Part of the reason Carleton is intense is it’s on trimesters. The courses move fast there. Trimesters are another criterion that may be appealing, or not appealing, to the student compared to semesters.
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Have you looked at Union? They have some ABET accredited engineering majors. I can’t say for sure but believe it will be a different feel from Bucknell, etc.
The big NMF schools - and there are more than these -
Tulsa - with NMSF you get a full ride. It’s a small school but not an LAC.
Alabama (5 years tuition, 4 years housing and a stipend), UTD, Maine, some of the Florida Schools and more - are aggressive. UAH is aggressive too - just based on auto merit for a smaller, more STEM focused school
Then some have possible scholarships - USC, BU, Fordham, etc.
It’s not to say it’s right for your family. If it’s not - then don’t look at it. Of course, first you need to get the score, etc.
Best of luck.
Colleges with Great Scholarships for National Merit Finalists - College Kickstart
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YES! Union sounds like a great match for this young man. And saving tons and tons of money, if he makes NMF, at some of the schools that reward NMF, would be wonderful.
We don’t know if OP’s kid is likely to be NMSF, do we?
As for Union, I would put in the same group, vibe wise as Bucknell. Sporty and affluent. A bit less of a Greek presence, but it’s still noticeable.
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Stanford is on the quarter system and definitely felt intense. I think the kid could handle it, especially if there are fewer courses per quarter than the usual 4-5 – but at this point I’m speculating. I’m putting a lot of stock in the comparative value of campus visits. He thinks he likes snow. We’ll see… (mwahahaha)
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If he’s not engineering, then your list is great. You mentioned the possibility. That’s all I was just noting a 3-2 has lots of costs, both monetary and social so if engineering is potentially on the table, it might be best to go to a school with four year engineering in my opinion.
You mentioned Bates. If it was the top choice, you can ED. Merit isn’t an issue.
314/657 got in. Yes that will include athletes and other hooked. But still a high percentage. They also have a low test submission rate which bodes well for your son. So I’d think ED the odds would be strong.
But remove the ED from the overall numbers, then yes it’s a tough get.
If he loves it great but it sounds like you’ve not been to LACs yet. Not sure I’d put it above your list per se but sounds like fit will be particular for your student so let’s hope some on your list fits or some are such bad fits that it directs him to other sizes, environments and geographies that fit better. That’s actually pretty common I think.
Ps I think Lehigh is known for drinking but I’m a believer is kids can find their crowd most anywhere. Sorry your niece’s experience hasn’t been good for her. I’d find it hard to believe the entire school is that way.
One other thought - a student did a write up on Connecticut yesterday that might interest you.
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That’s true, but it should be noted that a typical course load at Carleton is three classes, not the four that is more common at semester schools. If a student prefers at a particular point in time to focus on fewer things but spend more time on each, their approach might be a better match. If however the student prefers juggling more classes but each goes a little more slowly, a traditional semester system might be better. Some students have no preference, but there are some whose learning style more easily fits one approach or the other.
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Was thinking the same thing.
Union has partying but is less preppy. It’s less under the spell of New England and more culturally NY. It could be worth a look. I’ve known kids who were a bit quirky who were really happy there. And their schedule is very good for a kid with ADHD.
OP, your descriptions of why Trinity would not be a fit is really helpful.
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Update: PSAT scores came back and were solid (720 R&W/760 M) but probably a point or two shy of NMSF for California. So that won’t be a decision factor for us.
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Think that might just make the cutoff in CA, actually.
My sense is that your list is well thought-out, but perhaps not “ambitious” enough. Your son will be competitive at a number of more “competitive” LACs, particularly with the ED boost – Grinnell comes to mind, but others as well – these schools offer. With strong essays and those stats, the ECs won’t matter as much at any but the top tier, or so I would think?
I think part of the point is the OP’s kid does not necessarily want to go to the most competitive college that will admit him.
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