lookingforward

Are you prepared for your major or mostly starting fresh? Try to guage whether your peers at each would be sharp/competitive and the level of classes will be tough- or whether you can easily rise above most of them. And, how much you could pad with some easy classes (assuming they aren't filled fast.) For now, forget study abroad- that can come later.

Both mins are high- Thumper's right that you need to check if it's by term or by year. There are always kids who can make Dean's List- figure out if you are one of those, at each school.

yaksic13

^^^ how does one figure out these things?

BobWallace

It sounds like you've thought this through, but you might consider including Louisiana Tech in your applications. Your 32 ACT would get you a full ride there and if you are still concerned about grades at decision time it only requires a 3.0 to keep the scholarship.

lookingforward

You go to the course catalog to understand requirements for depth and breadth and the sorts of classes available- your major and gen ed courses or cores. If you are engineering or another math-sci track, how prepared are you for what you'll face? Top of your game is different than liked physics and want more.

In general, for most in-state kids, how easy is it to get admitted to these schools? (My flagship routinely admits kids with 2.0 gpa- that tells a lot about general competitiveness.) Does your dept stand head and shoulders above others? Is it "the" destination for top state kids in your major? Those sorts of considerations. See if you can find the breakdown (eg, for the "college of engineering," ) for how many kids were 32 ACT or higher.

Sometimes, you can glean info on students review dot com- how cooperative a dept is versus competitive. Whether the school practices serious grade deflation. But that's not sure. Some kids have axes to grind. Are there forums here for these colleges?

In the end, it has a lot to do with your confidence and determination.

oldfort

This is one thing I always mention when people try to decide - do some research on how a particular college going to help you with your next venture, may it be a job or graduate school. There are some very highly ranked colleges where employers do not recruit there, and their career centers do not view it as a priority. If you want to go to medical school, what's their placement rate?

It is very silly in tring to choose schools over $2K. No matter how cheap a school is, if it's not going to give you a good education or help you in life then it is pointless, and you would be wasting 4 years of your life, and that's priceless.

One other thing you may want to check out is what is the % of students who graduate in 4 years, 6 years. One school maybe less expensive, but if it's going to take you 5 years to graduate due to lack of required courses selection, then ultimately it is more expensive.

3.5 GPA is a lot more difficult to maintain in college than in high school. I would think twice before I commit to that stipulation.

yaksic13

Louisiana tech is my third choice as of now...and I like the low renewal min.

Thank you everyone for the advice!