A "is this a good college" thread for all college searchers...

[allison443]

Don't give up on Drexel. I will say that Drexel's scholarship offer is the best that DD has gotten so far...we're still waiting on two more schools, but if DD does decide to go to Drexel a year's tuition there will cost less than at the local community college.

agnes!

I recall (from a few years ago) that Drexel has a co-op component, which sounds like it would be valuable to the students. Also I think they are on the quarters system rather than the semester system if I recall correctly. Also, aren't some of the programs five years? I have seen the campus when I've gone to Philly-we weren't visiting Drexel but we drove through it. It is a real urban campus.

We will be on the college search for child #3 in a few years, so I'm trying to ease back into it

 

[DVCLiz]

Originally she said she wanted a big school -- and I see her fitting into a big school -- but Carolina was bigger than we expected. It felt cold and impersonal. We didn't like that it was so spread out and that so many major roads run through it; there's no definition between the college and the town. We've learned that she wants a "college town" feel, and Carolina doesn't have it. We didn't like the nursing department as much as some of the other schools we'd visited -- more of a feeling than anything in particular we could point out, but we both agreed that they just weren't as friendly. And although she feels certain that she'd be admitted to the university, only 50 people will be admitted to the nursing program as Juniors -- she's not sure that she'd be one of the top 50. Finally, there's money. She stands a good chance of being awarded some good scholarship money at some of the other schools that interest her; she's not going to get a scholarship at UNC.

She's most interested in Appalachian, UNC-Wilmington, and UNC-Charlotte. We're also planning to visit Clemson and USC, though out of state isn't all that likely. A few others are "possibilities" that we discuss occasionally, but these are the frontrunners.

That's interesting about your impression of Chapel Hill - it's the most "college-y town" I know of!

DD17 isn't interested in App, but several of DD22's friends went there and loved it. They were in the Honors College Program.

She does like Wilmington and UNC- Asheville - she wants to study marine biology or environmental studies, so we'll see where she ends up!

 

[arminnie]

One example, the twins got information from Champlain College in Vermont. Never heard of it. Does anyone have information on this school? We have pretty much ruled it out for DD because they don't have a golf program but the campus looks really nice

You want a golf program - Stanford. Tiger went there before he turned pro. They have a fabulous golf course on campus.

Good luck getting in though. If they only accepted those with perfect SATs and grades they could admit three times the freshman class. It gets way, way more competitive for business and law school. My weird avatar is the Stanford logo. It's a fabulous experience.

 

[tar heel]

MrsPete -- If you're 100% sure your daughter would get into Carolina (not sure any of us really can be), then she should easily qualify for in-state tuition at either of the South Carolina schools you mentioned. I'm not sure what criteria they are using now, but it used to be a GPA, SAT, class rank requirement. Clemson was our surprise school and is well worth looking at. USC is bigger than UNC-Chapel Hill, though, and in a city.

The college town thing is funny. Like DVCLiz, I think of Chapel Hill as the definition of a college town although it's changed a bit the past few years. Charlotte and Wilmington are most definitely not college towns. It's amazing to me, as someone who grew up in the area, to see how much of a real college town Boone has become. I have two nephews at Appalachian and they really like it, and I was suitably impressed when we toured with our middle son.

 

[MrsPete]

MrsPete -- If you're 100% sure your daughter would get into Carolina (not sure any of us really can be), then she should easily qualify for in-state tuition at either of the South Carolina schools you mentioned. I'm not sure what criteria they are using now, but it used to be a GPA, SAT, class rank requirement. Clemson was our surprise school and is well worth looking at. USC is bigger than UNC-Chapel Hill, though, and in a city.

The college town thing is funny. Like DVCLiz, I think of Chapel Hill as the definition of a college town although it's changed a bit the past few years. Charlotte and Wilmington are most definitely not college towns. It's amazing to me, as someone who grew up in the area, to see how much of a real college town Boone has become. I have two nephews at Appalachian and they really like it, and I was suitably impressed when we toured with our middle son.

