What colleges can I get into

College Search & Selection
1

I am currently a sophomore in high school with a 3.86 GPA (4.2 W). All my core classes have been honors, and I have so far taken one AP class (human geography) and got a 4 on the exam. I am now taking one AP class (French), which I am not sure how my grade will turn out to be, either a high B or low A, but I expect the rest of my classes in high school to be nothing lower than an A. I currently dual enroll (comp 1), and I expect to be taking more classes my junior and senior year. My school does not offer alot of AP classes, so I have to settle with not having alot.

Anyways, my question is, regarding colleges, can you make an idea of where I should be looking in selectivity? I know it is too early to determine, but at least an idea would be amazing. I do not have very good ECs, I must admit, which is definitely an issue for top-notch universities. I was president of my freshmen class, and I am representing my school in the National History Day State competition. I am also in National Technical Honors Society and in National French Honors Society, and have represented my school in the Congres de la culture francaise en Floride (state french competition) and will again this year at an AP level. I dont know if being in a collegiate and Technical high school might change anything.

Maybe you can give me an idea of what SAT and ACT scores I should be aiming for, due to lack of strength in other areas of my “application”. Thank you so much!

Oh, and I would like to undergrad in Internation Relations, and head to law school, so I dont know if that will change anything, maybe theres a college perfect for me that you might know of.

2

First of all, ask your parents about your college budget; look to your instate options to see what the costs will be.
Use the Net price calculators on each school website that you are considering.

Do you want a small or large university?
Where do you want to go? Do you like the prospect of college towns. Large cities with good transportation.
What do you like to do in your off time; see if those activities are available to you at a college.
See if the college has a good International relations major and can give you good internships.

3

FSU has a program for freshmen to do the first year abroad.https://www.international.fsu.edu/FYA.aspx

There are a handful of colleges with similar options.

Skidmore https://www.skidmore.edu/ocse/london_fye/

Do a search here on CC and I bet you could find some more

next fall apply for this https://exchanges.state.gov/us/program/nsliy

4

If you are a good writer, you could apply for this summer program - due April 1st

https://iwp.uiowa.edu/programs/between-the-lines/2017-between-the-lines

financial aid is available

5

If I were to make specific recommendations as to colleges particularly suitable for pre-law, they would relate to curricular factors, such as an emphasis on writing:

Brown
Carleton
Cornell
Duke
Grinnell
Hamilton
Harvard
Kenyon
Middlebury
Princeton
Stanford
Swarthmore
UMichigan
Williams
et al

http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/writing-programs

For further reference, you could review an analysis such as this:

https://www.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Top-Producers-Lawyers-Infographic-e1459562437296.png

In terms of SAT/ACT scores, you should try to reach your personal potential, but a 1450+/32+ would make many colleges possible.

6

I feel like every school is open game at this point. Do you know what type of atmosphere you want to be in, in terms of size and such?

7

OHIvyCA has a good point. Visit some campuses near you even if they are not exactly what you want. You will then begin to be able to see what you like or don’t like- too big, too small, tiny dorm rooms, great food choices, etc.

Walk the hallways in departments that you would be taking classes in. What is on the walls? Poster presentations? Career advice? Speaker series?

Smile and say hi to everyone. Do they greet you back? Offer to help you find your way? Walk past with their earbuds in? Beckon you into their office for a quick chat?

Have the awkward talk with your parents. What is your budget? How much do you need to chase merit money and scholarships? Will you need financial aid?

My kids wouldn’t prep for the PSAT or the ACT. Please don’t be like them. Get a couple of books or find material on line and set aside time this summer to prep, even just 20 minutes a day. It could pay off for you.

edited for typos

8

Here are the key areas for Law (from the American Bar Association) Any rigorous, “non-open” liberal arts curriculum that provides some exposure to the law will do. Applied Majors (business, engineering, etc.) and “open” curricula also work if you cover all the key areas.

http://www.americanbar.org/groups/legal_education/resources/pre_law.html

Majoring in an area you like is important as it easier to get a good GPA (which is very important).

IR tends to be good major for law so you are in luck.

IR is an interdisciplinary, semi-applied major, and the top undergrad IR programs tend to reside at schools with the top IR Masters programs

Georgetown, Tufts, and Hopkins are strong programs that are very selective

George Washington and American are strong programs that are less selective, but recently they have been getting more selective due to their desirable location.