<h1>theorymom; this thread is still quite active!</h1>
<p>crizello, when did you hear from SDSU and UCR?</p>
<p>rhumbob- might have been the same guy.
SWDad1- I think with the tuition exchange and some of the OOS scholarships schools like Univ of New Mexico can be under the cost of attend a CSU or equivalent. It definitely comes in under the cost of a UC. As far as funding cuts I think at any public school you are going to be dealing with budget cuts. It also gives the Ca student a reasonable cost option to attend a school in another state.
In a couple of cases I know of the parent said that their children at Western Washington and Northern Arizona were less expensive then their children attending Ca public universities.
My jr D jumps all over the place. One day she is set on Boulder or Vermont the next she is going to the local CC.</p>
<p>I have some information regarding some of the most recent postings on this thread. First. let me “come clean” and explain that my son’s stats are out of range on the high side for this thread but due to his unique needs(serious medical issues and the resulting social issues) many of the schools we have targeted have been mentioned on this thread. He is a 3.8 unweighted, 32 ACT kid who has no interest in “having just squeaked in and being at the low academic end” for elite schools. I have wrestled with the have we not shot high enough syndrome but I know in my heart that he would be unhappy lost in a sea of ultra acheivers. Also, our financial situation necessitates that we identified schools where he would be at “the top of the heap” for merit money.</p>
<p>He has so far been accepted at: University of New Mexico -Amigo Scholarship, SOU Theatre Dept WUE, Oregon State(waiting to hear about honors and merit), Cal Poly SLO,
University of Minnesota (waiting to hear about merit money), University of Missouri($8000/year scholarship). He received a Regents Scholarship invitation from UCSC so we assume that he will be accepted there as well. Still waiting on UCLA and UC Davis.</p>
<p>MOM60… we spent 2 days at the University of New Mexico. I loved it but unfortunately, son did not like Albuquerque itself. He loved the flexibility of the program for him there (IFDM). Everyone was nice, it seemed an active and vital campus but I think the environment a bit too much culture shock. The WUE (Amigo) scholarship has gotten very competitive with their budget cuts. They have a new director of Admissions and claim that they are now "reserving this scholarship for their top OOS applicants. I don’t know how much of this conversation was a “sell job” but I do believe that an applicant needs to be above their minimum requirements to actually receive this scholarship. You can PM me for additional specifics on the campus and our observations. Check out the threads for UNM here on CC. </p>
<p>mitchwebb… we just returned from our visit to SOU last night. We had been waiting to go there until we heard about the WUE. Kids in other departments heard quite some time ago but Theatre is their “prestige” and the department, not admissions are making the WUE decisions. Time was running out and our regional rep notified us that he was a WUE recipient and even though we have not gotten the official notification we arranged a trip in a hurry. Just because you have not heard yet does not mean that your D has not gotten it. SOU is very small which can be good or bad depending on your kid. Yes, I think kids there know their professors and get lots on individual attention. The dorms are basic but not bad, it is a lovely and clean campus but it just seems dead. After our appointments and tours on Friday we hung out on campus at 5PM on a Friday night to observe. The Union was deserted and there was hardly a person it sight. It was a Friday night the week before finals and their beautiful library was deserted? Sat near the dorms checking out comings and goings and barely a person in sight. As much as has SOU going for it I just had the feeling that it was like a very expensive 4-year summer camp. There seemed to be no campus community after hours at all. Ashland is beautiful and if your D is interested in acting program I can give you information about the process as was shared with us by one of the profs. My son is a tech guy.</p>
<p>I wish everyone luck in their decision making. I think I am losing my mind!</p>
<p>shrinkrap: My S heard from SDSU just last week (March 2?) and UCR on Feb 1. </p>
<p>The good news about all this is that there are so many good schools out there! I went to a state school for undergraduate and was very happy and have had a successful career. It really is all about what we put into things that matters.</p>
