<p>Hi,
This is the first time I have posted on this site and after countless hours online and doing college visits searching for schools with my D, I think we need some help!!</p>
<p>My D is a rising senior at a very good, competitive public HS in VA. She is a talented oboe player and although she wants music to continue to be part of her college activities (possibly a music minor), she wants to major in biology - particularly microbiology or virology. We know lots of schools don't offer those specific sciences as an undergrad major, so she may need a bio major and then go on to grad school. She wants to continue playing music as part of a symphonic ensemble and possibly play in the marching band. She has many academic achievements which include NHS and was selected to go to Governor's School for the performing Arts last summer. Most of her extracurricular activities revolve around music and band.</p>
<p>The problem she worries with is that, although her GPA is high - 4.27 and she is in the top 10% of her class, she considers her SAT scores be low to get into any top tier schools - 1890- with Writing 690, CR 650 and Math 550. She has taken AP courses in the subjects she is deeply interested in and has received A's and will end up with 4 APs once her senior year is finished. The rest of her classes have been honors when that option was available. She also worries that she has not taken "enough" AP classes to get into any good schools.</p>
<p>We have visited some reach schools: UVA (didn't really like), U of R (she liked but worried she wouldn't get in and the tuition may make is prohibitive), and W &M (she liked but felt a little "out of place"), We also visited NC State (had the program she wanted but didn't like the campus). </p>
<p>Criteria for schools -
strong science where research opportunities would be available
Mid-sized - 5,000 - 15,000
Suburban feel - nice campus, not in city with a nice college town
States - VA, NC, SC, PA, MD - would be willing to go further for right school</p>
<p>She is also kind of shy and sometimes feels intimidated when she is visiting schools and wants to be in an environment where she feels she will fit' in with the kids on campus - not a big party school or greek dominated campus.</p>
<p>Her interest in marching band creates a bit of a dilemma because marching bands tend to be most prominent at big, sports-oriented campuses that are also party schools.</p>
<p>Would Virginia Tech be too much of a party school for her? It would seem to fit what she wants in other ways.</p>
<p>If she’s willing to move out of the East Coast and isn’t stuck on marching band, she may want to consider Oberlin College as they have strong natural science programs and a world-class conservatory that’s a peer of URochester’s Eastman school of music.</p>
<p>thanks for the suggestions so far… marching band is not a ‘deal breaker’ although she would really like to be involved in it as it has been a really good social activity for her in high school and it would be a nice way to get to know people who have the same musical interests since she is on the shy side</p>
<p>My daughter was a science major also…and an oboe/English horn player. Just curious…what instrument does your daughter play in the marching band. Most marching bands do not have instrumentation for double reed instruments.</p>
<p>Here are a couple of schools which could be possibilities.</p>
<p>U of South Carolina…they have a lot of ensembles and there is a place for everyone who wants to play. My daughter really liked their oboe teacher (of course that was 6 or more years ago) and the opportunities she could have had there. Yes it’s big, yes it’s in a city…but it’s a good school.</p>
<p>Case Western Reserve University- I do not know this first hand, but I believe they have a nice orchestra for their students…or at least a concert band. No marching band I don’t think. Great sciences. In the city…but maybe worth considering.</p>
<p>Check U of North Carolina at Greensboro…not sure what they offer now, but they had the sciences and music ops when DD applied.</p>
<p>Have you looked into Muhlenberg, or Susquehanna? Those might work.</p>
<p>thumper1 - thanks! my daughter plays flute in marching band and loves it…but if she can’t find a school that allows both opportunities, she would pick oboe since it is her first love…she also plays english horn as well! we plan on looking at clemson and I believe USC is close by and we could check it out! the oboe teacher is an important aspect and we have been trying to meet with them as we go on visits…so we will make sure we look that up for USC…did your D end up going there?</p>
<p>Another plug for Oberlin. Although it was not right for my D, it is great for both music & science. It is smaller than the range you gave for size, but if she is shy she might actually thrive more in the smaller environment. Can she study and take the SAT or ACT again? You don’t mention an ACT score, but some kids do better on that test, so maybe she should try it.</p>
<p>A 550 in math does not encourage a career in science, even biology, unless your D is just an awful test taker. I don’t mean to be discouraging, just giving feedback.</p>
<p>If she gets that 550 up, many more schools would be open to her. The math in the SAT is not advanced, but the questions can be tricky so many some more practice with the test would help.</p>
<p>Hobart and William Smith, University of Vermont in Burlington (wonderful town and school), Syracuse, Clark, are possibilities that come to mind.</p>
<p>Also look at schools that are test optional. You can google a list of them, and with her stats she would be competitive at many other schools. My mind is flummoxed and I can’t think for the minute.</p>
<p>mythmom - I agree the 550 in math is low and we wish it were higher…but she actually does well in math with A’s in all her hs math classes and will be taking calc ab senior year. this is the second time at the SATs and I’m sure if she focused she could get that score up, she doesn’t want to have to focus another two months on just the SAT…maybe the ACT would be a better fit? also she has gotten A’s in all her science courses including AP Bio and she loved it, so I would hate having one low SAT score ruin an otherwise good track record…ugh!</p>
<p>Tufts University is wonderful in sciences and has a great music department (a comfy, supportive one as well as excellent quality). Medford MA, just minutes by T from Cambridge and Boston but quiet, green campus.</p>
<p>UVM, UNH and UMass would all fit.</p>
<p>Bates, Colby and Bowdoin in Maine are test-optional and highly selective.</p>
<p>It isn’t that the scores are bad. It’s just that they don’t fully match your daughter’s academic achievements at school. So going with a test optional school would eliminate that problem.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that merit scholarships/aid may depend on scores, even at schools that are test optional.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, I admire your daughter’s resistance to spending too much more time on SAT’s.</p>
<p>You might find Furman to be a good match. Though smaller than you indicated range, it is similar to Richmond which she liked. Strong in science, music and undergrad research opportunities plus a good marching band. They have also recently switched to test optional admissions.</p>
<p>Is U of R Richmond or Rochester? The University of Rochester would be a strong possibility in terms of her interests, although her scores might pose a problem. Tufts would be a great fit for her, but again there is the score problem. I really think she should try the ACT. Has she taken any SATIIs? If she could get a nice score on the Math II exam in October, plus one more, it might really help. </p>
<p>I also think that she should rethink Smith. It is part of a consortium with three coed schools, which not only provides plenty of relatively easy access to guys, but expands the effective size of the undergraduate population available to her. And, of course, it is located in a cool town.</p>
<p>I think that Wake Forest is on the test-optional list.</p>
<p>Did she try taking the ACT? I am told the math questions may be less tricky there. I know my math kid always made stupid mistakes on the math SAT - just from misreading questions or forgetting one step.</p>
<p>mathmom - she is scheduled to take the ACT in September and is now reviewing for it. If she could re-take the SAT just the math portion she would be willing to do that but she is happy with her other scores and doesn’t want to risk those going down if she retakes…even with super scoring she thinks it would look bad…</p>