What colleges would be good for me?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hello, I know I have asked a few questions similar to this already but this is broader. I am a junior in high school and as someone who loves to plan ahead, I have been looking into colleges a lot lately. I, however, have been overwhelmed by the options. My parents have said that they will be able to pay a significant amount of my tuition but refuse to tell me exactly how much. We are upper-middle class-ish (I think) but my parents don't like to talk about money with me.
I have not taken the SAT/PSAT/ACT yet but in the past I have found that I test fairly well.
My U/W GPA is 3.93 and my W is 4.45. I took AP Euro last year and got a 4 on the test, I am taking 3 AP's this year and plan to take more senior year (3-4).
I am in band and marching band and I did jazz band last year, I volunteered at a summer camp last summer. I am a member of the schools GSA and Philosophy club and I may be in CSF (it is really confusing at my school)
I volunteered with many mansions freshman year.
I live in California
I'm not sure if I want a liberal arts school or a larger state/public school.
I am interested in social sciences, other sciences and the arts (film)
I hope to study abroad.</p>

<p>I have been looking into the possibilities of the UCs, the Claremont colleges and assorted women's colleges. I am, however open to any suggestions. I have done the super match college search and such, I am now looking for advice on here. My goal is to compile a list that I can begin to narrow down throughout the year.
Thanks!</p>

2

<p>Also, a school with students that are involved in Activism and such might be a good fit, but it is not necessary.</p>

3

<p>Also (sorry) I would prefer a non-party school. Location doesnt matter at the moment.</p>

4

<p>No test scores = can’t help you decide too much</p>

5

<p>There are two things you can do now to help narrow down your choices: tour some colleges and find out what your parents are willing to pay. You said you don’t know if you would prefer a small LAC or a big university, so visiting campuses should help you decide that. Make sure you visit when classes are in session so you get a feel for what the student body is like. Once you have some test scores you can figure out what schools are matches and safeties for you.</p>

<p>If your parents won’t talk about money, that’s going to be difficult. They need to figure out how much they can afford to pay each year. Try picking a school, maybe one of the Claremonts, and have them fill out the Net Price Calculator. The results will vary from school to school but if you are full pay at one school there’s a good chance you’ll be full pay, or nearly so, at all of them.</p>

6

<p>Aimless tom- at this point I am looking more for schools that might be a good fit, and I will narrow it down once I have scores. I will be taking the PSAT very soon.
I will be starting visiting colleges around here soon, so that should help.</p>