University of Arizona has a decent physics/astronomy program and the weather is good. The size of the campus might be an issue.
WashU is good for Biology, but Physics is not the most female friendly program. Things may have changed this year, but they didn’t have any female tenure-track faculty last year and one of the professors in the department has made comments disparaging women in STEM. Also they aren’t that generous with financial unless you demonstrate need.
@harvardandberkeley , OP has pretty much acknowledged that no single college exists that meets all the stated parameters. (Weather, artsiness, generous FA, strong bio+astronomy) My other suggestions leaned toward weather, science, and $ bargain… so I thought one nod toward “artsy” was appropriate, at the expense of climate. Personality-wise, OP’s d sounds like a Vassar type kid to me. (And I actually have a friend who went there to major in Astronomy.)
I personally don’t think it makes sense for them to look at OOS flagships. If she’s willing to go to a large public university, UF is terrific for her interests and will be virtually free with Bright Futures. If she wants the Bright Futures deal in a small school with more of a liberal-artsy vibe, then NCF is her answer. IMHO the only reason to go out of state is for a private college/university with excellent financial aid. (Except for maybe UA Huntsville, which is relatively small and a bit of a Mecca for space-related stuff, and would give her an automatic full ride.)
The FL Bright Futures deal is tough to beat, and NCF would let her use that deal at a small, private-esque college. IMHO that is her “bar” against which all other options need to be measured. As OP points out, she can always set her sights on a “dream school” for grad school. But if she can get a great FA deal for undergrad at a top-notch private that she loves, then passing up Bright Futures could be worth it. They need to run the price calculators for the schools of interest and see where they stand, and then apply judiciously.
Re: Haverford, Vassar, Swarthmore, Wesleyan, Williams etc… all are included here (although none is spared by Winter): http://astro.swarthmore.edu/knac/
Thanks for the replies! Really appreciate it and will consider all!
As stated above she will be applying to at least a few in-state schools that are matches/safety. Some of them she would be very excited about, but the HUGE size is a concern. She will happily attend one of them if nothing else pans out, but would greatly prefer a smaller school experience and might as well give it a shot… It is VERY tough to pass up such a great deal in state.
She also has a perfect score on the PSAT, so I am assuming she will be a national merit finalist? I don’t know much about that but hoping it helps somehow.
She knows the budget is tight. We are looking first at the 100% needs met schools.
Most important to her is intellectual vibe. She would love to be learning with her peers.
She is willing to live in colder weather, but not thrilled about it. The warmer the better but is very willing to head north for the right school.
Astrobiology is not a must have, but she would love to at least minor in Astronomy or Planetary sciences. Her main concentration in HS has been medical research but is becoming more and more interested in Planetary science.
New College of FL sadly has no Astronomy dept, unless I am missing it?? Sad to hear about WashU’s women in STEM issue @Hamurtle ! I am really glad you mentioned that. D is all about girlpower relating to STEM and will not be pleased to hear about that. We will also look at UA Huntsville, @aquapt , and the Keck info is awesome, thanks
@SunnyFlorida22 would UT-Dallas merit consideration? I think they have Space Science as a major and it’s one of the up and coming public schools, especially in the STEM field. Plus they are generous with NMF aid.
@harvardandberkeley When did Vassar move to upstate NY? Last time I was there, it was in Poughkeepsie, a town in Dutchess County, which is definitely not considered upstate
Also, Honors at UCF could sweeten the deal there a lot, but don’t necessarily count on Honors at UF to improve the experience. UF Honors is autonomous and picks its participants by a metric of its own. A high-stats NMF kid that I know was not able to get in, and stated that it appeared from their demographics that they actually discriminate against NMF kids. I can’t substantiate a trend myself but could provide more detail by PM if it’s an important factor for you.
It seems like West Coast isn’t as much on your radar, but I would reiterate that Caltech might really be a fit if the NPC numbers look workable. They are near gender-parity now, even though their applicant pool is skewed toward guys, so between being a girl and the geographic diversity factor, your d could have a really good shot at getting in… and she might really enjoy the geeky-fun culture of their House System. They have strong ties to JPL for undergrad research. And Pasadena weather! “Artsiness” per se would be the weak point, but LA and all its art museums and etc. could easily make up for that. Worth thinking about.
Located in Medford/Somerville, adjacent to Cambridge which is adjacent to Boston. Somerville/Cambridge have the second and third highest density of young people and artists in the country which makes for a big “college town” with a hipster vibe.
Large percentage of artists with a Museum affiliated art school (the School of the Museum of Fine Arts)
Large percentage of musicians with a joint program with the New England Conservatory
Meets full need for financial aid.
Unfortunately, unless global warming progresses more quickly than projected, the weather will be on the colder side in the winter, but warmer than inland locations due to the moderating effects of the ocean. Being close to the ocean can result in coastal storms that result in lots of snow if it is cold enough.
Although Boston definitely has hipsters, I wouldn’t consider the city as projecting a hipster vibe. As far a musicians and music influence in the city, don’t forget Berklee College of Music.
@dosichicos - Boston, (which is on the right bank of the Charles River) has hipster pockets but does not really project a hipster vibe. Cambridge and Somerville (which are separate cities on the left bank of the Charles River) tend to have more of that reputation.
“When did Vassar move to upstate NY? Last time I was there, it was in Poughkeepsie, a town in Dutchess County, which is definitely not considered upstate”
It may not be upstate like Rochester or Buffalo but it’s still pretty cold and would also not fit the next to large city and campus town feel. NYC is two hours away and the campus is nice but is shielded from the city.
I think Rice meets all the criteria and if it’s a clear first choice, would recommend applying early.
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