We are self-pay and looking for options that could be somewhat price competitive with Rutgers (so up to about $45k/yr incl R&B) after merit. Strongly prefer a school smaller than Rutgers with an emphasis on small, discussion-based classes. Also want strong academic rigor and prefer to leave NJ but within a long day’s drive (~8hrs). Not fewer than 2000 undergrads. Not too “fratty”, too “quirky”, or too “preppy”!! She will study social sciences but an option for business would be welcome. Pre-professional bent is a positive.
She is top 10% at a competitive suburban public high school. Has/will take AP in all subjects + electives except science. Will take AP Calc AB. 1420 SAT. All ECs, leadership, volunteering, awards revolve around musical theater and one advocacy issue. I’d describe her as emotionally mature and serious for her age. She is the type of student teachers say is a pleasure to have in class because she makes insightful contributions to discussions. She is the type of person chosen to speak on presentation panels and represent students to the Board of Ed.
She really liked Dickinson and Muhlenberg. Slightly bigger and a touch further from NJ (and without train tracks!) would be better. Loved Northeastern and American.
Don’t know if any of these will come in at budget but for the vibe, check out Clark, Stonehill, Providence, UVM (there are quirky people and preppy people but also straight up regular folks who are hard to characterize)?
Do their NPCs show merit? I found a few that do (Muhlenberg, Miami Ohio) but most are based on only need.
I do realize she would have to go a step “down” to get this kind of merit but i want to at least investigate those possibilities so we can make an informed decision. That is where Im looking for help. If a school didn’t make the cut for Fiske Im not sure how to get a quick take on it to identify those that merit a deeper dive.
Best option may be large state flagship honors colleges. Like attending a small college with all the benefits (and fewer administrative headaches) of a large university.
An important aspect of small classes focusing on discussion is to be among intelligent and motivated students.
P.S. I love AustenNut’s suggestions on this website, but any large state flagship university honors college will put your daughter in a different league for intelligent discussion. Classes are typically capped at 25 students, but it can vary by school.
P.P.S. Also, honors colleges at large state flagships offer special housing for honors students as well as other living/learning options that promote intelligent discussion among motivated students outside of class.
My daughter got significant merit aid from Muhlenberg and Sarah Lawrence, and some merit aid from Brandeis, George Washington, and American University. She also was looking for social science schools with merit aid within driving distance (of NYC).
St. Olaf (in Minnesota) ticks all of your boxes except for within 8 hours of NJ. It’s about 3000 students, gorgeous campus, with impressive facilities. It’s got a huge music focus, especially choral and acappella, so your musical theatre kid would probably find lots of opportunities for activities. They give out really nice merit aid money and I know multiple kids who’ve attended/are attending who are having a great experience. Plus, the college town of Northfield is great.
Elon was my first thought when reading the original post. Mid-sized (around 6K undergrads), small classes, liberal arts + pre-professional, lots of honors/merit opportunities. Farther from NJ but still within an 8 hr drive. And they have multiple types of merit scholarships, which can stack. (They do have a MT BFA program, though, so it could be hard to break into MT as a non-major, if that’s important to her.)
Not all honors programs/colleges are created equal. It’s important to look at whether honors classes will be the majority of the courseload, or just a sprinkling on top of mostly regular classes. Separate honors housing, and registration priority, are both potentially important features that some schools offer, and others don’t.
UDelaware has several programs within its Honors college that might appeal to a social-sciences kid - seems like an appropriate distance and vibe, and they do give merit.
My daughter received the highest merit outside of the distinctive scholars (100 get higher offers) $17,000 a year, another daughter $15,000, and my son $10,000, she graduated in honors after 3 years (9 AP’s, some DE). Nice honors dorm, priority registration, some honors classes. Also guaranteed housing. She’s on a break from BU and drove down there a few days ago, loved it. The students seem happy, pretty campus, lots to do, definitely not a suitcase school. She made most of her closest friends freshman year in the honors dorm.
Definitely consider St Johns College in Annapolis (unless its small size is really a disqualifier). It is probably the most meaningful education you can get anywhere. All small group discussion led by tutors who ask challenging questions, which teach you how to really READ and question and discuss and deconstruct original texts. The admission stats may not look selective, but that’s because the students who apply are self-selected. Only serious, intellectually curious kids want to go. I did a master’s there and finally got the REAL education I had always wanted. I went to American undergrad in the 90s bc they gave me a merit scholarship. Maybe it’s different now, but I only had a few small group discussion classes, and I did not find the class body as a whole to be very intellectual (they were more ambitious than curious). I was in the honors program and lived on an honors floor in the dorm, so my circle of friends were very smart and challenged me, but there were also a lot of sorority/frat dummies on campus, too. I was in SIS, School of International Studies, which is probably the best college at AU.
That’s funny you mention St John’s. We just got a mailer from them and i thought “Now there is a school doing something different” There is an overwhelming amount of sameness in the promotional materials!
Elon does check a lot of boxes and i keep putting it on the list and she keeps taking it off. Ha. I think it is one of those where she knows someone who goes there and is judging the entire school by it.
Also, i do think you are right about the MT as a hobby at a school with BFA.