<p>Can anyone help my son come up with some smallish, non-urban, tech type schools that have a focus on engineering (specifically computer engineering) and/or physics? We're new at this so have patience!</p>
<p>He's somewhat of a non-traditional student and I'm not sure how that will effect his admissions chances for where ever he ends up.</p>
<p>On the plus side: He's a very good student. He currently attends highschool part-time (he's a junior) and goes to the local university for math and science. Next year in his senior year he intends to attend the university fulltime as a dual enrollment student. His GPA is high (not sure of the exact number because I don't know how the university classes will factor in, but he has all A's for the university classes and mostly all A's for high school classes). He scored in the low 600's in all sections on the SAT when he took it, but he was only 12 then and I suspect he will score higher when he takes it again next fall. He is half-hispanic which I believe will give him an edge at some schools.</p>
<p>On the down side: He's academically accelerated and young for grade and will only be 15 when entering college as a freshman. I know this will be frowned upon by some schools. He also might not have a highschool diploma. Due to scheduling conflicts between the highschool and university, he misses some classes. He will have 4+ years of both math and science and will have 4 years of english, but might be lacking some of the elective arts/languages/p.e. type credits to satisfy diploma requirements. He also doesn't really have any EC's of which to speak. Since he doesn't have the "whole package" we're not looking at really selective schools. </p>
<p>What he's looking for: A smallish, non-urban, tech type school with research opportunities and professors that will know his name and overlook his age. The more rigorous the academics the better. He intends to go to grad school so the big name is not necessary for undergrad. We can afford approximately $15K per year out of income, $20K at a stretch. We will not qualify for financial aid and are not looking to take on any loans. Schools generous with merit scholarships are a plus! It can be arranged that he will commute no matter where he goes so dorms/residential things aren't an issue.</p>
<p>To give you an idea of what he's looking for, here are a few schools that he finds appealing (though some might be too expensive!)</p>
<p>Colorado School of Mines
Rose Hulman Institute of Technology
Florida Institute of Technology
New Mexico Institute of Technology
Franklin Olin College of Engineering</p>
<p>Can anyone suggest some more similar type schools for consideration?</p>
<p>Take a look at Brandeis. It is a small research university that is like a LAC. They have a good physics department and computer science, but not engineering.</p>
<p>Case Western - small university with science flavor, good merit aid.</p>
<p>Rose Hulman definitely.</p>
<p>Rice, although mostly need-based aid, does have some merit aid for the very top students, but I don’t know what their criteria for “very top” is.</p>
<p>BTW, My son was a year young applying, had been in CC classes since 12, and has an odd transcript with almost no ECs. He did very well in admissions, including at Colo Mines, Case Western, and Rose Hulman (as well as Rice, Caltech, and Harvey Mudd). I don’t think your son would have too much of a problem at really selective schools (Olin is in this category), except that the really selective schools tend to have much more need-based money than merit money.</p>
<p>My son is actually taking a gap year - he’s living at home and doing an internship / flunkyship before going to college at the traditional age; you might want to look into the possibility of something similar for your son.</p>
<p>I’d also recommend he take the SAT this spring just as a reminder of how it works; it won’t hurt to take in spring and again in fall.</p>
<p>Feel free to email me or PM me for more BTDT or a copy of the transcript I cobbled together (my son was dual-enrolled with homeschool/college instead of with public school/college). Good luck!</p>
<p>I would take a look at Grinnell. It’s not a tech school but it has very strong sciences (CS and physics), is rural, offers generous merit and financial aid, and no class larger than 25 students. State-of-the-art facilities including an observatory. Also, no distribution requirements and a population of home schooled students, so I suspect his non-traditional background won’t phase them. Grinnell’s reputation is for quirky, intellectual, understated and unpretentious. If that’s your guy, he may be quite happy there. Oh, and if he gets in (to Grinnell or elsewhere), have him apply for substance free dorms, where he’ll be able to make friends for whom drinking isn’t their primary idea of a good time.</p>
<p>2200 Undergrads, small classes, know your professors, Division III Athletics, Co-op Program in Engineering, Honors Program, Merit Aid available, Need-Based Aid. </p>
<p>Not a 50k/year school! No Greek Life (always a plus in my opinion) </p>
<p>College of Liberal Arts
School of Engineering (check to see if interested in their majors)<br>
School of Business
School of Art & Design </p>
<p>Princeton Review’s Best 373
Fiske Guide 2011
USNWR’s Great Schools Great Prices
Fiske Best Value </p>
<p>Nice charming village of Alfred, NY, rural location! Friendly place to be for 4 years.
Best of luck to your son, sounds like he will do well!</p>