<p>Lc82 on paper Lafayette is my favorite. I personally like it more than UofM which is sacreligious but I’ve learned to never ever tell your kids which one you like best. That backfired with 1 and 2 so for 3 I’m keeping mum on the topic. Even my UofM engineering dad and sib don’t think it woulds be a good place for 3. That sent off warning bells for me because both ofd them are huge michigan promoters. It will be a fun trip</p>
<p>momofthreeboys, I’m with you on Michigan. D did not like it when we toured. Just too big and not thrilled with the engineering campus and the fact that it’s not on the main campus. Know someone who has the same major as D and they do not have nice things to say about the bureaucracy there. I’ve heard it’s a much better for graduate school. </p>
<p>Really liked Lafayette, unfortunately my D had a really bad tour guide. It was so unfortunate and she had super tour guides for Lehigh and Bucknell. It was such a different experience and I really wanted her to apply but she was not going for it. In the end, she wanted a little bigger school with more girl engineers. I think that if she knew then what she knows now, she would have applied and I know she would have been happy there.</p>
<p>@momofthreeboys,</p>
<p>If skiiing is non-negotiable, then why even bother looking at schools in the NE? The climate/snowfall is unreliable and the skiing is generally icy. I would not want my kid skiing off-piste in those icy conditions, even w a helmet.</p>
<p>Wasn’t on our list but Lehigh is a top Univ and top engineering school. More competitive to get in than Lafayette and civil engineering is one of their strengths. </p>
<p>My son is a snowboarder and applied to some of the various NY school already mentioned. UVM’s engineering program is not highly rated, premed is really their strength.</p>
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<p>what???snowfall unreliable??? Northeast is a pretty big region to be generalizing.</p>
<p>^^ You are aware that they can make snow nowadays, right?</p>
<p>“colorado_mom - have you ever been to either RPI or Clarkson??? If not, you might not want to make comments like ^^^”</p>
<p>Actually, I graduated from Clarkson and was back for 10th and 20th reunitions. So did DH and some of my very best friends (one couple sent a son to Clarkson a few years ago). DH is from Albany and took some classes at RPI long ago, and we visited again several years ago - DS was accepted 2 years ago. He ended up at Olin, but we looked closely at RPI and other schools too.</p>
<p>just to clarify… I think that “geeky” can be a good thing (we sent another kid to CO School of Mines), if a student wants that. RPI or Clarkson are both great schools. </p>
<p>My opinion is that both are geeky, with RPI being more academically intense. Both are mostly Engineering/science. Clarkson offers business / supply chain majors too - not sure about RPI.</p>
<p>Momofthreeboys- let me offer some views-we are a skiing family,my in-laws retired to Colorado for skiing, my son graduated, 2010, mechanical engineering from Notre Dame.
Husband and I are Bucknell graduates, and son considered the Bucknell engineering program.<br>
I am very familiar with Lehigh, daughter went to Muhlenberg,now she lives in Philly has been boarding at Blue Mountain lately. </p>
<p>First, anengineering curriculum is challenging for all students , and when you visit schools, please listen to the** %s of students who switch OUT** of the programs. </p>
<p>So, when you consider a school, keep your mind open to the backup “major”-for instance when we visited Bucknell, they were not allowing Engineering majors to switch to Business. </p>
<p>Pay attention to these policies. </p>
<p>Skiing- not sure where you’re used to skiing, I learned to ski on icy hills in the Poconos, then we moved out west (to ski) and my eyes were opened.
If you’re used to skiing out west, your son might find the "lift lines’, (especially on weekends) and the ** ski conditions ** in the Poconos very disappointing.
Beware. </p>
<p>Something to consider- with my son’s very heavy academic load, he would have never been able to get away to ski regularly, but he did go on **the college ski trips each year **. All of the trips were to Utah, Colorado or Montana resorts! He loved these outings.</p>
<p>Oh, I forgot one more thing- I took a year off from Bucknell to “ski bum” in Stratton Mt Vermont.
If skiing is really the “deal breaker” and you have two sons in Colorado, why not Colorado State, or Univ at Boulder ?
