I’d love some feedback on the list we have started and love any other recommendations for our son who will be our fist of 3 headed to college next year.
He is in an excellent public high school but it is a large one in Upstate NY he’s ranked about 191 of 520 kids. All A’s and 90s 3.6 GPA overall and has improved his grades and rigor each year since 8th grade. Some college level classes, honors, some AP and PLTW engineering program through RIT. He has a passion for jazz piano so maybe a music minor? He’s more of a math/ sci kid but he’s really not sure what he wants to study in college and we are ok with that! I lean towards a LAC for him and think he would mature and grow in a smaller/med setting. He’s not a competitive person and pretty laid back but gets his work done. We want to avoid loans if possible and are trying to keep out of pocket to 30K so finding a school to give good merit to a 3.6 ish student that was not the pres of any clubs etc… might be tricky?
Here what we have so far and are trying to stay within a 4 hour radius of home and he would prefer not to bee out in the middle of nowhere… and going test optional adding in a music supplement on his application FWIW.
Fairfield- toured and we all loved worried he might not get enough $??
Hobart William Smith
Siena- toured was not really feeling it
Ursinus
Marist
Geneseo- might be too remote
Clarkson-also might be too remote and 75%male.
a few we are throwing in the pot UVM, UNH, URI just because
But I need more smaller/ medium LACs that are not frat heavy and give good merit in a college town?? Any and all ideas welcomed!
Thanks!!!
St Lawrence in up up upstate NY? Merit for that student profile, lovely campus community, feels collaborative, not competitive. Semesters in NYC and DC plus usual study abroad.
Depending on where you are in NY, Dickinson in Carlisle PA might fit that profile as well. More of a town than St Lawrence has, but similar vibe. Though I think Dickinson merit aid caps at about $24k so may not get you to the out of pocket you are looking for.
Thank you so much for the reply
SLU seems very remote…
Dickinson and Gettysburg have come across my radar
need to check the driving distance on Dickinson
St Anselm is another i forgot to mention he may look at?
How much do you know about Wheaton? I like their stats nice grad rate and retention. How competitive for scholarships? I also like the location/distance…
Thanks so much! We need to do a few marathon trips
I was going to suggest Siena but reread your post and saw he didn’t like it. Have you looked at Union? Schenectady isn’t a college town, per se, but it’s not bad. D20 really liked Clark in Worcester, too but I would be a bit leery of Wheaton (MA). It was on our original list but I had serious reservations about their financial health and I don’t think the current situation will help that at all.
Thank you!
I’m very familiar with Union i don’t think the heavy frat scene is for my son it’s a bit too close as well 30 minutes from our home.
I’m looking into Clark now!
Thx again!!
Anyone have any thoughts on Gettysburg? Reach? Love that they have a strong Music program
It’s a bit further than I’d like… not sure if he has the GPA for significant grants /aid?
Thanks! He’s 17 still figuring himself out preppy one day skateboarding the next. He loved the Fairfield vibe…
What I don’t see is him at a school where if you are not in a frat you won’t fit in. Union for example…I know it’s a great school, fantastic rep and I have many friends here that graduated from Union, I know the campus well and I just know it’s not for my kiddo. I also work at an excellent LAC up the road from Union and of course my son is not interested in it as it’s literally around the corner.
I’ve been doing some NPC on different websites not sure how accurate they are but they are all over the place… some we are getting 0 some 20-40K off… I am learning a lot on these boards and just trying so hard to find a good set of schools for him to look at. I also don’t want to waste time on reach schools that we won’t be able to afford plus traveling during a pandemic is stressful enough! I’d like to have a set of PA schools and a few more NE anything in ME or RI NH I am missing? He loves the outdoors, camping, hiking, kayaking not much of a winter sport kid but he loves the mountains.
Revisiting my initial thread from back in August
Some things have changed and some not.
Our son has applied to seven EA and there’s still a few floating out there EA RD .
Such crazy times, but we’re trying to move forward and stay positive!
I do assume decisions won’t be made until late spring to get a better feel for how next year might shape up… Plus hoping to visit more in spring as we could not visit all of these.
Here’s his list:
Marist
Fairfield
Susquehanna
Siena (Saftey close to home)
Wheaton MA
Fordham
St Michaels
Geneseo
Hartwick
Ithaca (maybe applying)
He’s been accepted into Siena and Susquehanna (excellent scholarship) so far.
I never thought we’d have him apply to so many but with everything going on I think the more options the better…
We are still open to applying to more I welcome suggestions and all insight as he’s our first to go…
and of course my son is not interested in it as it’s literally around the corner.