<p>I need some advice on colleges - my DD wants to major in biology (molecular biology, if they have it), wants a school with a football team, doesn't want women's colleges or anything in the deep South. Most importantly, she is very put off by places where the girls pay way too much attention to their clothes and are "obsessed with fashion" - to quote her. Her grades are not quite Ivy League level or MIT,so that group is out. Also, we are on the East Coast, so we are looking for a school east of the Mississippi. Any suggestions??</p>
<p>qualifies as east of mississippi… but is in the south and also doesnt have much of a football team!</p>
<p>ranked 34th for biological sciences
has molecular biology</p>
<p>[Molecular</a> Biology Track](<a href=“Error 404 | Not Found”>Error 404 | Not Found)</p>
<p>[UAB</a> - Cellular & Molecular Biology ::](<a href=“http://cmdb.uabwebsites.org/]UAB”>http://cmdb.uabwebsites.org/)</p>
<p>receives more research funding than all other alabama schools combined!! </p>
<p>5th for diversity and 11th for happiest students</p>
<p>incredible honors program (sci’tech) research from freshman year if accepted to sci/tech 2 years of phd will be paid for.</p>
<p><a href=“Error 404 | Not Found”>Error 404 | Not Found;
<p>urban campus about 11K undergrads</p>
<p>automatic merit</p>
<p>oos costs: Fall 2011 First-Year Freshmen Estimated
First-Year Freshman Out-of-State
Tuition and Fees* $14,256
Books and Supplies** $1000
Meal Plan $450 - $3,894
Total $15,706 - $19,150
Residence Hall (Blazer/Camp Hall)*** $5,200
Grand Total $20,906 - $24,350</p>
<p>also has full rides for national merit, achievement and hispanic scholars</p>
<p>Blazer Elite Scholarship
$10,000/yr
Based on academic achievement (28-36 ACT and at least 3.0 GPA)
Blazer Gold Scholarship
$7,500/yr
Based on academic achievement (26-27 ACT and at least 3.0 GPA)
Blazer Pride Scholarship
$5,000/yr
Based on academic achievement (24-25 ACT and at least 3.0 GPA)
Students receiving UAB merit-based scholarships are required to live on campus for their first year of enrollment. </p>
<p>the teacher student ratio is excellent at 17:1… </p>
<p>some uab facts:
.Since 2000, UAB has produced seven Fulbright Scholars, six Phi Kappa Phi Fellows, eight Goldwater Scholars, five National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Fellows, six Truman Scholars, one Marshall Scholar, and one Rhodes Scholar.</p>
<p>In the 2010 Princeton Review College Rankings, UAB is listed as one of the Best Southeastern Colleges and among the top 15 percent of colleges and universities in the U.S.</p>
<p>The 2009 Academic Ranking of World Universities places UAB within the top 200 universities in the world and top 100 in the nation.</p>
<p>UABs biomedical engineering program is the only one of its kind in the state.</p>
<p>The rec center is incredible and brand new:</p>
<p>__
The freshman dorms are suite style and new, the upperclass dorms are full apartments! living room, bedrooms full bath, full kitchen etc.</p>
<p>Birmingham has an airport</p>
<p>In general I think you’ll find more concern about fashion in urban schools. There are a lot of sweatpants at rural liberal arts colleges, so those should be worth a look. And I think they all have football teams but probably vary in how much interest there is in football. Middlebury, Bowdoin if her grades and scores are up to it, Colby, Hamilton, Bates are slightly less selective options.</p>
<p>Carnegie Mellon?</p>
<p>an update to uab post just found out they increased the scholarships</p>
<p><a href=“Error 404 | Not Found”>Error 404 | Not Found;
<p>Ohio State University - Columbus, (#55 USNWR), located ~7 hours drive from NYC!! lol</p>
<p>“The Biological Sciences Scholars Program focuses on the exposure to research in the sciences as well as exploring various aspects in Biology overall. The living-learning arrangement that Scholars enjoy allows students to interact on both academic and social levels. Biological Sciences Scholars often either major in one of the majors offered in Biological Sciences or have a strong interest in the biological sciences but are majoring in another discipline. This is a four year program with different goals for each year in terms of student involvement.”</p>
<p>[Scholars:</a> Biological Sciences](<a href=“http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/scholars/biosci.aspx]Scholars:”>http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/scholars/biosci.aspx)</p>
<p>[OSU</a> College of Biological Sciences Greenhouses](<a href=“http://www.biosci.ohio-state.edu/pcmb/greenhouse/]OSU”>http://www.biosci.ohio-state.edu/pcmb/greenhouse/)</p>
<p>Freshman profile (enrolled autumn 2010)</p>
<pre><code>* New freshmen: 6,549
- Ohio residents: 5,149 (78.6%)
- Domestic out-of-state students: 921 (14.1%)
- International students: 479 (7.3%)
- Students of color: 1,086 (16.6%)
- Male/female ratio: 50:50
- Ranked in top 10% of high school class: 54%
