Suggest Some Schools

College Search & Selection
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<p>I'd like some suggestions of places my son, a HS junior, should take a look.</p>

<p>We live in Alabama, where he is in the top 10%, but not quite the top 5%, of the strongest public high school in the state.</p>

<p>He just got his scores for the January 2008 SAT: 800 CR, 690 Math, 710 writing. (He hadn't taken a prep course and will probably do so and try it one more time to see if he can raise the math and writing.)</p>

<p>Weighted GPA: 96.4091
Unweighted GPA: 94.25</p>

<p>PSAT scores suggest he'll be at least a NM semifinalist</p>

<p>Has taken advanced section of every high school class except where he's taken AP (Chem., English, U.S. History this year -- will take AP Bio, AP French, AP Cal., AP Eng., and AP Gov't as senior).</p>

<p>Participates in band (All-state bassoonist), choir (chamber and eight-man acappella group), theater (both acting and technical), service club, French club, "don't drink" club (can't remember name). Good chance of being president of at least one school organization next year. Chosen Most Outstanding Sophomore Boy. Out of school, works 10-20 hours a week at a grocery, went to France on Rotary Youth Exchange last summer, internship at public radio station, production manager for youth theatre company.</p>

<p>Wants to major in Asian Studies and/or Japanese, with thoughts of living/working abroad in business or government OR working here or abroad as professor.</p>

<p>Size of school or location not significant issues at this point -- he's open to anything. Cost is, and he will have to receive significant merit aid for us to be able to swing the costlier private schools. He also is turned off by cutthroat, super-neurotic environments. Wash U in St. Louis in first place at this point.</p>

<p>This is a child who really impresses and relates well to adults but has a lot of difficulty connecting to kids his age, even very bright ones. He is socially awkward, doesn't yet date, and is by nature serious and conservative (not politically, but in terms of being low-key). A real party school or one where Greeks dominate is not likely to be real satisfying. He needs a setting where there's a lot of contact with professors. Loves to learn.</p>

<p>Where should he be looking? Besides Wash U, he's been to Eckerd, Ursinus, Centre, New College in Florida (that one was way outside his comfort zone). Trips planned to Rice, Earlham, Emory; also considering Middlebury, Clark University, Yale, U of Ga., IU, U. Mich., U. of Tex. Suggestions would be most appreciated.</p>

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<p>I'm a big fan of WashU for personal reasons (son attends), and it could be a great place for your son, but make sure he visits and spends an overnight there to be sure. There is a Greek presence, and while not overwhelming, it may be more than he's looking for. </p>

<p>From what you've said, I would guess smaller colleges would be more to his liking. Middlebury, Vassar, Elon, and I think Furman has Asian studies --- for a range of selectivity on the East Coast. </p>

<p>And definitely look at Grinnell in Iowa, could be a perfect match and I think he'd get merit money if his SATs come up in the next round. </p>

<p>If you don't mind seeing him go far off to college, look at the West Coast too, where there is naturally strong ties to Asia and study abroad programs. Stanford (is looking for geographic diversity, specifically students from the South), Whitman (in WA), University of Puget Sound (probably get lots of merit money), Lewis and Clark in Portland, and Willamette U in Salem, OR. If I remember correctly, UPS and Willamette have established ties to universities in Asia for exchange programs.</p>

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<p>Just want to note that I was referring to the math score coming up, above the 700 mark, not the CR. Can't improve on perfection.</p>

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<p>I see that your list has schools ranging from selective to most selective. That's great!</p>

<p>Some ideas: Asian studies or Japanese might mean a west coast school, like Pomona, Lewis & Clark, etc. The upside is that most of those schools out there seem to have less cutthroat student bodies. At least by reputation. WashU actually has a rep for having a very competitive student body, but someone with actual knowledge should comment.</p>

<p>Contact with professors means that he should be looking at LACs instead of some of those bigger schools on the list. Sometimes the state schools have honors colleges, which would be better for your son, since they get some smaller, seminar type classes to offset the survey classes.</p>

<p>I'm curious: what was it about New College which rendered it outside his comfort zone? That would be a big clue as to what he likes, since you have a very disparate list on your hands and might want to begin taming it.</p>

