<p>We visited two ice-hockey happy schools this summer - RIT and Clarkson, both in upstate NY. If your son is interested in engineering or more technical minded schools ddd, you might look into those. My nephew is a sophomore at Dayton and really likes it.</p>
<p>Fallen, I can certainly see Tulane’s strategy increasing their average stats. It strikes me as certain, however, that by vastly increasing the number of applicants, the more they are turning admissions into a purely stat exercise, which I think smacks of the ratings fever you so rightly deplore.</p>
<p>Further, if it is a purely stat exercise, it does seem likely that their reason for not finetuning the stats which trigger priority apps is to increase their selectivity rating, knowing that the mass mailing to kids with higher stats will decrease their yield rating.</p>
<p>ddd, it seems you are in great shape! Re size, you know best, but from your earlier description, your son sounds like someone who might really flourish from a small school with a club hockey program, where he will be nurtured and get to play hockey, not just watch it, without impacting his studies.</p>
<p>Hi yabeyabe - It certainly can be a two edged sword. I don’t quite agree that it “smacks” of the ratings phenomenon. If someone lists the schools in order of average SAT, that is just data. Better schools almost by definition are using academic performance (stats) as their main criteria for who they want to attend. Obviously schools at the very top have an embarrassment of riches in that regard and can afford to look at other details such as having so many good dancers or trombone players or whatever. That becomes less true when a school is trying to increase their academic profile, but they still certainly look at these things.</p>
<p>Tulane does look at a short essay, EC’s and other factors when deciding on these students, not just their test scores and transcripts. They are increasing the applicant pool, that doesn’t mean they are changing the criteria for admission. Having said all that, if a student with a 26 ACT or 1800 SAT is getting a “priority app”, I would agree Tulane should tighten that up. Personally I don’t care if the yield is 10% if they get the class they want in both size and academic stats. But then I can afford to be idealistic.</p>
<p>I am changing the direction of this thread for just a minute here. I need some feedback. My son really likes Dickinson in PA. He has: 30 ACT, 2.9 UW GPA, 3.4 W GPA. He likes it because of size, major, location, etc. Recently he had a personal interview when the rep made a circuit thru the midwest and it went really well with the rep saying that my S is a good candidate.</p>
<p>Is this a reasonable school for someone like him? Any feedback regarding merit aid?</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>mompossible - I do think his GPA is a little low - but you probably already know that. He could apply EA - if he is deferred - you can send more grades - senior year grades.</p>
<p>Dickinson is pretty generous with merit aid for top students - I have a cousin - A student - rcvd $20,000 per year merit aid offer. Honestly - I think you son’s GPA is too low to expect merit aid.</p>
<p>The John Dickinson Scholarship</p>
<p>$20,000 per year
The John Dickinson Scholarship is worth $80,000 for eight semesters of full-time study at the college. It is Dickinson’s highest recognition for academic achievement and leadership. Recipients are top students in a challenging high-school curriculum, demonstrated through significant advanced coursework and most grades at the A (4.0) level. They have SAT scores of 1350+ (Critical Reading plus Math) or an ACT score of 31+ and show evidence of leadership in school or community activities. </p>
<p>The Benjamin Rush Scholarship</p>
<p>$15,000 per year
The Benjamin Rush Scholarship is worth $60,000 for eight semesters of full-time study at the college. Recipients are strong students in a challenging high-school curriculum, demonstrated through significant advanced coursework and most grades at the A (4.0) level. They have SAT scores of 1350+ (Critical Reading plus Math) or an ACT score of 31+ and show evidence of leadership in school or community activities.</p>
<p>mompossible, I think Rockville is right, although your geographic diversity for Dickinson helps. The school places great emphasis on internaitonal relations as its selling point. The campus is nice, although there is a rather busy street bisecting it. I have seen references to it as “drinkinson” for the s0cial scene. </p>
<p>There are likley other similar, good choices in that area–PA has a mother lode of good small colleges–depending on your son’s preferred major.</p>
<p>I agree with the other two posters but think it may be worth reaching for. I know students from our HS with higher stats that were denied there but no geographic bump for them! If he wants a small LAC in PA that would be more of a match he might consider Ursinus or Arcadia.</p>
<p>Thanks for the feedback, everyone.</p>
<p>Similar PA schools where chances of merit aid and admission would be greater are Muhlenberg, Susquehanna, Gettysburg and Juniata. Franklin & Marshall is slightly more difficult; Bucknell much more so.</p>
<p>Back to mompossible’s original post,
</p>
<p>I pulled it up because I couldn’t remember what you were originally looking for. I’ve got to say Dickinson does’t fit with the other colleges, nor do the ones that yabeyabe and I have suggested either.</p>
<p>The school spirit and football team usually mean a public university to me. Not too cold or snowy seems to rule out anything above the Mason-Dixon line. West Virginia, btw, is in the Appalchian mountains and winters can be cold and snowy. My husband is a WVU alum. </p>
