What is the degree in curriculum difficulty between a state school (looking into Montana State U) and, say, and Ivy or a near equivalent? I have taken the top classes possible in my high school, including 7 APs so far, with an unweighted GPA of 3.75. I’m a bit worried that a state school would be too easy for me, and I’m torn between going to an “easier” school and whatever merit scholarships and AP credit I could get.
to be honest AP classes can be entirely different than college classes depnding on what class it is and what teacher you have. i’ve taken 5 AP classes and all of them were much easier than my 100 level classes at college, especially my science and math classes. AP classes are decent indicators for college success, but just because you are doing well in them doesn’t mean you will breeze by in a state school if that makes sense haha.
as for “easy colleges”, it’s completely subjective lmao. an engineering major at a school ranked 100 in the nation could be up to their heads in work and studying siginifcantly less than as a student in a different field of study at a T10 school.
apply to schools you are GENUINELY interested in and try to go to wherever gives you the most flexibility in terms of financial aid.
You can also consider the Honors college at some of the state universities if you want a more challenging curriculum. Check out the Honors college courses and requirements since there is a large variation between colleges.
Generally, imo, it’s not the professors, it’s the prep level of fellow classmates. Many kids turn to the Honors College Option. Or many kids who find themselves at a higher level than peers in the routine classes, use that chance to excel and find satisfaction in the increased opportunities they get for research, faculty interaction, internships and more. On CC, eg, we often speak of the advantages for a pre-med student at his/her state school, over some uber competitive “weed out” college.
Point is, lots of bright, achieving students pick their state U’s for good reasons, including affordability. That’s the pool of peers you look for, on campus.
“Easy” depends on a lot of factors, not just if the place is higher or lower ranked by USNWR. What is your preparation? What is the subject? Who is the instructor? What is the textbook (if there is a textbook)?
There are a lot of excellent students at public universities, and lots of excellent faculty members. If you end up at Montana State because of money, you can still find a way to thrive there.