<p>My daughter just finished a whirlwind tour of 5 colleges. She flew from Alaska to University of Arizona, then to University of Florida, from there to Villanova, then back to Texas Christian, and last to New Mexico Tech, then to Pheonix and back home. Before that she visited Scripps in California. I'd be happy to give a review of them if any one would like. </p>
<p>She went alone on this tour so all info will be second hand. Her interests are primarily hard sciences; physics, astronomy and math. But she wants to minor in Spanish. So all her observations will be from that perspective.</p>
<p>Well heck yes. i'll start with a 'Nova, move on to a New Mexico Tech, and finish with a Scripps if I could. (D is a hard science-chemistry nut ,too). (Eclectic mix I might add. Like some of our list- Bard,Bob Jones,Oberlin,Texas A+M -just kidding)</p>
<p>OK...I'll start with Villanova. You have to remember this is coming from a homeschooled, rural Alaskan. She likes a laid back atmosphere and likes jeans and sweat pants. </p>
<p>Her host was a young lady in the honors program from New Jersey. She was very hospitable and kind, couldn't have asked for a better host. She spent one night at the dorm with her host and the next night at a hotel. </p>
<p>She felt the campus was kind of like a fort...lots of grey and lots of stone. The people she met were friendly but a little cooler than others. She did notice that no one else was wearing sneakers :) </p>
<p>She was interviewing for the presidential scholarship and came out of the interview shell shocked. She generally is very relaxed and confident in interviews but this one got her. She couldn't even remember the questions for several days. She was very surprised to get a call after returning home with an offer of a scholarship. Because of that she is giving nova serious consideration but feels that she may not fit in. There is definetely a different culture back east. </p>
<p>New Mexico Tech...the other end of the spectrum. It is in Socorro which is a small town, (population 12,000?), about 45 minutes from Albuquerque. You have to arrange for a taxi to take you from the airport in Albuquerque to Socorro. </p>
<p>The reason for her interest is that they have a good astonomy program, (she is looking at a possible astrophysics major), and it is small. When she first started searching for colleges she was sure she could not handle a large college. Also, New Mexico Tech is inexpensive. We can handle the cost without the need for merit aid. The town is pretty remote with a large hispanic population which was a definite plus for her. She is not hispanic at all but loves Mexico and listens at home to the spanish speaking station. Her visit there was cut somewhat shorter than planned because the taxi had a delay in getting to the college because of a stop halfway to pick up a medical patient. In general the visit was positive but it looks like New Mexico Tech does not beat the honors program at University of Arizona. No decision are made yet...still has a week or so to make up her mind.</p>
<p>University of Arizona. She was a little afraid of visiting the campus because of the size of the school. I think the enrollement is around 35,000. But, she stayed in an honors dorm and had an opportunity to hang out with the honors students there. She really liked it. There was a good community feel and an accepting, friendly atmosphere. One night the kids roasted marshmallows and sat around outside the dorm just talking about childhood memories. </p>
<p>The physics and astronomy department impressed her and the fact that there are so many options available at a large university. Even though she is a hard sciences kind of person, she has taken ballet since she was 3 and the opportunity to continue that while still getting all her math and science was interesting. </p>
<p>And it's close to Mexico...</p>
<p>I thought she might miss the trees that we have but she took a trip up to Kite's Peak, (not sure of the spelling), and loved hiking in the mountains. Big, snow capped peaks are outside our windows here and she definetely missed the mountains in other places but said the mountains were impressive outside Tuscon.</p>
<p>She heard about Scripps through a recruitment letter. They offered her the chance to compete for a scholarship. After she did the research on it she became very interested because of the possibilty of taking classes at other schools in the consortium. Scripps does not have a science department itself but teams up with Pitzer and Claremont-McKenna. </p>
<p>Her visit also impressed her. She said that the dorms are unbelievably nice. She also liked the fact that there are very few parties in the Scripps dorms...she's not a party person. It seems that the parties are at the other dorms and people come back to the Scripps dorms for peace and recuperation.</p>
