<p>My DS is a Senior thinking about colleges. So far his list is pretty much done but he is thinking of adding H &WS. He wants to major in ES and I know they have a great program. He also want to do pre-med and become a wilderness or rural ER doc. 3.6 GPA , 2200 SAT's. He is VERY outdoorsy.. is a competitive rock climber, Mountaineer, Eagle Scout, Search and Rescue volunteer, Rescue scuba diver, First Responder and has spent over 1200 hrs. of volunteer work on conservation in national parks all over the US. I looked on the website and I didn't see an outdoor club.. do they have one? It seems they would, as I would imagine the location would warrant one.. this is a high priority item for my S. He is outgoing, unpretentious, independent, intellectual and wants an intimate and close-knit student body, small discussion based classes with plenty of interaction with professors. Any input would be most appreciated.</p>
<p>HWS would be great for him, also check out St. Lawrence University (NY), “A candle in the wilderness” as it has always been known. Best of luck to your son!</p>
<p>They have ORAP- but the sched info doesn’t seem to be updated. Last winter seemed to offer a few x-c skiing trips and an ice-climbing trip. Did you see the info about the Finger Lakes Institute?</p>
<p>LF… I will have him check out the ORAP… I didn’t see the thing about the Finger lakes Institute… what is it? I’ll look around the website again.</p>
<p>SLUMOM… he already has St Lawrence on the list. It’s just so hard because we don’t have the time or money to visit all these schools. He has researched St. Lawrence and really seems to like it. It also has a great ES program and he LOVES the adirondack semester thing. All these schools are SO far away though…sigh… but he wants a new adventure.</p>
<p>[Hobart</a> and William Smith Colleges :: Finger Lakes Institute](<a href=“http://fli.hws.edu/index.asp]Hobart”>http://fli.hws.edu/index.asp)</p>
<p><a href=“https://www.facebook.com/pages/Finger-Lakes-Institute-at-Hobart-and-William-Smith-Colleges/295826052642[/url]”>https://www.facebook.com/pages/Finger-Lakes-Institute-at-Hobart-and-William-Smith-Colleges/295826052642</a></p>
<p>I don’t know any more than this- HWS literally sits on the edge of the lake. Can’t tell if this is active enough to engage your son- it might be worth a phone call to one of the faculty or staff.</p>
<p>Thanks LF!</p>
<p>I think I constructed that sentence oddly. That’s all I know about ES, ORAP or FLI. The location on the lake is beautiful. In many ways, HWS is a great school- it was my D1’s 2nd choice, based on some particulars in her major and some great profs. I believe your son has a number of good choices. Hope he eventually settles happily.</p>
<p>Hi, my DD is a freshman. She did a four day Pre-Orientation trip (kayaking), but there were a number of advanced hiking trips as well. Since she’s been there, each weekend ORAP has scheduled some type of trip (rock climbing and a day trip to Chimney Bluffs on Lake Ontario are two that I know of). In addition, I saw that ORAP is looking for new guides, which I assume they do each year, and are always looking for suggestions for trips. Hope that helps a bit.</p>
<p>Yes, it does…Thanks HMSmom!! How does your daughter like it so far? I know it’'s probably too early to tell.</p>
<p>She is really loving it. She got into some extremely competitive, larger schools, but we were impressed with the “nurturing, be the best you can be atmosphere”. She’s met with the dean twice already, who already knows her. She’s involved in dance, the Hillel, and got a job in the communications department as a photographer, had dinner at the chaplain’s house last night with about 20 other kids. She’s met some great kids (I highly recommend a pre-orientation trip, wherever your DS may end up), food is good, she’s enjoying her classes and her professors. Her stats were high (although not quite as high as your son’s) and we were worried it wouldn’t be challenging enough for her…but she seems to be thriving. We couldn’t be happier with her experience so far. Good luck! I’d be happy to answer any other questions.</p>
<p>WOW!! Thanks HMSmom!! That is so wonderful that your D is having such a great first experience… It sounds great!! MY S would definitely do the pre-orientation trip and I’m sure he would want to be a leader in the future. I like what you said about your daughter being challenged. My S is very bright but is not a kid who spends hours studying. He is way more balanced. That is why he doesn’t have a 4.0. I think a school like H&WS would be perfect for him.</p>
<p>Wow again! All the responses are just fabulous! I’m so glad you all have so much information to provide 5boys! I’ve been pretty much holding the fort down for a couple of years now for this forum and I’m delighted you’re contributing; there is always so much more information that just one person can know. 5boys, I will address a couple of your questions tomorrow when I’m not so tired.</p>
<p>CarolynB, you answered all of my questions so quickly and thoroughly, I’m hoping to “pay it forward”!</p>
<p>HMSmom, you are doing a terrific job of “paying it forward!” Thank you for sharing!</p>
<p>5boys, your description of your son as “more balanced” describes my junior son perfectly; he doesn’t obsess about studying but he does have very high standards for himself so he balances his academics and ECs pretty well. HWS has been good for him in that regard. </p>
<p>As a first-year, he participated in the pre-orientation (POAP) advanced backpacking trip, giving him a leg-up on getting settled into college–definitely a good thing! Even though my son is an experienced outdoorsman, he’s chosen to get involved in other things so HMSmom is a good resource for that kind of information.</p>
<p>You should definitely look up the Finger Lakes Institute; it is a phenomenal opportunity for environmental research and policy.
[Hobart</a> and William Smith Colleges :: Finger Lakes Institute](<a href=“http://fli.hws.edu/]Hobart”>http://fli.hws.edu/)</p>
<p>You are welcome to ply us with more questions!</p>