<p>thanks for the replies. unfortunately, it doesn’t look like i’ll be able to go back to LA, but i am going in to nyc for a “reception” for usc. i’m visiting case western and cmu next week.</p>
<p>i didn’t mention it earlier, but i have merit scholarships at case western and usc, nothing at wustl (not getting anything either), and nothing at cmu (but i mightt get something there?).</p>
<p>A question: I’m from the northeast (New Jersey) so while I don’t like “bad weather”, it’s not like I’ve never seen snow (while I was at Wash U, it started snowing, and there were people there from socal that had never seen falling snow!). Can anyone comment on the climate at any of these schools (St. Louis, Cleveland, Pittsburgh) compared to New Jersey? I know LA definitely wins for climate, but I’m just curious about the other cities.</p>
<p>Anyone? 10char</p>
<p>I don’t know about the other cities, but you can check USC’s weather any time by clicking on “Tommy Cam Live” here: [About</a> USC - Visit USC - University Park Campus - Tommy Cam](<a href=“http://www.usc.edu/about/visit/upc/tommy_cam/]About”>http://www.usc.edu/about/visit/upc/tommy_cam/) My D is a freshman, and based on what she has told me, they have had about three days of rain all year while she has been there. The rest of the time (even DECEMBER) it has been sunny and warm.</p>
<p>Alamemom- really? That’s so awesome!</p>
<p>My daughter calls it “relentlessly cheerful weather.”</p>
<p>Haha. Does she ever get sick of it?</p>
<p>you can look up weather for various areas by changing the zip code:</p>
<p>[Average</a> Weather for Saint Louis, MO - Temperature and Precipitation](<a href=“National and Local Weather Radar, Daily Forecast, Hurricane and information from The Weather Channel and weather.com”>National and Local Weather Radar, Daily Forecast, Hurricane and information from The Weather Channel and weather.com)</p>
<p>Tee-hee. She DOES get a bit tired of it molliegym! She wants to be very involved in social issues… up-in-arms and angry about the injustices in the world… but then she steps outside into that beautiful sunny world and ends up skipping of to Disneyland (about 40 minutes away). Pitiful.</p>
<p>alamemom- haha, understandeable! :)</p>
<p>I’ve heard good things about WashU St. Lou (hey, it rhymes!) and their bio/pre-med programs so I’d assume that bioengineering would be good too!</p>
<p>Here<em>to</em>Help- yes, I’ve heard good things too 
The BME at WUSTL is supposed to be strong.</p>
<p><em>Update!</em> </p>
<p>I just got back from the USC info session. I really, really liked it. I was a little worried about the size- but the engineering school has about 500 students in each class, and my major (as of now- Astronautical Engineering) only has like 60-70 people, which is awesome. There are also lots of opportunities for research, which is cool. I was also kinda worried about the whole sports thing but now that I’m thinking about it, it seems like it would be kind of a cool thing. No one goes to football games at my high school, but at a place like USC, it might be pretty fun. I would also be in the Engineering Honors Program at USC- my regular classes would be the same, but I would get to go to additional (cool) seminars- like “An Inside View of the Cassini Mission to Saturn” or “Combining Biology, Nanotechnology, and Devices into Therapies”. It seems like USC also has a really strong alumni network- which is great. And the location is definitely a HUGE positive!</p>
<p>I’m going to Carnegie Mellon tomorrow and Tuesday, so I’ll be sure to update again once I get back!</p>
<p>Another update…</p>
<p>I got back from Carnegie Mellon today (after waiting in the airport for several hours, my flight was cancelled, so I flew home today). I didn’t like it as much as Wash U or USC. The people were nice, but something didn’t feel right. I didn’t like the layout of the campus. I didn’t like the way dining works. I still think it’s a great place, but it’s not for me. (I really liked it when I visited the first time, and almost applied ED2- good thing I didn’t). They’re also giving me zero financial aid, even after asking them to consider my file again.</p>
<p>I’m going to Case Western tomorrow, and I’m excited. I think I’ll like it (but who knows?). I do have a big scholarship. My parents have said I shouldn’t make my decision solely based on money, but I know I’ll probably graduate with some debt, and it would be nice to graduate with slightly <em>less</em> debt.</p>