<p>Right now, I'm in my Sophomore year in High School, and I have no idea where I want to go to college. Preferably, I would like to stay in the Midwest (I live in Illinois) or go to school in Florida. I just love the atmosphere down there. </p>
<p>Here's some of my stats:</p>
<p>3.4 GPA (intend on getting it up to about a 3.5 or 3.6 before I graduate)</p>
<p>No Honors or AP courses, but am already scheduled to take one next year, and I plan on taking two seniors year. </p>
<p>Will have 4 years of Track and Cross Country and lots of Community service</p>
<p>My school doesn't do class rank, but I plan on receiving an Honors diploma</p>
<p>Classes taken/will take:
4 years of Social Studies
4 years of English
4 years of Chinese
4 years of Math
3 years of Science
3.5 years of Religious Studies</p>
<p>So, judging by my stats and where I want to attend school, what college(s) do you think will be a good match for me?</p>
<p>Hard to tell without a SAT/ACT score. What you get will determine what caliber schools are accessible and inaccessible to you, combined with your GPA.</p>
<p>I took the PLAN test this year, and they projected I would get between a 24-28 if I took it right now with no prep classes or anything. I’m going for a 30.</p>
<p>Without real test scores, it’s hard to tell. </p>
<p>What is your likely major and career goal?</p>
<p>Do get your GPA up.</p>
<p>What’s your budget? How much will your parents pay? Your test scores and the amount your family will pay will likely determine where you should apply.</p>
<p>Your info doesn’t tell us much. 4 years of math ending in pre calc or NC calc? What sciences? Where do you rank?</p>
<p>Cost will probably be very important here. Only very top schools give much financial aid, so what your family can afford will have to be the key in forming your list.</p>
<p>Rather than looking at specific schools, sophomore year is a good time to start thinking about the kind of school environment you want. A visit to your local in-state is a good way to get a feel for large state schools. Check out if they have any special programs. If your state has a public LAC (liberal arts college) or other unique programs, take a look at those. Read some of the college guide books. By the middle of junior year, you should be able to answer the following questions about yourself:</p>
<p>1) what size school and type of school do I want (large state U, small LAC, tech, etc…)
2) what part of the country/type of environment do I want - urban/small college town/suburban, how far from home, other must haves (mountains, a good theater arts program, a decent lacrosse team, etc…)
3) what do I plan to study or at least check out - if it’s unusual, that may reduce your list (for example, if it’s a ‘pre-professional major’ like engineering, business, accounting, nursing, etc…you many not find a liberal arts college that has what you want)
4) What kind of culture fits me best - liberal/conservative, religious?, single-sex?, rah-rah, artsy, intellectual, granola, etc…schools have personalities. If you know what you like, you’ll have a better idea of what might be a good fit. Large public Us are safe for most people because they will have some of everything - but they will also have a lot of large intro classes.
5) and…as mentioned above, the all important ‘what can my family afford’?</p>
<p>If you do your homework and answer these questions and provide your GPA and test scores in junior year, then CC can point you in the right direction.</p>
<p>Another vote here for sorting out the money issues first. Sit down with your parents, and find out how they expect you to pay for your education. How much can they chip in each year? How do they feel about you taking some student loans? How much do they expect you to pay for yourself with money you make during vacations and the school year?</p>
<p>If they don’t have a clue, don’t feel bad. Lots of parents don’t. Point them to the Financial Aid Forum here, for useful ideas, and spend some time reading through the information at [FinAid</a>! Financial Aid, College Scholarships and Student Loans](<a href=“http://www.finaid.org%5DFinAid”>http://www.finaid.org)</p>
<p>Good luck with your college search!</p>