<p>I really need help. My school's college guidance is quite poor, and it's hard to find realistic places to consider for next year's applications. For context: I have around a 97-98 high school average, with a 2340 SAT (760R/780M/800W). I've taken nearly every high level/AP class in the first three years, including 3 years of advanced Talmudic law (Jewish school :p) and Chinese. I took, and got 5's in AP WH, Calc AB, English Comp, Gov, and Bio, and am taking AP ComSci, USH, Calc BC, and Lit this year. I have pretty good EC's, although I got stuck working in summer camp instead of something more valuable. Financially is where things start to get hairy. Like most, I have absolutely no clue what I want to pursue in terms of a major or a career. The majority in my Jewish school (many of whom haven't tried as hard as I have), just apply to Yeshiva University or Queens College and call it a day. If I had some inkling of what I wanted to do, maybe I could consider a higher caliber school. I can't justify loans for just the name on the diploma, and I doubt I'd qualify for financial aid. I want to strive for something more, but I don't even have a short list of affordable places. Help?</p>
<p>what state do you live in, if financial aid is something unrealistic, and you don’t want to take out loans, you may just have to settle for your state’s big public university which has good tuition for what may be a very good school. it’s also a safe bet as a states flagship often offers alot of majors, so you can find what you like </p>
<p>your stats are also pretty good, so you can probably get in</p>
<p>New York. I don’t know anything about financial aid and how to qualify though.</p>
<p>does the prestige or name of the place matter to you, or do you just want an affordable place that will give you a high quality education and job opportunities? </p>
<p>Can’t there be a balance?</p>
<p>yes, just seeing if there was a preference
some good colleges in your area are:
Stony Brook University(very nice, recognized place)- look up
State University of New York at New Paltz
new york city college of technology (very one sided but recognized for top-notch tech education and placement0</p>
<p>You have a shot at pretty much any college with those stats. What do you want in a college? Consider size, location, diversity, extracurricular offerings, etc. The [CC</a> search tool](<a href=“http://www.collegeconfidential.com/college_search/]CC”>http://www.collegeconfidential.com/college_search/) should give you an idea of things to consider. </p>
<p>If you want to stay in New York, you’d be a strong contender for Macaulay Honors, which offers a full tuition scholarship, a computer, and other perks to all admitted students. You won’t find rah-rah athletics or some other elements of the “college experience” at CUNY, but it’s certainly a very good option academically. </p>
<p>Run some financial aid calculators. Elite private universities have gotten increasingly generous with financial aid in order to compete for students, and many students are surprised to discover that they’re eligible for more financial aid than they thought. </p>
<p>In the meantime, there are numerous helpful threads on CC about merit aid. </p>
<p>[Schools</a> known for good merit aid](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/52133-schools-known-for-good-merit-aid.html]Schools”>Schools known for good merit aid - Parents Forum - College Confidential Forums)
[Automatic</a> out-of-state tuition waivers](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1505285-automatic-out-of-state-tuition-waivers.html]Automatic”>Automatic Out-of-State Tuition Waivers - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums)
[Competitive</a> full tuition/full ride scholarships](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1461983-competitive-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html]Competitive”>Competitive Full Tuition / Full Ride Scholarships - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums)
[Automatic</a> full tuition/full ride scholarships](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html]Automatic”>Automatic Full Tuition / Full Ride Scholarships - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums)
[NMF</a> scholarships: an updated compilation](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/649276-nmf-scholarships-an-updated-compilation.html]NMF”>NMF Scholarships: An Updated Compilation - National Merit Scholarships - College Confidential Forums)</p>
