^^^ exactly. All of the above. Except I’d likely classify S as agnostic, yet heavily involved with his church youth group so clearly he can be flexible. Granted, ours is about as open and affirming as something can be so it’s easy for him to be active…and yet not have to “believe” per-se.
The other knock poor Gonzaga has working against it is his perception of sports obsession/rah rah. Too funny, Jesuit road show. Seattle U comes in close to Gonzaga on the NPC but interestingly, U of Portland is quite a bit higher. I swear there is collusion, it’s kind of fascinating in a train wreck way to see scholarships that range from 5k-20k but the net price then equalizes across the board for so many schools we are looking at.
U of P may be cashing in on the current Portland-is-hip trend. Poor Gonzaga has to rise above Spokane, which to be fair, has grown on me.
Yep.
When I was in HS and College…we called it “The Can”.
Friends from Spokane called it that too! According to one friend the big thing in her HS (and she stays is still very true) was of course coming to Seattle. However that always prompted the very real question as to whether the persons car could make it over the pass. Most could not. That said, the school itself has always been very highly regarded here, we know many kids (including some of those that grew up there that came over here for college lol) that have gone or are going.
Can’t have it all I guess. Too bad the kid would never go for Seattle U and live at home 
While it’s not in the geographic area, check out West Virginia University…I say that because in looking at programs for my daughters, and considering finances, West Virginia was reasonably priced and offers a good bit of merit money - sometimes making it even less expensive than in-state and it offers an amazing array of programs and a bit less competitive to get “direct admit” relative to some other universities in the region. My daughters both loved the schools out west (we are in VA); D1 had Univ.of Montana second on her list, and Gonzaga third (she wound up at UNC Chapel Hill though is already talking of a school out west for graduate programs), D2 has chosen CSU as it offers such an extensive array of programs in the event she “changes her mind” as she goes through her undergraduate years. We loved Oregon State, the campus was amazing and course offerings and programs suited, but logistically CSU was better and the atmosphere of CSU was amazingly positive. West VA was behind the two, but if interested in engineering, the direct admit to the program and merit funds may be worth a back-up application. Ditto on Alabama (Tuscaloosa) - super easy drive when flying into Birmingham, and the campus offers everything for a student.
@cycleride I will definitely look at it although I know the location is a deal killer for this one. You never know for the next though. He should have better stats and is chasing money as well and cares only about the program, not the location. At least that’s what he says now. He is very much on the fence about engineering versus the other options. I would love him to be at a place where at least he’d have that choice.
We are still surprised and a bit sad that CSU was such a bust. We did tour WWU yesterday and will hit UPS on Monday. Nice feedback on U of Montana, it’s not out of the running at all, just hasn’t really been looked at.
Looks like U of Montana will be at the fall Seattle College fair so we may hit that to check it out.
Both WWU and UPS were big hits with S over the weekend, it’s an apples to oranges comparison but I’d say they are tied at the moment. It was funny, the other kid on our tour at UPS, that S knew, had already toured most of the Oregon LAC’s on the list (including U of P) so it was interesting to get his (and his mom’s) take. After that I am not sure I can get S to tour Linfield. He had issues with the location already and the conversation reinforced it all. Which I think is fine.
Montana State is a great option…my daughter wanted something bigger, but it’s a good size, great town, and positive vibe. We really liked the campus and Bozeman (and an easy, short drive south to Big Sky and the west entrance to Yellowstone and points just south/Teton National Park) - worth checking it out thoroughly. Bozeman is a “tech” town, with a lot going on…
@cycleride thanks! It was on, and then off, as they didn’t have environmental engineering but it is still an option, just doesn’t seem to have any of the renewable/sustainable/energy stuff he is looking for.
Which to be fair, most schools do not. He has completely nixed Gonzaga lol. A bunch of new additions to the list for him to review but until he does, not sure where those will land.
Bozeman is a great town, my brother graduated from there though he had to be on the 6+ plan, sigh. And, his cousin who is at CC now for $$ reasons, as well as the younger brother (same age as S) all are considering it and that…that could be trouble. I love my nephews but I am not sure that 2-3 of them at the same college wouldn’t result in a 6 year plan. LOL!
Honestly if I can find the right fit at the right price I do think (as does he) he will be more successful and likely to stay on track in the smaller LAC environment. Finding that match though…we will see!
I thought I’d post a quick update now that final grades are in and we have a “semi” final list…and even an essay topic!
