<p>Thanks for all of the suggestions! The “small university” direction is a good one. Trinity in Texas is on the radar because older bro visited years ago. We are on the west coast and it reminded us very much of Willamette. Only complaint back then was lack of public transportation and need for a car. Older is at Whitman and this son likes that school very much, but no business major there. We are thinking of a CA visit to include Claremont, U of Pacific, LMU, Santa Clara, and Chapman. Am I missing somewhere in that general area?</p>
<p>Cross-posted with Two-mules: We will need to bring the total cost down to a bit less than 20k per year (room, board, books, toothpaste…) Son will work and we are hoping the rigor of IB helps in the scholarship competition - not sure if that is true. He is hoping to minimize loans due to med school possibility.
The only restriction he has stated so far about schools is that he does not want a place with mandatory mass, chapel, etc. He’s ok with a religious-affiliated place, but doesn’t want mandatory worship. Mandated religious classes are OK with him.
He has lived in several countries, so diversity is a bit of an issue - St. Olaf wouldn’t fly - but most places are OK. He needs study abroad to be viable for a kid on need-based and merit aid. Hope all this isn’t TMI!
Off to work now - keep the ideas coming</p>
<p>*Would like to have small classes. He thinks he likes an LAC type environment, but I think what he really is trying to avoid is classes larger than 50 or so and anything taught by a TA.
He says weather doesn’t matter, but I think if there’s snow, then skiing would be needed.</p>
<p>Merit aid is very important and we will also qualify for need-based aid at most schools. We do not want him (or us) to have heavy loans due to his thoughts of med school.*</p>
<p>It sounds like money is going to be a big concern for two reasons…family income and because of possible med school costs.</p>
<p>Your son needs to take both of the ACT and SAT exams (have him take BOTH tests to maximize his chances for high scores - some kids do a LOT better on one than the other.)</p>
<p>Until we have those scores, we really don’t know what to suggest because if he’s not high enough for ivies or elites, then money will be an issue at many colleges because they won’t meet need. At that point, merit scholarships will become important.</p>
<p>What state are you in? Is his PSAT high enough for NMSF in your state?</p>
<p>Many schools do offer generous merit and some of these schools are large. Some will have large classes, but many also have honors classes which are typically smaller.</p>
<p>puma seriously if your S will be in Santa Clara anyway drive up to the east bay and take a look at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga <a href=“http://www.smc.edu%5B/url%5D”>www.smc.edu</a> and [Business</a> Administration](<a href=“http://www.stmarys-ca.edu/academics/schools/school-of-economics-and-business-administration/departments/business-administration/]Business”>http://www.stmarys-ca.edu/academics/schools/school-of-economics-and-business-administration/departments/business-administration/) They offer attractive need based packages and merit money . D received 12K a year for 4 years.</p>
<p>University of Portland is another small U with a fabulous business program with wonderful connections throughout the city and a renowned entrepreneurship concentration. They are also fairly generous with merit. <a href=“http://www.up.edu%5B/url%5D”>www.up.edu</a></p>
<p>Colorado College isn’t ideal for a premed. Many CC premeds end up transfering because it’s just too hard to do all the prerequisite sciences there due to the format - meant mostly for fields in the liberal arts.</p>
<p>Susquehanna (2200 students) has a separate, accredited business school and no classes of 50 or more or TAs. Muhlenberg, Drew,Ursinus and Moravian also offer business majors. Among 5000 student schools, St Josephs, Fairfield and American have separate business schools.</p>
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<p>University of Richmond (VA) and Washington and Lee U (not sure, but I am almost postive). They are liberal arts colleges.</p>
<p>Have you looked into American University? That might be a possibility.</p>
<p>Skidmore has a business major.</p>
<p>From what you have written it does seem that CMC is possible but he will need SAT/ACT scores. I don’t know what their deadline on this is.</p>
<p>I was surprised to see that Kalamazoo College has an Economics and Business major.</p>
<p>Truman State sounds like a very good school. They can now boast of having a Rhodes Scholar - Andrew McCall was named one last month - [Truman</a> News](<a href=“http://www.truman.edu/pages/184.asp?autoid=14]Truman”>http://www.truman.edu/pages/184.asp?autoid=14)</p>
<p>Liberal arts size + business with skiing within two hours for a student with around a 2100 SAT would = Wake Forest.</p>
<p>Babson (highly regarded for business) has a cross-reg agreement (can take 1 course per semester as cross reg) with nearby Wellesley–women’s LAC–with top-notch science facilities and faculty. Also has cross reg with Olin (engineering) as well as Brandeis and some other smaller area colleges. There is free bus service during the week between Babson-Olin-Wellesley making this possible. Male students from Olin and Babson are welcomed at Wellesley and a good number take advantage of the cross-reg from what I understand. Babson does offer some merit scholarships, as well as need-based grants and loans. Worth a look if a school in Massachusetts is not out of the question.</p>
<p>[Babson</a> College - Home](<a href=“Best College For Entrepreneurship | Babson College”>http://www3.babson.edu/)</p>
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<p>The natural sciences are popular at Colorado College. 12% of 2009 graduates majored in biological/life sciences, about the same as at Swarthmore, more than at Williams, and more than math plus biological and physical science majors combined at Middlebury. CC is one of the only schools in its peer group (small LACs) to offer a human cadaver dissection lab.
