@gardenstategal, that depends very much on the school and the student. Most quarter schools require more hours. My son’s curriculum is 200. He has nearly always taken 4 (or more) courses.
Exactly my point, @eyemgh! They don’t all do this the same way, so you have to look at each one, not lump them altogether by calendar style. And in addition to the student, I would add the subject to the mix. Some things are easier done immersively whereas others need a little time for absorption!
I attended a quarter system school ages ago where the workload was identical to what it would have been in a semester system, but rather than have 2 15 week semesters, there were 3 10 week quarters. Many courses went over 2 quarters. The workload was no different (4 classes per term norm) but the content was either less (1 quarter) or more (2) than what would have happened in 15 weeks. I felt like there was a little more flexibility in terms of curriculum. It did mean more finals!
DS looked at one college with the same schedule where there were 3 classes per term but at a faster pace. I felt like it might be better for him in terms of focus and organization. So same calendar but used differently.
Of course, there are schools like Colorado College that do only one class at a time.
I know @Lindagaf is an old hand at this, but it’s a difference that isn’t always exactly what it seems.
@Lindagaf, I wouldn’t rule Denver out yet. They are well known for their support for kids with learning differences. That’s actually how I first heard about them, I was searching for schools with those kinds of programs. Just found this on-line: “UD also features the Learning Effectiveness Program (LEP) as a fee-based program that ‘provides individualized academic support for University of Denver students with learning disabilities, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), or a history of learning differences.’ The LEP provides private individualized academic counseling, individual and subject specific tutoring and organization/time management assistance.”
Thanks @gardenstategal and @Curiosa . I will talk with him further about colleges with the quarter system. USD alos has the quarter system, if I recall. Gonzaga and U Denver are both interesting.
Meanwhile, I have been looking at all the colleges suggested and have learned more. The language thing is a potential problem, as many colleges recommend but don’t require three or even four years of FL. So I guess colleges that might be matches or even safeties become less so.
Depends on the major. If a semester system school requires 120 credits to graduate, an equivalent quarter system school requires 180 credits to graduate. But some majors may have subject requirements that exceed that, so, for example, a semester school may require a mechanical engineering major to complete 130 credits, and an equivalent quarter system school may require a mechanical engineering major to complete 195 credits. (A semester system credit = 1.5 quarter system credits.)
There’s Azusa Pacific University near Pasadena CA. About 10k students, football, semester system. Drivable to beach and the mountains for snowboarding
Azusa is Evangelical/Conservative Christian with a strict code of conduct and religious requirements including attending chapel three times a week and six doctrinal classes on the Bible and Christian behavior/thought. The motto" God First", is taken seriously.
Students must show they want to grow in their faith and must abide by a statement of faith.
http://www.apu.edu/about/worldview/
http://www.apu.edu/about/faithandlearning/
http://www.apu.edu/undergraduate-admissions/insideapu/faith/
So that’s to be taken into account as it’s not for everyone (even among Christians).
@MYOS1634 that’s true. Just thought that might be a consideration as USD is also on their list. Not familiar with USD religious requirements though.
My son is totally non-religious, but as long as there aren’t a lot of overt signs of religion evident,he would probably be okay. We have more research to do. An evangelical school is probably not going to work, but thanks for,the suggestion.
@Lindagaf yes, sounds like APU not a fit. I think I read on another thread where someone visited USD and was put off by all the crosses on the buildings. I’ve been there (USD) but only to the cathedral to attend a few weddings. It’s gorgeous. Since you were considering USD maybe you’d consider SDSU. I know it’s big but it’s laid back, tons of majors to choose from, lots of athletics, 20-25 from beach and 2.5 hrs to nearest Skiing (Mountain High).
Miami U in Ohio might appeal. Right size, vibe, undergrad focus. Winter sports, sure - they have a killer hockey team. But skiing…it exists in Ohio at 3 or so places but it’s not GOOD skiing. And I think the closest is Mad River Mountain, almost 2 hours from Oxford.
But might check most of the other boxes.
I will second @calsmom SDSU suggestion - great campus and vibe. Also think of Boulder which was previously suggested but it’s certainly expensive.
@CALSmom , good old Mtn. High! Been many times. Ski in the a…m, surf in the afternoon. Or the other way around. Yes, maybe SDSU is worth considering. He is going to have to compromise.
@Lindagaf yes that’s the beauty of San Diego…beach and snow in the same day if you want. Plus you can’t beat the fish tacos, carne asada burritos and fries! Lots of great choices you have for schools.
I think U of NH, U of Vermont and U of Maine would be best options, bigger than LACs but smaller than most ‘flagship’ state universities, and near snowskiing, mountains, etc. I think UNH has a fantastic location because it is near the beach but also the mountains and lakes, and 1 hour from Boston, and they have a Amtrak station right on campus.
Awhile back I came across U of NH. Having not heard much about it, I came away from their website thinking “this school has a lot going for it”. Definitely go through their website to get a feel for it. I also feel like you can’t go wrong with U of VT and U of Colorado. I think of those schools when I think of “chill vibe”. That is of course if you prefer he doesn’t go all the way to CA.
BYU, UVU, USU, or University of Utah are all great colleges with competitive lacrosse teams, and the world famous “best snow on Earth”. Each campus is less than 30 minutes away from a resort. BYU is the only major private, religious university in the state, but your son does not need to be a Mormon to attend there. Tuition is about 8k a semester for an out-of-state non-mormon at the Mormon church funded school. University of Utah, UVU, and USU are ‘normal’ universities that are nationally competitive in their respective rights.
Update: we just visited UVM and UNH and I am certain he will apply to both. He liked them both, especially UNH. Both tick most boxes, but I want to learn more about their career centers and internship opportunities, so if anyone has knowledge of them, please share.
I went through this thread again and it’s interesting to see what schools are sticking in our minds. I knew little about Gonzaga, but as soon as I mentioned it to my son, he immediately knew about the basketball team. I did some research and Gonzaga is now a strong contender, as is U Denver. My son read up on both and thinks they seem good fits. We need to investigate WWU still, and some others.
He has heard about Clemson and is very interested. It ticks the boxes in many good ways, but there is a negative, IMO, which is that it is apparently pretty conservative. But it has fantastic career and internship services, and students seem very happy. How conservative is Clemson?
I think LACs are totally out, unless maybe they are a larger LAC, say over 3000. He was at his sister’s LAC the other day and really wants something bigger.
We still have other colleges to visit, namely the SUNY’s and a few others. We wil visit west coast colleges only if it ties in with family visits, as my mom lives in Oregon and my dad lives in So Cal.
He is interested in the possibility of being offered merit aid. He thinks college is too expensive and wants to feel “wanted.” This could be a great motivator for him, though I don’t know how likely it is for students with his stats to be offered merit money at publics such as UNH and UVM, or the privates either. I am guessing that maybe if he gets a high ACT score (over 32) it will improve his chances of that. If he really wants merit money, we will need to do more research.
@Lindagaf UVM and UNH give some money. If you want value you need to look at Maine. U of Maine Orono and Farmington.
University of Maine will match the in-state tuition rates of many state flagship schools, for out-of-staters with ACT of 22+ and GPA of 3.0+.
https://go.umaine.edu/apply/scholarships/flagship-match/