<p>Ds2 has said he wants to attend an upcoming CTCL roadshow event, just as his brother did a couple of years ago. The thing is their needs are very different, and I'm not sure any of these 40 colleges are right for him. Ds2 knows he wants to go into politics and so would be looking at an IR, polisci or pre-law degree. Does anyone have any experience with these colleges enough to know whether any of them are particularly strong in these areas?</p>
<p>Yes, many of the colleges would suit your son’s interests – and even so, its valuable and positive to attend the event. My d. attended but ended up not applying to any of the CTCL colleges, but I think she gained a lot from the event and that overall, part of the process was taking a serious look at colleges that turned out not to meet her needs. (She actually did her only formal overnight at one – but ultimately decided she wanted a larger college & an urban campus). </p>
<p>Unless it is difficult for you logistically to attend the event, I think you should encourage your son’s interest. </p>
<p>One thing I like about CTCL is they get attendees focusing on substance of what the school offers in terms of an educational environment, rather than thinking about SAT scores and the type of bragging points that come up at other college sessions. So I think a CTCL event is a good way for a kid to start thinking about and asking the right questions – and not just looking at ranking or prestige.</p>
<p>Oh, we’ll go since it’s close. He’s just a rising sophomore so it’s not like we don’t have time, but after seeing his brother’s college search going down for the past 18 months, I think he wants to get in on the action, too. There were several CTCL that I thought would be good for ds1, and he ended up only applying to one. I just don’t want ds2 to go and be discouraged that nothing felt right.</p>
<p>Beloit and Goucher have an international vibe going, but I don’t know about their IR programs. Almost everyone at Kalamazoo studies abroad. Maybe he would be interested in learning more about one of those three.</p>
<p>Some of these schools have a 3-3 law program with Columbia U. Law school – Whitman, Wooster, and I think some others.</p>
<p>Thanks, MomCat. That would be of interest to ds!</p>
<p>“Nothing feels right” is part of the learning process. Figuring out what you don’t want is part of the process of finding what you do want. </p>
<p>But I do think that the CTCL is an excellent start to the college search process. I think students enjoy the opportunity to talk with admission reps from the various colleges; they come home with enough flyers and handouts to get them motivated for the college search; and it encourages strong students to start out looking at schools that might be their safeties and matches, rather than develop a reach-heavy list and be disappointed in the end.</p>
<p>Very true. Right now he thinks he wants to go to G’town. :eek:</p>
<p>Not to keep him from going to the fair, but those 3+3 programs aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>you often have to get an extremely high gpa + lsat score to qualify (so high that you’d be a good shot at similar schools anyway, or a strong candidate for big scholarships elsewhere).</p></li>
<li><p>you lose out on a year of college–pro or con depending on the person, but senior year was wonderful for me (I worked one day a week at a local law firm, and it really helped me decide I wanted to be an attorney. I can’t say I knew that much about what the career really entailed before that). If you’re bound and determined to graduate in 3 years, then any college + law school offers a 3+3 program.</p></li>
<li><p>places that hire law students often prefer slightly older ones, with more work experience than a 24-year-old law grad would have.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks, stacy. I must admit I know nothing yet about the law school arena. I suppose a good question for him to ask would be how many kids who apply for the program get accepted.</p>
<p>Yup. He’ll find some excellent schools for Poli Sci and IR (and prep for law school) among the CTCL schools. </p>
<p>As to 3+3 programs…calmom and I were both baby law students (and then baby lawyers ;)). IIRC, neither of us felt that was the best situation. (We were both way young.)</p>
<p>Any ones in particular, curm?</p>
<p>I’ll go check so I won’t look like such a shill. ;)</p>
<p>The two schools I know the best (from multiple visits and student outcomes in the fields) are Centre and Rhodes. Both are exceptional LAC’s with great reps. (My D knows kids from Rhodes at Yale Law and Harvard Law. One from 60 miles from us in Texas.;)) Rhodes also has a very good mock trial program and is very strong in IR. I’d bet Centre is equally good and I know their law school rep is “finestkind”. </p>
<p>The rest of my list is more my general approval of academic quality and rep in general. In our home state Austin and Southwestern (and Trinity U who for some reason is not a member) are the tops among LAC’s. Hendrix, Millsaps, and Denison are great quality schools with Hendrix appealing to the canoe on top of an old volvo set more than the rest. (Not a dig. I’m a fan.)</p>
<p>OT- Outside this group but with the same academic feel , and at various levels of selectivity (some much higher) but all LAC’s or very small uni’s , I’d look at Furman, Washington and Lee, Colgate, Hamilton, Trinity College, Whitman, Carleton, Davidson, Macalester, and Connecticut College. (Jeez. Take a look at these and see what ya’ like. I’m not likely to run out of possibles.;))</p>
<p>Thanks. He has a new-found love of mock trial.</p>
<p>I coached and judged for years. Ran clinics, too. ;)</p>
<p>Edit: uhhh…but I have a court order prohibiting me from ever doing it again.</p>
<p>Hmmm, you might regret telling me that. ;)</p>
<p>:eek: I can still edit. ;)</p>
<p>In the CTCL list, Wabash has an excellent Rhetoric dept. and something called Moot court that all the future lawyers and politicians seem to favor. School has several political alumni, though most are Midwestern.</p>
<p>Whitman is still a CTCL school–even though the 2nd ed. of the book says that it has become so selective that it probably no longer fits the profile. Strong poli sci and law school admission success. It does not have a strong mock trial, but the debate team is among the strongest in the nation (first in the nation in paliamentary debate sweepstakes this past year, 9th ranked in policy debate.)</p>