Also his dream location to go to college is LA so UCLA and USC he keeps coming back to but both are very hard to get into. UCLA is test blind and require perfect GPA and other than that hard for me to figure out what they look for. Both these school would be reach for him. So need to look at other places that have the vibe of LA.
We are very lucky that S has decided on a vibe and size that he prefers that is pretty limited and he has also decided he doesnt want too far from home. The practicalities of rural vs suburban vs city are very very real esp if far from home so if rural is in the mix I would definitely suggest traveling straight there from home so S can see exactly what transportation will mean to get back to you. A 1 hour flight is not a big deal, but if it is a 1 hour flight and over an hour of transportation on each end and there is no easy way to do it, that becomes and enormous factor.
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completely agree with this. I would like to keep him on west coast if possible but if he has to go far from here I would like to be have family close by in case of emergency.I told him my preference is options for direct flight from home and also told him my preference is a place where we have close family/friends living 2 to 3 hours from college.
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My S24 doesnât know what he wants to major in nor field of interest. This makes it tough to figure out what colleges to visit. With that said, weâre following @ncalrent suggestion per Private, secular CA colleges - #31 by NCalRent. We hoping to take student-led tours at a CSU w 20k undergrads, 1-2 UCs (30k-35k undergrads - so big!) and 1-2 liberal arts colleges to see what type of environment S24 would be interested in. There is also The College Tour series with host Alex Boylan which has been helpful in highlighting the areas near/around the campuses https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B08QMDXR7Z/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r
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thanks for the information. Will check these out. Our plan also is similar to yours to visit different size colleges and location types.
I hear you. S24 is kind of all over the place. Initially it was sport management, then business (our both), now possibly criminology and or criminal justiceâŠI know it doesnât really matter too much right now, but there are def schools on his list that might have sport management but not criminology for example, so he needs to figure out what to do in that case.
brilliant!
Having S21 10 hours away by car or a 90 minute flight has certainly been stressful and led to some questionable and expensive decision making on our part.
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I feel like this is hard for them to understand. Mine wants to be far away from the northeast b/c he hates cold and winter and wants to be in the south. Thatâs great but if it is a two hour ride to the airport, followed by two connecting flights, it could take all day to get home. And he wonât be coming home for any quick weekend visits. He hasnât quite gotten the full grasp of what that means.
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Yes our S24 also does not get this.
He kept discounting it as we discussed but tried to tell him it will be good to have this as backup. When I went to college I had my uncleâs family 50 minutes drive from the college and that was huge plus especially first year when I was homesick and could go there many weekends. Direct flight also equally important to save time like you said.
Wow I was hoping a 2 hour flight wonât be bad but I can see where this could be challenging also.
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@pathnandpupose one of my kids went in undeclared (to Ft Lewis, profiled in episode 1 of Amazon College Tour) . The other went in as an Econ major - like most college students - both changed a few times before settling in on a major. If your kid has a passion, let them pick when they apply, knowing they are likely to change once they are exposed to college level material. Most schools (not CPSLO) will let you enter undeclared and you can choose after a few semesters. Unless you do it really late, it wonât impact their time to graduate.
As for sample schools to tour, Chico (17kish)and Sonoma (8kish)are good candidates for a tour of mid and small sized CSU.
Similarly, UCD (32kish) is a good representative of a big UC.
UOP, Santa Clara or St Maryâs are a good smatter of secular and non-secular 3-5k privates.
enjoy your tours
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It isnt bad, it has worked out in general and he is very very happy where he is and I dont worry about him at all. But I have made decisions and spent money that I wouldnt have if he were closer, that is all. He is also very independent and able to manage things on his own. He goes to doctors appts without me and has been able to figure out things off campus without a car.
Thanks for additional context. S24 also is pretty independant in general so I am hoping it carries over into college. Since CA is a big state means going o with in the CA itself will have 6 to 7 hours depending on the college he chooses.
Looks like Austin College in TX is adding a masters PA (physician assistant) program which will begin Jan. 2024. This is definitely going to move the school up the list for D24, I think. Theyâre also going to have a BA-to-PA pipeline, where youâre guaranteed an interview if you maintain a 3.5 undergrad GPA while at Austin College. Austin College undergrads will need 200 hr of direct patient care experience. No standardized test (like the GRE) will be required. Youâll have to complete your undergrad coursework in 3.5 yr instead of 4, so youâll actually start the masterâs program in January of your senior year. AND you have to submit an application by 6/1 at the end of your sophomore year.
Weâll be touring Austin College during our spring break.
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@sbinaz , I am not sure if you know this but there are so many colleges with direct BA/PA programs. Please let me know if you need any help with this. My daughter has lot of friends doing this program and itâs roughly 5 1/2 years.
You may know some of this but I will share for others who are thinking about applying to the UCs.
The UCs evaluate 13 criteria. Each university evaluates all 13 but each school looks for different attributes. https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/how-to-apply/applying-as-a-freshman/how-applications-are-reviewed.html. OOS students should be aware of the A-G course requirements, including a year of visual and performing arts. The UCs have their own application with their own Personal Insight Questions. Students can not apply for the UCs using the Common App.
Most of the UCs are close to an airport. The exception would be UCSB. There is a small airport in Santa Barbara but flights are limited. Cal Poly SLO is a popular CSU. It is also hard to get to for an OOS student.
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Am definitely interested in more info. Iâve looked up a few schools, but theyâve been out of our price range.
Santa Barbara has an LAX air bus which will take you to LAX - https://www.sbairbus.com/.
UCSB is my alma mater! Itâs an awesome school.
My S23 is applying to UCSB but I heard Housing is very challenging now when students need to move out after 2 years.
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