advice on college search - Jewish boy looking at American, Denver, Tulane, Elon, Lehigh

Then you can rule out places like Skidmore, and stick to schools reasonably close to major airports.

Tufts could be worth a look. It’s a bit of a reach but if you are going to look at Brandeis (and BU), it’s a school with a sizeable Jewish population (not necessarily religious). No business school, but good economics department and the right size.

Brandeis’ ED acceptance rate is barely higher than its RD acceptance rate. I wouldn’t necessarily count on ED there to get anyone in.

Albany’s airport is probably 45 minutes from Skidmore, and there are flights to California from there.

^ sorry but there are no direct flights from Albany airport to California.

You can certainly get from Albany airport to California, but not in one flight. The closest airport with nonstop service to California is probably Bradley in Hartford CT, and that’s probably too far from Skidmore to be a practical option.
http://alb.fltmaps.com/en

What kind of personality? Generally you can find something for everyone at any school, but the smaller the school, the more important it can be to find your fit.

Still would like to know specifically what you liked about American and Tulane.

@lauriejgs , you’re right, it’s not much of a difference. The source I checked made it look bigger than it is - sorry I misspoke. At any rate, it seemed like a good match school for OP’s stats and parameters, but I get the sense that it’s not resonating anyway.

This is all really helpful. We are just starting this process and quite honestly, my son doesn’t know what he wants. Tulane and American seem to have kids that he likes - and business programs - but we definitely need more schools to visit. Skidmore does look good. I am somewhat scared of the distance – but many of the east coast schools are far away – just means that it is hard to get there or home if there is a problem. @Chardo - he is a mainstream kid. Not liberal or conservative. Social but somewhat scared of fraternity life. Just starting to figure himself out. That is why the search seems hard - I don’t know where to focus.

Id throw smu in as it falls into a similar bucket a some of the aforementioned - it is a match school.

I have some connections to the University of Denver and think that’s a good one to keep on his list. They would likely give him a nice merit award with his stats and make him feel wanted. Denver is nice and easy (and relatively inexpensive) to get to from California cities with numerous direct flights every day. The city is an easy adjustment for a California kid, with a four-season but temperate climate, and a fair amount of cultural diversity. DU is in a pleasant residential setting near public transit. Great leadership development opportunities there and a lot of emphasis on study abroad. Business education has long had a solid reputation and is well-resourced with generous benefactors.

If he’s just starting to figure himself out, and unsure of what may interest him and what people he may click with, I would shy away from the smallest schools. Stick to the high end of your range, or even above. Small schools can sometimes feel like 13th grade. If you don’t click, it can be difficult. Especially for someone 3000 miles from home.

Fwiw, Tulane is a wonderful and friendly school, in a major city with direct flights to CA. Show them the love (they’re huge on demonstrated interest, and the Why Tulane essay is key) and they’re generous with merit aid for kids in your stat range.