Regarding UMaine’s program, I think they wanted to compete more with the flagships of surrounding states, drawing more students to Maine as their declining high school population is more pronounced than other states. Massachusetts students are particularly taking advantage of it is my understanding. At first they didn’t include students from Rhode Island but I guess they are now. There was an interesting article here: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/05/11/university-maine-sees-slower-growth-second-year-flagship-match-program . Hope its not behind a wall though – I have access to this site at work.
@MAandMEmom I can access that link. Thank you!
I took a look at Naviance. It clearly is working. This is from S’s school:
51 Total Applicants in 2016
46 Students Accepted
11 Students Enrolled
30 Total Applicants in 2015
26 Students Accepted
2 Students Enrolled
19 Total Applicants in 2014
18 Students Accepted
5 Students Enrolled
@MomtoAndrew2018, have you seen this on the UMass website? https://www.cics.umass.edu/ugrad-education/major-change-cs. It’s about the process to apply for the CS major if you don’t start your freshman year with a declared major.
@twobugs Thank you!
This is actually really encouraging to know. I was under the impression CS and Engineering at UMass Amherst are closed to undeclared majors (with the exception for CS and Engineering exploratory tracks, both mean students must apply to these two majors at the time of freshman entry). If I understand this correctly, this means S can apply as undecided and still has a shot for CS once admitted?
@MomtoAndrew2018, that’s how I read it. It sounds very similar to the process my daughter followed to apply to Isenberg. Which she did even though she wasn’t part of the Isenberg exploratory track. My recollection from two admissions sessions at UMass (one for each kid) is that the only major you absolutely CANNOT transfer into is Nursing.
Wow yes @MomtoAndrew2018 that’s great information. I love data and look forward to someday having access to naviance. My son is a rising junior so hopefully I can poke around next year!
@twobugs At the UMass info session the organizer kept emphasizing on how restrictive Nursing program is and no transfers are allowed. I didn’t think of it that much back then but now it makes sense that CS and Engineering are not the same. 
Cleveland, once called the mistake on the lake, is on the cusp of cool…LA Times
http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-cleveland-20170716-story.html
@bester1 Very cool!
I think the hidden gem for Andrew is U of Utah. Right now it is club lacrosse, but it is trying to get to varsity D1 in two years (and if that were to happen, it will likely be announced soon, to start recruiting for 2020-21). If not, it will remain a club sport. There are a lot of merit scholarships available, good D1 sports, excellent skiing nearby, a Delta hub so good flights from the east coast. The school itself offers a variety of schools and majors, including a top computer gaming design program and good engineering. It also has theater and dance.
Others above have recommended U of Denver. People from the west might think it is preppy, but those from the east wouldn’t. I think DU offers a lot. It is urban, right on the light rail to get downtown or to the airport, but it is a campus with a campus feel. The sports complex is very nice with two sheets of ice, a very nice pool (very cold), the lax complex, a work out area with a climbing wall, two gyms for gymnastics and another gym for, I think, volleyball. DU doesn’t have football but some kids follow the professional Denver sports that are nearby. Skiing available 2-3 hours away, but lots of groups and rides to get there.
Colorado School of Mines is not a good fit for everyone. It is more like WPI or RIT as it is very STEM and even more specifically engineering focused. It is closer to the ski areas by about 30 minutes. It is D2, does have a football team. Club lacrosse only and not real competitive but that’s comparing them to CU and CSU clubs, that are very competitive and often win the national championship. It’s just one of those schools that if you fit, it’s perfect but if you don’t there aren’t a lot of changes you can make to your major.
VT, JMU, GMU in Virginia
@twoinanddone Thank you!
@lilac465 Thank you! May I ask what major you applied for and where did you choose to go in the end?
Hi, I have a similar child. S18 has 1300 SAT, 3.4 UW, 4.3 Weighted, and is applying to NC State, UNC (we live in NC), USC Columbia, VT, Clemson and a safety school of his choosing that will be in state (to be determined). He thinks he will major in Science but nothing is in stone. He enjoyed Engineering classes but his SAT seems low for the engineering major he is interested in.
A- students are admitted far more often than people may suspect. An A- from one school isn’t an A- from another. Placed in context, A- students are admitted in large numbers to even the most highly competitive universities. The problem with admissions stats is that they reveal little about the other aspects of a candidate’s application. It is these thing that are usually of determining value.