@snoozn Our visit list for DS has several overlap with yours. Some mentioned U of Rochester. We will visit CWRU so dropped Rochester as they look similar (at least being on snow belt and having good music program nearby.)
I also read that with the change for class of 2017, FAFSA will open October 1st rather than Jan. 1st.
Our spring break tour plan just took a drastic change in plans. Meaning we no longer have one. As DS and I looked deeper at actual curriculaā¦we found we really needed to go back and expand the list and tweak the focus based on what he thinks he wants to do but also find a school that has options should that change. And thatās ok. Itās why we are doing some of this homework now. I personally have no interest in driving or flying all over to a place that sounds like a good social, geographical and financial fit if the program isnāt right for my kid.
In his case heās been focused very much on Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science and Environmental Studies.
To a degree, heās really been hung up on that word, Environmental. What he really wants may well be Renewable Energy Engineering or Energy Systems Engineering. All with some policy thrown in. We have a solid revised list but Iāve no idea right now what that will mean for Spring Break, I just know we arenāt driving down to Portland now.
I have heard somewhere on these threads that sending test scores to schools āearlyā (like, now, assuming you are not waiting for takes or re-takes) can, in some cases, be a good indicator of showing interest, in case you are unable to visit a school, but you KNOW that you will be applying to it once applications open up.
Curious if anyone else has heard thisā¦
I would suggest it only if you are using the free score reporting service. For an SAT test taker, who is in the range for NMSF, it would be smart thing to send SAT scores to NMC for free. If one is pretty confident about the scores (even before results come out), he/she should use the free service to send the definitely-applying schools.
Sending scores will add the student to the school database and initiate more mails and invitations to local events, etc.
The same can be acheived by registering at the school admission website .
@MotherOfDragons
Thatās more like the visit schedule I did with my first D23. She never did any accepted students visits as she had already decided where she wanted to go. Sounds like your D will have a fun trip with Dad and Grandpa!
@2muchquan
Thanks for the info ā got it in my notes now!
@Agentninetynine
Great advice! I also learned a lot from D23ās experience. She applied to too many schools where she was around the middle test/gpa range. She got in to most, but wasnāt offered much merit aid because she wasnāt a ācatchā for them (or so Iām guessing). And yes, I also learned itās about fit rather than name recognition or rankings etc.
@payn4ward
He must be a STEM kid too!
@eandesmom
My D wants to go into renewable energy engineering or more likely (i.e. more available) electrical engineering with a renewable energy focus. She looked into environmental engineering (likes that word too!) but it seemed to be more in a civil engineering type direction while she wants to work on the power and energy side. You and your son will probably want to check out the differences too. If he does decide to go the engineering route, I have a list of some schools we looked into that have concentrations in renewable energy with descriptions. The only two colleges we found with specific renewable energy engineering degrees were Humboldt State and Oregon Tech.
I donāt think sending scores makes a difference. My son sent scores to a ton of schools that he didnāt apply to because he had some good options come through on EA and he never really got anything from those schools. Big waste of money for some of them plus we had to have a transcript list by October 15 so at that point he had like 25 schools so they all got transcripts.
I recommend spending the majority of your time now creating a list to filter through and not applying to schools unless your student knows they are serious contenders. If you havenāt been through the process before, the costs add up quickly. $50-$75 application fees, $11.25 per SAT ($31 for rushā¦if you donāt plan ahead of time, you might find that you have a lot of rush orders for scholarship deadlines), $12.00/ACT, DE transcripts (charges based on university/CC).
Then you need to manage LOR (easier for common app schools, but not all schools are common app.)
And the essaysā¦oh my the essays, they can consume a lot of time.
My kids have found that 3-5 schools is manageable, 8 is pushing it. I have no clue how kids manage 15 schools. Filling out all of the paperwork just takes a lot of time. Honors colleges and scholarships dften have additional essays, I know my kids start hating the entire process by about the 10th essay. So much to juggle on top of their already busy lives.
@WhereIsMyKindle My sister studied International Relations and Arabic (at an advanced level, she already spoke it well) at UCLA, said the program there was good. Of course thereās the OOS $$$ problem
I thought about doing a northeast college tour (mainly Ivyās) during spring break. When I told DD about it, she said that she might not even attend even if she gets into the ivys since she is more interested in schools with merit scholarships. So we scraped the trip idea altogether. Frankly, I was surprised that DD is mature enough to favor merit scholarships over the ivys. I am impressed by her outlook.
@insanedreamer that pesky OOS problem with California!
Since my D is still happily sitting in the middle of the bus, content to just look out the window, our spring break is an attempt to satisfy the following goals:
- See a wide range of 'types' of schools (big, medium, small) with a Bio program that would interest her
- Get her comfortable with things to look at in a school, to start really thinking about what is important to her
- Get away from the midwestern cold for a week, and going to the Southeast
Iām looking forward to the bonding aspect of the trip as well, since it will just by my D and I. How many more of these opportunities do we have?
@4beardolls You have a smart daughter, obviously. We are looking at merit awards, too, and my daughter is aware of that. Also, since most Ivies donāt care about the applicants level of interest, those Ivy-trips are better saved for after the acceptances roll in IMO, unless youāre in the area visiting other schools of course.
Thatās exactly it. The environmental engineering degrees are civil based, whereas the energy are either mechanical, electrical or industrial based, or a mix. He is less of a soils, water kid then a systems kid.