I know how difficult it is to get into Carolina, but she's top 10% with all honors classes, has outstanding leadership experience in several serious school organizations and community groups (and Carolina puts a big premium on school leadership positions). She's also been very focused on medical careers since her freshman year and will have taken four classes and earned a CNA license before college. She can fill out an EXCELLENT application. I see who gets in year after year, and she genuinely is in the type of student who gets into Carolina. The day we visited, she said she'd apply just to be able to say that she'd turned them down -- but within a few days it'd turned into, "Why should I bother? I don't see myself there." We both came away with a mildly negative opinion of the place, and I'm glad that the two of us felt exactly the same way. We both started the day with enthusiasm, which seemed to wane on exactly matching schedules as the tour progressed. A couple of her friends are interested in Carolina, and I would never say anything to discourage them; I just don't see it as right for my daughter.

Yes, we know about the reciprocal in-state tuition qualifications, but she's almost certainly going to get the NC nurse scholarship/loan (which is "repaid" by working in an NC hospital after graduation -- I had a similar teacher scholarship/loan, and it was a great thing), which is only good in NC and has no SC counterpart. That alone will essentially pay tuition, so she'd have to get the in-state tuition AND a scholarship equal to that. We're going to visit USC and Clemson during spring break. We've never been to either one, so we'll see how it goes.

I know that Charlotte and Wilmington are not "college towns" -- but they are good matches for her academically, and IF she were to get a scholarship, they'd vault up to the #1 position. But Boone is what she really wants (at this point -- we're far from done).

 

[dejr_8]

Just curious, Mrs. Pete - what didn't you like about Carolina? What schools are on your list?

Since I moved to NC 7 years ago, I haven't come across a single UNC graduate that didn't love their time at Chapel Hill.

 

[golfgal]

Golf gal, take a look at Wake Forest, too. Excellent school, great golf program.

Davidson is a fabulous school, and what I especially like about it is the way I see their graduates succeed later in life. DD17 sits for several families and they are my favorites,too - well employed, community leaders, great young parents, etc. Wish "we" had had the grades to be competitive there!

I always pictured Wake Forest as a big school but I looked it up and it isn't big at all. DD15 will prefer a smaller campus. I think when we head east next month we might want to add in a couple campus visits since we will be there anyway.

My DD attends Wofford as a freshman and LOVES it. It is an excellent fit for my DD. DVCLiz deduced through some of my posts that DD was going there, and has led me through and encouraged me through PMs this year.

DD also has a car on campus and has ventured to Atlanta and other places. She grows more independent each day.

Golfgal: DH has often talked about Davidson's need to add women's golf.

Most universities use woman's golf as the scholarship "equalizer' for football so I can see where Davidson doesn't have that option.

Yeah, Davidson's grads are bonded to each other for life. That's not just your class, but anyone who ever went there. We live 20 minutes from Davidson, and when we moved here one of my FIL's classmates brought us a welcome gift, a younger Davidson grad did our house closing, etc. If you look at the backgrounds in a medical or law practice and the senior person is a Davidson grad, you'll find a bunch of others, too. We know a lot of Davidson grads -- mostly doctors, lawyers and Presbyterian ministers -- and they are all interesting, successful people.

golfgal -- It can't be stressed strongly enough how difficult this school is to get into, though. My son will visit because it's so important to his grandfather. He's an excellent student, but whether he would get in is a total toss-up. They turn down kids who are #1 in their class every year.

MrsPete -- I'll never believe Western Carolina's acceptance rate is really that low -- that's why I posted it.

This is our third time around with the college decision. Unlike my older two, my junior does not know what he wants to do, which complicates things a little bit.

DS15 is pretty strong academically and coming from out of state--who knows. He scored a 29 on the ACT this past fall (as a sophomore). Class rank only means so much--if you have nothing to back it up, you aren't getting into any top schools. One senior at our high school has a 3.8, ranking 5th, I think, but is just an outstanding kid. He had offers from 5 different Ivy Leagues-narrowed it down to Harvard and Cornell and eventually chose Cornell. Stanford also wanted him. It's a crap shoot pretty much everywhere really (for more selective places). His number one choice since about birth has been Notre Dame so if he gets in there, none of the rest will matter . The camaraderie and alumni network sounds very similar to where DH and I went to school. I don't know if most people realize how VALUABLE that is down the road.

