What schools should I be looking at

College Search & Selection
1

<p>The second semester of my junior year in high school has finally rolled around and it seems like the time has come to step up and really start looking into colleges. So far I've just been trying to do some research on my own/with my dad and while helpful there is just so many options out there.</p>

<p>Here are my stats:</p>

<p>GPA (unweighted):
89 as of second semester junior year, could likely get it to a 90 if needed. I do not know my weighted gpa as my school does not weight grades.</p>

<p>Test scores:
dates set to take SAT and ACT however have not taken them yet. PSAT scores are 680 reading 600 math 680 writing. I am taking an SAT prep course and if all goes well after a few tests I should be able to probably get about 720 reading 650 math 720 writing.</p>

<p>Rigor of classes:<br>
I have had 3 years of honors math and plan to take CP/H/AP calculus my senior year. I have had 3 years of honors sciences, all lab sciences and plan to take AP physics senior year. I have taken 3 years of spanish and this year I am in a pre AP/IB spanish level however senior year I plan on taking spanish V at a CP level as I am not particularly strong in that class. I have taken 2 years of Honors english and this year I am taking an AP english course of which I have a 94 average in; for senior year I plan on taking another AP english course. In social studies I have 3 years of honors classes and plan on taking an AP class senior year.</p>

<p>Extracurricular/work: My extracurricular activities include 8 years of club swimming and what will be 4 years on the high school swim team next year. My high school has won the state championships every year I have been on the team and every year I have placed in the top 5 in all/most of my events at the state meet. I have a job lifeguarding and also teach children how to swim on the weekends. On top of that I have also been weight training for 4-5 years and have also taken numerous online college courses on sites such as Coursera and edX, mostly in the computer science field.</p>

<p>State: Maine
Race: White</p>

<p>I am looking mostly into engineering schools and I am particularly interested in the fields of nanotechnology, computer science, and electrical engineering. </p>

<p>All that being said what schools would you recommend I look at and what are some reach schools/acceptance rates for me. Do I have a chance of getting into a school such as northeastern (30% acceptance) or should I shoot for something more around 40% or 50%. Anything is helpful really I'm sort of overwhelmed at the moment. Much thanks!</p>

2

<p>I should also mention that the high school I attend has been consistently ranked one of the top 5 in the state year after year. Not entirely sure wether that makes a difference in admissions processes.</p>

3

<p>To the surprise of many, most colleges accept most of their applicants. You have literally thousands of choices. The problem comes in that students tend to focus on the same 100-150 colleges most in demand. Picking a college is a 2-way street. They get to decide if they take you, but you get to decide who you’ll ask.</p>

<p>Yet you’ve said nothing about what you want in a college other than an engineering major. There are many other dimensions to consider. In an urban or rural area? Small college or large U? A sports-crazy school, or one where academics are paramount? Large lecture classes or smaller ones where participation is expected? One where students live on/near campus? Are you interested in a fraternity? A school with a strong coop program? Would you like to spend a semester studying abroad? I could go on and on, but the point is you’re not going to make a well informed college decision until you first learn about the options that are out there, and make some preliminary decisions about what you want.</p>

<p>So my advice is to step back for a bit. Get a good book on admissions that will cover the whole process; not just how to apply but how financial aid works, what to do on college visits, the factors that go into finding colleges that are a fit for you. One such book is “Admission Matters”, there are many others. Read thru the book, then start by visiting a few colleges of various types (large, small, urban, rural, etc) that are near you to get a first-hand feel. I’ll admit this (reading a book) isn’t what most kids do. They want to go to the popular schools and don’t consider many others; they get a tip from a teacher or their friends and that becomes their “top” choice; in short they don’t spend a few hours learning how to make a decision about how they spend 4 years of their lives. It’s your choice, too.</p>

<p>Then start your search by looking for colleges that are a fit for you and are likely to admit you. Everyone should have a rock-solid safety they’d be willing to attend if nothing else comes thru. After that pick some schools that are a match for kids with stats like yours, only after that should you be worrying about the colleges that take 30% of their applicants. This is what I’d be doing if I was in your shoes…</p>