<p>Any of the NC University’s might be a good fit, with the exception of Chapel Hill,a reach for residents, and Appalachian State, which has gotten very popular. I know that lists can change dramatically at this time of year as kids talk to their friends and re-think everything. Since your son talked with the Dickinson rep and liked what he heard, did that make him change what you’ve listed as priorities?</p>
<p>Excellent points by Kathiep. Seton Hall does not have football either, not does American, which might be a good fit otherwise.</p>
<p>My daughter’s GPA was a 3.38 in sophmore year. She is now in her junior year and starting to think about colleges. She has all of the standard academic classes but no AP or honors courses. She has a learning disability and has to work really hard for the grades that she gets. Can anyone recommend colleges (fairly reasonable) that she should look at? Also, she is planning on taking her SAT’s this year, but typically does not do well on those types of tests.</p>
<p>Lots of good options are available, so have hope!</p>
<p>What are your/her thoughts re size of school? Cost (by fairly reasonable, do you mean under $40k or under $20k? Region of the US? Urban/suburban/rural? Intended major?</p>
<p>From your description, a small nurturing school sounds promising.</p>
<p>Note that a lot of schools are now SAT optional.</p>
<p>Hope, You should probably start a new thread with your information so that the rest of the parents on this forum can help. As good as we are, there are a lot more parents on the general Parents Forum. One college that I know does well with nurturing students with disabilities is this one - [West</a> Virginia Wesleyan College](<a href=“http://www.wvwc.edu/]West”>http://www.wvwc.edu/) This forum [Learning</a> Differences and Challenges - LD, ADHD - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/learning-differences-challenges-ld-adhd/]Learning”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/learning-differences-challenges-ld-adhd/) is not very active, but there is a lot of good info on it.</p>
<p>Kathiep, thanks for looking up my old post in an effort to help. Really appreciated.</p>
<p>Regarding Dickinson: it popped up during research, rep was in the area and !Voila! an interview was scheduled. Went well, rep said S was the type of student they want. Big surprise and an ego boost to a kid who now sees that his ACT opens doors but his GPA closes them. S likes small classes and emphasis on major.</p>
<p>Regarding changing priorities: you are right that they change during the process! He is more flexible on location but still prefers south, warmer. Also now realizes that smallish size schools would help his future GPA (his ideal is 5k and no smaller than 2K). But he is a social kid who would do fine a Big State U. (at least fine socially, academically??).</p>
<p>Still would like rah rah school, football, emphasis on major, near/in college town.</p>
<p>Current list: Elon, U of Richmond, Uof Dayton, U of Cincinnati, Indiana U, Trinity (TX), U of KY, Ohio U, ASU, Ole Miss (Croft Institute), Mich State, U of SC, U of TN, LSU. and of course Dickinson</p>
<p>I forgot to add that mom and dad need merit money if school is private or OOS!</p>
<p>She would like either a small or midsize college. We live in NJ and definitely would like to keep it under $20K. She is undecided on her major but has been thinking maybe business or a physical therapist assistant. She has done some community service, ran track every year and started working part time this year.</p>
<p>Hope, first the bad news: under $20k is hard to do outside of instate schools (even the instates, without aid may be over that) and the instates tend to be pretty large. Look at Rowan and Ramapo.</p>
<p>The good news is that this should not discourage you. Posters kathiep and northeastmom are both very knowledgeable about good bargain schools and very helpful. For business, you may find that merit aid (yes, 3.4 without AP or honors can still get merit aid) will make some fine small PA schools affordable, such as Susquehanna (which is also SAT optional), Elizabethtown and Lycoming. York I believe is about $25k.</p>
<p>For PT, James Madison in VA is a popular NJ option and priced I think in the mid20s even for out of state, although it is larger than you prefer. They also offer business. Bloomsburg in PA is another popular PT/business midsize option. Quinnipiac in CT is popular for PT and business, but starts in the mid40’s.</p>
<p>If Catholic schools are an option, look at Scranton.</p>
<p>mompossible, that is quite a list-schools in 13 states, with every timezone represented!<br>
My sense is that big football means big classes and those schools dominate his list. Remember to factor in the cost of airfare.</p>
<p>At a lot of large publics, merit aid is very formula based, and his GPA might prevent a big award. Alabama seems missing from the list of southern big football schools. VA and NC colleges tend be very reasonably priced.</p>
<p>mompossible, Here’s the rule of thumb for getting merit aid. State schools are usually stingy with it, especially to out of state students. To get good merit aid, students should have stats ABOVE the average accepted ones. One thing one of my friends did when she was looking for colleges with her sports minded son was to look by sports conference. I couldn’t find a really good example, but this might help - [NCAA</a> College Football Scores and Matchups](<a href=“http://sportsdata.whiotv.com/sports-scores/College-Football-Scores-Matchups.aspx]NCAA”>http://sportsdata.whiotv.com/sports-scores/College-Football-Scores-Matchups.aspx) My friends son, for example ended up playing for a small D-3 college and the parents were able to go to most of his games. When a student has a major that’s at most colleges it helps to narrow it down to what you have to have. Sounds like sports is really important to your son, more then size.</p>
<p>Elon is really not known for athletics. Their big emphasis is on study abroad’s, writing and service to the community.</p>