Humboldt State was already on his list, it is an Environmental Engineering program but it does have a Energy Resources option. Only 3 classes though for the āconcentrationā. But itās very high on his list overall for a number of factors (location, size, vibeā¦heās a PNW kid who wants rain and trees and a LAC feel if he can).
OIT had been on the list, came off due to location, moved back on. OIT really has some nice options, including dual degrees that cover all the areas of interest and I do think heād like the area even if it will be a pain to get to. There are a few others your D might want to look at. While they may not say renewable in the degree title itself, reading the descriptions and looking at the curricula they seem like valid options for him that meet his criteria.
Colorado State - Environmental Engineering, Minor in Energy Engineering available
Civil Engineering Basis, Minor is a mix of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering basis
University of Wyoming - Energy Systems Engineering - Mechanical Engineering basis with course work from UWās School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR), course work in environmental ethics and environmental law, and two electives picked from a list of classes that focus attention on energy and the environment. They do also offer a Civil with Environmental Emphasis. Also has some nice options for dual major or minors on the ENR and Sustainability side of things which is attractive.
Oregon State - Energy System Engineering
Mechanical and industrial engineering core courses supplemented with business and energy-related management courses. 2 years undergrad in Corvallis and then 2 years at the Bend campus. Must apply and be selected to the Bend program after meeting core requirements.
Portland State had been on his list but after looking at the curriculum and knowing it tends to be more of a commuter school is likely off.
He is also interested in the Policy side of things so a school that has some of that as well, should he decide to go that route would be ideal, whether itās from a minor, dual major or elective standpoint. Humboldt, OIT and Wyoming seem pretty solid in these areas, CSU less so but he is very interested in CSU overall so it will get toured regardless.
Iām just not really sure what this means for a spring break tour. We had planned to hit Humboldt and CSU later as he knows he wants to apply to both and thought weād hit Portland area schools to weed out. He is in love with the idea of Reed (but chances are minuscule at best) but I think Iād rather just send him on a non school day for an overnight with his friend that goes there than a trip just for that. Not to mention the program really is not the best fit even if he actually did get in (nor is the price tag!) With the deeper dive into curricula, right now Lewis and Clark has fallen off the list as well as Portland State so that trip doesnāt really make sense. We will still tour Western WA but program wise, it really doesnāt fit as well as the rest.
@eandesmom: If I recall correctly, Reed does not offer merit aid. Itās a lovely campus and a fabulous school, but itās for sure a āfitā school. You either do or your donāt.
Spring break will not be exciting for us. DS is having his wisdom teeth removed (
and we may drive up to Spokane to check out Gonzaga.
@Agentninetynine agreed on the price tag at Reed! Which really makes it not on the list but I am fine with S visiting it. Socially/Culturally it is a great fit, program wiseā¦really not a perfect match. So he can go have a weekend with his friend who attends. In his mind itās his dream school but practically speaking for program and priceā¦itās not.
UGH on the wisdom teeth! S is still 1-2 years out from that. Right now it looks like it will either be a train trip to OIT, which is probably my preference as we could visit Crater Lake, or a whirlwind trip to Denver to hit CSU and U of Wy, Humboldt will wait till fall as he knows he will apply there and Western we can drive up to anytime.
Hopefully S will weigh in today as there is a one day sale on Alaska that would work for the Denver option.
The nice thing about Humboldt is that itās on the WUE. Isnāt OIT in Klamath Falls? Are you sure thereās a train?
I believe youāve said you son isnāt a fan of OSU @eandesmom. However, they have a wide breadth of engineering options in the event environmental doesnāt float his boat later on.
@Agentninetynine Yes, the West Coast Starlight express can get you to Klamath Falls. Itās a 9 hour train ride from King Street Station.
OSU does have a program that would work well, it would mean 2 years at the main campus and then 2 in Bend. Itās definitely reserved for a re-look if the others donāt seem to sit well with him. He isnāt a fan but it is a solid option I think. Humboldt, OIT, CSU and U of WY are all on WUE 
Which is pretty fabulous from my perspective. OSU is not.
Itās now looking like we may all go to Denver for a long weekend (in laws are there) which would kill 3 birds with one stone. 2 campus visits and happy in laws.
D is taking Latin III online over the summer so she can take AP Latin senior year. A 3 on the AP Latin exam will fulfill her FL requirement in college.
She has a week long mission/service trip with her youth group in June and band camp in August. If she gets band leadership [-O< July and August will get busy.
@eandesmom, we visited OIT last summer and combined it with a trip to Crater Lake (gorgeous) and Lava Beds National Monument (also very interesting and pretty, in a different way). Personally, I was underwhelmed by the OIT facilities. The Klamath Falls campus has ~3000 students and looked a little like a high school on steroids. I will say that the tour was very good and personalized. We were the only people on our tour. Our tour guide was a nursing student, but she was also a techie and could āspeak my sonās languageā, which impressed him. She also stopped a CS professor who was in a building with his young son, and the professor went out of his way to talk to my son and answer any questions we all had. He talked about the personalized education S could get because the school is small and focused on technology. We like that the school is on the WUE and he could probably get a dual hardware/software degree done in closer to 4 years with the credits heāll be bringing in. However, I am not sure that the town or the campus offers enough for him to do (he doesnāt fish and isnāt very outdoorsy) more than hang out in his room playing games when he doesnāt have class.