<p>I’m also planning on spending some time writing up our visits. We went to alot of schools off the beaten path.</p>
<p>On another note, my son got into his “safety”. The interesting thing is that the tuition has gone up at least $4,000. It is an up and coming school and apparentlly received a huge number of EA applicants. The only merit $$$ they give out is if you attend scholarship weekends. Not sure how it will all turn out.</p>
<p>What a great thread (I too wish it could be its own forum). Thank you for all the valuable info and congratulations to all who have received good news thus far! For anyone whose S or D has been deferred, let me just say that my ODD was deferred as an ED applicant but is happily (?) studying for her first set of finals at what had been her first choice school since junior year. </p>
<p>ODD was very motivated and self-directed and didn’t need much assistance from me.
I’ve only become a more recent lurker here as my junior has started looking. She’s really a great kid who fits this thread well. She attends a small private college prep school that is very challenging (about 25% are NMF each year). DD has about a 3.2 uw and will have 3-4 honors/AP classes. At her school, she has definitely not taken the most challenging curiculum. She hasn’t taken the easiest as she’s in advanced math and will be eligible for AP science next year. In addition, she has mild to moderate dyslexia and it’s been wonderful to see her learn to be an advocate for herself and develop strategies to help herself. She works hard and has a great attitude but, with her dyslexia, school is just a little harder for her. While entitled to a variety of accomodations, she only wanted one (extended time on tests) which has really helped her and she also has extended time on the SAT. If PSAT is an indicator, I’d guess her score will be around 1300-1400 (no idea about writing but unlikely to be her strength).</p>
<p>We’re taking a college trip over Feb break and the list currently is really a cross section as DD really doesn’t know what she wants (smaller, bigger, athletics, etc.). We were both thinking liberal arts as that would give her some more time to discover what path she may want (teaching is something she’s mentioned). Yesterday she mentioned engineering which really clicked as we discussed it; she took a design class as a sophmore and loved it, she’s very logical, gravitates towards math and science. So, now, I think we need to investigate engineering programs (at schools with liberal arts as well in case it’s not the right path). So, my question for today (sorry for the long post) is how do I find engineering programs for the B+ student? She may decide engineering isn’t for her but we’d both love to read about some programs geared for a student like her.</p>
<p>What a website and thread! As son is a senior I wish I had found it much much earlier!</p>
<p>S is a senior, undecided major, bright, but not honor roll. GPA as of last June was 3.2 - had been taking between 1 and 2 honors courses each year, though this year it’s 2 honors and 1 AP course.
SAT R/M 1290.</p>
<p>Do you have an opinion on his college list
Central Connecticut State University
Clark University
Marist
Western New England College
UConn
Roger Williams</p>
<p>Also, question - will getting a D in an elective class hurt his chances?</p>
<p>The only one on your list i can speak to is UCONN. Son had a 29 ACT (which translates to about 1300 R/M, and a 3.1UW, 3.5W with tennis as an EC, and just got accepted as OOS last week (no money, but still he’s in!). He did have a C in his elective computer class, so evidently it didn’t hurt too much. Also in at Pitt, Drexel, and Ithaca so far. Your son sounds competitive at this level as far as I can tell, based on our experience.</p>
<p>Thanks frugola -
His gpa of 3.2 is weighted…I have no idea what UW it would be.<br>
And as for the ‘elective’, it’s a psych course, which prob. isn’t considered a real ‘elective’ - I’m thinking this will have a big impact if the grade doesn’t come up. But it’s late in the game, and I’m running out of hair to pull out…</p>
<p>Pepsmom, are you instate for UConn? I’m guessing you are since you have more than one CT state school on your list.</p>
<p>My S has a weighted GPA of 3.2, curriculum rated “challenging” but not “most challenging” by GC, and SATs of 1450/2060. He got into UConn last week. I don’t know if this helps you at all, but looking at our Naviance I think it should be fine for your son as well if he is in-state.</p>
<p>Collage, welcome! CC has a separate Engineering Forum. In addition, there is the B+ students forum. Do you have preferences re region of the country; size; public/private; rural/urban?
Warriorboy, that is an interesting tactic by the safety–it sounds as if they know they are frequently a safety and are holding on to their merit $ until they know who is seriously interested. And a $4,000 tuition hike in this economy–with no rise in their cost of providing the education?
Pepsmom, welcome! Your list sounds very realistic to me. I gather you want your son fairly close to home. Among other match schools not too far away which some posters have praised are Alfred; Hobart; Endicott; Drew; and Stonehill. These would be much more like Clark (although not as urban) and Marist (although smaller) than your other fine choices.</p>
<p>ReadyToRoll -
thanks for the info on your S - congrats to him! Will he be attending?
Yes, we are instate - never heard of Naviance and I thank you for the info.
