We will be in Boston early next year (visiting from TX) and my S22 has expressed an interest in attending school there. He is a B student and I don’t want to waste time looking at reaches, he needs to be looking at schools that are 50% admission rate or preferably higher. He is a percussionist and soccer player (D2/D3) and wants to continue one or the other activity. He is more artsy than fratty. I know about Clark (and know that it’s not in Boston, but we may look anyway)… Any other suggestions? I’m open in terms of school size since we are just starting out and he doesn’t know what he wants.
He has no idea what he wants to study, either. Pre-health type majors (possibly going on to become a nurse) and business have been mentioned. Definitely open to LACs due to his indecision.
As a mom of a Massachusetts B student, I have to tell you that there isn’t much in Boston proper that will work. There’s Emerson, and UMass Boston (commuter campus) but that’s all that comes to mind. Boston is a popular place to be and unfortunately that pushed up the selectivity of schools located there.
If you are willing to go to the suburbs there are more options. Stonehill and Merrimack are two that jump to mind.
Both of my kids wanted urban schools but didn’t have the stats for the typical Boston schools so we gave up on that. One is in Pittsburgh, the other decided that urban wasn’t that important.
Emerson and Bentley might merit a look.
Emerson is more selective than @me29034 thinks. It is a specialized school for communications and the arts so a portfolio is required for several majors.
There is Suffolk University which I would NOT recommend.
Emmanual College would be a good choice. It is a small Catholic college in the Fenway area. http://www.emmanuel.edu/
@me29034 I’m really beginning to see what you’re saying, there isn’t much in Boston for the B student. I think Emerson and Bentley will both be too competitive. @TomSrOfBoston what is wrong with Suffolk? It looks like it doesn’t have music, so probably out anyway. I thought I had found a great school in Simmons and then saw it was women-only undergrad. Darn LOL
If we extend the search to Philly area, is there anything else y’all recommend? Temple looks great, but I’m nervous about this kid getting lost academically at a large school.
Suffolk University has the lowest retention and graduation rates of any college in the Boston area that is still open. They have also had leadership isssues recently having gone through something like 6 presidents in 7 years.
U.Mass Lowell comes to mind as a possibility with a 68% acceptance rate. It however has an average incoming GPA of roughly 3.5. It does have quite a few good majors, including a good music program if he wants to continue with music. I happened to have a health emergency (which ended well) while near Lowell a few years back, and there are definitely some very good nurses who got their education at U.Mass Lowell. U.Mass Lowell has two campuses which are not all that far apart and which are pretty much right in downtown Lowell.
U.Mass Boston and U.Mass Dartmouth are other possibilities.
Salem State and Framingham State might be slightly easier to get accepted to.
The University of New Hampshire is just over an hour north of Boston in Durham NH. This is quite a different look since it is a big attractive well contained campus in or near a small town.
You will want to rent a car if you want to visit more than one of these.
I am having trouble thinking of private schools for a B student in the Boston area. However, there should be some since there are a LOT of colleges and universities in the area.
Why are people taking “Boston” so literally? There are tons of colleges around there.
OP should get a Fiske Guide and explore.
As for, “he needs to be looking at schools that are 50% admission rate or preferably higher,” that should be **for his stats and activities, his match. ** Not just whether a college takes a higher percent.
Btw, imo, Clark is a great school. Great kids. Don’t even bother being put off by Worcester. There’s lots of good and a consortium with Holy Cross.
@murray93 we looked at Temple. My son really liked it and applied there. The school seems great but its in a rough neighborhood which turns off a lot of people. We also looked at St. Joe’s in the Philly area. We parents liked it but it didn’t click with my son. That could be an option for you.
As others have pointed out, once you get away from Boston, there are many more options in MA. It just depends how important it is to your son to be in the city.
@lookingforward We didn’t find the Fiske guide to be that helpful for my B student. It’s full of large state schools, and privates that are too hard to get into. Most of the midsize catholic schools that are great for B students don’t make it in there. YMMV.
@lookingforward I am all set to like Clark. I don’t think S will be bothered by Worcester. I bet the biggest potential turnoff coming from TX could be the weather!
I believe he will do best at a school that CTCL likes to call “inclusive” — meaning accepting 50% or more of applicants.
Yes, please share schools outside of Boston if any come to mind.
Wheaton - outside of the city though.
Also outside the city - Endicott.
Wheaton is another great small college, it’s evolved a lot and easy access to the city. What about Bryant U? In northern RI but a loop between Clark and back to Boston proper. Has a PA program.
He still has 2 years. Wait and see where his grades and SAT end up. There’s also Berklee College of Music in Boston. Keep an eye on Emerson. It’s averages are a little higher but it’s not Harvard.
I echo Wheaton. It’s a lovely school in many ways.
If you’re looking down the coast a little, you may want to consider Drew University in New Jersey–also a very pretty school with many interesting academic programs, including some that take the students to NYC. I think the FA isn’t bad either. Drew is on the commuter train line to NYC.
B-student schools in NYC (if he’s looking at another major metropolitan area in the Northeast) include–
Wagner
Manhattanville
Manhattan
Marymount Manhattan
The New School
Many colleges in the CUNY system–also cheap, yes there are some dorms–and some have nursing programs that are quite good – I believe Lehman has nursing and is pretty inexpensive. https://www.lehman.edu/academics/health-human-services-nursing/nursing/
Pace in Westchester County and in Manhattan
SUNY Purchase
Iona
Fordham (although that’s upper B student)
St. Johns in Queens
Hofstra on Long Island
As a matter of fact we are hitting NYC before Boston so love the suggestions. I already planned on Wagner and Manhattan. I’ll check out the others as well. Wheaton sounds great!
Would he consider RI? Since you mentioned health-related fields, Salve Regina has an excellent reputation for nursing, although that program is more competitive than other majors there. Gorgeous campus. Like going to school in mansions on a cliff a la Great Gatsby style.
Seconding Clark, Drew, and Wheaton (MA).
What about Lesley?
Marist is 1h30-2h from NYC (train), gorgeous campus, test optional, admits B students.
Around Philly you have West Chester U (probably not worth it from TX though), St Joe’s, Ursinus, Arcadia, Albright.
A bit farther away, Lycoming, Elizabethtown, Juniata, Susquehanna.
Muhlenberg may be a match, high match, or low reach depending on his stats (ie., a 2.9 or a 3.3?) and rigor. Test optional.
How about Emmanuel?