Parents opinions on these colleges?

Parent Cafe
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<p>I've posted a similar thread in College Search, but thought I'd post here to get some opinions from parents on my situation.</p>

<p>I'm a senior, and I've been accepted to 8 colleges (originally applied to 11- defered then rejected from Caltech and MIT, waitlisted at Pomona), but I've eliminated 4 (Rose-Hulman, Rutgers, RPI, Lehigh), so I'm left with 4 to think about:</p>

<p>-Case Western Reserve University- I have a merit scholarship, which is awesome, but I've heard that the work load is insane (more so than other schools? apparently the workload is ranked 2nd after MIT?); I've never been, but I'm going next week (staying for 2 nights)</p>

<p>-Carnegie Mellon University- no scholarship, but my parents are negotiating and I might be able to get something; my concern here is that supposedly the campus is really "fragmented" and there is a great schism between engineering/science/computer science students and art/design/music/theater students; I visited in the fall for a day, and I'm going back next week for an overnight</p>

<p>-University of Southern California- I have a merit scholarship, but it's bigger than the other schools I'm looking at (16k vs. 5-6k); I'm a little worried about how "sports-focused" the social life is (though that could be a good thing?) and the fact that housing isn't guaranteed for 4 years; I visited campus over a year ago (last March) but since I can't get back out to LA, I'm going to an admitted students reception near me tomorrow</p>

<p>-Washington University in St. Louis- no merit scholarship; I visited for an admitted students weekend, and really enjoyed it</p>

<p>I am planning to major in engineering (biomedical, mechanical, or aerospace/astronautical) and would really like to minor in something non-engineering... probably something artsy. I should probably mention that there's a possibility I'll decide I'm no longer interested in learning about and building medical devices or rocket ships, and want to major in something else (though that "something else" would probably be a science). I'm also considering pre-med (assuming I go the biomedical engineering route). I like to have fun, but just sitting around and getting drunk isn't my idea of fun. </p>

<p>I would love to go to school in or near a city (I don't want to be in the middle of nowhere)
Can anyone comment on these schools, and if the concerns I have about some of them are valid? If you have a son or daughter at any of these schools, how do they like it?</p>

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<p>I doubt Case Western is harder than any other engineering, but all engineering programs have a tendency to be pretty intense.</p>

<p>I think visiting CMU is a great idea. My son’s overnight visit was with a rooming group that consisted of 3 drama guys and a computer major, so I don’t think you have to be separated, but there are things that make CMU a more fragmented place than other universities. First, is that the division into schools attracts kids who already know their direction and tend to be pretty dedicated to it. Some programs like architecture, drama, comp sci and engineering (and probably others) are also pretty time intensive. They also often (though not always) room kids with similar majors together. The thinking I gather is that two architecture students will be pulling all nighters at the same time, or two comp sci majors may have projects due at the same time. On the other hand double majors and minors seem to be fairly common and at least at the School of Computer Science minors are required. My son’s social life revolves around the Linux clusters so needless to say, he’s hanging around other computer geeks. But I believe there are plenty of kids who participate in activities that involve a somewhat broader band of students. I think the combination of engineering and arts is perfectly possible and encouraged - if for no other reason than the interest in video game design and the like. Anyway they may be willing to match Case or USC if your parents are good negotiators. CMU has a top art school and top engineering so if you can make the money work, and you like what you see, I think it would be a good choice, but really you’ve got a bunch of great choices. Good luck!</p>

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<p>You’ve got some great problems here–hard to go wrong with this list!</p>

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<p>S1 is current senior engineering student at Case. Yes, workload is similar to MIT for engineering, but doable with good work habits. Case is certainly in the city w/lots to do, but also has long, long winters w/lots of snow, wind, cold. Campus is in heart of cultural district, University Circle, very, very artsy. S does music, but as an extra-curricular, not double major or even minor. He has had a good 4 years at Case. </p>

<p>Can’t give input on other schools. PM me if you want to know specifically about Case.</p>

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<p>Is weather a factor? Would you be happier if you could go to class every day in flip-flops or would you miss the snow?</p>