The schools my daughter has visited all ALLOW freshmen to have cars . . . but some DISCOURAGE it in more subtle ways (like the two-mile away parking lot).

Like $500+ parking pass fees . DS18's school has pretty high fees to discourage people that live on campus from having cars. They have a lot of non-traditional students and not a lot of parking available. The "city" bus system allows kids to ride for free all over town and they are within walking distance to a lot of things so unless you go home every weekend, you don't really need a car. DS18 has said that a few times it would have been nice but more often then not, it means trying to get your car to start in sub-zero temps .

You want a golf program - Stanford. Tiger went there before he turned pro. They have a fabulous golf course on campus.

Good luck getting in though. If they only accepted those with perfect SATs and grades they could admit three times the freshman class. It gets way, way more competitive for business and law school. My weird avatar is the Stanford logo. It's a fabulous experience.

Stanford was where I "wanted" to go in high school. It was my "reach" school before anyone called them that. I got in but really couldn't see going that far away--hindsight, stupid, stupid, stupid . A friend of our's son is a freshman there this year. DD doesn't have enough drive to play at that level. She has the skill but it isn't her life like some others we know. I can see her playing for a smaller D-1 program somewhere but not a top 5 program. We are also reasonable and realize that she very well may get more academic money from a DIII program and end up there too. We have the top 2 DIII programs in the nation not far from us, both at very good schools so she is "considering" those too.

 

[punkin]

His number one choice since about birth has been Notre Dame so if he gets in there, none of the rest will matter .

I got me one of those too.

 

[mom2travel]

That's interesting about your impression of Chapel Hill - it's the most "college-y town" I know of!

That's what we think too. But I could see how someone who is touring for the first time could be overwhelmed/underwhelmed. The main part of campus seems pretty compact, but if you venture off to the maze of streets around the hospitals CH feels large and confusing. DS loves UNC-CH and the atmosphere on Franklin Street and is using that as a compass of sorts when looking into other colleges.

MrsPete -- If you're 100% sure your daughter would get into Carolina (not sure any of us really can be), then she should easily qualify for in-state tuition at either of the South Carolina schools you mentioned. I'm not sure what criteria they are using now, but it used to be a GPA, SAT, class rank requirement. Clemson was our surprise school and is well worth looking at. USC is bigger than UNC-Chapel Hill, though, and in a city.

The college town thing is funny. Like DVCLiz, I think of Chapel Hill as the definition of a college town although it's changed a bit the past few years. Charlotte and Wilmington are most definitely not college towns. It's amazing to me, as someone who grew up in the area, to see how much of a real college town Boone has become. I have two nephews at Appalachian and they really like it, and I was suitably impressed when we toured with our middle son.

Where can I find out more about reciprocal tuition you are talking about? We are NC residents and DS is seriously considering Clemson right now, and mentioned Univ of SC at one point too. He has come across Clemson as a "comparable" to UNC-Chapel Hill and it appeals a little more because he feels like UNC-CH would be an extension of high school (student population-wise).

 

[NCRedding]

Since I moved to NC 7 years ago, I haven't come across a single UNC graduate that didn't love their time at Chapel Hill.

I'll agree with this statement as it relates to undergraduates. However, I graduated from UNC graduate program and HATED my 3 years at Chapel Hill. After coming from a small private university where everyone on campus knew everyone else, where professors not only knew my name, they knew my family, etc., Chapel Hill was a hugely impersonal experience for me. I had planned to go to UNC undergrad because I was a huge fan, but decided to go to a smaller college when they made me a scholarship offer. I was a Carolina fan, until I became a Carolina student. DH was the same way.

