<p>Well, my daughter just finished her freshman year at Northeastern (honors program which they automatically give to all NMF students). In respect to writing, they require all students to take a certain number of writing intensive classes - including one called advanced writing in (insert major here). All of her humanities type classes (history, film, etc.) required several papers of significant length - 12 pages or more (instead of finals and midterms). As far as being intellectual, I think that means different things to different people. She has found the honors students to be very down-to-earth, practical people. I think this is because they choose the school because they pick value over prestige. Also, these students have been challenged (definitely not coasting along).
I want to add my daughter with excellent stats (just below your son’s level) was initially crazy to attend Columbia. She went to a lunch with the students there and felt they were too snobby (applied anyway and got Waitlisted). She was then convinced she would love Tufts - but felt no connection with the students when she went to their admitted students day. Northeastern has ended up being perfect fit for her.</p>
<p>Thanks, kiddie. That is very helpful.</p>
<p>He definitely doesn’t like snobbiness and thinks it’s ridiculous that people apply to Ivy League schools because of prestige. He likes Columbia because he likes the core curriculum and the idea of having NY city as part of the classroom. </p>
<p>Also, while he likes to talk ideas, he is very engaged in the community and wouldn’t want to be somewhere where students are intellectual and sequestered.</p>
<p>So Northeastern may be a great fit. He’s definitely applying, so we will see how things work out.</p>
<p>UMass Honors College might be more appealing to OP’s son. It has fairly high standards for admission (definitely higher than regular admission requirements) and a separate dorm–not sure if there are separate classes/seminars. A number of my D’s high school friends attended and were quite pleased with the program. One friend, who was admitted to Wasington University, but whose patents weren’t willing to pay Wash U tuition, went to the Honors program reluctantly and ended up having a great academic experience. She’s going to Harvard Law School in the fall.</p>
<p>If he likes Columbia’s core curriculum he really should consider Chicago even though it’s not in the northeast. They have EA, but I don’t think you can combine it with ED at Columbia.</p>
<p>yes you can! ^^^</p>
<p>Mathmom, Tufts was not suggested because anyone thinks it is a safety. And the Tufts syndrome is something to think about. Noone else had mentioned Clark so I threw it in.</p>
<p>Northeastern has risen in the world. We used to think of it as more of a vocational school, but in these economic times, the coop program definitely gives kids an edge in the job market. In recent years, we have found more emphasis on “careers” at a lot of schools that used to be mainly “intellectual.” I imagine that marketing efforts emphasize that too.</p>
<p>If your son wants a distinctly intellectual atmosphere that is relatively free of the prestige-hound types, I strongly suggest he look at Carleton, despite the fact that it is a little far afield. Carleton prides itself on having a bit of a quirky sense of humor. I think its a great place, and one where I could have seen my intellectual son.</p>
<p>I would venture to guess that kids who pick Northeastern may be more inclined to be “practical” types because perhaps the school’s biggest draw is the coop program. (Can we please avoid making value judgments about people who make different choices? )</p>
<p>Strongly agree with recommendations to find several schools in between reaches and safeties. I have seen too many kids with stats similar to the OP’s child with only one or two choices because all of their other schools were reaches. If they had applied to schools that were less of a reach, they most likely would have gotten in.</p>
<p>My older son had somewhat higher stats than yours, Op. He had higher SATs, higher GPA, class rank of 2, took college classes, and tons of intensive ECs. He got into two ivies, none of which were HYP. Not to be discouraging because I don’t know your situation, but with a 3.75 GPA, and unless there are other hooks, getting into some of the ivies may be difficult. Good luck to you, though, whatever you decide.</p>
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Isolated cases, like your son, are not good measures of what is common. I had far, far worse stats than both your son and the OP and was accepted to ivies, as well as a school with a lower acceptance rate than any of the ivies. Neither your son’s result nor my result has much bearing on the OP’s chance of acceptance. </p>
<p>Top stat applicants usually get rejected to selective schools since stats are only one of many areas that are considered. For example, the Brown applicant profile page shows a 85% rejection rate for those with a class rank of 2, like your son; and a 72% rejection rate for perfect 36 ACT applicants, like the OP. They don’t publish GPA data, but similarly selective schools tend to have only 10-15% of freshman class with under a 3.75, so that group also has a high rejection rate. However, considering 3.75 is in the top 3-4% at the OP’s school, I expect that the OP attended a HS that grades more harshly than most, which would likely be taken into account. The OP also mentioned the lower grades were in freshman year, which is also usually taken into account. Some schools recalculate GPA without including freshman year. In short, I don’t think his stats will exclude him from being accepted at selective schools, but he’s going to need a lot more than just stats to get accepted. It’s hard to say whether that “a lot more” is present or not without seeing the whole app including LORs, essays, background, etc. State level track & music + giving concerts in nursing homes could be significant pluses.</p>
