We are looking at private colleges. We would like to visit schools with the following:
Total cost between $38,000-$48,000 a year.
Accepts students with 3.5-3.8 unweighted GPA
Accepts students with 1360-1380 SAT
Values well rounded active students in varsity sports/performing arts
4000-12,000 student enrollment
Either close to a city or nice college town near natural area (no schools in the middle of nowhere)
Want to take a variety of courses prior to choosing a major
Not a drinker or smoker so need serious students but not type A students to associate with
Offers strong club sports and theater opportunities for non theater majors
Nice forms with AC and good healthy food
Safe neighborhood
We are looking at these schools: Loyola Maryland, Vil!a Nova, Ithaca and
Trinity University in San Antonio. We live in DC area but have family and friends in Texas.
Any suggestions for other schools that we should visit? Thank you!!!
I don’t know about the theater opportunities at these schools, but you might look at Catholic U (if not too close to home), Duquesne, Xavier in Cincinnati, and U Dayton (reminded me a lot of Villanova but easier to get into and merit likely with the stats described. I agree with @NJWrestlingmom that Villanova is a reach and is highly unlikely to come in at your price point).
These would meet your basic goals and objectives. Price on target. None are bland so there’s always some parties with college students. But you can make your own path too. Mostly target schools listed but some are a bit of a reach.
Providence College in Rhode Island. Great city. Target
University of Massachusetts Amherst. A little bigger but not super sized flagship and a bit of a reach but worth a try. You’d love it for all of your focus areas. Only a bit more partying at a large school. Best food in country and sick club and intramural sports
u Del. Likely for you.
U Pitt. Same story as Massachusetts
Marquette in Wisconsin likely for you
Fordham in nyc. Reach
UVM. Great college town. Target
Temple. Philly. Likely
SMU. Texas. Low Reach
U Buffalo. Underrated city/school. Target
McGill. Montreal. Price culture and academics on point. Great city. Tough academics and probably not a lot of sports. Low Reach
College of Charleston. More partying but awesome town and beautiful clean campus. Excellent option Target
Elon. Target
Smaller than 4K. But price, target profile and access to theatre and club sports. Near cities or great towns
Salve Regina in Newport RI likely
Quinipiac near new haven CT likely
Fairfield in CT near nyc/Greenwich ct target
University of San Diego? Could fit budget if you get some merit. Possible with stats, depending on where you are from. Great location with lots to do in city.
^ Fordham is well above price point if full pay. My D with kind of similar stats (ACT higher than equivalent SAT) got $10k merit, still left COA somewhere in the 60s.
@privatebanker what experience do you have with CofC? Did you attend? Did one of your children attend? I read your post. There was no need to mention partying at all. Please don’t mistake my disagreement with your opinion as me not reading or understanding your post. As soon as someone mentions partying it diminishes the academics the school provides.
I don’t live in a bubble. But yes, I have direct experience with two students and know many others in our circle who’ve attended. It’s a very popular school in this part of country for our students.
It’s like any other excellent and larger school of note. Anywhere in the world. There is partying. Why not. It’s not a seminary.
And I mentioned it because I’m here to offer some free advice to a poster who asked about zero partying. In an abundance of caution, I added my thoughts but said how great it is.
Not sure it’s healthy to offer advice you don’t believe, so I state my honest thoughts. Although, I’m not knocking a school when I say how great it is in totality.
We will have to agree to disagree that mentioning somewhere might have a bit more fun than another is bad.
I’d suggest looking at Univ of Rochester. You would need some merit or need-based aid to get to your price point but those are very possible. I think it hits your other criteria. Very pretty campus. Admittedly there are some run-down neighborhoods, but also some beautiful historic ones and many large nice parks within walking distance of campus. If music is your performing arts interest, you cannot beat the connection to the Eastman School. As for ‘taking a variety before choosing major,’ it is perfect – my D entered totally undecided but leaning Poli Sci…took an optics class as a fluke as freshman and discovered a new direction…graduated Optical Engineering. Good luck.
Thank you for the replies. To clarify, as the poster, a school that attracts over the top partiers would not be a good fit because the applicant doesn’t drink or smoke. Of course, every college has drinking, but a school known for the only social life which centers around drinking would be a deal breaker. But, a school with healthy students involved in sports and the arts with above average stats is a good fit. We also could pay up to $55,000 a year. Weighted GPA may end up as 4.2, Unweighted GPA: 3.7 and by retaking the SAT, it could go up to 1400-1425. Does that open up more private college options that are not in the middle of nowhere?
Another Texas school to consider is Texas Christian University, Run the NPC to check for costs. I think that there is info on the website about merit scholarships.
Trinity University is smaller but also a great choice.
I personally like both Fort Worth and San Antonio. Flights back to DC will be easy although I’ve noticed that my son’s flights to/from TX /DC have gone up over the past years so be sure to factor in travel costs.