COVET advice for sweet D1's choices!

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hey, I'm new to CC (and posting). My sophomore daughter is thankful that I'm interested in narrowing down the search for her. She'd like to just pick from a list of 10 or so. I've done some research, but covet your honest feedback. Her stats will end up like this:</p>

<p>3.2 GPA
24 ACT
No APs/Honors
average extra-curriculars
possible small job
cheerleading 9/10 (knee problems-quit)
band - flute in middle band
entrepeneur - has hosted successfull 'girls summer day camp' for six years (upon gradution) at our home - marketing, budgeting, scheduling, etc. - they now have a waiting list! </p>

<p>The criteria she has identified for us: small to medium (1500-8500), warmer than Chicago (further south) - but not hot, within 9 hours driving distance of Chicago, smaller class size/more personal feel, not big Greek dominance, Christian ok but not mandatory, enough options to change majors, possible majors - early childhood education, event planning, mission work, social work. She likes to work with kids, but doesn't want to teach a full classroom or one on one (?), likes to plan parties/outings/etc., and is conservative. She will not be a party-goer or drinker and is thinking about living in a "Wellness" dorm. Thoughts on that? My husband thinks they will all be book worms, which she is not. She's just a nice, down-to-earth, sweet kid that works hard for A/Bs. I don't want her to be too stressed academically, but I want a place with a decent reputation. States to consider: Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee. On our list right now: Bradley, Augustana, Truman State (reach), Indiana Wesleyan, Anderson University, Taylor University, Belmont (reach), Union University and Murray State. She does not want rural so we might cut out Taylor. But as long as there is a Target, movie theatre, bowling alley and some fast food choices, she's fine. The only other piece that we need to plan for is that she was just diagnosed with "Retinitis Pigmentosa", a degenerative retinal disease with no cure or treatment. She functions fine now, although she is legally blind peripheally. She will never be able to drive and is digesting that information now. She can see well with her central vision, although that will get worse over the years. Every school I've looked at has services for the visually impaired, although it is not likely she'll need that yet. However, I do want her to be able to learn to get around on her own (public transportation, walking or biking), as that is her future. So, I guess a place that has things close to campus or a good public transportation system to help build her confidence and accept this fact would be nice. I can't wait to hear what you folks suggest!!!!! :)</p>

2

<p>The single most important question for you to answer is this one:</p>

<p>Do you know your estimated EFC?</p>

<p>If you don’t, you need to run the FAFSA and CSS Profile calculators so that you can learn just exactly how much the colleges and universities will expect your family to be able to pay. This year the most accurate calculator (according to the financial aid mavens in the Fin Aid Forum) is the one at the College Board website.</p>

<p>[College</a> Calculators - savings calculators - college costs, loans](<a href=“College Board - SAT, AP, College Search and Admission Tools”>How Much Will College Cost – BigFuture | College Board)</p>

<p>When you learn how much your EFC is, you need to figure out:</p>

<p>1) How much money your family truly can afford to pay each year (chances are this will be less than your EFC).</p>

<p>2) How much debt you are willing for your DD to go into for her education.</p>

<p>3) Whether or not you are able to take out any parent loans or a home equity loan to help pay for her education.</p>

<p>I first ran the calculators when my 11th grader was in 9th grade. I couldn’t believe the figures. I ran them again in 10th grade, and began to accept the numbers as being real. This year I ran them with our 2008 tax return figures. I’ve been straight with Happykid about this. She knows that cost will be the deciding factor when it comes to her education.</p>

<p>As to charming, small midwestern LACs, you may want to take advantage of the Iowa Private College Week in August:</p>

<p>[Think</a> Independently: find a college, Iowa Private College Week](<a href=“http://www.thinkindependently.com/asp/resources/iowa_private_college_week.html]Think”>http://www.thinkindependently.com/asp/resources/iowa_private_college_week.html)</p>

<p>Two schools in Cedar Rapids (a city large enough to have some public transportation) come to mind, Coe and Mount Mercy. Also look at Iowa Wesleyan in Mt. Pleasant. No public transit (the town is too small), but the Amtrak station is right on campus. There is a daily train each way to Chicago, and many of the Chicago-area students routinely travel that way to and from school.</p>

<p>One Missouri school that is not talked about much here, is Cottey College. This is all women, and only two years. However it is supported by the P.E.O. organization so that the cost of attendance is no more than attending most home-state public universities. The students transfer successfully to good 4-year schools all over the country.</p>

<p>Wishing you, and your DD, all the best!</p>

3

<p>happymomof1,</p>

<p>Thanks for the prompt response! I kept checking to see if anyone had suggestions for me. My husband did fill out FAFSA and it looks like we aren’t elgible for any help. We have been diligent about saving since birth and my father-in-law has also helped contribute over the years on the kid’s birthdays. However, cheaper is always better! But, I would much rather have a great fit. That decision comes before the money. If there are two schools that are equal in all aspects, of course we’ll go with the less expensive. I was just hoping for some input on the schools I listed, as many of them are not on the alphabetical listing on CC. I am familiar with Cottey, as I am a P.E.O., but D1 wants a 4-year off the bat. We are also looking for a bit warmer than Iowa (I grew up there!).</p>

4

<p>I’m a P.E.O., too!</p>

<p>I can’t help you with schools where you live, but have you gone to collegeboard.com? It’s a pretty great site for finding schools.</p>

5

<p>Yes, I’ve used collegeboard.com for several searches. I like that site the best, too, for giving statistics.</p>

6

<p>I grew up in Iowa too, and my sisters and their families are all still there, so I can understand the desire to head to warmer climes!</p>

<p>It is absolutely heartwarming to read a note from a parent who has run the calculators already and knows where the money is going to come from. Your DD is indeed fortunate! She isn’t going to be surprised at the last minute like so many kids who post here seem to be.</p>

<p>One of my nieces is now at Guilford College in NC. This would be out of your 9 hour driving radius, but may be worth a look. It is a smaller Quaker school that she found in the book “Colleges that Chang Lives”. I just found out that there even is a website for the schools on that list [Colleges</a> That Change Lives](<a href=“http://www.ctcl.org/]Colleges”>http://www.ctcl.org/) She’s delighted with her school, and the weather in NC is a bonus. While college-hunting, she looked at information about her denominational schools (ELCA - Lutheran) and visited several in different parts of the country. One of them, Susquehanna U in PA ended up being her second choice after Guilford. </p>

<p>Since you like Augustana, you may find some more good options on the ELCA list:
[Find</a> a College or University - Evangelical Lutheran Church in America](<a href=“http://www.elca.org/Growing-In-Faith/Education/Colleges-and-Universities/Find-a-College.aspx]Find”>http://www.elca.org/Growing-In-Faith/Education/Colleges-and-Universities/Find-a-College.aspx) I’ve found similar lists for PCUSA - Presbyterian [Association</a> of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities - APCU Member Colleges and Universities](<a href=“http://www.apcu.net/memberschools.htm]Association”>http://www.apcu.net/memberschools.htm) and United Methodist [United</a> Methodist Colleges and Universities](<a href=“http://www.campuscorner.com/religious-affiliations/united-methodist-colleges.htm]United”>http://www.campuscorner.com/religious-affiliations/united-methodist-colleges.htm) colleges, so I’m sure your daughter’s denomination should turn up a list too.</p>

<p>I’d also suggest that you think about schools with a stronger business program. If your DD really is an entrepreneur, she might want to have some opportunities to stretch and grow in that direction. Keep paying attention to her to see how her interests develop. Last spring, Happykid became totally committed to stage tech/lighting design - nothing that I could have predicted two years ago!</p>

<p>All the best!</p>