@InfiniteWaves It probably depends on the type of merit you may get from LACs, which are highly dependent on test scores (straight admission to PASSHE is less dependent on scores, in my experience)
There are a few really good LACs around your area, including McDaniel, Elizabethtown, etc. Some may even be commutable.
@InfiniteWaves One of my D’s hs classmates is an English major at Messiah. But I don’t have details about that program. I have been hearing good things about the school in general and their music program though.
I asked one of my kid’s former English teachers for suggestions, and she said Westminster College.
Thanks all on behalf of my DD. She originally preferred WCU, but has since warmed up to Bloom, and I think she has started appreciating the more contained campus, yet still a larger student body. I am still hoping for a little merit, so we’ll see.
@InfiniteWaves I only know of one student who went to Mansfield as she was accepted into the nursing program at Mansfield, (not 100% positive, but I think that was the only one) She wasn’t the happiest there, called her mom a lot, and before she went away that was not the case.
She did graduate and move back home and is working in a nearby hospital doing very well for herself.
Report finds Pa. universities third most-expensive in nation…
http://www.post-gazette.com/local/2017/10/25/College-costs-college-board-state-related-universities-Pitt-Penn-State-Temple-Lincoln-tuition-Pennsylvania/stories/201710240108
@laralei Is Bloom her final decision, or is she waiting to hear from other schools? Or weighing between WCU and Bloom?
@laralei I really think she would get money from IUP, especially honors.
Also you could look at Pitt Bradford. I think they have a $7,500 Panther scholarship for her stats and living on campus.
The tuition, fees, room and board cost is about $23,000
@laralei Thanks for the info on Mansfield. He has no desire to consider it due to distance from home. Sounds like I don’t need to push it. WCU and Bloom both offer specific creative writing concentrations within the English major. Ship has an English major with writing emphasis. He can commute to Millersville and do an English major with writing studies focus. So those four will be his PASSHE short list.
We are fortunate because between parents and grandparents, we can cover costs for the PASSHE schools (and PSU) for both of our kids. Compared to Maryland (where we used to live), the in-state costs here in PA are totally insane. PSU in-state cost is the same as OOS Maryland.
If private schools offer merit that gets the cost down to around the same, then those could be options as well. We are looking at Susquehanna, Ursinus, Juniata, Saint Joseph’s, Shenandoah, Goucher, and Loyola Maryland (my husband and I went there). Might add Washington College because the English/Writing program is good. And he wants to visit George Mason because there is a Game Design minor.
@laralei Thanks for the info on Mansfield. S19 has no desire to consider it due to distance from home. Sounds like I don’t need to push it. He wants to stay within two hours of home. WCU and Bloom both offer specific creative writing concentrations within the English major. He can commute to Millersville and do an English major with writing studies focus. So those three will be his PASSHE short list. Might add Ship.
We are fortunate because we (and grandparents) can cover costs for the PASSHE schools (and PSU) for both of our kids. And York College because he would commute. That said, in-state costs in PA are totally insane! PSU in-state cost is the same as Maryland OOS.
If private schools offer merit that gets the cost down to around the same, then those could be options as well. We are looking at Susquehanna, Ursinus, Juniata, Saint Joseph’s, Goucher, Washington College, and Loyola Maryland (my husband and I went there). S19 also wants to visit George Mason because there is a minor in Game Design. And we’ll consider Villanova as the competitive option.
@Portercat Bloom was the first school to send acceptance letter, and she does like the campus. It also offers CS w/ opportunity to study Chinese. She would like to do study abroad there, BUT, it all comes down to finances.
She got the acceptance letter from WCU and I really liked the packet. Very clear break down on costs: tuition, fees, dorms, meal plans, etc. I like that WCU has the traditional dorms and they are $4K less than suite style, so a real savings there. She can also take CS there. Chinese isn’t offered but they do have a minor in linguistics which is something she would really like to take as well.
WCU also invited her to apply for the Board of Governors Scholarship!!! Very happy to see that, though I am sure there are lots of kids applying. Gives me hope that maybe she might get a little something there merit wise. WCU wasn’t my first preference due to the drive, but it’s growing on me. 
As is stands she has 2 viable options and she is OK with either one.
@mommdc DD has awards from Pitt schools on the raise me site, so I have looked at them. The $7500 looks good, but Bradford didn’t have CS, it was something like Computer Information Technology (?) It also didn’t offer linguistics or Chinese and she would like to minor in one of them.
I will have to double check IUP, I was poking around the website and saw an MS in Speech pathology. Did I read that correctly? DD has originally thought about it, but checking it out it seemed like she could get the BS in some of the state schools, but then would have to apply somewhere for the MS. Looks like she could do that right at IUP, though the requirements seem tough.
