<p>Schools in MI, WI, MN, ND, MT, ND, ID, OR, No CA, WA, NM, CO. </p>
<p>Man, we’re getting pretty far away from “selective colleges” here…</p>
<p>^ The OP simply said he was a contender for highly selective schools. That doesn’t necessarily mean a highly selective school is the right choice. </p>
<p>AnnieBeats beat me to it. </p>
<p>Please, check out Deep Springs. Really look at it before jumping to conclusions just because it’s a different type of school. Graduates from Deep Springs are sought after by top-notch schools such as the Ivies. It’s made for intelligent, passionate students who like the outdoors - started by a man who needed engineers to manage his gold mines, so they also needed outdoor skills. The curriculum is very classics-based. </p>
<p>It’s highly selective, and every student accepted receives a full ride scholarship. An excellent, excellent program.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.deepsprings.edu/home”>http://www.deepsprings.edu/home</a></p>
<p>Make sure to read the student blogs for a taste of Deep Springs life.
<a href=“http://www.deepsprings.edu/studentblog”>http://www.deepsprings.edu/studentblog</a></p>
<p>Why not UW? They have a great Outdoors Club and good engineering. I know two students who just spent two weeks backcountry in Oregon. </p>
<p>Utah is another one with potential, WUE scholarships available and they are putting a lot of money into their engineering programs.</p>
<p>Not Cornell - it’s very pretty but nothing is remote until you drive a few hours. </p>
<p>I’m not so sure about the northwest… The poor weather during the fall/winter/spring (basically the entire school year) can really hamper outdoor plans. It is pretty up there, but if it’s 40 degrees with grey skies, and drizzling 80% of the school year, most people wouldn’t exactly be in the mood to get outside much.</p>
<p>You just can’t beat California/Arizona/New Mexico/Colorado/Wyoming/Utah/Montana if you are a true outdoorsman. </p>
<p>a little rain never hurt a true backwoodsman. we were born wet! :)) </p>
<p>I’m with you jke - we love our green and our big trees. My kids are miserable at 80 degrees and sunny. </p>
<p>OP is from Seattle and probably already has all waterproof stuff.</p>
<p>yeah, Gore-Tex has to be right up there with the weekend as one of the great inventions of mankind.</p>
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<p>I somehow doubt your kids would be miserable on a hike around[here!](<a href=“http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0b/Horseshoe_Bend_1_md.jpg/800px-Horseshoe_Bend_1_md.jpg”>http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0b/Horseshoe_Bend_1_md.jpg/800px-Horseshoe_Bend_1_md.jpg</a>) 
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<p>It’s not bad, but IMO, it’s still not as dynamic, diverse, or beautiful as what you get here out west. What we lack in super selective elite colleges we make up for in breathtaking natural scenery and higher quality of living (and our colleges are still pretty good!).</p>
<p>To each his own though. Not intending this to be a east vs west debate. </p>
<p>Bates college in Maine. Yes, they have engineering degrees. And a whole section of their website just for backpackers <a href=“Backpacking | First-Year Experience and Orientation | Bates College”>http://www.bates.edu/entering/backpacking/</a></p>
<p>The sublime of the West is markedly different than that of the East. It is slightly more likely to get you killed, for one thing. Still, I love it beyond measure.</p>
<p>Bates is great for outdoorsmen/women but it doesn’t really offer engineering. It does have a 3-2 program with Cornell, but that’s different from offering an undergraduate degree. What engineering program the school does have is under the physics and astronomy department.</p>
<p>Montana State up in Bozeman is in a pretty sweet location </p>
<p>Thanks again for all the responses. Montana State is on my list and it would be extremely cheap for me to go there</p>