If you want private and need or must have merit aid, then you need a whole different strategy away from LACs (other than maybe Davidson) and into the WashU, Emory, Rice, Case, Tulane division (the buyer’s market for high performing kids). I think you first need to decide if you need merit aid or would only take it as nice if offered but not necessarily decisive. Once you have decided that and of merit aid not needed kid would accept LAC size and culture, then I think you shape your list, with or without LACs. It’s too all over the place at this point in my view; seems a bit too reputation driven; just being honest and pardon my being blunt.
You may not need anything between Macalester and UMissouri, if he’d be happy to attend UMissouri.
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Upper level math courses will mostly be small, even at big universities, if that is what you mean by “good amount of attention to undergrads”.
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Note that student background diversity differs significantly between these schools, if that is a consideration.
agree agree agree! it takes a long time to apply to reaches, no reason to add anything else if safeties are happy
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For Math, I would take Wisconsin over Illinois every day. Madison is just a better place to spend 4 years. Spending $10k/year at UM or UCB over UW depends upon what the $40k means to your family.
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We don’t need merit aid, but obviously wouldn’t turn it down. He likes LACs, but wants to make sure they have enough higher level math classes. He would also like to be able to do research as an undergrad. He doesn’t seem to care about reputation, he doesn’t want to apply to MIT, and Brown is the only Ivy he is particularly interested in. He just wants excellent math and preparation for PhD in math. He prefers cooler climates, a school where not partying is fairly normal, and he doesn’t like sports.
Yeah, he really doesn’t want to go to Mizzou.
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Yes, that and the opportunity to do research as an undergrad. I think he would like to go to a school where there are other students who LOVE math. He really has a passion for math.
You might be able to get hints about the number of “students who LOVE [pure] math” by the upper level (and graduate if applicable) course offerings – if they include coverage on a frequently-offered basis of such topics as real and complex analysis, algebra and number theory, geometry and topology, logic and set theory, then that may suggest a more optimal academic fit for him than if the department’s upper level courses are more in areas like statistics, operations research, mathematical finance, etc… (note that such areas as statistics and operations research may be separate departments at some colleges but not others).
Graduate level courses function as recruiting grounds for research projects, as well as instruction on very advanced level material.
I basically have the opposite to your kid (all English and writing, no math), but I have seen Rose Hulman Institute of Technology (RHIT) mentioned on several other threads. I wonder if it would work for him. Seems like it would have a lot of math nerds. Mathematics | Rose-Hulman
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Brown
University of Chicago
Pomona
Harvey Mudd
Haverford
Swarthmore
Carleton
University of Michigan
Macalester
UC Berkeley
University of Wisconsin
It was hinted above that he may not like heavy general education requirements. Has he looked at the Harvey Mudd general education requirements?
Yes. He isn’t a huge fan of them, but it has an excellent math program and required research. I think he might do better at Pomona because if that but I’m not sure.
Keep Mizzou on your list. You need to have a failsafe option where you can get an early acceptance, and then hope your son can get into a place where he really wants to be.
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I’ve see this comment before but my D loves both as well. They both have a lot to offer a specific kind of student even though they are very different schools. I think my D would like to attend a UChicago-Brown love child University.
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My niece majored in applied math at Haverford. Had a wonderful time there. Just last week earned her Ph.D. from MIT and has a good post doc position starting next month. So you can go places from Haverford in math.
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Re: list with Brown and Chicago
A student who likes Chicago’s general education requirements could choose a similar volume and type of courses at Brown or many other colleges with fewer or no general education requirements.
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You need one more safety that’s better for math than Mizzou.
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What do you suggest? Are there any math LACs that are safeties? Minnesota, Pitt, Purdue, University of Washington, Rochester, RPI?