Arrgh, I will be glad when this is over, she’s the last one to move on to college and I am tired of thinking about all of it!
@laralei Bloom and WCU both sound great for your D. Wahoo on the board of governor’s scholarship consideration!
Look around on Bloom’s website, I think you have to apply for scholarships by January?
For IUP, they have BS and MS of speech pathology I believe. The D of a friend did the BS in three years, and staying right at IUP for the MS as well.
I really think it might be helpful for your D to schedule an honors visit at IUP. She can ask them about study abroad and other things she is interested in. We went on Veterans Day a few years ago, and they were very accommodating.
@laralei my son was awarded the BOG scholarship at WCU. I was shocked that he got it. Although he ended up choosing Bloom with the 5000.00 a year scholarship they offered him. Good luck to her, she has a great shot!
@mommdc My son was awarded an academic scholarship from Bloom and he didn’t even apply for it. We just got a letter a couple of weeks after his acceptance about the scholarship and then a couple of weeks after that he was invited to apply to the honors program.
State grants for college students to decline for spring semester…
http://www.pennlive.com/news/2017/10/state_grants_for_college_stude.html#incart_river_index
@sparkleybarkley I did a quick search back in this thread and your son is studying CS as well? At the time we did the tours, DD was looking at Education, not that we met w/ any department heads on those tours, but focus was different.
Is there anything about the Bloom program for CS that your son preferred over the others? I am trying to weigh the COA with “best” possible option. I am not concerned if she were to switch back to Education as any of the most popular state schools would be OK in that regard.
Reading the merit $ your son received gives me hope that she might get something, and with the ever decreasing aid amounts ^^, those merit awards would make all the difference.
I had a chance to check out the “Honor students” choice of schools from last year. There were actually a few state schools listed:
East Stroudsburg, Kutztown, WCU, Bloom, and IUP.
Nearest commutable PSU branch had the largest number of students listed, I think it was 28, and mainly boys. I think they were looking at engineering and as you know, that is probably the most viable option. If DS didn’t get into Bama or Temple, that is probably the route he would have had to take as well.
Bloom and Kutztown are not schools I have seem much of over the past couple of years. One of DD’s track members is going to Bloom and her friend is looking at Kutztown. She has heard Kutztown mentioned a lot lately. Why? Who knows how they think!
http://main.abet.org/aps/accreditedprogramsearch.aspx
Bloom, WCU and IUP and a few others are listed in the ABET accredited computer science program list.
@laralei I think with my son he just felt more comfortable with the whole Bloomsburg experience. He liked the layout of the campus and felt comfortable while visiting the computer science department. We visited 3 times and on one of the visits he was able to sit in on and honors class and visit the honors housing. They really did go above and beyond helping him with his decision. He was not impressed with WCU although I couldn’t tell you what he did not like about the computer science dept.(If he did not get the scholarship to Bloom we would have pushed WCU though) But I think the layout of the campus was too spread out for his liking. So that being said he is almost done with his 1st semester and he is very happy with his choice, although he only took one computer science course he really liked his professor and has done pretty well so far. His honors courses were very interesting and challenging which he likes. Next semester he will take 2 CS courses and he may be adding a minor. He is also interested in digital art. If your child should choose Bloomsburg I highly suggest she start in a Living Learning Community. It can be Honors or education or whatever but its a great way for students to meet other students with the same major/interests. We visited Kutztown and my son hated it. He did not like the CS dept at all. and they only offered him 1000.00 a year scholarship which was laughable compared to the other schools he applied to. Also way to many kids from his HS go there. lol!
If I were to guess I will bet you will be getting some more mail from Bloom and WCU with scholarship/honors offers.
Oh! one more thing WCU honors program is a little harder to get in to it requires an on site interview and if I remember correctly he had to go and stay for a week over the summer (mandatory). Bloomsburg was an essay and a Skype interview. I hope this information is helpful!
@mommdc, Yes, I did see them on the ABET site, which is good, but I was curious as to what @sparkleybarkley’s son thought of the program at Bloom as opposed to WCU, since we only did the open house when there and it was very general.
Also, @sparkleybarkley, I am glad to hear your DS is doing well and is happy at Bloom and enjoying his honors courses. Funny you mentioned his interest in digital art. My DD’s art teacher isn’t happy that she isn’t going to major in Art, but I told DD she could probably doing something like…digital art! 
We will have to ultimately base the choice on finances, but it is reassuring to read how well your DS is doing and that he actually looked at the different CS departments at the schools and preferred Bloom’s.
Forgot to add a thank you for taking the time to write such a comprehensive response, very much appreciated.
Bloom sounds really nice!