<p>Hi, I'm a junior that has begun searching for colleges, but I'm finding it kind of hard to figure out which schools would be best for me, so I'm wondering if any of you can try to help me find some that would interest me.</p>
<p>My preferred location for the college would be in the Midwest or Northeast (so something like Minnesota through Maine), but I'm open to going elsewhere. I'm undecided as to what my major would be, but it would almost certainly be something related to mathematics - possibly economics, maybe computer science, chemistry. </p>
<p>My GPA is currently above 3.8, SAT 2150 (800 math), SAT II Chemistry 790, SAT II Math I 760, ACT 32, and I'll likely be a National Merit Semifinalist (just to give you some sense of what colleges I might actually have a chance at). </p>
<p>I don't know what other information I'm missing that might be helpful, but if there's anything else, I'll try to answer.</p>
<p>Cost constraints, financial aid situation, state of residency?</p>
<p>Most of the midwest state flagships are considered very good for most of these subjects. Stony Brook in New York is considered very good for math and CS. But out-of-state public schools may not give much financial aid (although some like Stony Brook and Minnesota have relatively low out-of-state list prices). The net price calculators on the university web sites can give you financial aid estimates.</p>
<p>Some cost restraints do definitely exist, but for the moment, I just want to find colleges that would be good matches for me, so let’s just assume that there aren’t any although there actually are.</p>
<p>As for the state of residency, that would be Minnesota.</p>
<p>mathrom, There are dozens of colleges/universities in your geographic area that offer good math and science and for which you would be a likely candidate. In order to narrow down the field, you really do have to consider two factors: Fit (i.e., what do you want in size, environment, personality?) and finance (what can you afford?). You can do the first by yourself, but you’ll need to your parents to help you with the second.</p>
<p>The time to take a cold, clear look at your family’s financial situation is now. Don’t put it off. </p>
<p>The first step is to ask your parents to use an on-line calculator to determine how much need based aid you would be eligible for. If that works for you then, good, you can assemble an open ended list. If, on the other hand, you need merit aid, then you’ll have a different list as many of the colleges in the northeast do not offer merit aid, period.</p>
<p>Lastly, extracurriculars, recommendations and essays play an important role in college admissions, especially at selective privates, so start thinking about how you will present yourself in the non-objective parts of your application.</p>
<p>Your in-state flagship Minnesota has a very good reputation in math and economics, and good reputation for computer science. It has a top reputation for chemical engineering. With tuition reciprocity, Wisconsin also has very good reputations in subjects you may be interested in.</p>
<p>But you do need to run the net price calculators on each school to see if need-based financial aid is enough for you to attend. If not, check for large enough merit scholarships (but realize that you would have to aim for the merit scholarship, not merely admission). If neither need-based financial aid nor sufficient merit scholarships are within reach, then it is not worth investigating the school any further.</p>