<p>We thought we had DS's school list all figured out (all high spirit, high academic schools, relatively large) - his safety is Rutgers which will probably offer him $10,000 merit aid based on his ACT score of 33. (his rank isn't high enough to qualify him for more - he's probably top 10% but his school doesn't rank, so we are not sure, wth a GPA of 3.7 unwieghted, 4.3 weighted- AP Calc AB last year (AP Score=5), BC this year, AP Physics this year). </p>
<p>Probable major, Econ or Business (depending on the school). </p>
<p>But he doesn't want to go to a school so close to home even though he would live at school so he is just now become open to applying to schools that don't require much work to apply, and that may give him some money. </p>
<p>The kicker is that they need to be allergy food friendly (he got turned off to smallish schools on a visit to Colgate when the only choice he had for lunch that he could safely eat was a turkey sandwich.) He says doesn't want to go to a school that is smaller than his high school (2500 kids). He hated Guildford because it was so small even though it was allergy friendly (well, besides being small, it is not a high spirit school either).</p>
<p>I was intrigued to read about Indiana University of Pennsylvania's honor program becasue that school looks big enough and the program looks challenging enough (I don't want him to be bored because its too easy). I've also gathered Fordham and Richmond might fit the bill. Any other suggestions for my DS?</p>
<p>Um, I can understand why your S doesn't want a college near home. My own D had a 500-mile MINIMUM criterion in her search. But choosing a school based on eats is hard for me to get my arms around. Good luck with the search.</p>
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But choosing a school based on eats is hard for me to get my arms around.
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<p>For someone with <em>food allergies</em>, choosing a school based on "eats" (in this case, reasonable options for people with allergies) is hard for you to get your arms around? Really? Seems like great foresight to me, and totally reasonable.</p>
<p>katytibbs, what food allergies does your DS have? It might be easier to look up schools with good reputations if one can do it by specific allergy.</p>
<p>We haven't had this problem (I clicked on this link because of the "low cost" question), but I do know that menus at my son's university (large midwestern public) have a large range of options. The trick is finding a place that is committed to helping individual students navigate the dining halls.</p>
<p>I'm very allergic to cats, and it's amazing how many people describe my problem as "not liking cats."</p>
<p>His food allergies are dairy, nuts and shellfish. He used to be extremely allergic to dairy (touching it set off a skin reaction, had analphylactic reaction to ingesting it) but he has improved and can tolerate small quantities as an ingredient (e.g., bread) and cross contamination is not as big an issue.</p>
<p>Larger schools tend to have more food choices, so an honors college at a big U is a good option. (I like small LACs but I'm not the one going to college.) I mentioned U Alabama to him last night based on another thread here that they would give him full tuition based on his ACT & GPA. I'd appreciate other thoughts.</p>
<p>If he is a NMF he could look at Denison U. DD1 attends there, likes the food and they have a very broad selection. They also have good merit aid.</p>
<p>S goes to a SUNY school. He has a friend who needs to be on a Gluten Free diet. He lives in and is guaranteed a single room and the kitchen cooks meals everyday specifically catered to his dietary needs. You should contact the schools directly that your son is interested in and find out if they are willing and able to meet his dietary needs.</p>
<p>Free out-of-state tuition for eight semesters & low cost--but outstanding--housing & food at the Univ. of Alabama's Honors College. (Requires a 32 ACT or 1400 CR & math SAT I, along with a 3.7 GPA but I am not sure if a weighted 3.7 GPA counts, although my impression is that it does.)</p>
<p>The University of Georgia has a food services program that everybody raves about. Students at UGA do not complain about their food, they look forward to it. They had the menu designed by some professional, world renown chef, and have won many awards for their food quality. I would think that a program that has put this much effort into designing a great program would also address allergy issues. But better yet, UGA has one of the top honors programs in the country...for publics. MUCH better than UA, although UA does throw the money around quite a bit more. It is a well established program that has been called the top honors program in the country and as good an education as an Ivy League school can give. The following link is to their food services area, but you can easily Google their honors program. I'm not a Bulldawg, but I was invited to a visitation day for potential honors kids and we got to eat at the cafeteria and it really was amazing! </p>
<p>You could also go for a school that doesn't have mandatory meal plans and lets students arrange their own food (through cooking). That lets the student be in charge of their own food-destiny. :) I don't know what your son's view on this is, but everyone I know who has serious medical food restrictions (allergies, Celiac's, etc), including my boyfriend, prefers to prepare their own food, even compared to the option of having a cook trained in allergy issues prepare food for them. They just feel safer that way.</p>
<p>He's not NMF, he's only made commended (NJ has a high level and his ACTs are better than his SATs - SATs were 640 V & 780 Math). He's counting on his high ACT (33) to get him better aid/admission.</p>
<p>Thanks for the suggestion about UPitt. He and I spent a week at Johnstown this summer in a non-University program and were underwhelmed with the facilities. Is the other campus a lot different?</p>
<p>agree w/ jessiehl. Contact the office that deals w/ student disabilities and ask what recourse and resources there are available to a student w/ life threatening food allergies. They should be receptive and many probably have experience dealing with kids in your S's situation. Best of luck! </p>
<p>My boy outgrew his allergies by middle school but it was terrifying even sending him to preschool where some well-meaning parent may mistakenly assume that what was a life threatening condition was simply a preference. I feel for you and wish you well.</p>
<p>University of Pittsburgh -- Pittsburgh campus is much better than the Johnstown campus trust me... it's in the city of Pitt and it has an honors college your son would be able to get accepted to. Your son also might be able to get a full tuition scholarship there.</p>