So as I had mentioned in a previous blog post, I began by finding an article by Bloomberg Business Week which gave a complete ranking of the best Undergraduate Business Schools in 2013. Together with my mom, we went through the list and she suggested the universities she thought I'd really like.
Although most universities offer financial aid, some offer a lot more than others, and based on my economic need, those where the ones that I have to be applying to. So I researched the type of aid offered at each of the 10 universities, and I found that some of the schools I really liked didn't have many scholarship opportunities that I was eligible for. Now this doesn't mean that I won't be applying to them, it simply means that even if I get accepted, I won't be able to attend unless I get enough financial aid. On the bright side, I found some schools such as Northeastern, Emory, Washington University in St. Louis, Babson, and Santa Clara that have both amazing academics and great scholarship opportunities.
It was based on these rankings--and the reviews I read about each college--that allowed me to decide upon my Top 3 Dream universities: Emory, Washington University in St. Louis, and Northeastern.