- Ranked in top 25% of high school class: 89%
- SAT Critical Reading and Math score range (middle 50%): 11601310
- ACT score range (middle 50%): 2630
</code></pre>
<p>Geographic diversity (autumn 2010)</p>
<p>Ohio State enrolls students from every state and territory. States with the highest enrollment:</p>
<h1>500+: Pennsylvania, Illinois, New York, California, Michigan</h1>
<h1>300 499: Texas, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia</h1>
<h1>100 299: Florida, Indiana, Georgia, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Utah, Minnesota, Missouri, Arizona, Tennessee</h1>
<h1>50 99: West Virginia, Washington, Connecticut, Colorado, South Carolina, Alabama, Kansas</h1>
<p>[Quick</a> facts](<a href=“Quick facts - The Ohio State University”>Quick facts - The Ohio State University)</p>
<p>Scholarships (National Buckeye Scholarships for qualified OOS Students)</p>
<pre><code>Award amount
$10,000 ($40,000 fouryear value)
Criteria
Ohio State is committed to enrolling a diverse and talented student population. The National Buckeye Scholarship is awarded on a competitive basis to non-Ohio students required to pay the out-of-state surcharge who are admitted to the Columbus campus for autumn semester. Those considered rank in the top 40 percent of their graduating classes and have ACT composite scores of 28 or higher or combined SAT Critical Reading and Math scores of 1260 or higher.
Notes:
* Except where noted, the National Buckeye Scholarship can be combined with any other merit scholarships, as long as the combined total does not exceed the total cost of an Ohio State education.
* This award is renewable for a maximum of eight semesters (or the equivalent) of full-time undergraduate enrollment, provided the recipient maintains a 2.5 or higher GPA (earned by no later than the end of the first year), and nonresident classification remains unchanged.
</code></pre>
<p>[Scholarships[/url</a>]</p>
<p>Four years in a row, #8 ‘Up-and-Coming’ on USNWR, currently leading by President Gordon Gee, former President of Brown & Vanderbilt (Best President in the nation by Times). The School also offers some of the best facilities in the nation, such as the newly renovated Thompson Library, RPAC & Student Union…, etc.</p>
<p>[url=<a href=“http://www.bfhstudios.com/blog/tag/the-ohio-state-university/”>Assorted eLearning Infographics – BFH Studios] The Ohio State University Travel Companion Journals](<a href=“Merit-based scholarships - The Ohio State University”>Merit-based scholarships - The Ohio State University)</p>
<p>[First</a> Year Experiences | Rankings | US News](<a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/first-year-experience-programs]First”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/first-year-experience-programs)</p>
<p>[Up</a> and Coming Schools |Top National Universities | US News Best Colleges](<a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/up-and-coming]Up”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/up-and-coming)</p>
<p>[E</a>. Gordon Gee: The Big Man on Campus - The 10 Best College Presidents - TIME](<a href=“http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1937938_1937934_1937914,00.html]E”>http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1937938_1937934_1937914,00.html)</p>
<p>In addition, Ohio State is located in the vibrant Capital City of Columbus which provides ample internship / research opportunities for the students.</p>
<p>[ExperienceColumbus's</a> Channel - YouTube](<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/user/ExperienceColumbus]ExperienceColumbus’s”>Experience Columbus - YouTube)</p>
<p>Last but not least, Ohio State Honors College provides students with small class teaching / learning environment and is widely accepted as one of the best Honors Programs in the Midwest. </p>
<p>[Honors</a> & Scholars: The Ohio State University](<a href=“http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/]Honors”>http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/)</p>
<p>Best of luck to your DD!! & Go Bucks!! :)</p>
<p>[What</a> it means to be a Buckeye - YouTube](<a href=“What it Means to be a Buckeye - YouTube”>What it Means to be a Buckeye - YouTube)</p>
<p>You forgot to mention the lecture halls with 500 students. </p>
<p>Must have been an oversight.</p>
<p>Holy Cross would be a good choice-strong biology/science programs. HC built a $70 million science building and the school sponsors internships. Holy Cross(don’t have to be religious) has good diversity, is need-blind for admissions. CNBC payscale salary data had Holy Cross ranked 12th among all universities and LAC’s. Also hc is a member of Division 1 Patriot League and competes against Harvard, Dartmouth, Yale and Brown in football each year.HC has one of the strongest alumni networks with annual giving rate >55%.</p>
<p>"You forgot to mention the lecture halls with 500 students.</p>
<p>Must have been an oversight."</p>
