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Choosing the Right College/finding the rigght college

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Expert: - 10/21/2009


Question
PLEASE HELP Im In the 10th grade and im planning for college and i dont know where to go or apply and i want to be a nurse or doctor but im into language arts and science

Answer
Jasmine,

Good for you in getting started early to find the right college for you. As to what you wish to do, medical schools don't care what your major is in college as long as you complete certain basic science courses. Nursing, however, is a very structured program and you generally will have to attend a college with a nursing program.

First, for planning purposes you want to figure out what you are looking for in a college. Big, small, near home, far away, that sort of thing. Here is a link to a page on my website that discusses many of the issues to consider to find the right college. http://www.collegeadmissionspartners.com/resources/info-to-know/

Second, once you have figured out what sort of things you are looking for in a college, you can check out College Navigator, http://nces.ed.gov/COLLEGENAVIGATOR/ or College Board, http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/search/adv_typeofschool.jsp  to find colleges. These two websites allow you to put in information about what you are looking for and they will give you a list of colleges that match your needs.

Third, you need to understand how financial aid works to make sure you find a college that you can afford. Here is a page that discusses basic financial aid. http://www.collegeadmissionspartners.com/resources/info-to-know/financial-aid-ba...

While you are doing all of this, you need to make sure that you keep your grades up because good grades in challenging courses is the most important thing that colleges look for in deciding who to admit.

You have plenty of time to do all of this so relax and enjoy the search for the right college for you.

Choosing the Right College

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Volunteer

Todd Johnson

Expertise

I can help students and families understand the whole college admissions process from evaluating what a student wants from a college to finding the right college. This includes advising on the college application, the essay, recommendations and visiting colleges. I also can help families understand college financial aid. I have particular expertise in helping students who are applying to BS/MD programs.

Experience

I am a lawyer as well as a college admission consultant and have spent more than 11 years consulting with students and families on how to find the right college for each student. I work with students throughout the US as well as international students who wish to attend college in the US. I have helped hundreds of students find the best college for each student's needs. I have particular expertise helping students become the most competitive candidate for BS/MD programs.

Organizations
Independent Educational Consultants Association, Professional Member; Higher Education Consultants Association; National Association for College Admission Counseling; Minnesota Association for College Admission Counseling

Publications
Todd is the author of "BS/MD Programs-The Complete Guide: Getting into Medical School from High School." College Admissions Counseling’s blog content has been featured by the Chicago Sun Times, Fox News, Reuters and other major websites. It is syndicated by Blogburst.

Education/Credentials
BA St. Olaf College; JD Washington University in St. Louis

Awards and Honors
I am an instructor for the University of California Irvine extension.

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