@BktoNJ Syracuse is on the list! Not sure about acceptance, of course.
@NJWrestlingmom Rutgers stays on the list! (was accepted and would reapply before Nov 1)
@Novacat9191 I think that UCONN might work. Location is not exciting, but it’s a tough list of requirements, I think.
@momandslp I think so but not sure about comm at udel.
I don’t want to go through this all over again but she’s more motivated now.
@mom2cats - was originally thinking of football schools. But UCONN got me thinking about basketball. My D23 is up at Manhattan College they have an outstanding communications department (great internships in the city). They have a really great student section (pep band, dancers, cheer) for their basketball games.
U of Miami has a great marching band program https://www.bandofthehour.org/ and a whole school of communications with multiple undergraduate majors. Her stats are a hair below median so it’s a reach but not a crazy reach - applying EA or ED would help.
MiamiOH would be worth a look also, and probably a low-match.
Gettysburg has a marching band and good academics. Not sure about Communications but might be worth taking a look at.
Different, thanks!
Need to rep the JMU Marching Royal Dukes…
This video is behind the scenes for the 2017 season, the trip to the national championship, the 2018 season and the Macy’s Day Parade.
Just when I’m phasing out of CC I find out that you can post pictures and videos! Cool. 
UGH! JMU still stings with the honors admit and no money!! 
Sorry about that. We chased local scholarships and it worked out quite well with S18.
That is sad! I don’t think DD would get either and I’m not sure if we’d pay full price. Depends on the other options.
I would pay it if we could, we both loved the school and have heard nothing but great things. But she has acceptances we can afford at other great schools, so unfortunately will have to pass on JMU.
That’s the smart decision
@NJWrestlingmom it’s so hard when a great fit with an acceptance is not an affordable option, or should I say, is not a reasonable option when there are less expensive choices.
My oldest got into her top choice (my alma mater), but with a tiny amount of merit. Fortunately she realized on her own that going there and spending an extra $100K over four years was not worth it. Tough to swallow, especially me being an alum, but she was able to move on and is happy where she ended up! I hope the same where your daughter ends up as well!
As a follow up, Virginia Tech waitlist came through last night so now there are three back in contention (and I have a 66% chance of losing my deposit) ! I know it is a great problem to have. Logistically VT is a nightmare —the other two are much closer and easier to get to for us. He also has to think what it would be like to be a non-STEM major at a STEM school. But he loved, loved the campus when we visited two years ago. I have to figure out if I can get him down there for one more visit as they are not doing anything in person and I am not sure if the campus is even open to visitors. We have the accepted student tours at Delaware and Penn State this week.
Congrats? I was so happy that my son (18) did not choose VT, mostly because of the drive. I am not a fan of rt 81 or mountains.
I wish dd21 would consider Delaware! Not sure if it’s good for her major but it’s an easy drive. Penn state had never been on our radar because of cost, but we’re more open now.
S21 is still very torn. He actually said he almost wished he had not gotten in to so many schools because it would make his decision easier!
Would love to get some thoughts from this group. H gets hyper focused on college rank and I think he would push for the school that ranks highest. They also have a program that S likes. But - I am concerned about fit. I also worry that he might struggle. I was surprised he even got in. Maybe I am selling S short but I like another option where he got in early with some good merit money. I’d rather see him be an average fish in a medium pond than a little fish in a big one.
I’m hoping visits in April help clarify but I feel like we keep going in circles.
My husband and I are having similar debates over what is really just a relatively minimal difference in rank or reputation. My feeling is he has to do what feels right for him and where he will feel comfortable providing they have the right resources for what he wants to do for school and post graduation. Do you know anyone who attends any of the schools who can talk to you about advising or other support networks? Or campus life? Judging fit is so hard this year. We too are running around trying to do official and self-guided tours to figure it out.
My advice is to ignore the rankings. They are mostly ridiculous. There really is little difference in the top 250 or so schools in this country. I live in a place where the mantra is go to the highest ranked school that will accept you. It’s damaging. College is not about bragging rights for parents at cocktail parties (not that either you or H are doing this - it’s easy to get caught up in the idea that a “top” school will give your child opportunities). If it turns out that the highest ranked in the best fit, go for it but don’t let some arbitrary ranking be the reason.
Fwiw, at this point D is leaning towards going to her safety. A school she knew nothing about except it’s location when she applied. It may change after we visit. But, as this point, her father & I think it may be for the best. And there are super smart & motivated students at all these schools. The only difference is that fewer of them have been packaged since the 7th grade or earlier at school that are “lower” ranked.
@momma2018 I would push for the school where you think he would thrive. College these days is hard! My D20 is at a school which is comparable in rank to the one I went to back in my day. (Not a top tier school but a T100). When I look at the some of her assignments I am completely overwhelmed. And she is only a freshman taking mostly gen-ed requirements. I don’t think I would have made it through college! The depth and the writing that these kids have to do is crazy. I am now pushing for my S22 to look at lower tier schools than he is qualified for because although he is really smart, he is not great at the “deep dive” type of work that I think colleges now expect.
My D21 chose a ‘safety’ and is beyond happy with her choice. Took us, especially my H who is a T10 grad, some time to let go of some of her other choices. we spent a few weeks trying to convince her to keep her hat in the ring for some of the ‘name brand’ schools where she was accepted. Once we took a step back we could see my D21’s choice it is a super fit for HER needs. She made some lists and it checked all her boxes. I started looking at all her options 4 year grad rate, job placement, grad school acceptance, student body make up, extracurricular options, research opportunities and internship placement and was surprised at what I saw. Her chosen school, while a safety, impressed me. I have talked to some other friends who have kids who have done the same and they thrived. Big fish in a small pond works for some kids while others thrive on competition. Its an important piece of fit and I know my D21 made the right choice for her.