My son has a 2.9 GPA no test scores yet, similar ECs. He has Catholic on his list. He also has Fairfield, Gannon, Loyola MD, UMaine, Manhattan College, UNH, Quinnipiac and some tech schools (engineering major)
Of the schools we’ve toured so far, UNH and Gannon are our favs. Nice campuses (though different from each other) and great students.
What does your son want to major in?
Thank you @taverngirl @HCPP20 @MYOS1634 @NJWrestlingmom! Super helpful feedback and much appreciated! My son is interested in Business (undeclared) and/or International Relations. He thinks he doesn’t want a small school, but I’ve been trying to convince him to visit a few. I think he’d be open to one if there is a nearby town that he can easily get to without having to have a car.
We are also considering St. Bonaventure, Siena, Juniata, Goucher and McDaniel, but again very small. Any experience with those schools? His counselor said Iona would be a “safe” school for him, but not sure it’s the right place for him.
Also, two more question for the thread. 1) What are your thoughts about apply “Undeclared” with a 79 GPA? Would that help his chances getting into schools where he may be borderline? 2) If a school is test optional, would it ever help to have the school consider his SAT even with a 1030? (He is awaiting his latest scores from the Oct. test. Fingers crossed they go up a bit.)
I’d add Hartwick, DeSales and Arcadia to the list.
His 1030 is relatively better than the 79 so I’d use it even at test optional schools.
Applying Undeclared/undecided would be a good strategy.
Seconding Gannon, Hartwick, Arcadia.
@NYmom1619 Siena and Juniata not near towns. Juniata is really remote! You may want to check out Wheaton in MA; I believe it is within walking distance to town. It’s pretty small though. Also maybe Drexel, Western New England, University of New Haven?
Wheaton would be a HUGE reach for a student with a 79 average. Same thing for Drexel. As for New Haven, I don’t think that’s what OP meant by “urban”/“city”.
Western New England is a possibility.
Other matches: Stevenson (MD), Framingham State, MCLA (Massachusetts), Alfred U (NYS), Cazenovia (NYS), Hiram (OH - especially good if he has good EC’s, as they reward involved students with merit scholarships), Muskingum (OH), Youngstown State (OH), Longwood (VA), Radford (VA), ODU (VA), CNU (VA), Virginia Wesleyan (VA).
MCLA offers a great discount to NY State residents. It’s about half an hour from Albany, across the MA border.
St. Bonaventure had some nice qualities but is in the middle of nowhere. Maybe Duquesne, which has a good business school and isn’t as small as many others mentioned?
No way CNU is a match
@NYmom1619 I went to St. Bonaventure. I very highly recommend it for business and for a student with those stats. Lots of alumni business connections. It’s small and friendly as are the towns nearby. It’s in a more rural area than most schools talked about on CC, but also very very easily walkable to the small town of Allegheny. In fact, most of the parties and bars are there and students walk to them from campus. Additionally, the slightly bigger town of Olean is on the other side. A bit longer a walk, but still doable in nice weather stand they have bus shuttles that run to Allegheny and Olean.
Apologies for the short CNU comment. I was reading on my phone and obviously didn’t have the stats in front of me. But in looking at their common data set, they report an average GPA of 3.78. 92% have a 3.25 GPA or higher and 84% are in the top half of their graduating class.
I’ll second Radford - especially if you like to party 
Additionally, FWIW since I don’t know the admitted stats for the SUNYs, I know a student who recently was accepted at St. Bonaventure after being rejected from SUNY Cortland. Bonaventure might at least make a good safety. If your son went to a basketball game there, it would probably be his top school 
@eb23282
Yes, CNU is a reach! Sorry, I got confused because I’d been reviewing North Carolina public universities, which publish weighted GPA’s so that Uncc, which is third tier, presents a 4.01 average, and UNC chapel Hill, you nationally known flagship, 4.67… and so CNU seemed a match! 
Sorry.
Btw Uncc might be a possible high match for business, and UNCG or ECU might be worth looking into if you can look that far south and oos costs aren’t prohibitive. There’s also unc Pembroke and UNC Elizabeth City but I doubt you can’t find a better value instate.
Chestnut Hill College has a pretty campus and is in a nice section of Philly. It’s small but close to the city.
@sbgal2011 @eb23282 @mom2twogirls @MYOS1634 @LuckyCharms913 @taverngirl @bjkmom Thank you again for all the very helpful feedback. I really do appreciate it. I think we’ll use his SATs when applying because, as mentioned above, I think they are slightly better than the GPA. I want to make sure I get him to see schools he actually has a good chance of getting into, but will also be a good fit. I can’t tell you how much this forum helps keep me feeling positive about his chances/opportunities.
ps. @mom2twogirls Bonaventure is on the MUST apply list. My husband, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, next door neighbor (old college roommate), Son’s Godfather, best friends are all Bona grads. So, the boy has heard tons of stories about our time there, which is sorta why he wants to find “his own college.” LOL!!
Until he has maybe 2 years of credits at a community college, the college’s will most likely look at his high school grades and scores.
If he continues taking classes at the community college, he could maybe bring up his grades, have a stronger application and save some money in the process.
He could transfer to a 4 year school and only do two more years.
If he doesn’t want that, he could apply to Kent State, Youngstown State, Cleveland State in Ohio, I second Lycoming and Susquehanna in PA, maybe Bloomsburg or IUP.
I’m not familiar with all of the abbreviations - what school is IUP?
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
IUP = Indiana University of PA. Good honors college but some problems that go beyond partying. “directional” university (non flagship, public) in Pennsylvania.
IUPUI = Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis. Urban, branch university for the aforementioned 2 universities, with very good business and STEM programs.