<p>Hi everyone! Newbie here! My son, who is a Junior in high school this year, has a love of all things French and ultimately wants to live in France (perhaps teaching English?). We are in the beginning stages of researching good fit colleges for him and I was wondering if you could suggest some possible fits? </p>
<p>Right now he has a 3.7 GPA, takes honors or AP classes (except for math) and hasnt yet taken the SAT, but on the practice tests, he has been scoring around 1900. He doesnt really have extra curriculars. He played sax in an award winning marching band for two years. He has taken piano lessons for several years. He intends to join some clubs this year and volunteer somewhere in the community (maybe the animal shelter). A smaller school would be best for him. </p>
<p>Our research has shown us Middlebury (LOVE, but his grades arent good enough). Dickinson might fit the bill. Are there any other schools like Dickinson that we should consider? Something with a strong foreign language/global focus? Thanks for your input!</p>
<p>Just about any decent school should have ample foreign language and study abroad opportunities for your son. We have not visited a school yet that does not tout their global initiatives.</p>
<p>Check out Centre College. Merit aid will be available for a student with 3.7/1900 stats. They have a nice study abroad program in Strasbourg, Fance. I love Centre but my S has no interest in LACs.</p>
<p>why not just go to college in france?although he may change his mind as he transitions into becoming an adult about his desires or focus. perhaps a major in a tangible degree, take french as a minor and do a study abroad .I do agree with haystack centre college may be a good option.</p>
<p>At different market levels, Macalaster College in St. Paul MN, Kalamazoo College in, well, Kalamazoo MI, and Arcadia University in Glenside PA. All are small colleges that legitimately focus on international experience. </p>
<p>Another option specific to French would be to look at McGill University in Montreal. McGill itself is Anglophone, and probably equivalent in quality, size, and bureaucracy to a good American public flagship like Wisconsin or Indiana, but it’s in a beautiful Francophone city. It has a lot of U.S. students, and is far more welcoming to them than any university in France will be.</p>
<p>If he likes the NE LACs, take a look at some of those that are slightly less selective than Middlebury - Bates, Colby, Hampshire, Hamilton, Vassar (for a boy), etc…Further down towards the mid-atlantic region (and less selective still), there’s Ursinus, Goucher, Juniata. </p>
<p>If he’s willing to go to the midwest, there are even more great options and they tend to be less selective than the NE LACs: Macalester and Oberlin have already been mentioned. I’d add Grinnell and Kenyon.</p>
<p>All LACs have extensive study abroad options and French will be available everywhere.</p>
<p>Dartmouth would be great for your son, but it is even reachier than Middlebury and it doesn’t sound like he currently has the stats to be a viable candidate. You might want to put it on his list if his scores go up significantly. (My S, who just graduated, is doing exactly what yours wants to do. )</p>
<p>JHS’s list looks good to me. IIRC, McGill may also have a special scholarship for kids who want to major in French. Montreal is a wonderful city, with a very cosmopolitan feel, and McGill is a great university.</p>
<p>I agree that just about every college we visited touted it’s study abroad programs. My youngest son’s college has campuses in Montreal and Dublin and they’re a very techy LAC. They would like all of their students to do an abroad.</p>
<p>Two colleges where he would probably get very good merit are Goucher and Arcadia. Both either require or highly suggest study abroads.</p>
<p>BeanTownGirl, I go to Tufts and actually went to Talloires, France this summer! It was an amazing cultural experience (homestay with a French family, exploring French small towns and big cities alike). I would say about 50% of Tufts students do the Talloires program at least once during their time at Tufts, and most students study abroad on top of that.</p>
<p>Furthermore, Tufts requires 6 semesters of foreign language for all students (although engineers are exempt). This creates a really international and awesome environment! I came to Tufts thinking I would major in econ, but my required French courses have turned me into a French major </p>
<p>Tufts is fairly difficult to get into, but they place much much more importance on SAT/optional essays (including an optional video essay!) than most schools do. PM me if you have any questions!</p>
<p>Natalieisbored -
Good for you! I am totally jealous! Eons ago, when I went to Tufts, it was mostly the foreign language majors who studied abroad. I don’t know anyone who did. And they didn’t have the center in Talloires.
They have done so much to make study abroad a priority at their various programs including Chile, China, Ghana, Hong Kong, London, Madrid, Oxford, Paris, and Germany. I think they have a high percentage of students that participate even among engineers.</p>
<p>You didn’t mentioned where you’re located. If you’re open to the western states, GU is a medium-sized Jesuit school (5000 or so students) with great academics and Div. I basketball teams that consistently go to the NCAA tournament. Good merit aid available.</p>
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