Parents of the HS Class of 2025

So funny. Current hs colors are black and red (often with white and silver/grey). My daughter Is Hispanic and says she feels/looks naked if she wears brown.

Not knowing if your D really wants a pre-professional major (like social work, counseling, etc) or if she would go for sociology (or similar) and then plan on entering some social service fields or going for her MSW or similar, I was pretty broad with respect to possible majors. I also neglected to look at the dance possibilities.

But, these are all TE schools where there seemed to be either a high percentage of Hispanic students and/or just general racial/ethnic diversity. I ignored schools that had less than 10% receive TE, and as I progressed, I tended to hold set rate/other tuition schools to a higher bar.

Note that Agnes Scott & Oglethorpe are both part of the Atlanta consortium that allows students to take classes at other universities (like Spelman, Georgia State, Emory, etc). Additionally, this was not an exhaustive list (didn’t hit some likely states, like NY, for instance). Don’t know about distance from home, climate, etc, so there’s still a pretty decent range here. As your D learns more about what she wants (or doesn’t want), let us know. Additionally, I’ll let her decide about architectural styling. :blush:

  • Agnes Scott (GA): Women’s college with about 1100 undergrads; 15% Hispanic/Latino, 33% white; TE other tuition, 40-60% receive

  • Assumption (MA): About 1900 undergrads; 10% Hispanic/Latino, 74% white; TE full tuition, 11-40% receive

  • Augustana (IL): About 2300 undergrads; 12% Hispanic/Latino, 62% white; TE other tuition, 41-605 receive

  • Barry (FL): About 3300 undergrads; 37% Hispanic/Latino, 17% white; TE full tuition, 11-40% receive

  • Drew (NJ): About 1600 undergrads; 5% Hispanic/Latino, 55% white; TE Full tuition, 11-40% receive

  • Goucher (MD): About 1100 undergrads; 8% Hispanic/Latino, 51% white; TE set rate, 11-40% receive

  • Hamline (MN): About 1800 undergrads; 12% Hispanic/Latino, 57% white; TE other tuition, 11-40% receive

  • Hood (MD): About 1200 undergrads; 12% Hispanic/Latino, 58% white; TE full tuition, 11-40% receive

  • Kalamazoo (MI): About 1200 undergrads; 15% Hispanic/Latino, 60% white; TE set rate, 41-60% receive

  • McDaniel (MD): About 1800 undergrads; 10% Hispanic/Latino, 55% white; TE full tuition, 11-40% receive

  • Mercer (GA): About 4900 undergrads; 7% Hispanic/Latino, 45% white; TE full tuition, 11-40% receive

  • North Central (IL): About 2400 undergrads; 15% Hispanic/Latino, 64% white; TE full tuition, 11-40% receive

  • North Park (IL): About 1800 undergrads; 32% Hispanic/Latino, 36% white; TE full tuition, 11-40% receive

  • Oglethorpe (GA): About 1400 undergrads; 19% Hispanic/Latino, 39% white; TE full tuition, 11-40% receive

  • Regis (MA): About 1300 undergrads; 18% Hispanic/Latino, 41% white; TE full tuition, 11-40% receive

  • Rockhurst (MO): About 2700 undergrads; 13% Hispanic/Latino, 64% white; TE full tuition, 11-40% receive

  • Saint Leo (FL): About 6700 undergrads; 17% Hispanic/Latino, 30% white; TE full tuition, 11-40% receive

  • St. Catherine (MN): Women’s college with about 2600 undergrads; 12% Hispanic/Latino, 54% white; TE full tuition, 41-60% receive

  • St. Thomas (FL): About 3600 undergrads; 48% Hispanic/Latino, 12% white; TE full tuition, 41-60% receive

4 Likes

Random AP question:

If the class covers all of the material prior to the AP test (which it should), what the heck do they do in class for the remaining time after the test? (In our school it is over a month). Oldest kid, new to this.