My husband wanted to go there, but his expert skiing father, realized he would have not finished college.</p>
<p>To the people defending NE skiing, you’ve obviously not skied anywhere else. Having skied in several different continents on real snow, man-made snow, powder, and crud, I will attest that skiing in NE (even at the top NE resorts) is disappointing.</p>
<p>I’m curious why, with 2 kids already in CO, your ski-mad youngest wants to go East? To be different from his older bros?</p>
<p>Older D graduated from CU Boulder, younger D is at UVM, both loved their schools. Skiing is actually much closer at UVM (although way better in CO).</p>
<p>GMT,</p>
<p>You make a good point! Having only lived in NE, I learned to ski in ‘loose granular’ snow ( aka: ice.) The first time I skiied after a big snowstorm, it felt like a totally different sport.</p>
<p>GMTPlus…well, when you state such silly things as NE skiing is generally icy, then you will be called on it.</p>
<p>geeps20, if you’ve skied in Utah or the Rockies (light powder), you would also categorize NE skiing as generally icy. West coast skiing is dense, wetter snow.</p>
<p>Having also skiied extensively in the NE and in the rockies, I have to agree that the conditions are better out west, and frequently icier/more granular in the NE. Also, no real “bowls” in the NE, and don’t recall if there was any skiing above the treeline.</p>
<p>Other ideas for engineering and skiing are Colorade State and Colorado School of Mines. Also Harvey Mudd.</p>
<p>lol, you can tell what many of us would rather being doing now, than thinking about school</p>
<p>Michigan skinig is very similar to NE except the “mountains” are really glorified hills. Mt. Bohemia might be the exception and more similar to Colorado. Son 3 does not really want to go to Colorado, yes he wants to be “different.” He is applying to Utah, but he doesn’t feel enthused - he turned down a visit during ski season which tells me lots. He does want to either stay close to home or go east. He does have a back-up major in mind and coming from an engineering family he’s heard relatives talk about the “engineering grind” ad nauseum. S3 is a football captain and lacrosse captain and hits the gym to workout every day…he would prefer to be at a school with kids that celebrate and have fun with sports and although he’s an enigma to me (I’m not too fond of helmet sports) I love him and I “get” him. The biggest impression our UofM tour made on him was the union with the statute of the athlete to the left and the statute of the scholar to the right.</p>
<p>I grew up in NY. I’ll confirm that CO conditions are better, with shorter lift lines. But when I lived in Kingston, the skiing was much closer to home than now. I do know somebody that attended Columbia (a few hours from the slopes) and joined the ski team. So I guess that should go on the list. </p>
<p>Utah skiing can be fantastic! Salt Lake City is surprising close to many very large ski centers. I think there is even public bus transit to the slopes. I don’t think that Westminster College in Salt Lake City has engineering, but they offer science majors. It has relatively low tuition and seemed to have generous scholarships. </p>
<p>I hear about a lot of kids looking at Montana too.</p>
<p>My son looked at UMich (I’m an alum) but chose the small liberal arts route (Williams) which turned out to be ideal for him. No shortage of scholar/athletes there, but no engineering. He’s now doing graduate work at Cornell, so he managed to experience the best of both worlds – small college and large university.</p>
<p>I guess the number one decision that your son needs to make is whether he wants engineering per se or if the liberal arts – math/science – would do as an alternative. He’ll have a better idea after he visits. </p>
<p>Northeastern LACs, especially those in rural environments, are not for everyone. From what you’ve said about your son I would think that he would respond favorably to schools like Williams, Amherst, Bowdoin, Middlebury, Hamilton. These schools are full of physically active, energetic, academically accomplished kids and winter sports are an essential part of the social dynamic.</p>
<p>The engineering requirement changes the list considerably, but only he can decide what his top priority is, the program or the environment.</p>
<p>momofthreeboys- so glad to read that you have engineers who speak about “the work load” ad nauseum, because it’s so sad, tragic almost when students don’t have that perspective. </p>
<p>Utah- attended Utah State University after Bucknell, for post graduate work, and actually had a “ski” class - at nearby “Bear Mountain”. </p>
<p>Salt Lake City- lived in SLC for short time after graduation, skiers heaven for sure, not sure of social climate for non-mormon, for the skier- amazing. </p>
<p>Montana- lived in Missoula, and ski resort near Flathead lake or Bridger Bowl in Butte probably the closest, and not within 30 minute drive., but it’s a wonderful place. </p>
<p>Will your “engineering major” be playing any of those "helmet’ sports in college, and if so, isn’t that a factor ? Right team, right coach?</p>