<p>My daughter really wants to major in Russian at a northeast to DC area LAC or smaller U. In order of preference, her list is Dickinson (true love), Brandeis, Conn College, Goucher, American, Wooster. We "made" her apply to our two main state schools, U WA and WSU; her heart is far from the PNW (WA residency but we live overseas), but I wanted to make sure she had something we could count on being able to pay for. Even there, the only sure one is WSU with automatic merit based on GPA/ACT. </p>
<p>We thought all along that she would qualify for a decent need-based aid package, but there are some complicated factors there that we had misunderstood. We're not quite finished with the calculations, but it's not looking good. EFC now looks like 28-30K and I don't see how we can commit to more than 18K including loans. So far, she has 5K for the first year from US Senate Youth and I think she'll get another 3-4K in local scholarships, but again, just for the first year. I think she's a good admissions match for her list (2nd in class, 4.1 wt GPA, 7 APs, 28 ACT, 2 time national finalist and major awards in Nat'l History Day, Senate Youth delegate, leadership ECs, strong recs, good pianist, wants to play bass clarinet in college orchestra that welcomes nonmajors, URM, functional in French and German, and has lived in W. Europe for last five years). BUT I'm afraid the ACT will keep her out of serious merit consideration (SAT was 1850), and there is no merit offered by Conn. So here she is very late in the game expanding the search to affordable OOS publics in the preferred region (not sure why location is so important to her, but we looked at a few schools in the west-midwest and upper south and that's just not where she wants to be). Even Wooster only made the list because in her mind it is better than having to go back to WA; although I think it sounds like a fine school, it's in Ohio (not a slam to you Buckeyes, but that's just the way she thinks). And I tried to push women's colleges without success.
One possibility that's come up is SUNY Albany--smaller than many state schools, admission to honors college also possible, offers the major, has a March deadline. Can anyone give input on Albany? OOS COA is about 23K, and I think she'd get at least some merit money if I'm reading it right. Any other suggestions?</p>
<p>how about Geneseo in NY? I would think that would be closer to Dickinson (we have visited Dickinson and I can see why your daughter likes it, especially for a language major).
I graduated SUNY Albany many years ago but I have viisted a few times since. The reputation of the school has actually declined since I went, with Binghamton pulling way ahead (they used to be considered roughly comparable). The campus is stark, and the facilities are not very well kept up. I had mostly very large lecture classes and the teachers were not very approachable. The food was AWFUL. Overall, I made good friends and enjoyed my experience there but it seems that public schools in other states are better funded with more engaging teachers and school spriit (UDEL, Penn State, UMD). If she can get signficant scholarship money there, it might be worth a try. She should visit though - the environment is VERY different from Dickinson.</p>
<p>We're just really unfamiliar with the publics because she wasn't thinking that way until we started working on the financial aid forms. New York OOS costs stood out as affordable, so I will have her check into the other SUNYs as well as other states she'd like to consider and see which ones still have admission and aid deadlines not already passed. She really would prefer something smaller than a mega-U. Visiting now won't be an option since we live in Germany, but we'll see what happens in admissions and try to swing something in April.</p>
<p>OK - Geneseo is a small NY state school and is known as a "gem". And a good deal, even OOS. Trust me, it's much closer to Dickinson than SUNY Albany (although it's much colder up there!) Don't know if the admsissions deadline is past.</p>
<p>Albany looks very much like it's run on state money. The campus is really depressing and gray. It's also ranked (however they measure these things) in the top party schools of the country. All my friends who go there are having a good time, but most of them are trying to graduate as early as possible.</p>
<p>It's a shame that Albany is so depressing. It's the only SUNY that offers a major in Japanese, as far as I can tell, and my daughter refused to even consider the school. The viewbook that Albany sent out a few months ago was really fantastic, though. I bet a lot of kids applied based on what they saw in the book.</p>
<p>renee - sorry - you're right. Apparently Geneseo only offers an elementary Russian course. Too bad. I think your D will get into Dickinson. Be sure to express strong interest - they want students who want them.</p>
<p>I guess things don't change much over the year - SUNY Albany was a big party school when I went and I guess it still is. The food is probably still bad too! It is a shame - a state as big as NY deserves more. Compare to CA, TX and PA and the system seems to come up short.</p>
<p>Oh, I think she'll get in to all the schools, but when she made the list, we were banking on a good need-based package, and I don't think that will happen. And I'm not sure she's a merit contender at any of them; that's why I want her to do some more looking.</p>
<p>Renee, there are a couple of parents here who are very knowledgable about Russian language programs. Did you try searching the CC database? Offhand, I don't remember their names, but a search should uncover posters who frequently discuss Russian. Try PMing a couple of them. Most CC people are very happy to share their expertise, I've found.</p>
<p>I don't know. Those are just my last minute ideas. (But you may be worrying about nothing! It's normal to have COLD feet about now. I know mine are a tad cool for son #1 also in the process...)</p>
<p>Thanks, this is just the kind of info I was hoping for, since we don't have much basis for judgment from afar.</p>
<p>Weenie--Ohio looks like a possibility, although I think the honors deadline may be passed because it says they are interviewing at the end of the month. I sure like the sound of that program (but sounds very selective anyway).</p>
<p>Lefthand--my daughter would probably look at German universities if she were qualified, but she attends an American high school and a German U would require the abitur (about equivalent to the British A-levels).</p>
<p>Renee: Yes, I'm sorry, it does look like the honors deadline is passed. :( Your daughter is a very strong candidate though. I bet she would have made it.</p>
<p>How about Marist college in NY? My son's friend received a signficant merit scholarship offer from Marist a couple of years ago (and he's good but not great student). It's small and they offer Russian/slavic studies as a major. Check out their website. Deadline is 2/15. Lafeyette is also a good school in PA - may be much tougher to get merit money though. I seem to remember them offering many language majors. Univ of Rochester in NY is also a good school but I'm not sure about app deadlines or merit $. Good luck!</p>
<p>oh, I forgot about the schools that are the closest to me! Lehigh, Lafayette and Muhlenberg all have Russian studies and good reputations. These three are part of a 5 school consortium. The other two are DeSales and Moravian. Students can take a limited number of classes at any of these colleges if they can work out the scheduling and get advisor permission.</p>
<p>I have a cousin whose son is at Muhlenberg and got good merit money from them. Also agree, dump Albany as a choice. The reputation is not great and the campus is ugly and depressing.</p>