My son is now a junior in a public high school. He’s been pining to look at schools in the Pacific Northwest so we are taking time during his fall break to see schools in Oregon and Washington. His interests right now are two fold. Environmental Science and Literature. He’s not taken his SAT’s and his PSAT’s got lost (yup at the PSAT headquarters, swear to God) so we won’t have any scores till mid year. He makes all A & B’s taking all honors classes and will be taking 3 AP’s this year. He’s bright but not off the charts kind of bright. His strengths are his outgoing nature (makes friends easily) and he’s a good all over athlete (club sports material).
So right now here’s our little list. Univ. of Washington, Seattle Univ., Lewis & Clark, U of Oregon. I should note that this all started because he’s a fabulous skier and a local kid went to U of British Columbia…but I’m taking that off the list for so many reasons, the first of which it’s too far away to fit it into this trip. And to be honest, I’m not so excited about sending him to college in Canada. So we’re not going to deny him applying, but we’re hoping U of Washington and U or Oregon have enough to excite him.
Please feel free since we know very little to recommend a school or schools we’ve not thought of.
Also consider Western Washington in Bellingham and for smaller LACs Puget Sound outside of Seattle and Willamette in OR
Do you have financial constraints? Are you dependent on merit or need-based aid? Keep in mind that OOS publics (such as U of Wash, and U of Oregon) are relatively expensive and generally these universities do not provide much if any financial aid to out of state applicants.
UBC is fabulous, though.
Reed if you want the best LAC in the NW, skiing is less than 90 minutes away at Mt. Hood. It is where the US women’s team trains…
Firstly, U of British Columbia is only 90 miles north of Seattle. Not far, relatively speaking if you are interested in visiting the U of Washington.
Second, as Fogcity said, the UW and UOregon are two popular schools that are going to charge you through the nose and not likely offer any meaningful financial aid. The UW in particular has raised the ire of parents throughout Washington because the school has been turning away highly qualified state residents whom need FA, and instead admit out-of-state applicants whom are willing to pay full-freight.
All that being said, there are other schools in the northwest that are worth a look. You already have two on your list; Seattle U and Lewis & Clark College. Be aware that Seattle U is not known as a science powerhouse; but their English/Literature department is fine. Some other schools to think about;
Washington State University-Pullman
Western Washington University
U of Portland
Western Oregon University
Evergreen State College
Whitman College
Oregon State University
Willamette University
A relevant aside: skiing in the PNW has been terrible for two of the last three years.
As a Washington resident recommending public schools, I’d go in this order (this mimics my districts’ four high school Naviance results):
- University of Washington (Seattle; Bothell and Tacoma are consolation prizes)
- Western Washington University (Bellingham; participates in Western Undergraduate Exchange)
Personally, I’d stay away from WSU, Central or Eastern. Evergreen is a unique place and might make sense depending on the student.
Privates in Washington (unordered):
- Whitman (Walla Walla)
- University of Puget Sound (Tacoma)
- Gonzaga (Spokane)
Some people might add Seattle U to that list but I can’t figure out why anyone would go to SU over UW beyond not getting admitted or beyond being an uber-Catholic.
If the main purpose of looking in that area is skiing, you might want to think about Colorado schools instead. Northwest snow hasn’t been so strong of late and, even when it is, it’s typically a heavy snow – not the fluffy powder you might see in Utah or Colorado.
Agree that Colorado schools might also be a good fit: Colorado College with the block system might work well for him. University of Co in Boulder or U of Denver are worth checking out depending on his scores.
First place that came to my mind was Western Washington University. Then The Evergreen State College. Both are strong in Environmental Science. WWU is more main stream and less eccentric than The Evergreen. The Evergreen is so unique that you either love it or hate it.
financial constraints in that I’m not inclined to pay crazy prices for a Liberal Arts Education. My son went to Northeastern and got $10,000 off his tuition which helped, but he just graduated and I think last I looked NU was asking almost $60,000 per year?! What the hell…
I heard from a good source out there that Reed is a college that, as a parent, you need to think long and hard whether you’d want your kid to go there, if he could get in. I know nothing about this school, but she said it has it’s issues and to do your homework about it. Plus it’s off list because it does not offer his interest of Environmental.
great advice, love the Seattle U comment, hilarious
yes he loves to ski, but at these prices, I do need to think about schooling first, skiing as a bonus. And for the record he’s also looking at Colorado. Has been out there for a few places, so we may apply first and see where he gets in.
If you are looking for an admissions safety, Portland State. It’s right in the city and has a honors program.
The average age of Portland State students is 27, no? I think it is primarily a commuter school for mature students. Might be tough for someone from the east coast to feel like he has a home/community there.
A young man from the family across the street from us went to UBC. He got significant $$ from GWU in DC–like $20K, IIRC–but UBC was still cheaper. It’s in a gorgeous spot. The only downside I know is that it may be too much of a commuter school for some.
With all due respect, PSU is not a great school, and is not someplace I would recommend for a 18 year old. It has a rather mature student body and is not the first place I would refer a person to looking for their initial college experience.
i spent a couple summers in washington as a college student; i remember hearing about evergreen, but dont remember specifics. can someone refresh me?
loved the pacific northwest!
Don’t go to a Canadian college unless you intend to live there. It’s a stark reality few Americans know anything about them. If you choose the PNW, do not go to any on the east side of the Cascades, that defeats the purpose. Thus, choose any of these:
- UW
- Seattle Community College, then transfer to UW (easy to do)
- U of Oregon
- Seattle Community College, then transfer to U of Oregon (easy to do)
- Seattle U
Any of the above will provide great opportunities in the PNW.