<p>Thanks for the reminder, annasdad!!</p>
<p>Here is the latest data on class size per USNWR:</p>
<p>Classes with fewer than 20 students: 31.5%
Classes with 20-49 students: 48.3%
Classes with 50 or more: 20.2%</p>
<p>[Ohio</a> State | Ohio State University–Columbus | Best College | US News](<a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/ohio-state-6883]Ohio”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/ohio-state-6883)</p>
<p>And as always, Ohio State Honors Program offers excellent learning environment in terms of low faculty : student ratio. Hopefully I won’t miss anything this time! Go Bucks!! ;)</p>
<p>I thought a guidance counselor would be useful to ask - doesn’t your school have one ?</p>
<p>*my DD wants to major in biology (molecular biology, if they have it), wants a school with a football team, doesn’t want women’s colleges or anything in the deep South. Most importantly, she is very put off by places where the girls pay way too much attention to their clothes and are “obsessed with fashion” - to quote her. Her grades are not quite Ivy League level or MIT,so that group is out. Also, we are on the East Coast, so we are looking for a school east of the Mississippi. Any suggestions?? *</p>
<p>Is your D going to be pre-med?</p>
<p>What is her GPA and test scores?</p>
<p>When you say that she wants football, does that mean that she wants a school where the students actually go to the games? Many schools have football, but the students ignore the games. </p>
<p>What is your budget? If money is no object, then your D will have more choices. </p>
<p>If money is a concern then you need to find out if you qualify for much/any aid, and if so, then find schools that will provide that needed aid. </p>
<p>If you have an unaffordable EFC, then you will need another strategy.</p>
<p>But…if money is no object, then super :)</p>
<p>No, not pre-med, and she’s only a junior, so no SAT until March. Our family has been going to our alma mater’s Big East football games since she was small, and now that the team is really good, the games get huge attendance, especially among the students. So DD really likes that scene and wants a school where students go to the games. To the poster who asked about asking a guidance counselor, I’m sure DD will do that, but I doubt the GC would be able to address the social concerns. I thought I might get better information here at CC from folks who know the schools first (or second) hand. A friend warned me away from U. of Rochester because it had the kind of social environment DD is trying to avoid. Anyone know about U. of Rochester? Syracuse?</p>
<p>How important is a football team? And does it have to be Division 1? The reason I ask is that there a some very good LACs that your D might like, but they’re usually Division 3 schools, where football is often seen as just another varsity sport and not even the most popular one at that.</p>
<p>Maybe look at Pitt (Big East, soon ACC sports), very strong in anything bio related with great research opportunities on campus. </p>
<p><a href=“http://www.as.pitt.edu/undergraduate/advising/pdf/majorsheets/MOLBIO.pdf[/url]”>http://www.as.pitt.edu/undergraduate/advising/pdf/majorsheets/MOLBIO.pdf</a>
[A&S</a> Majors and Minors | Undergraduate Bulletin | University of Pittsburgh](<a href=“http://www.bulletins.pitt.edu/undergrad/biology.htm]A&S”>http://www.bulletins.pitt.edu/undergrad/biology.htm)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>That’s a USNWR graduate program ranking. Its overall undergraduate ranking is #143.</p>
<p>Northwestern University is the only private university in the Big Ten conference. If her stats are “not quite” at Ivy League level, she might have a long shot at NU. USNWR ranks its undergraduate programs #12 overall and 13th for biomedical engineering (among undergraduate programs at PhD-granting universities). Its graduate biological sciences programs are ranked 26th. Compared to TOSU, NU offers much classes, better financial aid, academically stronger students, and national drawing power.</p>
<p>par72’s Holy Cross sounds like a pretty good recommendation. Granted, every other top 100 private school has built a ~$70M science center recently; just about all of them sponsor internships. Still, HC is in a good range for someone not quite at Ivy level and it seems to have pretty robust sports programs.</p>
<p>Others to consider:<br>
Boston College, Vanderbilt (maybe a little fashion obsession there, check it out).</p>
<p>In general, big state universities are more likely to have big time football than private schools. The trouble is, they usually don’t have much aid for OOS students, and the best of them academically (UNC, Michigan, UVa) are nearly as selective as Ivies. For full-pay families, though, they’ll usually run about $15K-$20K/year cheaper than private schools. In that case, an honors college program at a big state football school could be a good choice.</p>