We found that in our high school class, those who attended UNC had a tendency to stick together with friends from high school since it was so big. We didn't discourage DD from looking there, but we certainly didn't encourage it.

 

[agnes!]

There were two schools that the campus tours crossed off DD's list... Shenandoah and Middle Tennessee State University. The sad thing is, we had really been looking forward to touring both schools, having made reservations for particular tour-times. They both are generally well-thought of.

Shenandoah had dark/dimly-lit dorms, the room they showed us was a 'sample' room (meaning no one actually lived in it) and it was filthy and depressing (and believe me, my standards aren't all that high!). We were informed only at the very end of the tour that the department/building(s) we had specifically traveled there to see were locked and unavailable. Tour guide ignored our party and only talked to the other prospective student on the tour (who was being recruited by the athletic department).

MTSU has a great reputation but the tour was poorly-organized from the start. We were told in writing to go to a certain building, went there, then found out (no signs, no-one seemed to know at first) that the tours started at a completely different building way across campus. We left the tour after two hours and it STILL wasn't finished...never got to see any food-service/cafeteria areas, never got to see a dorm-room.

agnes!

 

[tar heel]

mom2travel -- You have to ask or be offered the in-state tuition at Clemson and USC. I'm not sure it's reciprocal -- my understanding is that it's one of the things they do to try to recruit top students.
Clemson is more like a half-size version of State than it is like Carolina IMO.

My experience at Carolina is that people stuck with the high school, Governor's School, etc., people they already knew at the beginning, but I don't think that's unusal for a big state university. Heck, the eight Carolina freshmen from my high school even made a field trip to see the four at State at least once a month our first year. One of my sons not only roomed with someone from high school, but they both transferred to another school and still room together -- neither of these schools are Carolina. DS mostly hangs around with his GF and people in his major, though.

 

[Green Tea]

mrspete: What about UVA for nursing?

 

[MrsPete]

Since I moved to NC 7 years ago, I haven't come across a single UNC graduate that didn't love their time at Chapel Hill.

I could say the same thing, though that doesn't mean it's the right place for everyone who can get in.

I always pictured Wake Forest as a big school but I looked it up and it isn't big at all. DD15 will prefer a smaller campus. I think when we head east next month we might want to add in a couple campus visits since we will be there anyway.

No, Wake's not big, and it's a school with a reputation for excellence. It's a school with Baptist roots, but I have the impression that it isn't particularly a religious school these days. A number of my family members attended Wake Forest, and my grandmother wanted me to go there so badly. -- but the price tag made that completely impossible.

Where can I find out more about reciprocal tuition you are talking about? We are NC residents and DS is seriously considering Clemson right now, and mentioned Univ of SC at one point too. He has come across Clemson as a "comparable" to UNC-Chapel Hill and it appeals a little more because he feels like UNC-CH would be an extension of high school (student population-wise

See your high school guidance counselor. It's not easy to get, but also isn't impossible. Much depends upon SAT/ACT grades.

mrspete: What about UVA for nursing?

It's not really on our radar at all, though one of her good friends is interested (not for nursing). It's a straight shot up the interstate for us, and it's not all that far. I should have her study up on the website. Of course, we still have the same problem as the SC schools: The NC Nurse Scholar program can't be used in a Virginia school.

 

[mom2travel]

There were two schools that the campus tours crossed off DD's list... Shenandoah and Middle Tennessee State University. The sad thing is, we had really been looking forward to touring both schools, having made reservations for particular tour-times. They both are generally well-thought of.

I keep telling DS that he really should do some tours. He says he wants to just visit on our own, but I think he'll get to see more like dorms if we do tours. His response is that he'll just deal with the freshman dorms for a year, after that it'll be fine!

We found that in our high school class, those who attended UNC had a tendency to stick together with friends from high school since it was so big. We didn't discourage DD from looking there, but we certainly didn't encourage it.

