@MYOS1634 thanks for the tip on Johnston center at Uni of Redlands (didn’t know of it and we’re not far from there).
Yes, if he doesn’t want dorm life, Portland State might be worth checking out. Is he OK with community college, or is he looking for a greater sense of on-campus community? There are dorms including an honors community, but it is still definitely a commuter campus.
@AroundHere he’s currently in com. college (Calif.) and I think he’d be less inclined to choose PSU since it’s downtown and lacks the immediate natural beauty that beckons him to the PNW. (Also, if he were to go the state college route, I sure hope he would choose one of our 23 state colleges and save some moola!)
@JeanJeanie PSU is very close to Forest Park and Tryon Creek park.
Alternatively, consider the smaller and more rural “directional” state universities in Oregon: Western Oregon U, Eastern Oregon U, and Southern Oregon U.
PSU, WOU, EOU, and SOU all offer WUE tuition discounts to Californians (including transfers), and the total cost of attendance could actually be competitive with CSUs in some cases. For example:
Long Beach State, Estimated Cost of Attendance, Off-Campus Housing, CA Resident: $25,276
https://www.csulb.edu/financial-aid/undergraduate-costs
Eastern Oregon University, Estimated Cost of Attendance with Room/Board, WUE Rate: $26,463
https://www.eou.edu/fao/coa/
Southern Oregon University, Estimated Cost of Attendance, Off-Campus Housing, WUE Rate: $26,611
https://inside.sou.edu/enrollment/financial-aid/budgets/index.html
Cal Poly SLO, Estimated Cost of Attendance, On/Off-Campus Housing, CA Resident: $27,225
https://financialaid.calpoly.edu/coa1718.html
I’m confused. He’s an armchair environmentalist who isn’t athletic but he now wants the great outdoors with only smoke free air. To look at?
Just because someone doesn’t want to participate in sports or partying or student government or smoking pot doesn’t mean he should look for a school that excludes all those things. If you could clone your son and have 2000 people just like him at a school, would you (or he) want to be there? Part of college is to experience people who aren’t just like you, who have other interests and views. It’s nice to know there is an orchestra even if you don’t play the violin. he should focus on the things he wants at a college and not worry about the things he isn’t interested in.
I can’t image a more pot smoky place than Reed.
There is a strong case that Humboldt State is culturally and geographically within the PNW. But politically, it’s within California, so you would qualify for in-state tuition.
Estimated cost of attendance for CA residents, with room & board: $24,270
https://www.humboldt.edu/cost
^ You should go visit Humboldt State or Evergreen
Willamette might suit your son well. It has less of a reputation for drugs than some of the other schools that have been mentioned. (Even if you don’t imbibe, it’s not very fun when all of your dorm mates want to party and aren’t interested in engaging in after hours activities that don’t involve drugs.)
It has a school forest and a school farm just outside of Salem and students can join the farm club (unless that’s too much “outdoors” for him). With the Capitol being across the street from the campus, many students are social justice/environmental justice minded. For instance, 3 days ago there was an offshore drilling protest at the Capitol which several students attended.
Check out Pacific Lutheran, located near Tacoma. He’d fit in beautifully. Agree with Willamette as well.
@Corbett I did not know that about OR schools offering discounts to CA students, thanks! I’m well acquainted with Humboldt as it was on my list at that age (though, unlike my kid, I was more than happy to partake in the party scene there!).
@NolaCAR, thanks! We read the chapter about Willamette in CTCL and pondering a visit this Spring. He is quite involved with his CC’s environmental science/ecology club and isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty in their community garden.
@calla1 Thanks. Will take a look!
At some of these schools, the social scene for certain students might be playing board games, video games, or shooting nerf guns. It helps to be specific about what your child likes to do for fun/relaxation. Since it sounds like you’re down south, I’d recommend Pitzer, Redlands, and Oxy. In NorCal, UC Santa Cruz. In the Northwest, Willamette, Reed, and L&C. We visited the * (starred). We eliminated schools that were too heavy into Greek life, but partying can take on all forms so it’s best to visit/ask students how much of an impact it is.
thanks @TekSan we have visited all the Calif. schools you listed except Oxy (too urban for him). UCSC was always a strong possibility, but the quarter system there is a bit intimidating due to LDs. Agreed on your social scene comment. Thanks.
Cool. I might mention that we really liked some of the midwest LACs, if your son doesn’t mind the cold. Grinnell, Knox and Beloit come to mind. Good financial aid too.
Orego State U is larger and so will have many social groups to choose from. Amazing quality of science education.
Outside of tne PNW –
Marlboro in VT – small, set in the most gorgeous setting imaginable, has the parts of Evergreen that you might want (the flexibility of interdisciplinary studies) while possibly (probably) excluding parts of that scene that you don’t want (professors stoned while teaching). It has a Renaissance scholarship – full scholarship – for one student per state. Also it has one of the highest percentages yield, meaning that students who go there WANT to be there, as in really want to be there. https://www.marlboro.edu/
College of the Atlantic – another small school in one of the most gorgeous locations you can imagine. It’s on an old estate in the idyllic town of Bar Harbor, Maine, but also it’s walking distance to (and into) the national park there. The academics have a unique angle. You might be surprised! https://www.coa.edu/
Unity College of Maine – know as “the environmental” college. It’s graduates seem happy and uniquely focused. https://www.unity.edu/
Green Mountain College in VT – known also for its environmentalism specialization. It has a full scholarship as well. (check their scholarships page for updates on this but in the past they had a full scholarship in addition to merit for many applicants) http://www.greenmtn.edu/
Wonder where OPs son ended up??? We made the PNW tour last year. DD applied & was accepted to Willamette & L&C. We visited Puget Sound - but she hated it for some reason (nothing personal - she just didn’t “feel” that one!) Now, we’re deciding between Willamette, L&C as well as University of Wisconsin-Madison. She’s an East Asian studies major (Japanese, though we’re not Asian.) She selected those schools for the Pacific Rim opportunities. She’s quiet, studious & most of her friends happen to be Asian students.
@tad322 thanks for your comments. My son is still looking (not transferring from his CC for another year). I was hoping he’d get up to see some PNW schools last week during his break but we ended up visiting a couple UCs instead. Did you post review of Willamette & L&C? Would love to hear her/your impressions!