<p>I am a high school junior in the midwest and I have officially started visiting colleges, but can't get a good idea because it's summer and there's nobody there. However, come fall, I would like to start visiting more, but don't know where to start.</p>
<p>Here's my stats
GPA: About 3.6 as of the end of sophomore year
The ACT PLAN predicted I'd likely get a 28-32 on the ACT
AP: I took APUSH last year and got an A in the class, 3 on the exam. : / This year, I'm taking AP Micro, AP Gov, and AP English 11 because now I know what to expect and I'm better in those subjects anyway
Extracurriculars: I am a Thespian and am pretty involved in the troupe. I volunteer fairly often (it's required by the school, but if it weren't, I would anyway) and babysit. This year, I will also join a writing club.</p>
<p>I am looking for a school (maybe an LAC) with a population of 2,000-10,000 that is strong in the arts, but also has strength in the humanities and sciences. If possible, I'd like it to be in the midwest or east, however, if you feel strongly about something in the west, feel free to mention it. :)</p>
<p>I'd like somewhere open-minded and friendly. It doesn't have to be very liberal, but I'd like to avoid very conservative schools.</p>
<p>Thank you for your suggestions if you can offer them!</p>
<p>There are lots of schools that fit your bill, but you also have to consider how much your family can afford to pay each year. Sit down with your parents and ask them this question. then run the net price calculator at several schools’ websites and show your folks what their Expected Family Contribution might be. Get this dialogue started sooner rather than later, or you may find that you’re visiting schools you will never be able to afford. Students sometimes think they can borrow money to go to college; this is incorrect: the maximum a student can borrow the first year is 5500 and for four years about 27K. You don’t want more debt than that anyway. </p>
<p>So start looking for colleges in your family’s price range before visiting any more of them this summer.</p>
<p>I take it the GPA is your unwtd GPA, yes? what is your state of residency? in what would you like to major?</p>
<p>Here’s a so-called list of A+ schools for B students. Note that there are several categories of schools available in the tabs at the top of the list:</p>
<p><a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/a-plus”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/a-plus</a></p>
<p>I will ask my parents later today what we can afford; now is not the best time.</p>
<p>Yes, I believe that is my unweighted GPA, but I’m not sure because my school shut down the grades site for the summer.</p>
<p>I live in Michigan, but I’m not sure yet what I want to major in. I’m considering theater as either a double major or a minor, but I know it’s very difficult to make a living in the arts, so I might major in something else and do drama as an extracurricular. Other than that, I love to write, I did fairly well in biology, and I am possibly interested in the health sciences.</p>
<p>Thank you so much for your input! I hadn’t even considered yet what we could afford.</p>
<p>That’s why you come to us, OP. 
You have a couple of really good public universities in Michigan that are relatively inexpensive. Most other OOS publics will be more expensive and not provide you with a lot of FA. Take a look at that list I gave you and see if anything looks interesting.</p>
<p>I looked into Michigan public universities and they all seem a bit big.</p>
<p>Syracuse University was one of the ones we visited this summer and I was blown away at the size of the campus.</p>
<p>I’m looking at the list now. I’m not sure, but so far I’ve been ruling out religious schools because I want an environment where there are a variety of beliefs. Should I consider them anyway?</p>
<p>many religious schools will have “an environment where there are a variety of beliefs,” but not all. Georgetown comes to mind as an example of the first of these; definitely Catholic but very ecumenical. there are crucifixes at many sites and prayers at many official occasions, but the school will not stone you for being an atheist. Debate and multiplicity of views are welcome. You might find these characteristics less frequently were you to attend an explicitly Christian institution such as Baylor or Liberty. You have to look beyond the “St. Johns” in the school’s name to see whether it is religious or hostile to atheists. Do the research. </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Of the ones on the list, I liked the sound of Clark, Skidmore, Allegheny, and Hofstra.</p>
<p>If you’re interested in theater, look into Muhlenberg. Very open-minded, variety of religions and beliefs (very popular with Jewish students, very LGBTQ friendly), excellent theater program and other majors.</p>
<p>This isn’t directly, helpful, I know, but have you tried CC’s own college search? <a href=“http://www.collegeconfidential.com/college_search/”>http://www.collegeconfidential.com/college_search/</a> It was extremely helpful for me when I first started looking for colleges. Good luck!</p>
<p>Thank you guys so much!</p>