TCNJ
I have to put in a plug for Plattsburgh. The size is right and so is the vibe. Two of mine have attended and both had excellent experiences. One majored in education and the other in political science. One was active in music on campus and the other was in student government. One was an RA. Both are casual and neither are hipsters. My D is more jocky than my S, but he likes the outdoors and is an Eagle Scout. In fact, she skied for the first and only time on a school trip and wound up needing an ACL reconstruction! Despite that, we still love the school.
The Olympic Center at Lake Placid is about 30 minutes away and Burlington, Vermont is right across Lake Champlain. The school has its share of very bright kids but it is not overly intellectual. There is an honors program which both of mine were in.
I’m stating the obvious, but if skiing is the priority, the only places worth considering are the west coast, Utah, and Colorado.
Based on his interest in West Point, I would consider Norwich University. The school would offer the structured military environment that appeals to him at West Point. In addition, its location fits his desire for winter sports options. Criminology seems to be a focus of the school.
Chapman? I think it’s somewhere between 6,000 and 8,000, class sizes are relatively small, seems to be a social place and more career-focused than a traditional LAC, has football and lacrosse.
Gonzaga University might be worth considering. Big sports, not hipster, fantastic outdoors opportunities, solid programs all around, etc. The main drawback is the DII mens lax.
My brother attends Loyola Marymount University in LA and is an active member of the ski club. The few times I’ve visited him on campus I got the vibe that it’s similar to what your son is looking for. Unfortunately it has DI mens lax.
In Canadian universities, students do not need to declare a major when they apply unless they are applying for engineering or business or the University of Waterloo. The major is not set in stone until they graduate. In general, about 60% of the courses that a student takes are proscribed for their major.
Maybe not access to winter sports, but access to outdoor stuff… UNC-Wilmington?
If you haven’t written off UCSB for cost reasons yet, my D19’s counselor told her it was the UC in line with her stats, which are silimar to your son’s. But there is a foreign lang requirement.
Actually UNC-W is probably a great one to look into.
Additionally, UNC-W looks like it offers ASL for its foreign language requirement.
How about St. Lawrence, Bucknell, maybe Univ of Richmond (probably no winter sports), Hobart and William Smith, Denison (too small?), Elon (no winter sports), St. Olaf, Skidmore, and Syracuse. Oh, and also Miami Univ in Ohio.
Being male can help when applying to schools that have too many females. However, those tend to be smaller schools.
College of Charleston might be another good one if warm weather climates work for him.
It sounds like a fantastic place.
My son sounds like he wants a similar vibe. He said “not preppy” but loved Miami of Ohio. To him, perfect feel of bigger university with primary focus on undergrads. Obviously not a snow skiing place!
My son also felt good about vibe at Trinity (in San Antonio), Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Minnesota. I think mine wants “work hard, play hard”.
Would your son be willing to go to a school without skiing knowing that he’s home for a month every winter and can ski in the NE then? Might give you more options. He can also go on ski trips during spring break if he heads west.
Ohio U is a bit larger than he’d like (18,000 undergrads) but hits some of his other criteria: Outdoorsy location (river runs along the campus with 21-mile paved bike/walking path; lots of hiking nearby). Can substitute for foreign language with other classes that count toward the “Global Perspective” requirement or with certain international/study abroad programs (at least in the College of Business, which is very good. Also, the B school has its own Honors Program that he might be eligible for). Known as a party school so not overtly intellectual, but the administration has been trying to skew the reputation more toward academics. By appearance, students look pretty middle-of-the-road (not hipster-ish, maybe very slightly preppy). Football games are apparently a big deal (Div 1 FBS which means nothing to me but might to him). Don’t know anything about lacrosse.
If you haven’t already done so do check out University of Puget Sound- On the bigger side for an LAC. Outdoorsy but not hipster. Has skiing. Also Lewis and Clark- Portland is so close the students really take advantage of their access to the city. If you think Whitman could be in his wheelhouse at least have him consider them- they will feel bigger than Whitman since they aren’t so regionally isolated.
Otherwise I do agree with University of Denver though it is a bit preppy and Greek. Definitely UVM. Would also check out the University of Maine schools.
Thanks again for the new suggestions. I have a Peterson’s, Fiske and K&W guide in front of me right now.
I am looking at all these suggestions. Some of these schools have quarter systems, which I don’t see working for him. We already discussed how intense trimester and quarter systems are. This is a shame, because I was thinking U Denver seemed pretty interesting, despite the preppy element.
My son is a good student, but his learning disabilities can make school stressful sometimes.
@citymama9 , I will ask him about that. But I suspect he wants to be able to head out when he has a chance.
@lindagaf, Some quarter system schools do 3 courses in each of the 3 (non-summer ) quarters rather than 4 in each semester. Not all, but some. The pace may be a bit faster, but for many students, it’s organizationally easier in the 3 class schools. And there are 2 re-sets each year rather than 2. (I.e. Union). You know your son, but I would check this at each school before writing it off for the calendar alone.
I think UVM is a really good choice and checks the boxes and its a great college town to boot!