VERY happy to report that my B+ kid turned in a solid A- junior year when it matters most! overall GPA is still a B+ (3.45) but I am hoping that schools see the trend, Jr. year GPA is a 3.65. We do not weight but that has moved into A-/A range depending on how it is calculated. (A- for most I think at 3.66 ish , A for CA schools, 3.79 as they drop 9th grade).
For those that don’t know he fractured his wrist so didn’t take the June ACT, we hope to retake in Sept. A few of his schools do superscore so that helps a tad but we really need to get it up if we can. Not so much for admissions but for merit.
Here is where the list stands. It is a mix of school sizes and program types. We have schools that only offer environmental science or studies, some that offer energy science, some that offer energy engineering or environmental engineering. There are things I like about each and things I do not. A lot of schools have fallen off for price reasons. All the schools left have the potential to be affordable, some more than others. Most have the potential to offer some merit money. I am ideally looking at a COA of 35k or less, preferably under 30 if at all possible. It is not likely that any need based aid will come our way, though there is an outside chance at the PROFILE schools. All of the schools left also have the possibility for S to continue in music as a non major, some with money and most have the opportunity for theater tech work as well. And, in general, all fit within S’s geographic and climate restrictions, as well as the look/feel of the campus setting.
In no particular order
Western Washington University
Oregon State University
Ohio University
University of Wyoming
University of Vermont
Humboldt State
University of Puget Sound
Ithaca
Ursinus
Beloit
I would still love to find at least one more option that I knew was in range financially. Currently there are 3 financial safeties but only one we both love. Temple has recently popped up as a potential option and I need to dig a bit more there to see if I have him look at it.
We have only visited 3 on this list. We will see Oregon in the fall but the rest, if they stay as he digs deeper over the summer, will be applications and then visits if accepted.
Forgot to mention a couple of neat additional things. S was hired by the school district to work at the performing arts center so that will help at schools have have theater tech scholarships. He was offered a scholarship for a jazz camp but turned it down to attend a 1 week class at WWU, International Energy and Environmental Policy which I think will really help give him an idea what he wants major wise. It is taught by a tenured faculty member at WWU in the Energy group so ideal exposure on every level.
And…FYI I do realize that there are a few schools on the remaining list that even in best case scenarios…aren’t hitting that 35k mark. 3 are likely 40-42 best possible scenario and others are 38 ish. But with the profile schools and an outside chance of a positive variance in interpreting our situation it makes sense to have a bit of a wider net. Thus, soe financial “reaches” that we liked best that seemed to have the best chance of positive interpretation have remainded
@eandesmom My D17 wants to go to Northwest for ES also. Specifically to Portland, and either Reed or Lewis and Clark. We’re from NC and flew out there last February and that’s the end of the college tour. Wish I could get her to consider Kalamazoo or Beloit. Or Skidmore and Oberlin, which I see as similar to Reed in type of students. She liked Bryn Mawr. But she is focused on Reed. Has a 1390 new SAT and 3.8 weighted GPA but few ECs other than environmental club stuff. We will try ED at Reed and EA at Lewis and Clark, with Reed always a reach, but feel pretty good about L&C, which she liked almost as much.
We have an older daughter at a large public university and she likes it but my wife and I see it as a warehouse for undergrads. Even in Animal Science major, after 3 years, classes are still over 100 except for the 3 English classes she has had. For D17 and D19, we are definitely looking at smaller LACs. I hear many good things about Beloit, and not too far from Chicago. We visited Ursinus and girls didn’t like it. Maybe because they’d just seen Bryn Mawr and Haverford.
One last thing. D17 had scored 1240 twice in a row on old SAT and then began 2 months of weekly tutoring, one hour sessions. Not cheap, but she said it really helped, so it’s something to look at, even in summer. (She got a 29 on ACT first time, also after tutoring). A bump like that can really help with FA.
Good luck!
@PetulaClark thanks for the input. S17’s scores are nowhere near that. We have done weekly prep and it did help, just not sure how much more it can help at this point. He started at a 20 on his first practice test. Miserable test taker. Unfortunately on his 2nd attempt, while he bumped up to a 24C from a 23C, he went down in areas and up opposite from the 1st round. Superscore is a bit better at 25 but still puts him in the lower quartiles (but in them at least) at most of his schools. He will be doing some of it again this summer to see but the GPA is what it is, which is a solid B+. He may be able to move it into the A- category after 1st semester and likely so by the end of the year but neither may help with apps, we just have to hope that the decent junior year says enough and first semester grades can bring him to a 3.5. If he can do that and improve the ACT it will help with merit. I think with really hard work a 28 is not entirely out of the question, however he thinks a 26 is the best he can do. We will not qualify for FA on any level by anyone’s definition, even Reeds. Which bites.
