<p>when I applied to a whole lot of schools I thought I would have a dillemma on my hands. however, even though I got accepted to 7 schools Duke was an instantaneous decisions.</p>
<p>Maybe I made a decision in a "blink" like Malcom Gladwell</p>
<p>i thoroughly enjoyed reading this. very helpful.. maybe the book idea will come to fruition one day ;)</p>
<p>As some kids are still struggling to decide, I wanted to bump up Jmmom's excellent thread.</p>
<p>Thanks, ivy - maybe we should try to keep it on first page until May 1 for those who are struggling. Hope it helps.</p>
<p>Bumping for my own purposes - will need this this week!</p>
<p>My son had pretty much decided that he would major in ChemE as an undergrad because it is a nice solid degree that gives him good options for employment or grad school (established major, could go to bio as a grad student, etc). That was until he visited and fell in love with Duke where they have no ChemE major! Now he is willing to go with Biomedical or even Mechanical as an undergrad so that he can attend Duke. I'm concerned that he is making a rash decision at the 11th hour. He has three other schools still on his plate (Rice, Penn and Northwestern) where he can get the Chem E degree as originally planned. I'm going to suggest he try jmmom's approach tonite. After this year long process we've been through, I'd hate to see us at loggerheads at the 11th hour.</p>
<p>Hey deuxanfants,</p>
<p>I wrote down more about what NU's unique offers on the "NU vs Mich engineering" thread you created; you may want to check it out.</p>
<p>As for your son's leaning toward Duke, I am not surprised. Duke has a gorgeous campus to start with. My concern is your son doesn't have much idea what he really wants to study. While Duke is very good at BME, it's a great choice only if he ends up enjoying this field. ME is a pretty different thing from BME/ChemE; picking ME simply because there's nothing else to choose from at Duke sounds shaky to me. Duke's 3 other disciplines really pale when compared to its BME. I sometime wonder if people in those 3 depts would develop any kind of inferiority complex. ;)</p>
<p>I think I remember you wrote that your son might also be interested in business-related fields. That's precisely why I think NU (or Berk/Mich) is a better choice since it has more disciplines to choose from. BME/ChemE (even ME) are all in top 10/15 and it has a very strong IE program. I'd seen quite a few chemE switching to IE when they found that chem (or other traditional) engineering was too dry and that IE seemed to be a fun hybrid of engineering and managment. Both NU's econ and IE depts are consistently in the top 10.</p>
<p>By the way, the completion of $30 million Ford Motor Design Center should greatly enhance NU's engineering in the areas of design and product development.</p>
<p>Just curious, how was your visit at NU?</p>
<p>bump in case any of the "last day" folks need it.</p>
<p>Bump. Because us "last day" folks do need it:)</p>
<p>Last year's thread - for those who need it this year!</p>
<p>When I was a teenager, I really wanted a bright red, MG ragtop sports car. I considered several other cars. Some seemed more practical. Some were cheaper. Some were bigger and could carry more people and junk. I listed the pros and cons. I talked with other people. I looked at pictures of cars. I read car mags and studied specifications. When I made my lists, I always hoped the MG would come out ahead. I would have been overjoyed if someone told me I had no choice and had to buy the MG. My father lived a little vicariously through my dreams and I think he would have been happy if I had an MG. </p>
<p>Long before my parents would were willing to help me out on getting a car and long before I had the money for my red MG, I "had" to babysit a relatives car. My cousin was in the military and needed a place to leave his car for 6 months. He also wanted someone to drive it so the battery was charged and it did not sit and rust. Guess what - - a bright, red MG!! It did not take long to realize that the dream MG was a piece o' s. The ride was horrible, the seats unconfortable and the car was poorly made. Stuff kept breaking. When I wanted to go out with friends, there was only room for one passenger. Pretty soon the car just sat in the driveway. </p>
<p>The OP's suggestions may help you understand your emotional preferences, but when it comes to making an important decision, these suggestions just do not have the ring of truth.</p>
<p>Here ya go <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/470479-final-selection-criteria.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/470479-final-selection-criteria.html</a></p>
<p>DS is making his decision-- between a good school in our city, with some merit aid (still waiting on the final $$) or another good school a short plane ride away, with big merit $$. This will probably be a no-brainer, especially since I think he wants to get away from home.</p>
<p>Bumping to help all of those last minute decision-makers.</p>
<p>I was just thinking about this “vintage” thread this morning and hoping to find it to aid my 11th-hour decision-maker.</p>
<p>Thanks, blackeyedsusan.</p>
<p>My daughter has been accepted at Fordham LC and Skidmore; wait listed at Emory and Tufts. Deciding between Fordham LC and Skidmore presents these contrasts…Skidmore affirming community and she could major in the theatre program…Fordham…not accepted in the performance tract…can minor in theatre and reaudition in the spring of her freshman year or choose to wait and do it in the spring of her sophomore year…competition will be stiff…usually take 1 or 2 students…if selects Fordham would major in English and minor in theatre, flipping this if she is able to get in performance tract, at Skidmore she would major in theatre and minor or double major in English…loves New York City…not wild about Saratoga Springs or the amount of snow she would have to deal with…loves Skidmore’s programming as well as Fordham’s…</p>
<p>anyone know how theatre minors are treated at Fordham…are they valued and included…she loved the warmth and respect between the theatre professors and their students…is this true in other disciplines? </p>
<p>community seemed easier to happen at Skidmore…anyone have any thoughts about Fordham…</p>
<p>My daughter has been accepted at Fordham LC and Skidmore; wait listed at Emory and Tufts. Deciding between Fordham LC and Skidmore presents these contrasts…Skidmore affirming community and she could major in the theatre program…Fordham…not accepted in the performance tract…can minor in theatre and reaudition in the spring of her freshman year or choose to wait and do it in the spring of her sophmore year…competition will be stiff…usually take 1 or 2 students…if selects Fordham would major in English and minor in theatre, flipping this if she is able to get in performance tract, at Skidmore she would major in theatre and minor or double major in English…loves New York City…not wild about Saratoga Springs or the amount of snow she would have to deal with…loves Skidmore’s programing as well as Fordham’s…</p>
<p>anyone know how theatre minors are treated at Fordham…are they valued and included…she loved the warmth and respect between the theatre professors and their students…is this true in other disciplines? </p>
<p>community seemed easier to happen at Skidmore…anyone have any thoughts about Fordham…</p>
<p>crossroadmom: I can’t answer your question, but I think you might get more responses if you create a new, separate thread. Go back to the Parents forum and you’ll see a “New Thread” icon.</p>
<p>crossroadsmom, you are likely to find people more familiar with the theater programs either on the Musical Theater major forum or the Arts major forum. I would post the question there.</p>
<p>thanks for the suggestion…have created a new seperate thread…</p>
<p>will look at musical theatre and Arts major Forum too…thanks for the suggestions</p>