DS21 doesn’t think he wants to go to college. He has some plans, but I’d really like him to at least have an acceptance he can defer for a gap year so he has some options.
He has a 1400 SAT, 4.25 GPA, rigorous schedule, normal to good extracurriculars. He’s an interesting kid.
Our state school isn’t a great option for him. I think he’d be most successful in a smaller school with involved professors and advisors. He’d like to be in or very close to a major city.
He won’t want to do a bunch of applications, so I’m hoping for a safety/match he’d be happy at. Absolutely zero idea what he would want to study.
Any ideas for schools we could look into?
I guess I should add a little more. Northeast/Midwest would be first choice geographically. For sake is search, cost doesn’t enter into decision.
What is his uw GPA, on a 4 point scale, core courses only?
4.0 UW. He’s a good student. Should have a higher SAT, but refuses test prep and isn’t a great test taker. This year He’s taking AP Calc BC, AP physics, AP English, Spanish 4. His senior year plan is required English and social studies with a work co op.
He loves to learn, and has self taught himself lots of cool stuff. He doesn’t see the need for traditional college route. Which might be true. I’m just trying to keep his options open.
Here’s a start…still so much we don’t know!
For Matches:
U Rochester
U Richmond
Vassar
Holy Cross
Brandeis
Safety:
U Dayton
Loyola Maryland
Clark
Marist
Pitt (16K…is that too big?)
Let us know what may or may not be appealing about these schools.
Lake Forest? 1,500 students. 30 miles north of Chicago. It would be a safety. If you are looking for fall 2020, their application deadline isn’t until Feb 15th.
Little outside the Midwest, but Rhodes is in Memphis. His 1400 would put him at the 75th percentile.
Northeastern for their co-op program? Not a safety, but a string shot and more in line with his thinking- semesters alternate between classes & working, and they work well with undecided students.
Thanks for those suggestions! They made me think of other things to look for- diversity. He loves to meet interesting people, international students, people with varying backgrounds. Pitt is actually on our list. And Ohio state. I know, it’s huge! But it’s a great city and would offer any program he finally decided to be interested in.
He is also not religious and wouldn’t enjoy a socially conservative atmosphere.
What does he want to do (both short and long term) if he does not go to college immediately after high school?
What do you mean by small?
If you are going above the traditional LAC size 2-3k, you could add schools like American or George Washington in DC.
Drew or Pace.
Very small, diverse, near a city, but not a safety – the Oxford campus of Emory University.
Bard? Not near a city, but a 2 hour train ride to NYC. Trinity in Hartford CT? Connecticut College? Rhodes in Memphis?
@collegemom3717 northeastern is definitely on the list. He says It would be his first choice if he wanted to go to college. He will definitely apply there. Great city, lots of study abroad opportunities, phenomenal coop program, diversity, interesting students. It checks a lot of boxes, just not the safety match.
What about something different like Colorado College?
If he likes Northeastern, Drexel is definitely worth checking out. Right in the middle of a big city, same Co-op focused curriculum but an easier admit than Northeastern
Sorry I just saw this thread. Northeastern’s deadline for regular decision was Jan. 1st (yesterday), according to their website. They do not have extra essays though. Just the common app. I would see if you can still submit if you haven’t already. Good luck!
I think OP’s son is still a junior.
If he’s at all into STEM, maybe WPI? I think it has a very “learn by doing” approach.