Good feedback on Ursinus. We will not be visiting unless he applies, is accepted and it makes the travel cut. S is not terribly into the idea of Beloit, purely on location which is unfortunate (though it is still on the list) but we have added Allegheny which may be a better fit though a bit more of a reach. We will at least be able to meet with reps from all 3 at a CTCL event here next month. Not sure how much that is worth but it can’t hurt! Kalamazoo was on our list but came off as in the best possible merit scenarios it still didn’t work and S wasn’t into the location. We’ve also added Temple on, though it’s larger than we’d like. I would adore Oberlin personally but it’s a reach, unlikely to be affordable and in S’s mind their music program is too strong. Meaning his chances of playing there are lessened. I agree that Oberlin seems similar to Reed, perhaps a tad less intense. Reed was his dream school for a long time but it’s not particularly strong in ES, uber competitive once there, a major reach (though not impossible) for him but almost certain to be unaffordable despite their generous definition of need. L&C I believe, is much stronger in ES. If I thought it could be affordable he would apply as a reach but I don’t see it being feasible. All the kids we know at both, love both schools, you really can’t go wrong. Some of S’s closest friends are at each. Of course, UPS isn’t any stronger than Reed in ES and it’s high on S’s list so who really knows! It is tough. If he wants engineering, unless he can handle Wyoming, he’s going to be at a larger school. Vermont is smaller but he doesn’t have chem it doesn’t look like he can apply to engineering and I am not sure of his chances if he tries to transfer over it admitted to ES first.
All that said, it won’t surprise me in the least if he decides to apply to Reed via RD. Which I will support.
I wouldn’t be surprised if my D17 wound up at Lewis and Clark, and I’m fine with that. My concern with Reed is its reputation for being so hard! Great for some students but is my D ready to study so much? And there re better ES choices. But, oh well, I’m not the one going off to school. But your S getting his GPA up is great, as colleges like to see an upswing. And I think the biggest choice is really between big or small. Bigger schools do have more options for majors.
I am glad S has really removed Reed on his own and it is purely based on one of his closest friends, who attends there, providing feedback. It’s intense and just more so than my S wants. But it’s quirky and cool and it’s a lot of really unique notes and for the right kid, it’s just perfect. It’s funny, in a way I think S has a better chance at Reed than some of the others as it really does suit him and he would rock their essay and interview I think. But ultimately I also don’t think it’s the right fit.
I wish the local ones we like, gave better merit at his stats so they could be on the table but oh well. I think he’d like L&C. I suspect he will be fine wherever, he’s pretty adaptable. However I also suspect the grades might fare a bit better at the smaller class size, smaller schools which is why UPS is still on the list even though it’s really not strong in ES at all. At the end of the day for him it really will come down to money.
@eandesmom If your S applies to Beloit, make sure he looks at the music scholarship application. It’s a non-competitive scholarship that is awarded based on whether the applicant meets their standards for it, music major or not. The only requirement to keep the scholarship is to participate in some type of music activity/class and keep a B average in the music classes.
@1518mom I saw that! That is definitely appealing and worth going for, if he were able to obtain that it would move it into the financial safety category which would be nice. UPS offers something similar and that moves LAC’s up higher on our list for sure.
I hope they make a good impression on S at the CTCL event! He has Wisconsin hangups…but has never been so really doesn’t have a clue what he is talking about lol.
@eandesmom Does he know he can walk to Illinois from Beloit, lol? H and I went to a popular Italian restaurant recommended to us by an Admin when we were there for parent’s weekend. It wasn’t until we saw the charge on our credit card that we discovered the restaurant was in South Beloit, IL.
I hope your S is able to visit. The main reason my D chose Beloit was because every person she met (from Admin, to current students, to the mail room manager) was so nice. UPS was her first choice before she visited Beloit.
@1518mom I love hearing that! Not so much about the IL part although that is really funny, but that Beloit superceded UPS as that is one of his top choices right now despite it being weaker in his area of interest. He absolutely loved it. Beloit is a ton more affordable unless UPS makes him a really great offer. That is very good to hear and I will definitely use it!
It is a bit in the middle of nowhere (compared to UPS at least) but having lived in Chicago for 10 years and traveling quite a bit I can work on him a bit as really some of that country he would love (though he will hate the humidity in the summer).
@eandesmom, given the typical academic year calendar, your son should perhaps be more concerned about the potential for bitter cold than for humidity in Beloit. I say that as a lifelong resident of Wisconsin who craves summer more with each passing year.