[QUOTE=""]
[/QUOTE]
Why is my dream school better than U of Iowa? At the above schools, I will be surrounded by people that are very smart. At the other schools, from what I know, there are a lot of intellectual conversations and interesting viewpoints. I want to have those conversations and have people with high-reaching goals all around me. Of course, Iowa will have that, too. BUT it is not nearly as prevalent as the other schools. Next, Iowa’s campus is really spread out and I do not like that. It’s a pain.
[QUOTE=""]
[/QUOTE]
There are many very smart students at all the flagships. If you major in Finance or Econ, then very likely your classmates will also be very smart. You have an ACT 30 single sitting. That’s very good, but please don’t act like tht makes you above the rest.
Many kids make the wrong assumption and think that a school’s top students are spread evenly across all majors. They’re not. They’re often clustered in STEM, English, Finance, Econ and a few other majors. So, as a Finance or Econ major, you would likely find that your classmates are in that ACT 28-36 range…which are our nation’s top 10%.
[QUOTE=""]
Next, it gets pretty damn cold in Iowa. This is the 3rd day that my school has been cancelled. Apart from Brown, the other schools have warmer climates. This is just part of being happy, I am much happier when it is warmed out since I love to be outside. It's just my personal preference. I also believe that I will receive a better education at the other schools.
[/QUOTE]
Hell, Iowa has been ranked in the princeton review I think for schools where students don’t study.
[QUOTE=""]
[/QUOTE]
It’s been a few years, but I’ve spent 3 days on Iowa’s campus. It’s a lovely setting next to a river. It’s not like colder or “more spread out” than several schools on your list. Brown isn’t the only school with similarly cold climate.
It’s silly to pay attention to things like PR’s list of “where students don’t study,” when dealing with large state flagships. Large publics are there to serve the residents, which means offering a VERY wide variety of majors, including some that don’t require much “study time.” It’s silly to apply that thinking to the more serious and academically challenging majors. My kids went to a stereotypical party school, but as Math and Enginnering majors, they had to study…as did their classmates.
[QUOTE=""]
[/QUOTE]
@GMTplus7 Yes, I ran the net price calculator before I applied. It is hard to get a good estimate of what I will be paying because of merit scholarships.
[QUOTE=""]
[/QUOTE]
Not really true. many of your schools will not give you much/any merit because your stats aren’t high enough or they don’t give merit.
It’s intereresting that you seem to want merit, but you applied to many schools where your stats are too average to get awarded much/any.
[QUOTE=""]
SMU, for example, is at 65k. I'll be in the top part of their applicant pool, though, so I may get some good merit scholarships. <<<<
[/QUOTE]
While SMU is known to be generous with merit, your stats are NOT top of their applicant pool. Their top quartile has an ACT 33+. Which means well over 25% of their frosh have higher test scores.
[QUOTE=""]
It's very hard to tell. Also, my intended major is business admin, entrepreneurship, or finance. I'd be fine with an econ major as well. <<<
[/QUOTE]
Those are good majors and offered at many schools.