<p>My son has some of the same issues. He's great with adults, has some impatience with peers. Doesn't like frat scene or big rah-rah environments, but doesn't have the ec's your son has. He hasn't taken SATs yet, but I doubt he'll score 800/710 on the verbal components. I'm actually working his list based on his personality or temperament type and his requirements and putting them on a spreadsheet to keep track. He gets the spreadsheet during spring break, and starts his own research. That's the plan, anyhow.</p>

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<p>My son had a couple of issues with New College. The biggest one is that attracts pretty offbeat students (a guy in a skirt, for example; lots of people with multiple piercings, tattoos, etc.) I actually suspect that over time he'd come to feel very comfortable in a place like that but it really turned him off. The other thing was that the campus is kind of split by the Tamiami Trail, a major north-south thoroughfare in Sarasota. There's a pedestrian bridge over it, but that and some rundown buildings just weren't his cup of tea.</p>

<p>Love your plan! The problem with having a kid with a lot of ECs is that he's never home for me to talk to about all this!</p>

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<p>Jazzymom, he's been very interested in Middlebury, but since they don't give merit aid I'm not encouraging it.</p>

<p>Very glad to hear about Grinnell -- I'd wondered about it. Will pursue.</p>

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<p>Lilcath, also Carleton and Hamilton.</p>

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<p>My D's at Occidental College and very, very, very happy. They have an asian studies major and lots of Japanese culture and language classes. And a very well known glee club which tours internationally. No real frats, friendly student body, I'll check into the FA situation.</p>

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<p>Lilcath: You should check out the thread in the Parents Forum, about four from the top, that discusses "colleges good for merit aid" and you can "search" that thread for particular colleges to see if they have been included in the discussion.</p>

<p>I was thinking of suggesting Occidental, too. </p>

<p>If you want merit aid, a great Asian studies program, and a low-key friendly student body, it's probably a good idea to cast a very wide net.</p>

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<p>the University of Pennsylvania has great breadth in the east asian studies field.</p>

<p>They may be the only school that offers not one, but TWO majors for East Asia studies. They offer East Asian Languages & Civilizations (EALC) as well as East Asian Area Studies (abbreviated as EAST). The former is more focused on culture/anthro stuff whereas the latter is more focused on modern history, society, economics, etc.</p>

<p>Even though it is a large university, the east asian studies people are wonderful. I know the department head by name, and I've gone out to dinner (and even out for drinks) with my professors--both here and when we all happened to be in Asia. I myself am double-majoring in EAST and international relations.</p>

<p>Penn certainly fits nicely on any list that includes Emory and Yale.</p>

<p>He also might like Brown University.</p>

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<p>You might check out Willamette's TIUA Tokyo</a> International University of America
The one-year program at Tokyo International University of America (TIUA) and Willamette University enables students to pursue academic goals, develop intercultural awareness, and explore personal values and interests. Co-curricular programs are designed to offer students opportunities to learn through experience about other people and cultures. As a result, students also gain and share insights about their own traditions and values.
Freshmen are often paired up with a Japanese roommate (D was).</p>

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<p>Earlham sounds like a place your son would feel comfortable, lots of access to professors who love to teach, and their Asian studies and language programs are top-notch. No Greeks, very inclusive student environment.</p>

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<p>I second the recommendation for California LACs. CA has a very diverse Asian population. Schools like Pitzer, Occidental, etc. would be great choices. </p>

<p>Also look at Santa Clara (which I don't think has been mentioned yet). They have a strong international focus. </p>

<p>I'll also second the recommendation for Elon.</p>

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<p>Additionally, if he doesn't want party schools, cross off Texas, UGA, and IU.</p>

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<p>Centre College also has an active Greek life, further accentuated by the small student body.</p>

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<p>Georgetown University immediately comes to mind. He might be interested in its School of Foreign Service; the McDonough School of Business; the College - and within the College, the Linguistics department.</p>

<p>He might consider applying Early Action, particularly since cost is a factor - you son might have a better chance as a great financial aid package if he applies early.</p>