2 Likes

My D’s school only had a few weeks left after APs but they tended to do projects and presentations in some classes, and in others, especially senior year, they would move on to new content the teacher felt would be helpful for students to know for college.

3 Likes

My daughter says they’re just going to watch some historical films and do other fun things after the AP test. I hope that’s true as it’s been a trying year!

2 Likes

Just wanted to post about the music student for a day at TCNJ. It started off rough with the cars backed up because the parking lots we were told to use were all locked. Not long after security was opening gates so we could park. Plenty of space for everyone.

We walked to the music building and checked in, sat in the Mayo auditorium and waited for it to start. My D remarked how old it felt in here not in a good way. After the presentation she headed to the first class she chose and I along with several other parents went to the parents Q&A. Optional tour available as well. At the QA the music instructor/advisor talked about the program, auditions, admission process, dual majoring or not etc. One parent was a fairly recent graduate 2014 and had adopted an older child who was involved with music. It was absolutely wonderful hearing her take and journey after graduation. The professor clearly remembered her. Note to any schools on here: absolutely get a recent alumni who’s been in the workforce long enough to have real experience but not so long that their college experience is vastly different. She was great.

I saw my D for a minute as she was heading to lunch with the students. I took a walk around campus. It’s a beautiful day and the trees are blooming. Campus is clean, easy to navigate, fairly compact but not too small. Not too many students milling around but definitely some. I decided to walk to campus town, a small area with a few restaurants, bookstore and a clinic. Got lunch and waited around for the 3:30 ensemble class to start in the auditorium. It was great watching the professor work with the hs students on a piece for a while before the college students entered. They all worked on it together and played it at the end. We left after that.

My D said she would never go here and likes Rowan better. Rowan music building is newer and she didn’t see either of the education buildings at RU or TCNJ which are both older since she wants to major in early childhood education and music. She couldn’t say what she didn’t like but will still apply since it’s in state. She made at least 3 new friends and I saw her chatting/laughing with the college kids sitting near her section so it wasn’t the people. I don’t think I’ll bring her back unless she gets an admission offer. She will be there for marching band though.

3 Likes

Thoughts on course choices for next year? S25 needs to choose between Honors Physics and AP Environmental Science for next year. He’s much more of a Physics kid and the plan would be to then take AP Physics his senior year. He’s worried that without APES he’ll only have two APs next year, he’s taken two so far.

The school offers 15 total and he’ll probably take 4 or 5 his senior year. He’s a high stats kid with big dreams of Notre Dame or somewhere in that world, probably studying accounting or finance. Should he bother with APES or stick to Physics or does it really matter?

My vote would be physics.

5 Likes

I also vote Physics. That’s what my DD will be taking. She is also a high stats kid. Her hs only offers AP chem for AP science and she’ll be taking that senior year. I think her hs only offers 9 AP classes. She’ll end up with 8 because she won’t be far enough in Spanish to take that one.

AP Gov
APUSH
AP Lang
AP Lit
AP Chem
AP Psych
AP Calc AB
AP Stats

Thanks! Its funny what different schools offer isn’t it? My kids’ hs offers 15 but it’s 2 Calcs, 2 CompSci, 2 Spanish, so for most ambitious kids 8 or 9 seem to be the norm. They have 3 AP sciences but the APES and AP Bio switch every other year.

Physics it is. It will make him happier regardless so probably the best choice.

1 Like

I agree with Physics. They should take what they want. Also, it is my understanding that APES is viewed by admissions as the easiest of the AP science course.

1 Like

Our school offers a bunch, but the most you can possibly take is 15. Two as a sophomore, six as a junior and seven as a senior. My D will probably be around 11-12. She has two this year and four next year.

Fair point.

My kid’s AP class has final projects and their final exam after the AP test.

My kid’s HS offers 26 AP courses. She likes the class material in her one A.P. course this year (Euro) and her classmates. But she is trying to move from a B+ to an A- in the course and will not be a high stats kid (took practice SAT and got 1120). She’s slotted to take 4 next year (Physics, Calc, Comp Science, and Lang) and 5 senior year (Stats, Env Science, Gov, Lit, and her FL). So she’ll have 10 total. I’m grateful for the writing and studying skills she’s picking up in the AP class and I hope it just improves.