<p>Scripps did not have a science professor to meet with so they set her up with a Spanish prof. The Prof tried to talk her into majoring in Spanish...which didn't go anywhere. She does like spanish and plans to minor in it. The downside for her is that she would likely have to find other places to do research in the summers and would have to work hard to get all the science classes that she wants. But...she is still waiting to see if they award her a scholarship before she makes up her mind. </p>
<p>They give out only a few, (I think it is 3-5), absolutely unbeatable scholarships. They are full ride scholarships with 3 round trip tickets home every year and are guaranteed for 4 years. No requirement for specific GPAs. If she gets one of those she will have to think long and hard.</p>
<p>jvd, Do you have any idea how your D came to be selected for a letter "recruiting" her? Did it make mention of a specific program she had attended or competition she had won? What is the program called? I know D would be exceedingly interested.</p>
<p>It seems that they began recruiting her after the PSAT and then sent her the letter regarding the scholarship after the SAT. That is all that she can come up with on why they would have had her name at all.</p>
<p>Was she a NM Finalist? D has received the regular Scripps brochure etc. after the PSAT but she hasn't taken the SAT I since the 7th grade.Did you find out what the scholarship is called ?</p>
<p>Curmudgeon...I tried to PM you but your box is full :)</p>
<p>Thought I'd PM rather than keep posting on the cc site. </p>
<p>I believe they sent the letter after receiving D's SAT score. They sent brochures and more general things before that. Her SAT was 1500. She was a NM semi finalist at that time...finalist now but I don't believe that is what got her the letter. D said there were more than 100 students invited, (all expense paid trip), to the college for a preview and for interviews. I don't believe they were all NM finalists. </p>
<p>She has since lost the letter so I don't know the name of the scholarship but if I remember right it was something like New Generation Scholarship.</p>
<p>Actually...I googled and here is what I found...</p>
<p>SCRIPPS NEW GENERATION SCHOLARSHIP </p>
<p>Completely merit based, the scholarship provides for four years of full tuition, room, board, three roundtrip airfares home each academic year, and funding for one summer research stipend to be used sometime during a students time at Scripps. While there is no formal stipulation as to a minimum grade point average to maintain the award, the college assumes its scholars will continue to produce the same level of serious intellectual work they initiated in their secondary years. </p>
<p>The college is seeking students to hold a weighted grade point average of well over 4.0 and SAT scores in excess of 1400. </p>
<p>Scripps also offers the James E. Scripps Scholarship, a half-tuition award renewable for four years. JES Scholars with demonstrated need are packaged with no loans. All applicants for the New Generation Scholarship are considered for the James. E. Scripps Scholarship as well. </p>
<p>Deadline: Application for admission must be submitted by November 1, 2004</p>
<p>Thanks. I had googled that also but I can't seem to get the Scripps site itself to tell me diddly. The ONLY scholarship listed is the 1/2 tuition one (the JE Scripps). My Box is empty now. Thanks for the heads up.</p>
<p>I have heard that some of the schools in an effort to promote diversity, watch SAT scores and contact the students from states where there is little representation.</p>
<p>My daughter has decided to go to the University of Arizona. They offer NMS a full ride and they have a great astronomy program. Plus she loves the warm, dry climate and likes hispanic culture. So I guess it is a fit. DW is a little disappointed because she grew up on the east coast and kind of hoped D would choose a school back east. She was accepted at a lot of great schools back there...but she really can't go there without incurring a lot of debt.</p>
<p>There is a slim possibility that she may attend elsewhere...but only if she is offered a really great financial package.</p>
<p>In hindsight...she applied to WAY to many colleges. She was using the shotgun approach to try to find good merit aid. I'm not sure that we have ever really counted all the colleges, I think there were more than 20. She was accepted to all but 2. Stanford rejected her and Washington U waitlisted her.</p>
<p>Congrats to your daughter, Jvd. I've spent several weeks in Tucson off and on through the years, and I think it would be a fun place for college, and a fun place to visit from Alaska!</p>