<p>It was only on the east coast that I noticed that people really cared about where you went to school. I remember it being about the first question people would ask of you. Here on the West Coast, it hardly comes up.</p>
<p>Digitalmom, I think it’s very important to go with one’s gut when visiting college campuses, but just to add another perspective, you cannot find a deader time of the week at any college library than Friday nights. If you want to see a busy weekend time at a college library, check out Sunday night. Usually very, very busy. By Friday students have been in class all week, meeting test and homework deadlines, and by Friday they want to chill. Rightly so. Sunday night they stream back in to hustle up assignments due for Monday classes.</p>
<p>It’s also true that there are many fewer classes scheduled on Fridays overall.</p>
<p>As far as kids on campus, like many public universities, after freshman year most students live off campus, so it isn’t as though there is a huge number of people streaming around at that time of night.</p>
<p>I live near SOU so I know the campus well. Both my kids and myself have taken classes there at various times. My daughter is at the very large and very busy Univ. of Oregon, and it’s not exactly hopping on campus on Friday nights either. It’s just not an optimal time for a visit, although I understand you have to take them when you can fit them in.</p>
<p>Thanks rentof2 for the additional perspective. I have to say that SOU really seems like a great place. Whether or not it is great place for my son he is still trying to figure out. Two professors in particular gave us an inordinate amount of time and were beyond nice and informative. So you think that we just hit a very quiet time? We loved almost everything else about it. I have the type of kid who needs to be very involved in activities to have a social life. He does not make friends easily by “just hanging out.” Is there support for the sports teams and any campus spirit? That is something we could not really figure out during our time there. I suppose that was just hoping that S would have a “Eureka moment” when we were there but that did not happen. Perhaps he is just not that type of kid who just knows when something is right for him. SOU is certainly not off the table but he needs to rethink his expectations.</p>
<p>I think you could not have hit a more quiet time than the Friday afternoon/evening of dead week. “Dead week” at colleges is that last week in the term before before finals, and things are generally not scheduled during dead week so students do not have conflicts as they are finishing up papers, etc. It’s just a lull before the crunch of finals week.</p>
<p>Friday a week ago, for example, my husband and I went up to the college to see their strong production of King Lear, and there were a LOT of people there.</p>
<p>That said, you are right, it is a smallish college in a small town. It’s the kind of place where (at any age) you need to seek out the things that interest you, or help create them.</p>
<p>It isn’t a school with a very big wave of support for sports overall, but in certain sports where the school is strong that’s a bit different: volleyball, basketball, wrestling, running. The football team has not been strong, although I think there’s a sense of change on the horizon with a new coach and inclusion in new conference. My daughter is at Univ. or Oregon, and of course there everyone is just MAD with passion for the Ducks, so it’s hard to compare anything with that. And it’s hard for a small school like SOU to develop much profile for their athletic programs in the shadow of UO’s, although they clearly desire to and seem to apply serious attention to it.</p>
<p>If your son would be happiest in a larger school in a larger community with more of the kind of social momentum that can come more easily from just the collected energies of more people, then SOU might not be his best choice. It’s a trade-off, the more intimate community for the reduced busyness and buzz.</p>
<p>I live near Northridge and I guess I ditto what the other poster said about it. It’s very much a commuter school, I don’t think very many kids live on campus and most move off after freshman year to nearby apts. </p>
<p>However, while it lacks college spirit, CSUN does promote the fact that internships in a wide variety of fields are available since you’re in L.A. They also have a beautiful new performing arts center.</p>
