So many LACs have excellent programs in STEM these days. I think a lot of people wrongly assume that LACs are all about macrame and anthropology.
Hmmm I have been watching this thread as the mom of a male STEM kid - I was not aware we were talking about girls only! My S16 is all about math and science, just not engineering. We are now choosing between two fantastic liberal arts colleges, one of which is 4th in the nation for sending its grads on to get PhDs in STEM fields. So IMHO SLACs are the way to go for STEM boys who are not chasing an engineering degree, but a math or science degree.
@LKnomad , we aren’t!
@LKnomad: Double Like.
@LKnomad - my S16 boy is headed to the same one
@messifan we are double checking it out on Friday, just to make extra sure. It was down to two CTCL colleges in the same part of the country, the one we are speaking of and it’s neighbor which I think is number 38 on the list of schools that send their STEM students to PhDs.
Is your S16 already decided?
We will be there for RAD on the 18th. Do they have an event on Friday or will it be just a visit? He is pretty firm in his mind but I would like to see for myself . The offbeat culture bothers me but I am not the one going to college so it will be his decision at the end. The intense academics is pretty daunting but when has anything good been easy ? On the other hand , have been checking out alumni on LinkedIn and the results are just awesome . If a kid is willing to work hard and stick thru the rigor , it can be the best decision of his life . Will be curious to hear about your experience on Friday . Good luck to your son for whatever he decides
“I think a lot of people wrongly assume that LACs are all about macrame and anthropology.”
It’s true that many LACs are great for STEM majors but let’s not equate social science majors like anthro with macrame, please. I’ve seen STEM majors at one of my kids’ schools trying to all squeeze into a certain history professor’s classes for core requirements because he’s known as an easier grader and the STEM majors don’t want to do all the reading and paper writing that all the social science and humanities majors contend with. The workload is different not necessarily easier.
Hey, @doschicos! Get out of the argument I’ve had with my husband for more than 20 years now! ^^
@doschicos, obviously I am being ridiculous, but in fact, I am using a sound bite from an old conversation I had with a friend. Her D is in 8th grade. We were discussing my D, and she said she didn’t want her D going to an LAC. She said her D needs to go to a university “so she can study science and do research.” It was during this conversation that macrame and anthropology came up, and I do think too many people still have a very dated idea about what majors are available at LACs.
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As we are talking about sciences at LACs, here is an update on the Val mentioned in my original post…She is going to an LAC beginning with the letter A, to study biology (premed.) She is over the moon:-)
I had never considered LAC’s an option before S1 started his college search. He attends a small LAC (less than 500 students per class) and is a very happy sophomore, double majoring in Chemistry and Religion. He will be doing research on campus this summer with one of his professors. S2 (a HS sophomore) is trying to narrow his list to only LAC’s but we are insisting that he keep a few of our state universities in the mix as academic/financial safeties : )
@Lindagaf that’s awesome! My D is a first year there, also a science major. They get attention, lots of it.
@porcupine98 - know you very well thru my other avatar.
Fantastic thread for those of us just nailing down our options and trying to remain realistic. So far my son has not loved any of the potential safeties we have toured, which is stressing us out a little. Some of you have mentioned finding all kind of data about fellow students on Naviance. Do different schools make different info public or am I not looking in the right place? I am just seeing number of students who applied/accepted to various colleges over last few years with no further detail.
Our school only posts data for colleges that many kids have applied to. This is for privacy reasons. I know for a fact that my D is the only one from her school to have applied to a few of her colleges. So anyone looking would know it is her. It probably isn’t 100% accurate becasue I beleive it relies on students putting in their data, but I used the website college data extensively to compare her stats and estimate chances. It seems to have been reasonably accurate, especially with match and safety colleges. Much less so with any reach schools. And remember, reach schools will differ depending on a kid’s stats.
@youngbeck Naviance allows high schools to tailor what students/parents can see so there can be a lot of variance from one high school to another on what is available. There are different ways to slice and dice the data and your son’s school might not make all of that available to you. Perhaps, start a thread with what your son is looking for and his stats, etc. and the CC crowd can suggest some schools for you to consider.
@youngbeck Are there no Scattergrams or School Stat ?
We have scattergrams for ACT vs GPA, SAT vs GPA of students accepted, rejected, waitlisted, and School Stat shows average accepted GPA/ACT/SAT.
Schools may not make certain data available for view, but the gc should have it and be able to give you an idea. For instance, some schools don’t make the scattergrams available to students/parents, but if you meet with them they can talk you through the pertinent data. They can also give you context. For instance there may be a school where the admit test scores look higher than you would expect, and that can be because many students are using it for a safety school.