> I've only been posting and reading in the forum for like two months, but I noticed that a lot of you guys are 1)Much older than me and 2) Really smart, so I thought I'd ask you this... What is a good college to go to? I know this sounds stupid to ask a bunch of people you don't even know, but I'm totally stumped. I've been getting mail from people everywhere around the country and I can't distinguish one letter from another. I talked to my counselor at school, and she wasn't helpful either. Does anyone have any suggestions? If it helps here is some info on me...
>
> I want to major in Chemistry and possibly minor in Computer Programming or Education.
>
> I have a 97.8 average out of 100, a 780 on my SAT verbal, 670 on the math and I haven't taken my ACT yet.
>
> I graduate in 2002.
>
> I don't have a lot of money for college. I haven't got a job and my family gets about 10,000 dollars a year.
>
> I live in New York.
>
> I've done almost no community service, although I do a lot of extracurricular activities.
>
> If anyone has ANY help on this I would appreciate me. The whole subject of college is starting to give me a headache. If you want to know anything else, just ask...
>
> Mel"Why can't college be free so you could go to six or seven if you wanted to?? Huh??"anie

Well, I'm a high school senior, in the middle of applying to colleges (5 days till I find out from Williams!!). I absoutely agree with everything Trip and Ellmyruh and Grishny said, but just to add some things I've learned over the past year of college searching...

-My dad and I, on our college trip, didn't go on ANY tours. Instead, we contacted the English and Theater departments, as well as the Christian fellowship on campus, and talked to someone from each of those groups. We got a much better feel for the campus and the people there doing that, and just walking from place to place, than we would have from a tour. After all, who really needs to know why the Erwin J. Higglesprout building is named that, and what cute little name the students use for it? So try to set up appointments with people in whatever it is you're interested in.

-Apply Early Decision if there's one school you like best. They have a higher acceptance rate for that, and it saves on time and energy and money, as well.

-Never ever don't apply to a college because it's too much money or something like that. Looking at the stats you gave us.... well, from a not-top-tier school, you'll get massive merit scholarships, and from a top-tier, you can get great need-based scholarships.... need-based, in case you don't know, means that the college figures out how much you can pay and then covers the rest, through grants and loans and such.... any other scholarships you get cover the loans, so you can get rid of those.

Anyway... um, well, you don't need to have a concrete idea of where you want to go quite yet.... just know what you want - small or large, what area of the country, urban, rural, or suburban... if you get a definite list, it'll narrow your choices. So I hope this has helped.... keep us updated, and good luck!

Ki"waiting to hear back is horrid"ki