and highly-respected in and outside the U.S… It meets most of your needs and hopefully will free up one seat at Harvard, Princeton and “etc.” for someone who would really know what to do with such an opportunity.</p>

8

<p>Be sure to check the “net price calculator” at each school to see financial aid estimates.</p>

<p>Be sure to have some definite safeties which you will definitely get into and will definitely be able to afford (Berkeley and UCLA should not be considered safeties, though they are less reachy than HYPS).</p>

<p>Law schools generally have a reputation of caring most about LSAT and GPA, rather than major or undergraduate school reputation. For some reason, political science is the most popular major among LSAT takers, though it is not the major whose students do the best at the LSAT (the top performing major groups are math/physics and philosophy/theology, in case you are wondering). Remember that law school is expensive, so your attention to keeping undergraduate costs down is a step in the right direction. But note also that prestige of the *law school<a href=“as%20opposed%20to%20undergraduate%20school”>/i</a> can make a big difference in the job and career prospects of a lawyer (i.e. top 14 or bust).</p>

<p>It sounds like you have “tiger parents” who want to choose school, major, and career for you based on perceived prestige. Are their choices what you really want to do?</p>

9

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<p>Or, “I was rejected everywhere, will attend community college, and my tiger parents berate me every night as a worthless disgrace.”</p>

10

<p>Thanks for the help guys. I’m only applying to the Ivies to make my parents happy, but my goal is to stay in-state, within commuting distance of my house. This way, I don’t have to rent/dorm, buy food, or fly during the holidays to visit home.</p>

<p>@snarlatron: My dream is to be a lawyer. I can see where you’re coming from, but I know what I want in life and don’t have the time to stop and smell the roses.</p>

<p>@johnwesley: I really wish I had done more in the years I had at high school. I’m fighting against people who have gone to Africa for humanitarian aid trips all four summers with a lowered GPA at a competitive school. And yeah, you’re right. I really don’t want to go to the East Coast. I have an advantage in applying to UCB since I’m in-state and nearby, and I plan on using it.</p>

<p>@ucbalumnus: Can you recommend some good safeties? I know there’s a better safetie out there than my city’s CSU. And thanks for the info on the LSAT. It is absolutely wonderful to know I have yet more standardized testing to look forward to after high school. Heh. In addition my parents actually don’t have any ambitions for me or my brother, they just want us to excel at whatever we do. Tiger parents, but to a lesser extent.</p>