<p>Ok thanks. I’m not sure Catholic schools are a good match for him. 
</p>
<p>I’m actually really liking University of Miami right now, I think it’s almost perfect match the more I learn about it. I’m just not sure how much it would end up costing. There’s only one way to find out I guess!</p>
<p>Even though I know it’s a reach, I also really like Stanford for him. I wonder if there is anything I can do to improve his chances? There are probably threads about that here; I’ll start looking for them.</p>
<p>Not all Catholic schools have a heavy religious environment, so that may be something to investigate (as with any religiously-affiliated school).</p>
<p>I can also attest to the nature of catholic schools, they are not as gung-ho religious as one would think.</p>
<p>Although I’m sure such facts are somewhere hidden away in this thread, what about UMiami most appeals to him and you?</p>
<p>Most Catholic univs are really barely Catholic these days and they all certainly welcome those of any faith (or no faith). Yes, there will be “religious symbols” around, but after the first day, it all just blends into the landscape, so to speak. </p>
<p>Santa Clara is Jesuit and is well-located. Don’t discount is just because it is Catholic. </p>
<p>Interesting, I will definitely check out Santa Clara! </p>
<p>University of Miami is one of our top choices because it is in a really nice warm climate (we love Florida), it has a very diverse student body of students from all over the world, and Chris is very much interested in Latin American studies. (He speaks Spanish fluently, has lots of Mexican friends, and has been to Mexico several times.) He eventually would like to go into international law, and the University of Miami seems like a very “international” kind of place. They do have some merit aid and scholarships, so it <em>might</em> be affordable, but we have a lot of other schools on the list as well. Hopefully by applying to a bunch of schools we will get at least 2 or 3 decent offers to choose from.</p>
<p>Miami (city) is about 70% Latino, of whom about half are of Cuban origin. University of Miami is about 27% Latino.</p>
<p>Hmmm, that’s interesting. I’m just not sure what is going to be the best match for Chris, trying to stay in the sunnier parts of the US. I’m also wondering if U of Miami is a bit of a safety school for him and not a true match academically. I don’t want to sell him short since he really is a good student and his scores/grades are rather high. Also, I know that kids party at all the schools, but I do worry about excessive partying at Miami…Ugh this is so hard! Right now our list includes:</p>
<p>Stanford (dream-school, reach)
ASU (state school, safety)
Tulane (match?)
U of Miami (match or safety?)
U of Denver (match?)
Colorado College (match?)
Duke (reach)
Davidson (match?)</p>
<p>I’m still not including the LA schools because he doesn’t want to be in LA, but I might break down and try to convince him otherwise. There are a number of good options in LA. I’m actually just wishing he would get into Stanford and make my life a lot easier, but I certainly can’t count on that!</p>
<p>UMiami will give him great aid. I know someone with a 4.2 and 32 ACT who got 25,000 merit last year. The location is great, it’s 8 miles from downtown. It’s pretty low key also, they bring puppies during finals to de-stress. Community service is also very popular; would definitely recommend.
Chance me? <a href=“Chance me? - #6 by nicobella - Chance Me / Match Me! - College Confidential Forums”>Chance me? - #6 by nicobella - Chance Me / Match Me! - College Confidential Forums;