<p>I will be a junior this fall at a high school near Seattle, WA. I have a 4.0 GPA and am pursuing an IB diploma. I play on the school baseball team as well as competing in the top summer baseball league in Washington State. I have developed a list of criteria that I believe are important to my college selection:</p>
<p>Campus location (preferred somewhere sunny-- I hate the weather in my hometown, too much rain!)
Overall Campus attractiveness
Academics (of course)- A strong academic school is a must
Campus life
Ability to study abroad for part of my education
I am considering going to college outside the U.S., I know a student who is going to Franklin College in Switzerland and it seemed like a great fit for any U.S. citizen traveling abroad.</p>
<p>Does anyone know of a college that fits these (or some of these) criteria? All help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!</p>
<p>Is money a concern or will your parents pay for wherever you go ($25k-50k per year)??</p>
<p>Virtually all schools have study abroad programs.</p>
<p>As for going to college in another country, that can be expensive for an American. For instance, Franklin College costs about $50k per year - not counting transportation and personal expenses (probably an additional $5k per year)</p>
<p>If money is a concern, then that will affect which are the best schools for you.</p>
<p>Let us know what your budget is… If you don’t know how much your parents will spend each year, ask. If you’ll need financial aid, then you’ll need to find out how much you might qualify for and then select schools that are good about giving financial aid (most schools do not have much to give.)</p>
<p>I have not yet taken the ACT or SAT (I just finished sophomore year). My parents have said that if I get into a top tier school, it may be very tight with money but they would find a way to pay as long as I apply myself to get as many scholarships as I can. I would be expected to pay for some of my college education however.</p>
<p>I would prefer an urban setting, however I would not mind a rural or town setting. As I currently live in a suburb, I would probably not want to go to a school in a suburban setting, but once again, it’s not a make-or-break issue for me.</p>
<p>Though there is not much information to base this off of, you might want to look at Stanford. It’s located a little south of San Francisco, so the weather is generally warm and it is a very good school. It has pretty basic abroad programs, like most schools, and is located close to a city (San Francisco). Good luck!</p>
<p>Probably 30% of the schools in the US fit these criteria. What size school are you looking for and what do you plan to study? Do you have PSAT scores yet?</p>
<p>With the exception of weather (New England winters aren’t particularly welcoming), my school might fit the bill for you as well. We have an attractive campus, strong academics, study abroad programs, etc. We do have a varsity baseball team (though I am not quite sure how competitive it would be for one to make the team). </p>
<p>Then again, many schools in the US fit this profile. What exactly are you looking for? Do you have any academic interests? If so, I advise that you start researching schools and how they cater to your interests.</p>
Bizarrely, I was actually posting those schools based on the OPs original criteria regardless of the answer to the baseball question. But the thought occurred to me too after I posted ;)</p>
<p>Oh wow, well look at Arizona State University, University of Arizona, University of Texas- Austin, University of Florida, Florida State University and University of Miami. Also a handful of schools in California.</p>
<p>Many of the schools listed above out of state population may be below 10%.</p>
<p>My parents have said that if I get into a top tier school, it may be very tight with money but they would find a way to pay as long as I apply myself to get as many scholarships as I can.</p>
<p>You and your parents need to understand…</p>
<p>1) Top privates cost $53k+ per year. By the time you go, it could be about $60k per year. (Many parents have NO IDEA how much privates cost these days).</p>
<p>2) Many top privates don’t give scholarships (ivies don’t, MIT doesn’t, etc).</p>
<p>3) if your parents expect you to get scholarships to help pay for the costs, then you need to apply to the schools that give them.</p>
Chance are if you are going to play baseball at those schools, you would have already been recruited (if not those school, other lesser known baseball schools).</p>
<p>If cost is a concern, Rice is significantly cheaper that most schools of comparable caliber and probably has the best baseball team out of the top 20 schools on usnews.</p>
<p>I’m probably not looking to play baseball in college, just to clarify things. But I am potentially interested in science and foreign studies. (hence the appeal of Franklin College)</p>
If you don’t know how much your parents will spend each year, ask. If you’ll need financial aid, then you’ll need to find out how much you might qualify for and then select schools that are good about giving financial aid (most schools do not have much to give.)</p>