Do you know how they look at SATs - His best R/M 1290 was this fall - last June he got a 670 on the writing, but this fall a 580. Do they look at each score separately? Or just each separate test? </p>
<p>Yabeyabe2 -
yes, we’d like him fairly close, more for us than him…he’s undecided and hasn’t really been able to say ‘Yes This Is It’, so we thought, stay within a reasonable drive. I will check out those colleges you mentioned. But question on Stonehill - how Catholic is it, do you know how many students who attend Catholic schools are of differing religions - do non-church going kids feel comfortable?</p>
<p>Thank you both - you guys are great, wish I’d found this thread 6 months ago! </p>
<p>I was thinking that everyone’s kids got 2200 on the SATs…and were highly motivated over achievers - I wonder if S feels the same way and that’s why he’s on the B-team at times. It can be overwhelming…atleast to me.</p>
<p>Collage, I just read a post on another thread praising Alfred highly for engineering and liberal arts</p>
<p>Peps, I cannot answer your Stonehill question, but I know some others on this thread have visited. Also, you might get the answer by entering “Stonehill” in the CC search engine (which is also a good way to find out about schools generally). I understand your feelings about comparisons to overachievers–I think there is a lot to be said for the small schools praised on this thread for boosting your son’s sense of self and keeping him from falling through the cracks or just gliding through college without focus.</p>
<p>Pepsmom, UConn does superscore the SAT; however, I’m told they really just look at the math and verbal sections. </p>
<p>Naviance is a program that some high schools have. Even if your school doesn’t have one, many Naviance programs have guest access so you can take a look at one for a high school that you feel is similar to yours, and see the profiles of the kids who were admitted to UConn and other schools. </p>
<p>Not sure yet where son is attending as we are waiting to hear from more colleges, but it’s a strong possibility, and the price is certainly right!</p>
<p>Peps - Your son has a good list. I think he should be in good shape for CCSU and Roger Williams and probably Clark. Marist has become more difficult to get into but his stats are still within range. </p>
<p>I do not believe Stonehill is very Catholic but it is getting also harder to get into. I was going to suggest Emmanuelle in Boston but it is a Cathloic school. Is Elmira to far away?
What about Sacred Heart?</p>
<p>Pepsmom, my son got about the same score as your son (although 3.71 GPA) and was told that at Central he could get 1/2 tuition. They have a new director but this was on their site:
The Honors Program has a limited number of full and half merit scholarships covering all or part of in-state tuition and student fees. These scholarships may be held for up to eight terms, with awards and renewals based on academic excellence.</p>
<p>Stonehill is not overly religious from what I hear, but it can be for someone who wants to be involved and not for someone that isn’t. The difference is around the holiday’s, they will have more Christmas activities than a more secular university but that is to be expected.
Clark gave my son 8,000 merit because he was between 1200-1300 and back then 1300 got 12,000. It wasn’t enough for us, they gave us less need-based, but he loved the college.
Others look fine, I second some of the suggestions and maybe a UMass college or another Catholic college, Assumption, near Clark.</p>
<p>Welcome to CC. Warning–it’s addictive.</p>
<p>My D is a B+ student applying this year for engineering, so I know where you are coming from.</p>
<p>If your D is serious about engineering but wants a LAC environment, I would suggest you look into Bucknell and Lafayette, as these are two LACs with very strong engineering programs. My D felt that they had a more “supportive” vibe to them. They are pretty competitive for admissions, though. I believe that being a female engineering applicant is at least a “tilt” and maybe a “hook” in the admissions game, but I can’t be sure. Although it is counterintuitive, an engineering curriculum at a Liberal Arts College may actually require fewer humanities/social science classes than elsewhere.</p>
<p>Case Western and U Rochester are two more schools on her list that are smaller research universities (~4000 undergrads) that have a lot more than engineering and are not statospheric reaches for admissions. </p>
<p>Other LACs with engineering that were briefly on our radar that may be somewhat less competetive for admissions include Fairfield, Alfred, Hofstra, and Elizabethtown. </p>
<p>I think it’s definitely a good thing to visit several very different types of schools (large/small, rural/urban, LAC/University) to get the “feel” of what might fit.</p>
<p>Best wishes</p>
<p>Collage, Clark has a 3/2 engineering program in collaboration with Columbia. I know nothing about it other than its existence, but Clark sounds like it might be a good match for your D in other respects, especially if she’s comfortable with the urban setting.</p>
<p>3/2 programs never appealed to me. They require five years of expenses and uprooting after three years, leaving behind friends and familiarity.</p>
<p>Son got his acceptance letter from Saint Mary’s College of California today! He is thrilled!!</p>
<p>collage, if your son is willing to go a bit farther away, University of Denver has a nice small engineering program. The school has about 5000 undergrads, in a great neighborhood in a great city. The school is a bit bigger than most LACs, but it’s not overwhelming.</p>
<p>Campbell, congrats!</p>
<p>Collage, Bucknell and Lafayette are both fine schools, with very selective admissions. Both also have preppy reputations</p>
<p>big congrats campbellmom! I sent you a pm</p>
<p>yabeyabe2 – I think Lafayette’s preppy reputation is somewhat dated. My daughter is a sophomore there and has a very wide circle of friends and acquaintances, few of whom she would describe as preppy. There are some, of course, just as there are a modest number of old-style frat boys (although with only 5 fraternities today vs. 19 a generation ago they are getting harder to find). Plenty of geeks, a few freaks and a lot of kids who are just impossible to classify under any single descriptive. Lafayette has a 50/50 ratio of “full pay” kids vs. those on financial aid. The male/female ratio is 51/49, and there are a significant number of female engineering students. About 70% of Lafayette’s student body attended a public high school.</p>
<p>Although the OP’s daughter’s GPA may be a little low, with test scores in the 1300-1400 and her attending a very competitive high school I think she may stand a reasonably good chance at Lafayette (and perhaps Bucknell) so long as she demonstrated interest in the school by visiting if she lives within a reasonable distance.</p>