So I’m a rising high school junior and I’m starting to build up my college list. Right now I have a 90.5% GPA. (I think that’s about a 3.5 but I’m not positive because my school does GPAs differently). I haven’t taken an ACT or a SAT yet but I will this year. I am very involved in the performing arts in my school, and i am running for president of my drama club this year. I have taken AP European history and got a 4 on the AP exam. I live in New York and I really don’t want to go west, I want to stay on the east coast. I know its kinda hard to say right now but what are some schools that I have a shot of getting into? Thank you so much!
Also I am taking AP United States History, AP Micro Economics, and AP Language this year as well.
Also another thing! I want to major Communications and Media Studies, or something very similar to that. Thank you!
The BEST school is one that you and your family can comfortably afford, period. If you can get merit aid to help, that expands the pool, but otherwise, there are quite a few in-state Us that should be great. Good luck!
St. Lawrence, Ithaca and Syracuse would be some schools to research (all would be good for your major).
The best approach is to find the right school, which then becomes the “best” college for you, as opposed to climbing as high as you can up the USNWR “rankings,” which measure a lot of things that may not be important criteria for you.
What are your parents saying about how much they’ll pay each year?
my parents have a lot of money saved away for college. Right now i say the max is about $65,000 a year
OK, finance is off the table, and you have an idea about region. Now you need to think about LAC vs. research U, urban/suburban/rural, size, campus culture, Greek-heavy or not, academic specialties, etc. Do some research and introspection and the right schools may reveal themselves. Then visit and talk to current students. Best wishes!
That should cover just about any school but I’m sure that they would be happy to spend a lot less 
Each family has their own value equation, and pricing for many of the schools is just crazy. Also be aware of market fluctuations (ask your parents about this), after the 2008 crash many students had to attend less expensive state schools instead of privates after their investments fell.
Even though it may seem early, I’d take a few trips to nearby schools and get the tours. There are plenty within driving distance and you can make a fun weekend out of it. That way you will have some basis for comparison, see what the colleges want, get an idea of cost, what you’ll learn, the student life, accommodations, and food, and be able to make adjustments to your plan to be admitted to some of the places you like.
“Best” is subjective, and without standardized test scores, nobody can even answer your question at all.
Money (Aug 2016 Magazine, should be on news stands or if not now, soon - received my subscription a few days ago) has the cover article “Best Colleges 2016” - ‘find a great school you can truly afford’ - 12 page article is worth a read. They also have a full ranking of what they consider the 705 best-value colleges available online.
The average aid column estimated price (right next to w/o aid estimated price) shows maybe a possibility but not to be taken as for real unless you run the numbers and your situation with the school. Some of the schools discussed may give you information for you to want to look deeper at other sources.
Some of course are highly selective schools - Princeton is ranked #1 and U of MI is ranked #2. The est price of Michigan w/o aid has to be the in-state price tag.