Parents of B/B+ students need the most help. List 5 suggestions please.
To be useful to you I think you need to let people know things like geographic preference, financial limits (if any), size of school preferred etc.
http://www.amazon.com/Americas-Best-Colleges-B-Students/dp/161760075X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1442678944&sr=8-1&keywords=colleges+for+b+students
It’s meant as a general resource for parents visting the forum. It is not for me. People should feel free to suggest 5 they recommend.
Too many of the threads address the needs of the top 5% of students, leaving the rest in the dark.
My younger son was slightly above that range, with an unweighted GPA of 3.3-3.4, but I think his safeties would probably be solid matches for students with slightly lower stats. Eckerd and Guilford were his safeties, and Willamette was a low-match for him. All three offered him very generous merit scholarships. My older son had a GPA below 3.0, and he got into Rutgers Arts & Sciences in-state, and into some arts colleges. I’d say that most of the Colleges That Change Lives, apart from Reed and one or two others, are probably within reach. Many state flagships, with obvious exceptions of Cal, Michigan, UT-Austin, UNC-Chapel Hill, et al, are matches. In the more competitive states, some directional public universities should be matches. I think Temple is probably within reach. DePaul certainly is. Lots of these colleges are test-optional, also.
1 Like
OK then…my S was a B+ student (from a very competitive HS) and went to Fordham. Also was accepted to to Fairfield, Quinippiac, Marist, Siena, UScranton,and Manhattan College. Got nice merit aid at all schools except Quinnipiac. He used Siena’s fast forward application and heard back by October and got into a number of other schools EA or rolling by December so he did not need any any super-safety schools. Another nice school he chose not to apply to were Stonehill (just too small for his tastes).
I want to say that my S got a fantastic education and had an amazing experience at Fordham (and he went on to do grad work at Notre Dame). There are a ton of absolutely wonderful schools for B range students so don’t anyone buy into the hype that it is “Ivy or bust”. Finding a school that is the right fit academically, socially, and financially should be the goal.
Our S16 is a B/B+ student with very high test scores, which gives him a few more options. The big problem could be the “slacker” label, since he has A’s in what most would consider the hardest classes and got a 4 on the AP exam in English but a D on his report card the last 2 years.
Try this article from USNWP: A+ colleges for B students:
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/a-plus
There are a few lengthy threads here on CC for and by parents with kids that have GPAs between 3 - 3.5. Do a search and you should find them.
Loren Pope’s Colleges that Change Lives is also pegged to this kind of student.
I had a 3.9/5.0 gpa in high school which gave me about a B average and i got into some pretty great schools such as Boston University (the school I attend), UMass Amherst, Marist College, and Temple University
There are several threads on this topic in the Parents Forum. Here are some of them:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/767486-where-did-your-3-3-3-6-gpa-child-get-in.html#latest
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/767966-where-did-your-3-0-3-3-gpa-child-get-in.html#latest
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/931514-colleges-for-the-jewish-b-student.html
I highly recommend going to the Colleges That Change Lives presentation if they come to your area. The director does a good job showing that the B/ B+ student has many options for colleges and universities. Forty schools are CTCL schools but the director (and the book) emphasize these do not compose the entire universe of colleges for the B/B+ student.
Last year, when my daughter was a senior, I found the Parents of 2015, 3.0-3.3 thread extremely helpful and supportive. This year’s thread seems very similar in tone and content. Be aware that not all B students are alike, so there is a lot of variation in the range and types of schools suggested and discussed.
.
Five schools:
UMBC,
UNC Asheville,
Cornell College (IA) offers One Course At A Time like Colorado College,
Eckerd,
Willamette
I’d think about non flagship state schools, too. More bang for your buck, but diverse in offerings and well funded. If a kid takes off in college, he can find challenges there.
Wants small and academics-focused: College of Wooster, Earlham, Ohio Wesleyan, Allegheny
Wants small, quirky, liberal: Beloit, Guilford, Hendrix, Lewis&Clark, Eckerd
Wants small, conservative: Birmingham-Southern, Millsaps, Davis&Elkins, Stetson, Hope
Wants outdoors: Gustavus Adolphus, College of Idaho, Caroll-Montana
Wants city: Augsburg, Ogglethorpe, St Michael’s, Simmons (girls), Howard, Spelman
Wants easy city access: Drew, Marist, Lake Forest, Elmhurst, UMW, Loyola-MD, West Chester University
Wants larger for lots of choices: UNC-Wilmington, SUNY New Paltz, Shepherd, UTampa, UWyoming, Temple
Wants mid size private university in a city with access to mountains: Denver University
Wants midsize public university in smaller town with great access to mountains: Montana State if STEM interest; Univ Montana if more humanities oriented
Wants smaller LAC on east coat: Washington College in Chesterstown, MD
Wants smaller LAC in Rocky Mts: Westminster College in Salt Lake City; Carroll College in Helena, MT
Wants smaller LAC on West Coast: Willamette, Puget Sound, Lewis and Clark, Whitman but probably too reachy
Wants small LAC in Canada: Quest
Also, if finances aren’t a paramount concern, and a student wants to study Business, Finance, or Information Tech, Pace in NYC is an excellent option. Prescott, in AZ, is good for outdoors and wilderness, as are some western flagships like Montana and Wyoming. There’s always University of HI for someone seeking sunny climes, also.
Mid-Atlantic bias: Juniata College, Allegheny College, Susquehanna University, Drew University, Ohio University
Fordham
Muhlenberg
Trinity
Skidmore
Hobart
St Lawrence
Dickinson
American
UNH
UVM
UMASS
Loyola MD
Clark
Marist
Fairfield
Catholic
UCONN
Bennington