<p>My sons are talking about going to school together or splitting off on their own.</p>
<p>Personally I hope they go to the same college. I would recommend they not room together and choose their own paths for many of the reasons you suggest. I like the same college for selfish reasons, easier to visit , they can share rides home, and I only would have to come up with one car ;)</p>
<p>AS per Montana State that is only 140 miles from here and many of their friends are going there. We ski those areas regularly but the boys seem to want another environment. They want a nanotechnolgy and biomedical engineering options and Montana State is a little short in those areas. </p>
<p>They seem to think it will still feel like HS with all their friends around. I think they just want to make a break to another area and see how the other half lives if you will.</p>
<p>As a safety, here's a thought. San Jose State. For computer programming in particular, all the software/Internet companies here in Silicon Valley will give someone a shot from San Jose State. If they are at the top of their class and have good professor recommendations or good project code samples they might be preferred to a Stanford grad in some cases - the assumption being that they might be more humble.... And while the Sierras are not Montana, Kirkwood has some nice cliffs for those who like cliffs. Have them take a look at the website, <a href="http://www.kirkwood.com:)%5B/url%5D">www.kirkwood.com:)</a>.</p>
<p>Only thing about sending them or one of them out here is that frequently those who go to school here like to stay here...Unless you're OK with that.</p>
<p>Isn't SJSU pretty much a commuter school with few students living on campus? I admit we did not look there due to that reputation. I discussed with the boys it is not fun to be an out of state student where the other students all go home on the weekend and campus is dead.</p>
<p>Seattle U's CS dept is mediocre, according to local sources. I don't understand why UWash isn't on the list; they're excellent, and in Seattle, too. Western Washington University is very good in CS and about a 3 hour drive to Whistler.</p>
<p>The focus is an engineering major. Computer Science is an interest but not a priority. Univ of Wash is an expensive school for out of state students with a reputation for not offering much financial aid other than loans. At least that is what we hear.</p>
<p>My wife has her BS from Western Washington in Bellingham and I agree it is a nice little school. It was on their list for awhile and may resurface after the first round of visits. Who knows.</p>
<p>I hope you have a chance to visit Caltech. Pasadena is not L.A. To me it feels more like a small town & the campus is very nice. Skiing is not out of reach from Pasadena - one can enjoy the sunny southern California and still be able to get to the ski slopes in just a few hours.</p>
<p>USC would be a good choice because the chance is there for scholarships. Also, as NMSF, USC awards half-tuition. They have an excellent engineering program. It is also close to the mountain. When I stayed there for my scholarship interview, my host talked about going skiing on the weekend since it's somewhat close.</p>
<p>Oregon State University might be a good backup. Corvallis is a decent place and OSU has a strong engineering program. It's also an hour from Mt. Hood which has excellent skiing. A few years ago, one of the smartest students to go to my school (perfect SAT, highest gpa, etc) picked OSU over MIT for engineering. He really likes it there.</p>
<p>san jose state is not only a commuter school. there are hundreds of new dorms and apartments all around the campus, and you have a very lively city scene right at your doorstep. and yes, there are tons of links to the silicon valley economy via jobs and internships. it's the oldest of the state university system and a very beautiful campus with major sports, including DIA football, arts, and facilities.</p>
<p>According to my CTO, a graduate of SJS who was accepted to Stanford but parents refused to pay:), SJS is a commuter school. However, he graduated 19 years ago, and I am not his info is still correct. I do know that SJS is in a "college town-ish" part of San Jose, and that San Jose itself is now a kind of fun town, good restaurants, trying to have a late night music scene etc. It's probably worth looking for actual statistics on living arrangements, or at least a swing by on a weekend if you are coming to look at Stanford anyway. drj do you have numbers or actual stories about campus life?</p>
<p>wife and i both interviewed there. it would be hard to get data on what percentage are commuters given the large number of student oriented apartments that circle the campus. we walked by several different high rises on the campus that are student dorms and apartments. and as you say sjose is a hip, white collar town with lots to see and do and less than an hour to san fran. we were impressed.</p>
<p>Would a 'suitcase school' be a better definition - where the kids who do live in dorms leave campus every weekend - kind of a mass exodous - that can be difficult for kids who want an active 'school social life' but many students ae gone.</p>
<p>we have a lot of suitcase campuses in california since we are an urban state for the most part. some, such as chico, are mostly residential, some such as san francisco, are almost entirely commuter, and many fall somewhere in between.</p>
<p>The only problem for non residents and Oregon State is the extra $48,000 they charge out of state students. It was at first go round our number 1, till we saw the offer and felt it wasn't worth the extra money they charge a student for their parents address. </p>
<p>This was my D we were applying with. now if she was a he and ran for 2,000 yards senior year and ran a 4.3 40 OSU wouldn't have had ANY problem with our Washington address. Funny how that works...:) </p>
<p>The surrounding private colleges and universities turned out to be FAR less expensive than OSU. In fact she should leave Willamette with less than $5,000 debt after 4 years compared to OSU's $68,000. We loved OSU, no doubt it's a beautiful school..but is it $68,000 beautiful? With $48,000 of that attached for no other reason than our address? </p>
<p>That is why I reccommend to this poster that he look into the smaller northwest private schools. All of them offer great packages to quality students that make the state schools, even in-state schools more expensive for 4 years.</p>
<p>The problem with many of the small schools you mention are that some don't offer any engineering like pacific or pugent sound, and others, like willamette only offer a 3-2 program. My kids are not interested in switching schools before completing the BS degree.</p>
<p>Seattle University, University of Portland, and University of the Pacific do offer engineering and are smaller privates. We do plan to visit there.</p>
<p>OSU is a possible apply but I think but they will have to come up with some need or merit money to be really considered. Others offer equal education for less money to out of state students.</p>
<p>OSU offered need and merit, that's what we were still left with. I was suggesting you look at the smalls and it sounds like you have. My kids are interested in medical careers and can follow that path at the smalls they attend.</p>