I'm graduating high school this year, and I really want to get a MacBook Pro for college. I'm was thinking about getting the 15 inch, but I'm not really sure about GHz and memory.
Also, should I just get the 2011 model or wait for the 2012?
The answer to this question seems to becoming so standard. Thus, for this kind of staff i believe that the 13" base MBP is enough for you. It is lighter than the other models and easy to carry. Maybe, for your's photo editing an extra monitor for your's dorm will give you the extra screen space you may need. If you need to "carry" the extra screen space with you or the photo editing is including complex tasks like heavy photoshop go with the 15" base.
If you plan to play many games, think again before buying a mac 😀
A 13" mbp is more than enough for college, even if your major is architecture. It is a very powerful machine and if you think the screen real estate is small, you can have an external display at home.
I am doing a PhD and bought the 13" and could not be happier. You will love the portability. It fits snugly in any kind of backpack. The 15" and 17"? Not so much. They're rather bulky.