She does not like seminars and does not want a small college. Her long college list is large publics in and out of state:

McGill
UC Davis
UC Santa Cruz. She doesn’t know yet that it is on her list, but it is. :slight_smile:
Univ of Maryland
Univ of Washington
Univ of British Columbia* Her top choice, by far.
San Jose State
Cal Poly Humboldt
University of Pittsburgh
UMass Amherst
Univ of Oregon
University of Minnesota
University of Nevada - Reno

Anyone else’s kids (or you) have a college list yet? I will be interested to see how this compares in April 2025!

5 Likes

@kirroyalemum I really love the schools on your list. If my D were open to travel I’d love for her to go to UBC and I’m partial to Oregon since I’m from there. Looks like you have a good list to start off with!

My D is a “B” student and doesn’t really know what she wants in a college even with a couple recent visits she can’t articulate what she likes or doesn’t like. Budget is a big concern and she doesn’t want to go further than a reasonable car ride - no flights. I think she would like a medium to bigger school but not so big she’s dependent on a shuttle system for everything. She’ll likely major in early childhood education and music performance or something in that realm. So here’s my list so far for her:

Rowan
TCNJ
West Chester
Elizabethtown
Susquehanna
Millersville
Salisbury
Maybe a SUNY or 2

I’m definitely open to any suggestions, especially for any schools no further than about 4 hours drive from Rowan. That opens up parts of NY, PA, MD, and VA.

4 Likes

I know it is a little bit more of a drive than she wants, but has she looked at Wheaton College in MA? They have a fabulous Early Education program as well as several options for music- she could minor in music performance. Might be worth checking it out.

2 Likes

Thanks! I love everything I’ve read about Wheaton. I’ve been trying to plan a getaway to the Salem, MA area for a couple years now but it’s not worked yet. It was my goal to check out Wheaton and maybe another school in the region during the trip. I work weekends so it’s hard during the school year to do a visit but maybe this summer a couple short week day road trips might be doable.

D25 doesn’t have any kind of list yet, although if she continues to want to dance after college, she’ll at least be applying to the following for a BFA:
U of UT
Butler
Indiana U
U of OK
maybe U of Cincinnati
From what I’ve gathered, these are the schools that are actually turning out pro ballet dancers. If she continues on her present trajectory, I suspect she will be admitted academically and may or may not be admitted for ballet. Without that, I’m not sure she would choose these schools.

If she doesn’t pursue a BFA, she is thinking psych. At this point–do you like that every statement has an “if” or a caveat?–she’s thinking of doing an MFT or a PsyD program for grad school. I was originally saying she needed to double major, but have mellowed out both because double majoring with a BFA is challenging at some schools and decided that as long as she gets what she needs for pre-reqs, I’m not sure she has to have the double major. (If anyone is an MFT or PsyD and wants to correct me, please chime in!)

We did a self-tour of UC Davis this week while we were driving home from elsewhere. I was pleasantly surprised by the campus! D25 said, “I could see myself here.” and noted that a student was wearing the same outfit as her. She said it gave off “we study all the time” vibes (as opposed to party vibes). She didn’t seem overwhelmed by the campus or the number of students, which was really my first goal for this “tour”. She also said something about “I could probably be happy at a lot of schools, Mom.” This is my grounded child who sees college names as “brand names”. (Will it become difficult to stay grounded as the process goes on? Time will tell. But I’m glad she’s starting where she is.)

5 Likes

Our list is small:

Calvin
Hope
Dordt (tiny town in Iowa)
Hillsdale
Lipscomb (maybe)
Olivette-Nazarene (maybe)
Huntington (maybe)

4 Likes

Our list so far:
US Naval Academy
Coast Guard Academy (maybe)

And need to figure out some NROTC schools to visit this summer.

7 Likes