What are some possible colleges to pursue?

Question

I am currently a junior living in the northeastern area of the US. My GPA is a 93. SAT - 2150. Likes: math and sciences. Dislikes: humanities. Extracurriculars - math team, president of a minor club, member of three minor clubs. Worked (with pay) for one summer. Possible majors: computer programming (probably), business/economics (maybe). Preferably a college with financial aid. Basically your average clueless high school student.

What are your suggestions?

Answer 1

Your high school is prepared for "clueless" students! Someone (college/career counselor, regular counselor librarian) has a huge fat book with information on a bazillion colleges. You may be able to check it out; you will at least be able to look at it. You can also go to a big bookstore. Look for colleges whose profile of incoming frosh kind of matches you and which have the majors, extracurriculars, and location that you want. Go online to those colleges and contact the admissions office. Ask them to send you information. this same counselor will be able to answer most of your other college questions.

Talk to your teachers, friends of your parents, your boss--anyone who went to college, especially if they majored in something that interests you. You will get some good information (things they wish they'd known) and maybe even a contact or two. Think of doing an "internship" (even unpaid) with someone in a field that interests you.

You didn't mention community service--many colleges and scholarship donors look for students who do community service. Pick something that is meaningful for you--teaching computer skills at the senior center or Boys & Girls Club, writing a program to help a non-profit organization in your area, etc.

Go to college fairs in your area. Your school can tell you when/where they are. Talk to the college reps and attend workshops--there's usually one that helps you pick a college.

Make plans to take the SAT or ACT if the colleges you are interested in require them.

Web sites to read very carefully: www.nacacnet.org, www.fastweb.com, www.collegeboard.com, www.petersons.com/ These are very reputable sites, but there are people out there who will try to take advantage of your "cluelessness."

Tell your parents that they will have to turn in a copy of their tax return forms when you apply for financial aid. Go to fafsa.ed.gov, read what it says there, and tell your parents to read it.

One tip: In every contact you have with colleges, be sure to put your best foot forward--be neat and punctual for interviews, spell-check all your letters and e-mails, be upbeat and positive, ask intelligent questions. (Not "Do you have a major in computer programming?"--All that does is show that you didn't read their information!

Good luck--and remember, there's no "best" college, only one that's best for you.

Answer 2

Well, I attend the University of California, Irvine (a.k.a. UCI) and have found it to my liking. They have a lot of research opportunities which are very, very well funded and have excellent programs in the sciences. Plus, their Social Science department is one of the top in the US and now offers an undergraduate degree in Business Economics. And the financial aid I received in Grants and scholarships were fair.

Some other colleges I applied to that I believe to be good universities were Brown in Rhode Island, and Harvard in Massachusetts. Unfortunately however, I didn't get into either one of these colleges.

For rankings and a list of colleges, you should check out http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/brief/t1natudoc_brief.php

And if you are interested in British colleges, you should check out http://browse.guardian.co.uk/education?SearchBySubject=false&FirstRow=0&SortOrderDirection=&SortOrderColumn=GuardianTeachingScore&Subject=Institution-wide&Tariff=4&Go=Submit

My personal ranking for the top five colleges in the world is as follows:
1. Cambridge University (preferably King's College or Pembroke College)
2. Oxford University / Harvard University
3. Brown University
4. Princeton University
5. Reed College
6. London School of Economics
7. Stanford University
8. University College London
9. University of Pennsylvania
10. Aga Khan University (Medical only)

Answer 3

I am not sure where you are located, but as far as Business and computers go Indiana University-Bloomington is one of the top public universities in the nation. We were just recently voted the most wired in the nation and the business school is routinely ranked in the top 10 in the nation...you would easily get admitted with your background.

Answer 4

well if ur into computers, try schools like MIT, RIT, lehigh, johns hopkins, UVA, UPenn, Duke, UNC, and places like that

for business, u should look into the wharton school of business at UPenn

obviously you're a gifted student, so im pretty sure you could get into lehigh RIT, and maybe UVA and Duke but MIT and wharton are both insanely hard to get into so if you want to go there u need to WORK

might i suggest looking into summer programs in computer programming it will look really good on you app and will give you a leg up in your studies

might i suggest

Answer 5

Notre Dame

Answer 6

Princeton, Duke... Rice, Virginia,... You seem to be smart, try for the best colleges in the country, you may get accepted!