<p>The final tally is in…rejections from SDSU and Long Beach came this week. Both were reaches and not surprises. So, it’s between NAU, SJSU & SFSU for both, Sonoma for her and CSUN for him. We’re off to Sonoma this weekend for the Admitted Students event and then up to SF and SJSU in a couple of weeks (of course we couldn’t find a way to do all 3 schools in one trip…that would be too easy. Ugh.) I’m stressed…seems to me that none of the schools has the whole package to offer. Either they’re too big or they have the commuter reputation or a not so great location or an iffy academic reputation or a combination of the above. I suppose it’s good that the kids aren’t stressed but part of me thinks that they should be more concerned about their choice than they are. I know…time to let them take responsibility for their decisions. I’ve decided to bite my tongue and offer advice when asked for it vs. pointing out my concerns. This forum has been the best AND the worst thing that’s happened to me! (ignorance is bliss?). Thanks to everyone for all your input!</p>
<p>P.S. And I get to do it all over again next year with my youngest! Aaaack!!</p>
<p>Because nothing is ever easy…we’re having trouble coordinating admitted student events and/or campus tours involving SFSU, SJSU and Sonoma. Does anyone have an opinion on whether we’re better off at one of the organized events, or will we get all we need from a general 1 hour tour? I want the kids to get a good feel for life on the campuses. SJSU and SFSU have their events a week apart, and Sonoma’s spring break is the following week. If anyone has any words of wisdom, especially about a particular school, I’d love to hear them.</p>
<p>No advice about the particular schools.</p>
<p>We went through this with our D a few years ago. We found that just going to campus on a regular school day gives a more accurate portrait of what the school is really like. Take the tour. Walk around on your own. Visit the library. Eat in one of the school facilities. I feel that we left campus with a more complete feel for what life was really like there. The staged production numbers for prospective or admitted students left me feeling that we really weren’t seeing what goes on the rest of the year.</p>
<p>As a local I have a high opinion of Sonoma State but I really have no feel about residential life. I know a junior engineering student at SJSU and he seems quite happy there.</p>
<p>nyn8vmom, I echo rhumbob’s advice. Skip the official admitted student events if they don’t fit with your schedule. Do one trip, have your kids walk around the schools, eat in the cafeterias, sit in on a class or two, wander into the buildings which house departments they’re interested in. Bonus points for them asking students they run into for their opinions on the school, pros and cons. Do try to avoid Sonoma’s spring break week. And make sure to check out the area surrounding the campus. I like to use yelp and chowhound to find great places to eat in the area when we’ve done school visits.</p>
<p>We took Sonoma’s regular tour. The cafeteria was next to the dorms and, looking around struck me as fairly typical. The other dining options were not too good; sadly we didn’t find the cafeteria until after we had eaten. The tour guide told us the dorm room they showed us was about the worst option: a four person suite with two bathrooms and a living room. Very, very nice but it didn’t have granite counters like some of the other options!</p>
<p>I’ve heard from others Sonoma throws a good admittance day. As a graduate of SFSU I would defiantly recommend a tour. I think there is a good contrast between the schools living environments and will give your son a nice choice. We have toured SJSU and thought it has a nice campus, a little small, but did not get to talk to any professors or sit in on any classes. SJSU has become very popular with local students in the last couple of years and would love to hear your comments after your visit.</p>
<p>Does anyone know when Long Beach will finish with acceptance? DD called again this morning and still no word. Her best friend heard on Wednesday. DD found out Tuesday she was accepted to her reach, Santa Cruz. She is not sure what to think and is doing a lot more research on the school and her major.</p>
<p>Almost done!</p>
<p>I too would love any information about SJSU! My daughter fancies herself a bit of a computer nerd, so from that aspect the school looks good, but I just don’t know anything else about it. How about the surrounding area - safe? How many kids live on campus - or is it a commuter school?</p>
<p>Mitchwebb… what is her major? My son was also accepted to ucsc. It really had not been on our radar but he received the Regents Scholarship so we are now scrambling to find out as much about the programs there as possible and arrange a visit.</p>
<p>Kelliebeff - thank you so very much for taking the time to PM me! Your info is most appreciated. A visit with my daughter is now definitely in our spring break plans - thanks again!</p>
<p>Rejections from SLO and UCSC.That stung.</p>
<p>Chamomile tea, Mom. He’s in good shape, offers on the table. No worries!</p>