Is your daughter going there? We were pleasantly surprised! I thought it was a cozy campus for it’s size. Did you grab a student on campus to talk to or did you have a planned meeting?
Good point about not enough time for minoring. He would want to minor, if not double major. His APs (I have to see is SDSU takes them) gets him out of a semester of classes at LMU, so he would have plenty of time there.
FYI, I don’t know what your kid enjoys but we took our D21 to North Park and South Park, maybe 10 minutes from campus. Super cute little pockets of San Diego with shops and restaurants. Sorta reminds me of Venice/Santa Monica, young cool vibes. Another fun lively little pocket it Hillcrest. My daughter really enjoyed those areas because she too is looking for something different, as we are in southern California beach area too.
Excellent points. Future earnings are more a factor of major than undergrad alma mater.
Great information. I dont know about any of the 3 areas that you mentioned!! That is very helpful. We only know the downtown, old down, Coronado and the beaches there! I heard they just opened up for in person tours so maybe we should go back.
She is most likely committing soon. We were pleasantly surprised about campus as well. I found a student to give us a tour from a parent SDSU parent Facebook page, super helpful group by the way.
SDSU accepts AP’s, you have to have his scores submitted after he accepts. I don’t know if they accept all of them yet, I’m still gathering information.
I would go back. Get a tour, and then take him to those three areas. It made all the difference for us.
You don’t need to wait for a tour. Most every school, except Dartmouth, is welcoming kids to self tour. Many schools that have tours have filled up since they allow minimal people on each. Just get in the car and go. It’s not perfect but you can get a feel. And many have audio that sync to your location so they speak to you same as a tour guide.
It’s very clear that SDSU is your only option. Ax would be cheaper. The way you describe your business and finances they all seem to come with risk. So you should do your best to mitigate it so you don’t get into personal problems.
Loans are always a last resort and never giid in any situation. Necessary at times but not good so the less you borrow the better.
If you need to take “parent loans” for a college, it’s unaffordable.
So, basically all colleges cost the same, except for UW and SDSU? Sounds like these two may be the only affordable choices he has.
Also, do I understand this right, he didn’t ask to stay on the waitlist for UCSC?
Does he qualify for ELC at UCM?
Try to schedule a visit to UW (“UDub”) - see if you can meet with students in his expected major, perhaps with a professor, get a student paper to see what they’re debating and how politely, eat in the cafeteria, take a tour on your own, see if a gym is open, visit the library… + add a visit in the area.
SDSU Honors is good for freshmen: easier adjustment, better form, specific space in the library (not to be taken for granted otherwise), smaller classes. Joining for freshman year doesn’t mean you have to stay in it - some aspects make it more cumbersome than beneficial after the 1st year.
If all offers are unsatisfactory, there’ll be a list of colleges that miscalculated yield in early May. (Their yield management officers and their software are likely to be thrown off by the pandemic so I’d expect there’ll be quite a few bargains there). You’ll be able to “bargain hunt” if he’s got a commonapp ready to go. What are his stats?
Most schools have an online tool that will show you by test you took, score that is needed (likely a 3 at SDSU) and would class it would waive.
It helps to talk to an advisor but in most cases you can figure it out from home.
Overall, my son wants to be around kids that want to learn. He wants to have a voice and be heard. He is a Speech & Debate kid. He has started many clubs and is on a bunch of youth advisory committees. He likes to challenge himself. He gets As in what he is passionate about and doesn’t care about the rest.
He is coming from a large public school where his advisor met him once. He doesn’t know the principal. And with this past school year, he has never met any of his teachers. As many students haven’t either. This is why I fear a state school, and was thinking about ways to make them smaller!
Concerns about SDSU - is it still thought of as a party school? If he is not in a frat, can he still have a social life? When the classes are smaller, are the teachers willing to build relationships with students? Sorry for all the questions!
The student we met with told us she has had no problems forging relationships with her professors. She said many are willing to proofread papers for an edit before turning them in. She also said for sure to use the rate my professor site when picking classes because the reviews are accurate.
I’d say most colleges, party. Sure some may be more rambunctious than others but I think college and parties go hand in hand.
My daughter is a high stat kid who wants to be with like minded people. I’ve been assured there are kids just like her at SDSU.
Yes, without doing a fraternity you can socialize. There are 400 clubs on campus which I’ve been told is a great way to get started in finding your tribe. My daughter won’t be doing a sorority.
She’s started with interact with SDSU kids on the instagram pages and the app Patio. It’s helped her get more excited about going there. Lots of diversity which was also super important to her. Kids from all over the county too. We are originally from NYC and relatively new to California.
You can make any large school small and there is a kid playing board games for every kid getting drunk.
Let’s see which school on your list will have partiers.
Harvard - oh, it’s not on your list - has kids getting drunk.
