What colleges would be a good fit for me?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>With the end of my junior year quickly approaching, I think it is definitely necessary for me to compile a list of colleges to apply to. While I feel that I ruined my GPA in my sophomore year, I have done everything within my power to redeem myself. That being said, I do not really have much of an idea of which schools would be a good fit for me. I would like to go to school either on the West Coast or in New England(I live in Northern California, so schools on this coast are preferable, but I'm considering North Eastern schools.).I would prefer schools in a more urban environment, but I am open to alternatives. I am hoping to major in Economics, and then to go on to Law School. My school is somewhat difficult for my area, but is not absolutely ridiculous. Our API score is around 900 and our college going rate is 98% (although half of that is to community college). Here is my information:</p>

<p>Total Weighted GPA: 3.83
Total Unweighted GPA: 3.61</p>

<p>Honors and APs Taken, and going to be taken:
Honors Chemistry
AP World History (4 on the AP Test)
Honors PreCalculus
Honors Physics
Honors English 4 (senior year)
AP Macro/Microeconomics (senior year)
AP Statistics (senior year)
Honors Government/Economics (senior year, required to take government and economics combined by school, no AP Government offered)</p>

<p>Total numbers by subject by graduation:
English: 4 years
Spanish: 3 years
Social Science: 6 years (includes academic electives)
Science: 3 years
Math: 4 years
Arts: 2 years (Drama and Band)</p>

<p>Class Rank:
We do not rank, but we have deciles. I'm not entirely sure where I am because our grade's have not come out yet, but I'm definitely within the top quarter. </p>

<p>SAT: just took it last weekend, but from practice tests I'm guessing around a 2100. </p>

<p>Clubs:
JSA
CSF
NHS</p>

<p>ExtraCurriculars:
Norcal JSA: Debate Agent, Newspaper Reporter, and East Bay Region Senator Candidate for '13-'14 (Time commitment ranges based on when the next convention is)</p>

<p>Volunteer and Tutor for an afterschool program for children at risk for homelessness (about 2 hours/week)</p>

<p>Community Service Intern at Local Library (I come in when I'm needed, which is pretty often)</p>

<p>California Girls State Participant for this coming summer</p>

<p>JSA UC Davis Institute participant for this coming summer</p>

<p>Auxiliary (Flag spinners with marching band)(Has become year round as we do rallies and such after marching season, and we are planning on doing Winterguard next year)</p>

<p>Flute (Played with group from 4th-9th grade, stopped group because of conflict with teacher; I play recreationally on my own now.)</p>

<p>Hopefully will be joining my school's debate team (I just found out that we have one.)</p>

<p>Please bear in mind, I was able to do little to no extra curriculars until my junior year, apart from flute and JSA, because I live far from my school in a small town that is at least 20 minutes away by car from anything with a single mom who has to work. If it means anything for admission, which I really hope it doesn't for the integrity of schools, I have had divorced parents for my entire life with major conflict between them, and for much of my life was unable to do anything at all except school. </p>

<p>Financial Aid will be a crucial part of which college I choose. I can afford about $18,000 a year from my mom. I do not want to attend a California public university. Private schools are fine. From many, I am projected to get close to enough financial aid. </p>

<p>Thank you so much to anyone who can help me with my college search.</p>

2

<p>

I assume you have this information from running the Net Price Calculator on their web sites? Which ones have you run? I hope you will consider at least some of the UCs/CSUs so you have an affordable safety.</p>

3

<p>I have run University of San Francisco, Willamette, Occidental, and Boston University, along with a few others that I can’t remember. I am not considering UC’s because they are not an affordable safety. The only UC that would be would be UCB, because it is within commuting distance, but the likelihood of me being admitted is little to none. Otherwise, UC’s are all $30,000/year, and I can get no financial aid from that whatsoever because they are California public schools. This goes along with the fact that they are so impacted that many people cannot get their classes and do not graduate on time (I’ve known people that this has actually happened to.) And, I won’t go to a CSU. I have guaranteed admission to many CSU’s for being a California resident and having a high enough GPA and SAT score; I have not worked so hard to go somewhere I could have easily gone without all of the hard work.</p>

4

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<p>Have you tried their net price calculators?</p>

<p>I put in a set of numbers that give an EFC of $18,000 and net price of $26,500 (EFC + $5,500 Stafford loan + $3,000 of student work) at Berkeley. The same numbers produced a net price of $56,922 (list price) at Boston University.</p>

<p>Even a set of numbers that caused Berkeley to give a total net price of around $18,000 produced a net price of $56,922 (list price) at Boston University.</p>

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<p>Berkeley and UCLA have among the highest four year graduation rates of state universities in the US (around 70%). Not getting into classes to graduate on time is mostly a problem at the open admission community colleges.</p>

5

<p>Not allowing students to enter impacted programs is how the UCs AVOID the problem of students not getting into classes to graduate on time.</p>

6

<p>You can get a Stafford Loan no matter what school you go to. UC’s give me no actual aid, and, considering the circumstances, it’s really not worth the trouble. </p>

<p>I have seen plenty of cases where they are impacted, or people cannot get the classes they need. It stands that I’ve been in the California public school system for 11 years and I cannot wait to be rid of it. That being said, I couldn’t even get into any UC that I would actually like to go to. </p>

<p>I was asking in my original question what schools would be GOOD for me, not where people think I should apply to for financial safety.</p>

7

<p>Boston University is not known for meeting need and runs around 60k or more.
Many applicants in our school district take BU off the table after the FA packages roll in.</p>

8

<p>U of Redlands had good merit aid in past years. I would look there.</p>

9

<p>I can afford about $18,000 a year from my mom. I</p>

<p>Has your mom said that she’ll pay that much each year? If you don’t know, ask her. </p>

<p>What about your dad? Is he alive? IF so, some schools will use his info to determine aid.</p>

<p>And most schools (private and public) do not meet need.</p>