Mid-Atlantic, Lower Tier Schools

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Unfortunately, we are looking into colleges at the 11th hour, so would appreciate any insight. My son had a bad junior year but is now pulling himself together somewhat. We had decided that Salisbury or Towson Universities would be the best possibilities, but am now wondering if we could look farther afield, into PA, VA or possibly NC.</p>

<p>GPA 3.0 unweighted (top 40% rank) , only 2/3 AP classes, SAT 1800, 350 volunteer hours in parks and rec/outdoor service. (after Junior year - GPA should rise after this semester).</p>

<p>Interests: being near beach/water, outdoorsy-environment but not too cold, possible environmental/fisheries major but still undecided. He is intelligent, but will never be a scholar. Perhaps some sort of technical training would be a better fit for him than college, but he wants the experience. We do not want to pay more than 20k a year.</p>

<p>Thanks for any direction.</p>

2

<p>We do not want to pay more than 20k a year.</p>

<p>with that budget, I don’t see how going OOS would be possible. His stats aren’t high enough for enough merit to bring costs down to the budget. </p>

<p>Does he like his current schools? If so, seems like his list is done.</p>

3

<p>University of Rhode Island or College of the Atlantic (though very different) could be good matches except for the cost (and colder weather).
[URI</a> Fisheries Center](<a href=“http://cels.uri.edu/fisheries/Default.aspx]URI”>http://cels.uri.edu/fisheries/Default.aspx)
<a href=“http://web.uri.edu/cels/[/url]”>http://web.uri.edu/cels/&lt;/a&gt;
[Department</a> of Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences - CELS](<a href=“http://cels.uri.edu/favs/FAVS_UgradAFS.aspx]Department”>http://cels.uri.edu/favs/FAVS_UgradAFS.aspx)</p>

4

<p>Agree. With his stats and your budget, MD publics are your best bet for sure.</p>

5

<p>

</p>

<p>Well, maybe at Howard, where [3.0</a> HS GPA and 1170 SAT CR+M](<a href=“http://www.howard.edu/financialaid/grants_scholarships.htm#Freshman]3.0”>http://www.howard.edu/financialaid/grants_scholarships.htm#Freshman) can get the full tuition scholarship, unless they have already been used up (first come first served). But he may want to check whether the [url=<a href=“http://www.biology.howard.edu/home.html]biology[/url”>http://www.biology.howard.edu/home.html]biology[/url</a>] and other course offerings match his interests. It also does not appear to be near a beach and is also in an urban area.</p>

6

<p>I think you are correct. He may apply to Frostburg as a safety. Towson is not really his “style” but he has friends there. He is not particularly excited by Salisbury either. </p>

<p>I do not want to spend extra money as he is very unsure of his goals. I was just hoping we could find some last-minute inspiration. He has savings and is capable of making additional money (full plus part-time job) this summer to contribute. He is very independent but seems to need a nudge.</p>

7

<p>is capable of making additional money (full plus part-time job) this summer to contribute</p>

<p>How much per year could he contribute? (I wouldn’t encourage too many hours DURING the school year).</p>

<p>As UCB mentioned, there are some HBCUs that would give him merit. Would he be interested in attending a Historically Black school?</p>

<p>How much is Flagler down in Florida?</p>

<p>another thought is Truman State in Missouri, but not near the beach.</p>

8

<p>Near the beach, accessible for his stats (might even get to the Honors College+scholarship if he can write a good essay): UNC Wilmington, Coastal Carolina. I second Flagler in Florida, also Florida Southern. I think Mansfield university in PA has a Fisheries major and is both a safety for him and affordable (he’d likely get a scholarship, too) - if not Mansfield, definitely one of the PASSHE schools. Not near a beach though. Endicott in MA is near a beach but it’s cold. Wisconsin Superior would be within budget and accessible for his stats and has a marine biology/fisheries major but it’s cooooold (on Lake Superior). SUNY Cobleskill would likely offer him a scholarship, SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry at Syracuse may also be of interest. Birmingham-Southern has environmental science and is warm (Alabama), and there may be other schools with environmental science near a beach.</p>

9

<p>Potentially: Old Dominion University, Hampton University, Norfolk State University (all near the beach, not sure if they have a fisheries major). Radford University (near the mountains for outdoor activities).</p>

10

<p>Salisbury seems to fit. It’s near the beach (Ocean City, MD). It’s inexpensive (~$18K). It’s not too selective.</p>

11

<p>“We do not want to pay more than 20k a year.”</p>

<p>University of Maryland Eastern Shore offers concentrations in Fisheries and in Marine Sciences: [UMES</a> - Academic Affairs - Academic Programs Undergraduate](<a href=“http://www.umes.edu/Academic/index.aspx?id=29200]UMES”>http://www.umes.edu/Academic/index.aspx?id=29200)</p>

<p>Mansfield in PA is about $10,000 above your budget. The other PASSHE will be unaffordable too.</p>

<p>What county are you in? Check the community college there, and any that are commutable in adjacent counties. A year or two at one of the CCs might help him get focused on his career goals, and allow your family to save up for the final two or three years of his educationi.</p>

<p>Wishing you all the best!</p>

12

<p>I’d look at Flagler too. </p>

<p>They have a Coastal Environmental Science major.
[Coastal</a> Environmental Science Major | Natural Sciences | Flagler College](<a href=“http://www.flagler.edu/academics/departments-programs/natural-sciences/coastal.html]Coastal”>http://www.flagler.edu/academics/departments-programs/natural-sciences/coastal.html)</p>

<p>They’re one of the cheapest privates around - total cost of attendance is under $25,000. [Tuition</a> & Fees | Office of Admissions | Flagler College](<a href=“http://www.flagler.edu/admission-aid/tuition-fees.html]Tuition”>http://www.flagler.edu/admission-aid/tuition-fees.html)</p>

13

<p>If $20k is your limit, you need to run the college-matching search engines to identify places where the out-of-state tuition and fees are no more than $10k. This will leave you $10k for housing, meals, books, transportation, etc. Don’t forget that costs go up about 5% to 7% each year, so something that is borderline affordable now, could be out of your price range in four years.</p>

14

<p>Any interest in UMBC? It’s 10 minutes from the Inner Harbor…not a beach, but has an on-the-water feel.</p>

15

<p>I second Old Dominion</p>