<p>I keep reading different guides and websites and am getting more confused.</p>
<p>My son is just an ordinary, nice kid who is quite shy around new people, probably because he has a mild speech impediment. He's neither really liberal nor conservation, he plays intramural sports and works, but he's no great athlete or superstar. He has good grades, with a low GPA freshman year (2.7) and higher GPA (3.6) sophomore and junior year so far; His SAT's are 2070, and he is either a merit scholar or a just miss commended student. Since he did not do particularly well freshman year, he has not been able to take any APs (the school has a tracking program students get into freshman year or never), but he has taken extra academic classes. He has done lots of community service here and abroad and wants to study some sort of politics, health politics, international relations or something like that. </p>
<p>I'm looking for a place where it will be easy to make friends and to fit in, and also a place that has a lot of nice smart kids who aren't record-breakers or prize-winners. </p>
<p>We are in an odd situation financially; we are middle class and live a middle class lifestyle, where my son works for all his spending money, but a relative will pay tuition and room/board at any college my kids get into. While that is wonderful in one way, it makes me concerned about the private schools that attract people who probably live a different lifestyle from ours.</p>
<p>Location is not so important as long as he can get home without changing planes. He isn't keen on cities but would compromise on that.</p>
<p>Any suggestions will help; I am considering Grinnell, Kenyon and URochester, but they might be reaches.</p>
<p>The College of Wooster sounds like a good fit. A friend of mine from AP English this year is going next year, he is a lot like what your son sounds like.</p>
<p>Go to the library or bookstore and get a copy of “Colleges that Change Lives” by Loren Pope The colleges described in the book (and the colleges mentioned above are in the book) put on their own college fair at various cities. Go to ctcl.org to see the schedule. If it is coming to your area, go to it and meet with the admissions reps.</p>
<p>Most of these colleges offer good merit scholarships, so encourage your son to keep up his grades. Has he considered taking the ACT?</p>
<p>Colleges with a lot of nice, smart kids who aren’t overly competitive; and where the students seem genuinely happy at the school, include: Brown (surprisingly enough - it’s an Ivy, but its a comfortable environment, and not too big), Claremont McKenna, Bowdoin, the College of New Jersey, Pomona College, Prescott College, Tulane, Whitman College, St. Mary’s of Maryland, Washington U in St. Louis, Macalester College, Villanova, Middlebury, St. Olaf College, and Seattle U.</p>
<p>A lot of the nicest kids from my town went to U Rochester where they have one of the best Political Science programs in the country. The Maxwell School of Public Affairs at Syracuse U is very highly regarded.
[Public</a> Affairs Program at Maxwell School of Syracuse University](<a href=“http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/paf/]Public”>http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/paf/)</p>
<p>You say a relative will pay tuition and room/board for your son however please consider that sending a child across country for school will add considerably to your expenses. I have one across the country, trust me on this one. </p>
<p>Given your description of your son, it doesn’t make sense to me to send him too far away geographically. He isn’t interested in a specific major which is only offered at a few schools, for instance. </p>
<p>If you give some idea of your geographic location, I think you will get a better set of answers. To my mind, I would not send a child a plane flight away to go to many of the schools suggested above.</p>
<p>Grinnell, Kenyon will be big reaches for your son. I had a much higher GPA and a higher test score and was waitlisted and rejected, respectively.</p>
<p>Here are amazing schools, just like Kenyon and Grinnell minus the selectivity:
Beloit College
Knox College
Lawrence University
Kalamazoo College
Wabash College
St. Olaf (Will be a reach for your son though)</p>
<p>What state are you in? I think that would help people suggest some good choices.</p>
<p>If you are anywhere near Maryland, I think St. Mary’s College of Maryland is a good choice. If you are in Maryland then you get in-state tuition, but even out of state is cheaper than most private colleges. Its a small school (under 2,000 kids) and it sounds like a good fit for your son. Very laid back atmosphere, lots of nice kids, close community, lots of activities to get involved in like intramurals and volunteering. Its the state “honor’s college,” and while lots of kids are smart, and classes can be really challenging, its not stressful or competitive, and there is actually a variety of abilities among students. Your son’s grades and SAT’s seem good enough to get in if he keeps his GPA up and the rest of his application is good. There are good Political Science, Public Policy, and Democracy Studies programs. There is also a lot of economic diversity. The kids on the sailing team (St. Mary’s is on a river, which is gorgeous) tend to be a little well off, but most kids come from average families, and a lot of people are here with help of financial aid. </p>
<p>I was in the same place as your son a few years ago. Very similar activities/personality/SAT score, and my GPA only went up late in high school. St. Mary’s was a great choice for me, because it helped me relax, make friends, and figure out what I wanted to do. I actually started out as a Poli Sci major, but have since switched to Sociology, and plan on going into Public Health. (seems similar to your son’s interests.)
Good luck with your search, and let me know if you’d like any more info on St. Mary’s!</p>
<p>I would not worry too much about the influx of students that come from higher financial backgrounds. In college nobody really considers themselves above the McD’s dollar menu, simply because no one is dumb enough to turn down cheap food that’s actually quite good and open 24/7. Everyone’s college experience runs on that kind of stuff…not $20 meals at Olive Garden, or whatever is the nice chain in a particular college town.</p>