[Colorado</a> College | Bulletin](<a href=“http://www.coloradocollege.edu/Bulletin/March2005/healing.asp]Colorado”>http://www.coloradocollege.edu/Bulletin/March2005/healing.asp)</p>
<p>I agree, though, that you need to be on board with the one-course-at-a-time “block plan” if you’re going to choose this school. There is an “Economics and Business” program but really, it appears to be more econ than business. I would not expect a Business major to be favored for med school admissions, but maybe I’m wrong.</p>
<p>Colorado College does offer merit scholarships. About 2% of classes have 30 or more students and none over 50. The location offers more days of sunshine than practically anywhere outside of California. The state also offers some of the world’s best skiing.</p>
<p>Another vote for checking on Truman State. It’s ideal for those who want a small size but yet it is a public so the cost isn’t bad once you factor in generous merit aid. My OOS son is going there for a fantastic price and he loves it there.</p>
<p>I must say, though, your son will be able to narrow choices down a lot of more once he has an ACT/SAT score in hand and can search further as far as merit money if his score is at the top. I found that searching on both ACT and GPA helped narrow it down. If he makes NMSF in your state, that of course also gives some guidance in what direction to go with the possibilities.</p>
<p>*Merit aid is very important and we will also qualify for need-based aid at most schools. We do not want him (or us) to have heavy loans due to his thoughts of med school.
*</p>
<p>When you say that you’ll qualify for need-based aid at most schools, do you mean that your EFC is low enough that you’ll qualify for fed grants? I don’t know what that EFC is, but it is really low ( a lot lower than many people realize). </p>
<p>It can get confusing because many will appear to “qualify” for aid because their EFC is lower than the COA of most/many schools, but that can mean that the aid will be student loans (not free money), if the EFC is above the level for fed grants.</p>
<p>What is your EFC? If you don’t know, you can get an estimate by using an online EFC calculator: <a href=“http://www.finaid.org/calculators/finaidestimate.phtml[/url]”>http://www.finaid.org/calculators/finaidestimate.phtml</a></p>
<p>The University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN, is small and has a liberal arts college feel to it but has very strong business programs in its business school. [Undergraduate</a> Program: Opus College of Business: University of St. Thomas](<a href=“http://www.stthomas.edu/business/degrees/undergraduate/default.html]Undergraduate”>http://www.stthomas.edu/business/degrees/undergraduate/default.html)
6000 undergrads, 4000 grad students. Nice location, easy access to downtown Minneapolis, close to the University of MN, “walking distance” to Macalester. (Catholic college but doesn’t have mandatory mass or anything like that.) Part of the ACTC consortium. [University</a> of St. Thomas: Quick Facts](<a href=“http://www.stthomas.edu/aboutust/quickfacts/default.html]University”>http://www.stthomas.edu/aboutust/quickfacts/default.html)</p>
<p>Invest several sessions with a well regarded private college counselor in your area. I think that you’ll get the focus that you need based on your S interests and high school record.</p>
<p>It’s very unclear what majoring in business means as a “starting” goal for picking a college. A very large number of graduates from colleges ranging from CC, to state universities, to elite colleges end up with a “business” career of some kind. So eliminating possible colleges based on what is a rather general profession doesn’t make much sense.</p>