<p>After reading that people who are massively stressed in their 20’s often fight depression in their 40’s (sorry, no link) my enthusiasm waned for the brutal tech schools like MIT. </p>
<p>What about Colorado School of Mines? There is something very charming about a marching band in hiking boots and lumberjack shirts . . .</p>
<p>Echo recommendations for Rice. Carnegie Mellon - it’s easy to take courses outside your school (computer scientists are required to have a minor). Like most schools, it’s easier to switch out of engineering (or computer science) than into it. We looked at both RPI and WPI for our son.</p>
<p>I’m not sure if you’re looking to add to your list, but have you considered Northwestern University? My S was admitted in April (separate from the admittance to the university) to their special honors Integrated Science Program. </p>
<p>It’s designed to provide opportunities for a double major (ISP plus one other, typically a science is easier but it doesn’t have to be one.) The ISP classes are special. My H, a math prof at USC, found out from his colleagues at NU that they really like to teach the ISP classes because they are so different and the students so high caliber (typically they go on to grad school, med school, law school.)</p>
<p>" if you have any suggestions for those second tier schools and financial safeties in our case, I’d love to hear them. It’s easy to pick the top schools, not as easy to know what to choose for safety, fiscal and otherwise. "
How about USC? if your son’s PSAT scores is above the Calif cut off [ which I think is 219??] then he would receive an automatic 1/2 tuition scholarship for a 4 years at USC. Even if his PSAT score does not put him in NMSF range, with his grades and stats, USC would probably offer him a Presidential scholarship[ which is also 1/2 off tuition] Plus they have a very generous FA program as well.
There are tons or really smart students at USC these days, especially in the CS and Engineering programs. The campus is surprisingly compact, the facilities first class and being improved on each year, the student professor ratio is low and the campus is full of happy students!
My son had similar stats to yours and though he was accepted at many “higher ranked” top 20 U’s, he choose USC for the programs they offered, which matched his interests, as well as for the generous scholarship he was offered. He has had great research opportunities , and will be published shortly as lead author in a scientific journal- all before he has graduated.</p>
<p>“His interests are math, computer science, “making science fiction into a reality.” But he’s also interested in lots of other things–so a school where he could dip into liberal arts would be nice for him. He’s a bass in the school chamber choir, too. Loves music for pleasure.'”
for all of the above reasons he should look into USC. There are opportunities for music through the Thorton school of music and their interdisciplinary majors that combine computer technology with dozens of other majors are stare of the art.
And finally, as a Calif kid, don’t be surprised if he ends up preferring to go to college
closer to home instead of across the country.</p>
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<p>Again, Case Western would give your son a boatload of scholarships and would definitely be a financial safety.</p>
<p>Dear Find a Place,</p>
<p>Thanks for the tip about that special program at Northwestern. It sounds PERFECT for my son (if he can get in). Do you know how big it is and how tough it is to get in?</p>
<p>What about princeton? It has very good engineering/sciences, but you don’t have to declare freshman year and it has all of the liberal arts components. The campus is beautiful, and very non-urban, plus the financial aid is very good, if you get accepted.</p>
<p>Princeton has a very good music program, and if he is interested in music and in cs, there is plork (princeton laptop orchestra) which is a joint venture between the music and the cs departments. There is also obviously the orchestra and chamber groups as well.</p>
<p>If you like the northwestern integrated program- princeton has one too-- (actually two), there is the integrated science program which combines biology with physics + cs, and also the EMP program which is an integrated introduction to engineering.</p>
<p>thanks ec1234…for the good specific info…we’ll look into it.</p>
<p>Princeton program looks excellent…of course, there’s getting into Princeton! Anyone else know of any interdisciplinary math/science programs that are rigorous but allow for more open-ended exploring of science/math?</p>
<p>There was a thread last year about boutique science programs (spurred by FAP’s mention of Northwestern) but I can’t find it!</p>
<p>Does anyone remember or know about this thread? the boutique math/science thread?</p>
<p>Ta da! <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/772097-boutique-math-science-programs-embedded-larger-schools.html?highlight=boutique[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/772097-boutique-math-science-programs-embedded-larger-schools.html?highlight=boutique</a></p>
<p>chai, your son really sounds like a Mudder to me. 
As to other options, some of the college’13 parents’ kids with similar profiles attend RPI or WPI – they seem very happy there.</p>
<p>chai, just take the kid on a one day trip to visit Princeton University</p>
<p>have him walk around and stand on top of the stairs of Blair Arch,</p>
<p><a href=“Blair Arch photo - Melissa Carroll photos at pbase.com”>Blair Arch photo - Melissa Carroll photos at pbase.com;
<p>looking down at the gothic dorm rooms such as Lockhart Hall, grass and trees - and see if this is a place that he could attend…</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.princeton.edu/~pumap/buildings/47.html[/url]”>http://www.princeton.edu/~pumap/buildings/47.html</a></p>
<p>the engineering department is ranked somewhere aroung 10-11th in the country, with some departments in the top ten.</p>
<p>the math department is ranked #1 and Physics in top 3.</p>
<p>yet, if he changes his mind about engineering/science, he has other non-science, non-engineering areas to study at Princeton that are considered among the top 5 in the country.</p>
<p>Then there are those great Eating Clubs that will make his life at Princeton complete, but that is a story for another post…</p>
<p>thanks John…unfortunately we were just on the east coast and didn’t stop in to Princeton. Now I wish we had. I think my son’s worry is “it’s too preppy and elitist.” but I’m sure he’d do fine!</p>
<p>thanks so much for the link to the boutique science school thread…</p>