I am having so much trouble picking a college to attend. I am a junior in High School and I need to figure it out soon because I will take the SAT and ACT very soon, I’m not at Ivy League but I am pretty high in my class. I hope to be a medical law attorney (I don’t even know what it’s called! but I want to defend hospitals and doctors) I guess that means I should major in medical law, I was also thinking about going into the psychology field, or becoming a trauma doctor of surgeon but I have not yet decided. I do know for a fact that I want to study medicine or law. I am not rich and I will need financial aid but I hope to get scholarships. I just don’t know where to start! I’d love to stay somewhat local (I live in Florida) but I can keep my options open. Thank you so much! I appreciate any kind of information as I have big dreams but very little information. Thanks again!
-Shelby
Please post your:
-GPA
-Budget
-Size preferences
-Social preferences (Greek life, sports?)
Sorry!
Edit:
GPA: uw: 3.0 (I am really pushing to bring this up, I had a huge slip up and it brought me down from a 3.6)
Budget: My parent’s don’t really know if they or what they are willing to pay so I am dependent on loans and scholarships right now because I don’t want money to come into play of my future
Size Preference: I don’t really have one but if I HAD to choose probably a large university
Social Preferences: none
Without a much higher GPA your chances of getting by on “loans and scholarships” are slight. You will also need a knockout score on the ACT or SAT. Have you taken the PSAT?
I would probably start by taking a look at the Super Match and the questions asked and see what schools show up. At least by answering the questions, you will start to get some clarity to what is important to you and what isn’t. Visit the schools list either via virtual tours, YouTube or actual campus visits and get a feel for what you see and what you like and don’t like. As you look keep in mind things like requirements to get in, scholarships, cost, etc.
I would also talk to your HS counselor and see what assistance they can give around school choices. Hopefully they can look at your stats and help figure out some of your options.
To get Federal loans, you need your parents cooperation in filling out the FASFA. If you are not eligible for any merit scholarships due to low GPA, you really need a boost your SAT/ACT scores. You as a student can only take out a total of $27K for 4 years in loans, so anything over the amount will up to your parents. You really need to sit down with them and try and get answer on any amount they are willing to fund.
You also need to calculate your EFC. If your parents make decent money but are unwilling to pay, it will not matter to the schools. They will see your FA information and base aid on the FASFA and/or CCS profile. You need to know the amount so you can target schools that can offer you FA.