<p>You might as well aim high, as long as you apply to a few academic and financial safeties. The most prestigious colleges are the wealthiest, and the likeliest to meet all demonstrated need. Your stats would probably earn you some excellent merit scholarships at slightly less selective colleges, such as Tulane. You will need to fill out the CSS Report (used primarily by private colleges, as well as a few public universities like UNC-Chapel Hill) as well as the FAFSA (which opens up on January 1st). I would also suggest looking at some quirkier, smaller colleges, where a Yeshiva-educated NYC Jewish student who has studied Chinese might be “exotic,” and a significant “hook” (along with your excellent academic credentials). Some elite colleges offer only need-based aid, with no merit scholarships available, but other small colleges can be surprisingly generous in order to attract good students. </p>
<p>First off, your stats make you competitive for anywhere you want, and lots of merit scholarships. Congratulations, most don’t even make it that far! That in mind though, you do have a lot of options. What are you looking for in a school? Geographic area? Size? Climate? Urban/Rural/Suburban? Lots of school spirit and strong athletics? Any requirements will definitely help us narrow your options down. </p>
<p>When you find a few colleges you like, sit down with your parents and run the NPC (net price calculator) on their websites. The college will give you a rough COA, and you will need to compare that with what your parents say they are willing/able to pay. </p>
<p>Wrt merit scholarships, the most prestigious schools don’t really give merit scholarships because all of their applicants are incredibly qualified. The threads given to you above are great resources, definitely look over those schools and see if you can find a few you like. Tulane is definitely worth a look, they have a very strong Jewish community and offer great merit aid. </p>
<p>Yes, I’m with the later posters who say start with your stats and choose a few schools like Princeton, NYU, and Queens. Then with your parents help run the net price calculators. More important than where you can get in is where you can afford. </p>
<p>If you decide to apply to Yeshiva, read up on the financial problems they’ve been having before filling out the app.</p>
<p>Answer some of the posters’ questions and let us know what you find out from mom and dad and the npcs.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the great responses! I really don’t know what I’m looking for in a school. I guess I like the idea of a school with a strong Jewish community (although I’d be flexible on that for a prestigious enough institution) that’s respectable enough to set me up for the future. Will Yeshiva give that to me? </p>
<p>I’m pretty sure I know what school you currently attend and I would not suggest Princeton at all. I think something a little out of your comfort zone would be fine, but nothing too drastic. Columbia and maybe Cornell (don’t forget to look at the state school part of Cornell) would be fine, and maybe Brandies in Boston if the money could work out. From a state school point of view - SUNY Binghamton would be my top choice but any of the major SUNY universities would work - Albany, Stony Brook, maybe Buffalo U even. Good luck!</p>
<p>Fab scores! congrats!!!</p>
<p>""“Financially is where things start to get hairy. Like most, I have absolutely no clue what I want to pursue in terms of a major or a career. The majority in my Jewish school (many of whom haven’t tried as hard as I have), just apply to Yeshiva University or Queens College and call it a day. If I had some inkling of what I wanted to do, maybe I could consider a higher caliber school. I can’t justify loans for just the name on the diploma, and I doubt I’d qualify for financial aid. I want to strive for something more, but I don’t even have a short list of affordable places. Help?”""</p>
<p>What are your parents saying? How much will they pay each year? (if I missed that above, sorry)</p>
<p>If you say that you wont qualify for FA, does that mean that they will pay $60k per year?</p>
<p>Since you dont know which direction you want, apply to well-rounded schools and explore.</p>
<p>If your parents will pay…</p>
<p>WashU
Rice in Texas, but has a good number of Jewish students.
Vandy…in the south, but has a good number of Jewish students.
USC<br>
Emory (not if engineering is on the table) in the south, but has a good number of Jewish students.
Duke in the south, but has a good number of Jewish students.
Tufts
Northwestern
Stanford
any ivies that interest you
(altho your stats are high enough for merit consideration from a few of the above schools, being a NY student may not make you unique enough since you dont provide ethnic or regional diversity (being Jewish doesnt count).
UCLA
Berkeley</p>
<p>The fact that you mention loans concerns me. Does that mean that your parents wont be paying most/all costs? </p>
<p>If so, then you need a whole different list. </p>