It would be helpful to know stats, especially if we are talking nursing, many of the schools mentioned have sub 20% acceptance rates for nursing, with some in the single digits.
I second U Miami, with 10K undergrads, which I consider medium size. U Dayton is smaller (about 8K undergrads) with big school spirit, more basketball than football. Happy students, probably too cold, but accessible admit rate wise. I second Delaware (warmer than you think), and TCU is a great choice, nursing (below 15% admit rate) or not.
IMO the NESCAC or Patriot league schools don’t approach anything like a Saturday football feel at big D1 programs (exception is Navy). While I am sure basketball or hockey can be fun at some of those schools, it’s still not the same, especially if school spirit is what the student prioritizes.
Funny story, I had a student transfer out of Tulane after freshman year a couple of years ago primarily because of the lack of school spirit (I know, don’t at me ). Student sent me pics of the extremely sparse football crowd over several weekends.
Another thing to check is how easy it is for students to get football tickets, and how accessible the stadium is. For example…University of Connecticut is very hard for students to get tickets to football games (although it’s gotten easier since their team isn’t exactly a bowl contender) and the stadium is in Hartford which is not on campus. Yes the school runs buses, but I don’t think that’s the same.
Would this student consider Ohio University? They have a football team (and a terrific marching band…not as good as tOSU but still good).
In my first post I was thinking Miami Florida but Miami Ohio would work. Just colder.
I’m assuming D is a junior? Stats would help. You said “decent student” so I was thinking below T20-40 schools.
Also, not sure about size. You’re thinking small/medium but maybe D is thinking bigger school? If that’s the case then apply to SEC or ACC schools and call it done. Big 10 if colder weather is acceptable.
As for nursing can your D do some shadowing? I would be cautious about applying to direct entry nursing programs unless your D is fairly sure that’s her path. Very competitive and structured. If she is sure then direct entry is the way to go. Plenty of threads on DE nursing schools.
Funny story, I had a student transfer out of Tulane after freshman year a couple of years ago primarily because of the lack of school spirit (I know, don’t at me ). Student sent me pics of the extremely sparse football crowd over several weekends.
I’ve heard from current Tulane students that football support is WAY up this year, likely because the team’s performance improved so much last year.
My daughter graduated from UDel, there is a lot of school spirit, but not necessarily for sports (filling that stadium is nothing like my other kids’ experiences at Clemson and Rutgers, actually Rutgers isn’t nearly the same experience as Clemson, my kids just visited their sister and were amazed). There is a lot of tailgating and daging though on game days (and most weekends), and students seem very happy.
Tulane University Head football Coach Willie Fritz is being courted by at least one other school. Current salary is just under $3 million so he is poachable as the lowest paid head football coaches in the Big Ten Conference are paid at least $4 million in salary.
If Willie Fritz leaves Tulane, the excitement about the football team may wane.
BC, Villanova, ND and Georgetown are all mid sized schools with D1 football. BC has good nursing and it is traditionally easier to get in especially for males.
Penn students don’t turn out for games in a big way unless it’s something extraordinary, like the men’s basketball game against Villanova a couple of weeks ago.
Thanks for everyone’s suggestion. I’m ignoring request for stats; sorry but there is no point in my giving you all my kids stats. It is not a 4.0 or a 3.9 UW and based on many on this site, I think if I provided it, I will get posts about how all these schools are “reaches” and recommendations that don’t necessarily fit with the kid’s academics. I know many schools recommended will be a reach for my kid. And they will be a reach for almost any kid.And I know we will need to find a safety the kid can live with. I know nursing is tough nowadays and so we may need to reevaluate when all the grades come in at year end. But I also know from just going through this with my older child, GPA is taken in context of school and is one part of the application. My older had the same GPA as this one and got into many top engineering programs and Yale. Sometimes this site is a little Debbie downer on people. Thanks again!
Totally understand, and didn’t mean to be invasive or discouraging. As long as you are putting safeties and matches on the list too, no reason not to reach. For what it’s worth, this site scared me too! Didn’t think D22 would get into any nursing programs, and she was accepted to all but Penn State and Nova. She is super happy at Pitt, as others have echoed, it’s hard to beat for a direct entry program for a multitude of reasons.
Any response to this suggestion? One good thing about the Ohio publics is that the costs are fixed for the four years your student is an undergrad. It’s not a big city, but Athens is a neat college town.
I think there is a lot of school spirit in the Bobcat community!
Southern schools with nursing and seem to have good rah-rah spirit (filling up the percentage of the stadium, or more than the entire undergraduate student body in attendance at the games, etc). I bolded the smallest schools on the list.
Abilene Christian (TX)
Appalachian State (NC)
Baylor (TX)
Coastal Carolina (SC)
East Carolina (NC)
Florida A&M (HBCU) – has a relationship where students can take classes at Florida State, just a mile down the road
James Madison (VA)
Mercer (GA)
Norfolk State (VA, HBCU)
North Carolina A&T (HBCU)
Old Dominion (VA)
Samford (AL) – also part of a consortium where students can take classes at other Birmingham area schools, like UAB
Southern (LA, HBCU)
Texas Christian
U. of Delaware
U. of Miami (FL)
U. of Mississippi (Ole Miss)
Schools that met the other criteria above, but that don’t have nursing:
). Student sent me pics of the extremely sparse football crowd over several weekends.