Alabama, UNCW & Clemson

Maryland, Florida, Georgia, UConn, Penn State

BU, Miami

Tufts, Michigan, Georgia Tech

If any of the public schools is in-state for you, it becomes significantly easier for admissions.

Don’t apply to all 13 – it will take too much time and cost too much money.

Below I’ve given a link to an article that lists the acceptance rates for all of these, I think.

The earlier answer is correct–don’t apply to all of these. A better strategy is to identify only four or five that you’ll apply for: one or two that are very difficult to get into, one or two that are selective but that accept most students with your credentials, and one that’s a dead lock 100% certainty as a “safety net”.

You need to think about some other things when making the decision:

–What will you major in? And that decision should be based on what you’ve chosen as your future career. If you want to go into communication studies, West Virginia U. has one of the best programs anywhere, and it has a 100% acceptance rate–whereas Boston U. is not known for that program and in that case should be avoided.

–Are you a marginal student? That’s not meant as an insult–a 3.3 GPA might mean that you’re brilliant or that you’re really poor, depending on the way your high school teachers grade you–the SAT/ACT scores might be better predictors. In that case, strongly consider starting at a community college and transferring to a university after a year or two. The CC will put you into smaller classes with full professionals teaching, whereas many of your courses in the first two years of the university will be in 300-seat lecture halls or in a classroom headed by a graduate student–many of whom just completed their bachelor’s degree last spring. Data from dozens of studies show that for the last two years of college, students who started at community colleges earn the same GPA (or a little higher) than those who start at the university–so the quality is comparable. And the community college specializes in students who have some catching up to do. (Note that the community college will save you thousands and thousands of dollars–not inconsequential consideration).

–What else are you interested in? Do you want an urban or rural environment? Do you need good student recreation facilities? Do you really want an active arts scene? Try looking at web sites about these universities to figure out which ones don’t match those needs, and try to travel out to visit those that seem to–narrowing down to a few finalists.

You see, God loves us—and because He loves us, He not only knows what is best for us, but He wants us to have it. I encourage to pray about this decision and to seek God’s leading. The Bible says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart … and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

If you are not already a Christian, I pray you will make your commitment to Christ now. Yes, college is an important decision—but your decision for Christ is even more important, because it affects both your eternal destiny and your life right now. You will face many pressures in college, and I don’t believe a young person can fully resist them without Christ in their heart.

As a footnote, I also would encourage you to consider a Christian college. Yes, private schools can be expensive but most have generous financial aid packages. But wherever you go, I urge you to put Christ first in your life. This is only the first of several major decisions you will be making, and God wants to help you.