[HighLordDave]

@Nippy: to get back on topic . . .

How interested are you in studying history? Is it something that you simply enjoy or do you want to pursue the discipline as a vocation? If you want to make a career out of history, you will need to get used to responding to the following statement, "So what are you going to do? Teach?" It's not really a question.

Rather than just look for good universities, you consider the following things: What areas of history do you enjoy? Do you really want to aggressively pursue your training as a historian at the undergraduate level, or would you prefer to get your undergraduate degree as part of your complete college education, then seriously pursue history? Where are the "stars" in your particular field of history?

The best way to become a good historian is to train under the leaders in the field. For instance, if you wanted to specialise in American Civil War history, you would want to attend the University of Virginia where Gary Gallagher is a professor or Princeton where you could study under James McPherson. I am not sure about any of the leaders in medieval scholarship, but if you are serious about history, it is worth attending a college with less prestige than a top tier school if it means studying under a "star" in the field.

The other question you should ask yourself is about the kind of college experience you want to have. Do you want to attend a large school or small school? Can you gain admittance to a Ivy League or other top tier institution (Duke, Stanford, Toronto, etc.)? How much can you afford? Are things like athletics or fraternities important to you?

The bottom line is that unless you get a degree in a highly technical field (metallurgy, nursing, engineering, etc.), what your undergraduate major is means nothing. For the most part, a college degree (at least in the United States) means that you can put up with BS (and I don't mean Bloodstalker), stand in line for a while, and that you have the chutzpah to stick with something for four years.

Getting an undergraduate education under a star in your field will give you a leg up when it comes to applying to graduate school. However, many graduates of smaller schools (public and private) can gain admittance to graduate programs at top tier institutions with little trouble.

So my advice is this: Set up a broad range of criteria for the type of college you want to attend. Of the schools meeting your criteria, make a short list of 6-8. Visit as many schools as you can afford to. See who gives you the most financial aid.

Good luck!