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One visit to the UChicago and your college search will be over!</p>
<p>LOL, my younger son loved Chicago and almost went there, but ended up at Tufts. I think Tufts is a fine school for students who like medium size research universities that are pretty good at everything. But its admissions are capricious enough that it’s really not a match for anyone. That’s not to say though that it isn’t easier to get into than Harvard - it is, four times easier by the numbers.</p>
<p>OP here: Regarding playing at nursing homes, what gets me is that my son really loves doing it. He thinks the people there are sweet and likes interacting with people with Alzheimers. Sometimes they think he is someone he is not but they are pleasant and warm and really, really enjoy the music. I must admit, when I was his age, I didn’t have that same sensibility, so I find just that impressive. I’m not sure how that can come across in college apps, though!</p>
<p>On other colleges, he has a strong preference for cities or colleges from which he can access a city by public transportation. (Middlebury is now off his list but he likes Bowdoin because Brunswick is nice and not so far from Portland.) So will start talking up some of those other options in/by cities.</p>
<p>Not only is it not far from Portland, but the train–practically on the edge of campus-- now runs directly from Brunswick to Boston. :)</p>
<p>I’ve been spending a lot of time in Brunswick the last two weeks attending concerts at
the International Music Festival at Bowdoin. It’s such a nice town. And Gelato Fiasco now has a flavor made with Spenda!</p>
<p>Sorry, why not BU? I have degrees from both Northeastern and BU and the latter it’s a real research university (gets many more grant dollars than Northeastern) with a liberal arts philosophy for all colleges. I think he’s got a shot at the full tuition Trustee Scholarship. He would need to apply by Dec. 1 and write another essay. But if you are worried Northeastern is too practical minded, BU might be a better fit.</p>
<p>Pitt is definitely your answer to balance in his apps! Your son will get into Honors and he will get good merit money (D2 got H and $10k as an out of stater with SATs slightly below your son’s). The campus is urban but not “BU urban.” It has more of a campusy feel. And Pittsburgh is a great city with fabulous neighborhoods. If you visit over the summer and physically submit the application that day, to be followed by your s’s transcript and scores, you will be notified of his acceptance by the end of Sept. D2 was notified 9/25 and notified of merit 10/22.</p>
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<p>If you are really thinking of it, visit. I sent my daughter - who is 15 - to an engineering program there for a week this summer and beforehand, heard nothing but how bad the neighborhood around it is. When I got there, I saw perfectly normal, busy looking commercial streets with stores and people on foot doing shopping and heading to work and whatnot. I certainly wasn’t stepping over junkies, as I’d been led to believe.</p>
<p>Because of the fears, well founded or not, the campus is very well lit with zillions of cameras and security in evidence on bikes and on foot. I imagine it is not wise to wander down some of the side streets in the area after dark alone, possibly, but isn’t that an issue with most any urban campus? The area around Temple didn’t look any different to me than the area around UPenn.</p>
<p>I grew up in the area around Columbia when it was indeed a lot more diverse than it is now, so perhaps take my opinion with a grain of salt. To me seeing people of color walking around does not mean “bad neighborhood”. </p>
<p>Anyway, I think Temple is now a place she will consider in two years.</p>
<p>Clark has a cool 5th year free masters program, and it is a “college that changes lives”.</p>
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<p>I would say this list is not reach heavy at all. As a matter of fact, it is too light. Just remember, you are 100% sure of not getting into any college you don’t apply.</p>
<p>PS. I did not read any other post in this thread.</p>
<p>“Could Northeastern be considered a safety?” - Probably, assuming that you can afford the $15k/yr for room/board after the NMF full tuition scholarship. Apply EA if possible to know early about acceptance. </p>
<p>Northeastern has indeed changed a lot since it was more of a commuter school in the 1950s. The co-op program is great, but it has a lot of university attributes. Recently they’ve had more of a worldwide focus too.</p>
<p>For a nearly full ride (still would have to pay food and books), and for some great!!! opportunities in neuroscience, check out the University of Alabama at Birmingham (NOT the crimson tide). He’d want to do the Sci-Tech honors program.</p>
<p>Just checking in to report that DS has gotten in to Fordham and is very likely to get full tuition, due to his NMSF status.</p>
<p>This is a nonbinding admission so he now has his safety taken care of!</p>