<p>I’m the OP and I have really enjoyed reading all posts. Thanks to all. However silversas got straight to an issue for us. Dartmouth, Carnegie Mellon, Harvey Mudd are not realistic choices. He hasn’t received his ranking yet but I’m guessing top 20%, 3.2 nonweighted GPA, lots of APs and 28 on ACT. So I guess I’m still wondering about programs for good students but not super elite programs. Also, I have been reading about the 3-2 program at Wash U/ST. Louis (among others) connected with good LAC like St. Olaf, Grinnell, Lawrence. Any thoughts on 3:2 or 4:2 programs?</p>
<p>Grinnell has CS on its own, although it will be a stretch with those stats; I believe Lawrence does as well. I’m leery of 3:2 programs, don’t know of any 4:2 for CS but they avoid the issue of essentially “transferring” for senior year of college.</p>
<p>I think Wash U is a bit reachy for a B student. I like the idea of 3:2 programs (never heard of 4:2) but I couldn’t sell them to any of my kids. While all did/will do study abroads, none really wanted to go to two separate colleges. I wonder how many kids really do that versus how many think they will do it. What is a 4:2 program anyway??</p>
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<p>Lots of students do 3:2 or 2:2 programs. They go to community college for 2-3 years, then transfer to a university for the remaining 2 years. In most cases, it is done for financial reasons (did not get into a generous financial aid school, and 2:2 is cheaper than going to the university all 4 years) or because their stats were not good enough to get into the university or major as freshmen (so they use good community college grades as “redemption”).</p>
<p>^I think the OP is talking about articulation programs between LACs and schools like Caltech, Columbia, Dartmouth (usually for engineering). You do 3 years of math/science prereqs at the LAC, then 2 years of engineering at the transfer school–come out with two bachelor’s degrees.</p>
<p>That does not sound fundamentally different from doing 2-3 years of math/science prereqs at community college, then 2 years of engineering or computer science at a state university with an articulation agreement with the community college, though you would end with one bachelor’s degree and possibly an associate’s degree instead of two bachelor’s degrees.</p>
<p>Of course, the “college experience” and the prestige factor are likely to be different. But so could the costs.</p>
<p>^The difference is huge. In one case you are going to a school where 90% of the students stay four years and graduate, while you transfer to an engineering program. In the other you are going to a school where everyone transfers to a four year school at the end of two years.</p>
<p>That’s exactly what I was thinking mathmom. Here in Pennsylvania, 60% of the students that end up on main campus start at a satellite campus. Lots of kids start at community colleges and then go on to finish at a four year college. But those are not the same as a traditional four year university and I think it’s more then prestige, it’s a level of comfort and enjoyment. I don’t think those are small points. I don’t think that college should be just one more hoop to jump through to get to a job.</p>
<p>Our son applied to a few LAC’s(Oberlin/Allegheny) intending to major in compsci. However his choices boiled down to RPI and Case because their programs and departments seems so much better in terms of faculty resources, facilities and course offerings.</p>