<p>Regarding UNH:
New Hampshire I believe at the bottom of the totem pole for state funding for higher education. I don't know much regarding merit aid.
Engineering and Business school are highly regarded and much more difficult to get in to today. I believe the Business school accepts about 400 students. If you are not accepted as a freshman, it is difficult to get in as a sophmore.
Durham is a nice college town-pretty main street-eating spots, one grocery store, pharmacy, etc. There are no bigbox stores. You have to travel to Newington, Portsmouth, or Dover. Bus service to these towns is good. Portsmouth is a great city-theatre available, lots going on in town.</p>
<p>Chartreuse-
Looks like your son may qualify for the U Miami 3/4 to full tuition merit award. Great deal at a great school. I'd suggest you look at those schools with 45 on in the rankings. Also, many state U's just not the top ones. </p>
<p>I think your son will do well.</p>
<p>crazed, UMiami has in the past been very formulaic about merit scholarships. While revamped since 06 not to say "Top 1%" for the Singer , I would wager the language foretells that the GPA would be a killer for a large scholarship. </p>
<p>
In 06 it took Top 1% and above a 34 for consideration for the full tuition scholarship. I'm NOT saying that is the case now. Just historical data.</p>
<p>To curmudgeon - Yep... the kid's grades are going to be the deal breaker in a lot of admissions/scholarship decisions. Admissions Officials are going to look at the kid's transcript and think 'smart kid who didn't apply himself.' In reality - he's a smart kid who is an outside-the-box, divergent thinker who sees many, many more connections than most people do. Seeing things differently than others do is what killed his grades. Square peg, meet round hole ;) . Too bad there's not much of a demand for his kind in the current hyper-competitive college admissions climate.</p>
<p>Typically, you'd think that such a student would do well to gravitate towards an LAC. But, butting heads with a few Humanities and English teachers and coming out on the losing end pretty much quashed any desire to attend an LAC. He already knows how to think; he balks at those who try to dictate exactly what he should think.</p>
<p>Hey parents,</p>
<p>I can relate with the majority of your children because I usually get B+'s to A-/A's. I struggle in math though, but was able to get a B in Geometry last year. I have friends who will be taking Calc this year or already took it last year during their sophomore year. Would any of you know good B-B+ schools that offer IR as a major? I was looking at Clark, but wanted other options. And I have realized something, I am totally content with my current path in high school. I do not take all honors, but at least 3-4 of my classes will be (my school runs a trimester schedule). I can't say that I'll break a 1900 on the SAT's, but am willing to work my butt off.</p>
<p>Don't know much about IR, but I would think Earlham would be a worth looking at for this major. It was the first school that came to mind.</p>
<p>Curmudgeon-
Glad to see you on this thread. you seem to have so much info.</p>
<p>Went to my Miami link for merit scholarships which used to state GPA/SAT/ACT qualifications for each category but has since been updated and excludes that information now.</p>
<p>For all interested here is the link, but it is less useful now:
Freshmen</a> Academic Scholarships for 2009-2010 | University of Miami</p>
<p>(Older son is a Singer Scholar so we've done well there. thought younger son may qualify for 1/2 tuition but will not apply...too hot for him.</p>
<p>Chartreuse, I really like the sound of your son! How refreshing:</p>
<p>"kid refuses to compromise kid's principles for the sake of conforming to someone else's opinion" </p>
<p>He has high integrity and individualism!</p>
<p>"He balks at those who try to dictate exactly what he should think."</p>
<p>An independent thinker!</p>
<p>"He's a smart kid who is an outside-the-box, divergent thinker who sees many, many more connections than most people do." </p>
<p>These are the people who change the world in BIG ways!</p>
<p>You could be describing my brother-in-law who graduated from University of Missouri at Columbia many years ago. He has done things his own unique way and his independent spirit has been the inspiration for his very interesting and successful life. Your son will mature and learn to temper his spirit when necessary. He sounds like a great kid!</p>
<p>Chartreuse -
what majors might your son be interested in?</p>
<p>Thank you, JDA! Eventually this will all sort out. What I'm trying to do is help him seek out a school that will be educationally challenging, but have less of the intellectual conflict with teachers he's had in high school. When intellectual conflict arises, it's usually the student who's penalized.</p>
<p>Ohio_mom -- as of now, he's interested in actuarial science.</p>
<p>MSUDad, regarding cultural activities at UNH, I hear the Theater Dept is excellent, my D attended a couple plays that she said were very well done. I don't know anything about the orchestra. Septembermom, you are right, UNH receives very little state funding, but they do manage to offer decent merit and FA in spite of this for oos students.</p>
<p>Chartreuse:
Your kid would likely be readily accepted at CU Boulder, where it is a sunny dry 85 today and I am frying my credit card getting D moved in to an off-campus apartment. Would probably qualify for (feeble) merit aid since they will look at the weighted GPA. Big school but very laid back, excellent Business school, Honors program (mainly useful for getting small sections and additional advising). My A- kid loves it.</p>
<p>Dear All,</p>
<p>Is there any way this thread could be converted into a proper forum? Soon it is going to get waaaaay to long for anyone to read (OK, already it is waaaay too long for me to read through from beginning to end) and there are plenty of us parents of B students around. Who do I ask about this?</p>
<p>Love seeing your ideas!</p>
<p>happymom- What's a "proper forum"?</p>
<p>LOL</p>
<p>OK, I guess I should have written something along the line of "separate" or "independent" or maybe "our own" forum?</p>
<p>That would be the Community and Forum Issues forum.</p>
<p>Chartreuse,</p>
<p>Could we introduce our sons? You've described mine to a "t". </p>
<p>Find a guidance person, either in the school or outside, who 'gets' your son. He/she can make all the difference - my son's guidance counselor is willing to go to bat for him, in ways large and small - and that may make a difference - we'll see. He's class of '09 as well, near A- average, with some lower grades in classes where he felt less than engaged. Or, if guidance is not available, find mentors of some type - some other adults who think and act along the likes of your son.</p>
<p>happymom that's a good idea. I know what you mean...a graduation from thread to Forum. You could ask in the community issues forum that it be done.</p>
<p>Thank you for starting this thread!
My variation would be B+/A- students who test really badly. First attempts at standardized tests were pretty awful and do not bode well for what awaits junior year. S2 was extremely disappointed, and I felt terrible for him.</p>
<p>At this point he thinks his best bet might be to focus on the ACT with writing.</p>
<p>Was the bad result in both CR and Math? After the PSAT and December SAT, we realized that the test prep place was helping Son in math and totally screwing him up in CR, so we had him keep going to math and told him to forget everything they told him in CR. By March, a 70 point jump in Math and a 50 point jump in CR.</p>