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<p>Thanks for all the replies. I know it’s definitely a good problem to have, haha :slight_smile: I do feel very lucky that I’ve gotten in to such good schools (a lot of my classmates have been put on 5 or more waitlists, sometimes at their first choice). </p>

<p>I’m going to a “reception” for USC tomorrow, and my dad’s coming with me (my mom came to USC with me)- he’s also coming to Case Western with me later in the week.</p>

<p>mathmom- very good point, that’s something they mentioned when I was there the first time- rooming kids together that are in the same school. I hadn’t thought about it, but it definitely makes sense.</p>

<p>TheMom- glad to hear your son has enjoyed Case! I’m totally excited to visit. I currently go to a private high school, and supposedly (what I’ve heard from teachers and recent graduates), transitioning to college isn’t too bad (because of the amount of work we’re expected to do in high school!). Although I do expect engineering to be challenging, haha.</p>

<p>dragonmom- Weather is definitely something I’m thinking about. I definitely prefer warm weather… I don’t think I would actually miss the snow… so USC definitely wins in that department (originally I was going to only apply to schools in areas that have warm weather, but obviously that plan fell through).</p>

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<p>For a totally uneducated opinion:
I know nothing about the schools on your list. Except that Randy Pausch (my favorite hero) was a prof at Carnegie Mellon. After watching ‘the Last Lecture’ and his lecture on ‘Time Management’, I thought ‘that must be a great school, I wish I knew someone going into computer science.’</p>

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<p>i live right by CMU and have a few friends there
Yes, the campus is fragmented…but that is mostly because of the BFA-conservatory setting…those kids are so dedicated and driven and take basically no classes outside of the arts…so obviously they would be kept away from the engineering kids(not that this is good or bad)
that being said…i have a friend in the electrical engineering program who LOVES it…
but…he has a nearly full tuition…so…i suppose that would help</p>

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<p>A good friend’s son is at CMU. He has guaranteed transfer to Cornell sophomore year, but he is enjoying CMU so much, he is staying. He joined a fraternity for a few months, decided he didn’t like it, and decided to quite. His father gave him a healthy monthly allowance, but according to his mother there is plenty to do on campus, he has spent very little of his allowance.</p>

<p>A bit of different topic…How far is your home from those schools? How easily would it be for you to travel home? We’ve found distance to be a factor with our D1 because she was very ill a few times and we’ve had to drive up to get her. There were also a few holiday travel problem some parents have reported on CC.</p>

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<p>Sounds like you want city life and a broad selection of engineering and humanities. With USC offering you a merit scholarship, that’s icing on the cake. A big advantage of USC is its extensive alumni network in the greater L.A. area. That could open doors for you after graduation no matter which major you choose.</p>

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<p>At the USC reception, ask about the surrounding neighborhood. When I lived in L.A., it was pretty seedy. Where do people live, if they don’t live on-campus?</p>

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<p>Karen Colleges- Yes, I read the book “The Last Lecture”. There was a section on the app that asked “4 books you have read this year”, and I included it (along with “Harry Potter”, “The Electric Life of Michael Faraday”- a summer reading book for AP Physics, and something else). I’ll definitely ask about the surrounding neighborhood of USC. I’m pretty sure there are apartments available very close to campus (some right across the street), though not positive. </p>

<p>oldfort- I’m about a 6 hour drive from CMU, 8 hour drive from Case, 2-3 hour plane ride from WashU, and 5-6 hour plane ride from USC. But, I do have family in an LA suburb, which is good. Even though it’s farther, I feel like it’s easier to get home (I live in NJ- fly out of Newark) from LA than St. Louis (I’ve been to LA a bunch of times, only been to St. Louis times, but when I was looking up the flights it seemed like many/most of the flights to St. Louis were connecting- a potential problem?- whereas there are tons of direct flights to LA).</p>

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<p>You have some great options. I am completely biased, so I will put a plug in for USC.</p>

<p>While the school is big, there is a lot of opportunity to interact with professors. Eventhough housing isn’t technically guaranteed, I’ve found if you want it you will get it as long as you meet deadlines. The caveat being you might not get your preferences or roommates as an upperclassman. There is however, ample housing in the area not owned by 'SC including a huge building currently under construction opening in 2010.</p>