SDSU - yes
USD - yes
LMU - yes
Pepperdine - yes
USCS - yes
UW - yes
He will need to join clubs and find his people - and he can and will - anywhere. It’s not always easy - but that’s the same at each and every school.
My daughter is on accepted student chats at schools more prestigious and similar in size to these. Guess what the kids talk about - can’t wait to party!!
So that’s just college. But part of college is learning to navigate and finding your space, etc.
Then the “NACAC list” in early May could help with smaller colleges that still offer financial aid and scholarships.
Sounds like you had to build his entire college list and strategy on your own, and he probably had lackluster letters of recommendation from the GC due to lack of contact. Did he get good letters of recommendation from his debate coach and humanities teachers? A boy interested in the Humanities and social sciences would definitely get merit at some good LACs.
Do you know your EFC and can you afford it? (Since youre from CA and own a business, I expect you can’t). If you can share your EFC it’d give us an idea of what strategy could work.
Is UW affordable?
Contact his GC to know whether he qualifies for ELC at a UC (likely UCM).
SDSU is a large state school. Awesome campus and location, academically strong, but overcrowded (hence the need for “special space” for honors students in the library). Definitely use Rate but keep in mind… freshmen register last so they may not have a choice.
If not in the Honors dorm, you can also request a Quiet floor or a Substance free floor (also called Healthy living) = party all you want elsewhere then go home, let them deal with the fall out. Guaranteed no roommate throwing up in your trash or partying the night before midterms.
The issue with the NACAC list is - budget wise it probably won’t work but most importantly the dad wants a name school and the child seems to want to be close to home.
The best colleges typically offer both financial aid and merit aid – they need to enroll students with good stats and have some money left over but obviously it requires quick turn around time since admissions may stay open for 2 months and good FA/merit only 2 weeks!
There are always 10-15 name schools on the list and I bet Covid made yield management much harder so I wouldn’t be surprised if there were more this year.
Knowing the EFC and how far off it is from what the family can afford would help in targeting the right colleges right away.
Just to give you a preview, this is from a 2019 thread - might give you an idea of who will be on it.
Main schools have greatly increased their WLs this year because they know kids applied to more schools than ever and they aren’t sure how it will all play out. So having a large WL gives them a bit more flexibility than normal.
Private schools accepting freshmen, with housing and financial aid:
Adelphi University NY
Albright College PA
Alma College MI
American International College MA
Anderson University SC
Anna Maria College MA
Antioch College OH
Aquinas College MI
Arcadia University PA
Augsburg University MN
Augustana University SD
Azusa Pacific University CA
Baldwin Wallace University OH
Bard College at Simon’s Rock MA
Barry University FL
Bay Path University MA
Baylor University TX
Bellarmine University KY
Belmont University TN
Beloit College WI
Bennington College VT
Birmingham-Southern College AL
Blackburn College IL
Bluffton University OH
Bridgewater College VA
Butler University IN
Caldwell University NJ
California Institute of the Arts CA
Canisius College NY
Capital University OH
Carlow University PA
Catawba College NC
Cazenovia College NY
Cedar Crest College PA
Chaminade University HI
Champlain College VT
Charleston Southern University SC
Chatham University PA
Cleary University MI
Cleveland Institute of Art OH
Colby-Sawyer College NH
College of St. Scholastica MN
Columbia College MO
Columbia College Chicago IL
Columbus College of Art & Design OH
Concordia University Chicago IL
Concordia University Irvine CA
Cornish College of the Arts WA
Dean College MA
Defiance College OH
Delaware College of Art and Design DE
Delaware Valley University PA
Dominican College NY
Drury University MO
D’Youville College NY
Earlham College IN
Eastern University PA
Edgewood College WI
Elizabethtown College PA
Elmhurst College IL
Elmira College NY
Elms College MA
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University AZ
Erskine College SC
Fisher College MA
Franklin Pierce University NH
Gardner-Webb University NC
Geoprgian Coourt University NJ
Gordon College MA
Goshen College IN
Goucher College MD
Grace Christian university MI
Graceland University IA
Greensboro College NC
Greenville University IL
Gwynedd Mercy University PA
Hamline University MN
Hawaii Tokai International College HI
Hendrix College AR
Hiram College OH
Hobart and William Smith Colleges NY
Hofstra University NY
Hollins University VA
Holy Family University PA
Holy Names University CA
Hope College MI
Houghton College NY
Illinois Wesleyan University IL
Indiana Tech IN
Indiana Wesleyan University IN
Iona College NY
Iowa Wesleyan University IA
John Brown University AR
Johnson & Wales University - North Miami Campus FL
Kansas City Art Institute MO
Kettering University MI
Kettering University MI
Keuka College NY
Keystone College PA
Knox College IL
La Roche University PA
La Sierra University CA
Lawrence Technological University MI
Lebanon Valley College PA
Lees-McRae College NC
Lenoir-Rhyne Universtiy NC
Lipscomb University TN