My experience at Carolina is that people stuck with the high school, Governor's School, etc., people they already knew at the beginning, but I don't think that's unusal for a big state university.

this is part of why DS is looking outside of UNC-CH... feels like too many people he knows go/will be going there

mom2travel -- You have to ask or be offered the in-state tuition at Clemson and USC. I'm not sure it's reciprocal -- my understanding is that it's one of the things they do to try to recruit top students.
Clemson is more like a half-size version of State than it is like Carolina IMO.

See your high school guidance counselor. It's not easy to get, but also isn't impossible. Much depends upon SAT/ACT grades.

Thanks for the info! Will keep in mind

 

[Robinrs]

There were two schools that the campus tours crossed off DD's list... Shenandoah and Middle Tennessee State University. The sad thing is, we had really been looking forward to touring both schools, having made reservations for particular tour-times. They both are generally well-thought of.

Shenandoah had dark/dimly-lit dorms, the room they showed us was a 'sample' room (meaning no one actually lived in it) and it was filthy and depressing (and believe me, my standards aren't all that high!). We were informed only at the very end of the tour that the department/building(s) we had specifically traveled there to see were locked and unavailable. Tour guide ignored our party and only talked to the other prospective student on the tour (who was being recruited by the athletic department).

MTSU has a great reputation but the tour was poorly-organized from the start. We were told in writing to go to a certain building, went there, then found out (no signs, no-one seemed to know at first) that the tours started at a completely different building way across campus. We left the tour after two hours and it STILL wasn't finished...never got to see any food-service/cafeteria areas, never got to see a dorm-room.

agnes!

My great niece is applying to MTSU for next year. Her family lives a few blocks away and since she's only 16 (and VERY childlike) she doesn't want to go far. I hope their tour goes better.

 

[Robinrs]

You want a golf program - Stanford. Tiger went there before he turned pro. They have a fabulous golf course on campus.

Good luck getting in though. If they only accepted those with perfect SATs and grades they could admit three times the freshman class. It gets way, way more competitive for business and law school. My weird avatar is the Stanford logo. It's a fabulous experience.

I attended my niece's graduation from Stanford when I was PREGNANT with my son! It seemed like yesterday!

My niece is an investment broker and really loved that school and Palo Alto. I was hoping she'd stay there so I could visit more often!

 

[Green Tea]

mrspete: http://www.nursing.virginia.edu/

 

[Holly]

There were two schools that the campus tours crossed off DD's list... Shenandoah and Middle Tennessee State University. The sad thing is, we had really been looking forward to touring both schools, having made reservations for particular tour-times. They both are generally well-thought of.

Shenandoah had dark/dimly-lit dorms, the room they showed us was a 'sample' room (meaning no one actually lived in it) and it was filthy and depressing (and believe me, my standards aren't all that high!). We were informed only at the very end of the tour that the department/building(s) we had specifically traveled there to see were locked and unavailable. Tour guide ignored our party and only talked to the other prospective student on the tour (who was being recruited by the athletic department).

MTSU has a great reputation but the tour was poorly-organized from the start. We were told in writing to go to a certain building, went there, then found out (no signs, no-one seemed to know at first) that the tours started at a completely different building way across campus. We left the tour after two hours and it STILL wasn't finished...never got to see any food-service/cafeteria areas, never got to see a dorm-room.

agnes!

My son also changed his mind about a few schools after the campus tours- Connecticut College and Wesleyan. He still applied to both but unless they offer him something too good to pass up it's doubtful he'll choose either of those schools.

On the other hand, two of his safety schools (UConn and UMass Amherst) got bumped way up to the top after the tour because he loved the campuses.

Oy.

 

[disneylovin24]

I just went the past two days to look at schools I thought I would love but absolutely hated them! And the school I looked at to look at just in case I did not get into BC (one of the hated schools) I absolutely loved! I found out that I liked smaller schools that are not in the heart of a city.

So who can suggest some private, maybe liberal arts but that does not matter, under 8000 undergrads, competative, schools in the northeast? I have a list of about 8 right now and have my number 1 picked but it can not hurt to get a few more suggestions! And while I do not want to be in the heart of a city I would like to be 30 minutes or less away from one.