<p>As for school spirit, while students love their sports teams, especially football, there isn’t a requirement to go. In fact, I’m sure you will meet plenty of students who aren’t into it. I will not guarantee however, that you will not catch Trojan fever yourself as it is quite infectious.</p>

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<p><em>Update!</em> </p>

<p>I just got back from the USC info session. I really, really liked it. I was a little worried about the size- but the engineering school has about 500 students in each class, and my major (as of now- Astronautical Engineering) only has like 60-70 people, which is awesome. There are also lots of opportunities for research, which is cool. I was also kinda worried about the whole sports thing but now that I’m thinking about it, it seems like it would be kind of a cool thing. No one goes to football games at my high school, but at a place like USC, it might be pretty fun. I would also be in the Engineering Honors Program at USC- my regular classes would be the same, but I would get to go to additional (cool) seminars- like “An Inside View of the Cassini Mission to Saturn” or “Combining Biology, Nanotechnology, and Devices into Therapies”. It seems like USC also has a really strong alumni network- which is great. And the location is definitely a HUGE positive! </p>

<p>I’m going to Carnegie Mellon tomorrow and Tuesday, and Case Western Thursday-Saturday, so I’ll be sure to update again once I get back!</p>

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<p>Well here is my biased parent opinion… just based on the two schools I visited with my son, and the rest annecdotal… Case Western seemed a bit dull and grey, the comp sci class we sat in had 50 kids listening to a power point lecture by a guy who didn’t speak very good English, a couple kids seemed asleep. CMU seemed really interesting, and because of Pitt being next store it was a huge college town. There seemed to a be a lot of mixing between arts and tech, in fact one of our tour guides had changed his major twice from theater to architecture to chemistry, so the sense I had was that it was pretty vibrant, if spread out. Maybe a little too greek oriented for my taste, but a real mix of kids. Don’t completely reject RPI, my son’s friend is going there, and when I sat in the dining room, the energy was hot, like that of MIT, kids sitting around with computer’s plugged in, collaborating, a mix of undergrads and grads…it seemed pretty darn interesting. I have not seen Wash U, but everyone says it is fabulous, and everyone I know who’s kids go there love it. In the end, my son decided to go in a totally different direction… he is going to Bard,will probably still major in comp sci, but have much more of a liberal arts education. The only place on your list I really hated was Rose Hullman, but that is a long, long story. You can look at all my college visits. I posted sixteen on CC.</p>

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<p>morvoren- Yea, I’ve heard similar things about Case, CMU, and WashU. I visited RPI last year, and honestly don’t even know why I applied (I guess because the supplement was easy… haha).</p>

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<p>So I went to cmu today. I didn’t like it as much as I liked wash u ( even after my sad tried to negotiate, they didn’t give me any $$ ). I’m looking forward to seeing case western.</p>

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<p>I don’t think Case is going to be any more rigorous than CMU or Wash U.</p>

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<p>My daughter withdrew her application from CMU because of the fragmentation of majors. It started as a trade school by Andrew Carnegie and has pretty much remained so. If you are interested in classes other than your major it will be hard to attain that; and, as someone already mentioned, forget about any Theatre majors as friends or even acquantances!</p>

<p>USC is a great school. My daughter will probably not go there but we love it just the same. It is truly a family like no other we’ve looked at. It’s small and big at the same time and encourages double majoring or at least adding a minor onto your major. Something I think you would like, from what you wrote. Don’t worry about the neighborhood and having to move off campus (which is probable but not absolutely a given). The school is very active with the surrounding community and we were told to move North of campus when moving off campus. But the campus is so all-inclusive the surrounding neighborhood is not much of a concern.</p>

<p>Don’t know the other two at all. Good luck in your choice!</p>

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<p>Regarding CMU my son doesn’t have any problem taking courses outside his major and in fact SCS requires minors, that said, I do think that CMU attracts a greater number than average of focused kids who know what they want to do and have less interest in taking a wide variety of courses. However there are also students who choose it because of opportunities to combine art and tech. It’s not for everyone.</p>