Lourdes University OH
Loyola University New Orleans LA
Lycoming College PA
MacMurray College IL
Madonna University MI
Malone University OH
Manor College PA
Mary Baldwin University VA
Marymount Manhattan College NY
Marymount University VA
Messiah College PA
Methodist University NC
Miles College AL
Millikin University IL
Mills College CA
Minneapolis College of Art and Design MN
Misericordia University PA
Monmouth College IL
Monmouth University NJ
Moore College of Art & Design PA
Moravian College PA
Mount Marty College SD
Mount Mary University WI
Mount Saint Mary’s University CA
Mount Vernon Nazarene University OH
Niagara University NY
North Central College IL
North Central University MN
Northwest Nazarene University ID
Norwich University VT
Nova Southeastern University FL
Oakland City University IN
Oglethorpe University GA
Ohio Dominican University OH
Ohio Northern University OH
Ohio Wesleyan University OH
Otterbein University OH
Pacific Lutheran University WA
Pacific University Oregon OR
Pine Manor College MA
Presbyterian College SC
Prescott College AZ
Quincy University IL
Quinnipiac University CT
Randolph College VA
Regis University CO
Reinhardt University GA
Rider University NJ
Ripon College WI
Rivier University NH
Roanoke College VA
Robert Morris University PA
Rockford University IL
Rockhurst University MO
Rocky Mountain College MT
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology IN
Saint Francis University PA
Saint Joseph’s University PA
Saint Martin’s University WA
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods IN
Saint Mary’s College IN
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota MN
Seattle Pacific University WA
Seattle University WA
Setson University FL
Southeastern University FL
Springfield College MA
St. Catherine University MN
St. Francis College NY
St. John Fisher College NY
St. John’s College MD
St. John’s College NM
St. John’s University NY
St. Louis College of Pharmacy MO
St. Norbert College WI
STEPHENS COLLEGE MO
Sterling College VT
Stevenson University MD
Susquehanna University PA
Sweet Briar College VA
Taylor University IN
The Culinary Institute of America NY
The University if the Arts PA
The University of Tulsa OK
Transylvania University KY
Trine University IN
Trinity Christian College IL
University of Dallas TX
University of Denver CO
University of Dubuque IA
University of Holy Cross LA
University of Indianapolis IN
University of Lynchburg VA
University of Mount Olive NC
University of New England ME
University of Redlands CA
University of Saint Katherine CA
University of St. Thomas MN
Ursuline College OH
Utica College NY
VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY IN
Valparaiso University IN
Vanguard University CA
Villa Maria College NY
Virginia International University VA
Visible Music College TN
Wartburg College IA
Washington & Jefferson College PA
Wells College NY
Wentworth Institute of Technology FL
Western New England University MA
Widener University PA
Wilkes University PA
Willamette University OR
Wilson College PA
Woodbury University CA
Worcester State University MA
Xavier University OH
Xavier University of Louisiana LA
York College of Pennsylvania PA
Young Harris College GA
I agree you don’t want to burden yourself financially, but if you are keeping privates on the table, look at the Great Books sessions at Pepperdine. Sounds like a potential fit for your son. Challenging with a lot of class discussion. I hear the students who go that way really bond and you pass out of a few gen eds if you do it.
Professors know their students by name at Pep & often will invite their classes into their family homes.
While there are religious requirements, I don’t believe it is a judgmental atmosphere or uptight. And the student Spiritual Life Advisors are there for friendly support IF you want to talk anything through.
Services are contemporary (think once a week is requirement for points? Might even be less) and likely very enjoyable for most. And I think meditating is 100% acceptable. (My daughter is going this Fall & is happy it is Christian, but she has also been a yogi for years). 
I’ve lived in (and loved) San Diego. It is different than LA. And Malibu is a different vibe/separated from the rest of LA. Loving beautiful mountain trails is a plus. 
I would check out LA internship opps Pepperdine has for your son’s interests & compare those as well to other schools.
And keep in mind a large amount of Pep Sophomores go to one of Pep’s int’l campuses for study abroad. So only in Malibu for 3 yrs.
Good luck deciding!
Page 489-491 of https://curriculum.sdsu.edu/curriculum-services/general-catalog/20-21-gc-2/139-uni-policies.pdf will show you SDSU AP and other exam credit.
I need to check into some of your acronyms.
Not sure what you are referrIng to with the college list. He originally wanted a large school with a lot of spirit and we had travel plans to fly and see them all last spring break and over last summer. We were on lockdown, so it never happened.
He stuck with some his original list and then started throwing in smaller local schools after the pandemic hit, and his priorities changed. We are finally getting on some campuses again as they are just opening up.
He had great recommendations from the community members that he worked with and raised money for. Not all schools accepted those on the application, as they have limits. Sadly in a large school, sometimes you basically write your own recs in one way or another.
Great thanks!