What are the best colleges for science with a 3.5 GPA and 2020 SAT score?

[myanmar]

I'm in high school right now, well the summer after 10th grade. I'm probably going to get a 3.5 GPA (i've got two years left. I'm below that right now, but I'm determined to do better the next two years. it's study habits that have held me back, and i know i can change that.) SAT is currently at 2020, but I'm going to try and raise it a little if possible.

So, that leaves me with some options. Not everything I would like, but I'm not going to be that badly off.

I want to go into sciences. Most science fields seem interesting and fun to pursue. At the very least, they seem more fun and interesting than anything else. I haven't looked into what I'd like to pursue specifically, but labwork seems good. I'd like recommendations on which colleges I should look into. I need ones which I can attend, that'll accept grades like mine.

Sort of unclear on the whole process.

 

[PowerIso]

Well, before you get smothered with a plethora of colleges, do you have any preference? City, rural, state, region, political feel, greek life, big class rooms, small class rooms, et?

 

[myanmar]

The most important thing to me is the level of education and opportunities that it will allow me. I want to go to a college that will allow me to become a grad student at a good school if I so choose.

I prefer urban / suburban. As long as it's not rural I can deal with it. I need some civilization somewhere, but it doesn't necessarily have to be very close.

I don't have much preference on region. I don't even care if it's in the US as long as the coursework is in English.

Class size isn't that important to me.

 

[moose]

want to go to a college that will allow me to become a grad student at a good school if I so choose.

You can go to a good grad school from just about any university. Also, I would wait until the end of junior year to retake the SAT. You shouldn't take it too many times, especially considering that a 2020 is pretty good.

 

[myanmar]

I'm sort of just looking for suggestions that I can look into further.

I'm going to try to get into University of Washington. It's the college that most students in my school try to get to. It seems to be a good choice.

I haven't looked into much anything yet. Names would be nice.

 

[myanmar]

I've been looking around. What do you think my chances are in these schools? What are your experiences with these schools? etc.
* University of Chicago
* University of Colorado - Boulder
* University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
* Pennsylvania State University - University Park
* Georgia Institute of Technology
* Carnegie Mellon
* New York University
* SUNY - Stony Brook

 

[Vanadium 50]

I've been looking around. What do you think my chances are in these schools?

Considering that you're only halfway through high school, there's really no way to tell.

 

[myanmar]

Good point.

Has anyone here gone to one of these schools? What did you think?

 

[robphy]

When I was in high-school, I only considered universities (with lots of research funding and state-of-the-art research projects... mainly done by faculty, postdocs, and graduate students). [I attended two on your list.]

Now, I see I have overlooked many "liberal-arts colleges" that could compete with universities in teaching undergraduates (and preparing them for graduate school)
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/brief/t1libartco_brief.php .


By the way, is the cost of education a factor in your possible choices?

 

[lisab]

Hi myanmar!

What moose said was right - you can go to grad school from just about any institution. But since you asked about experiences and impressions, I'll give you mine.

I went to University of Washington - got a BS in physics. I'll tell you how it was when I went there in the late 80s - it could be different now.

It was very, very competitive - kind of dog-eat-dog, since all of my physics classes were graded on a curve with the average set anywhere from 2.6 - 2.8. That means an 'average' student could expect to graduate with a physics GPA of about 2.7. The division secretary told me once that at the undergraduate level, the program lost about 50% of its students every year (usually to engineering).

It wasn't what I would call a friendly environment. There was very little in the way of study groups. I did try to form a few - I'm pretty social - but they never lasted. It seemed to me that people really didn't want to share their knowledge because, since each class was on the curve, helping other students just made it harder for them to get a good grade.

The environment at UW may sound a bit harsh, but I didn't go there to make make friends - I went to get a solid physics education. I feel the education I received was excellent - I graduated with every confidence that I could learn anything I set my mind to.

 

[Ki Man]

Wow myanmar we are in pretty similar situations, same age, about the same SAT and GPA (and lack of good study habits...)

When you say "ones which I can attend, that'll accept grades like mine. " the grades that they will accept will vary slightly according to what you do outside of your schoolwork too. If you've done a lab internship and are applying as a chem major, suddenly a 3.5 doesn't look so bad to some upper tier universities.