Texas or Southern Schools

[choirfarm]

So many of you post on schools I've either never heard of or are way too far away. We live in East Texas and dh and I both attended Baylor. My oldest and I were looking at various colleges and he agrees that 12,000 students or less would be a good size. Letourneau might be good, but it is only 15 minutes away and I would rather him go away to school, I think. I think a Christian school would be good, but it isn't necessarily a requirement. It is looking like he will be a National Merit Scholar. He is very math/science oriented and is LOVING Chemistry because it is so math oriented. I'm betting he will love Physics. He also loves computers. I'm not sure how to find a medium size/smaller school that is within an 8 hour drive that would fit him. Social aspect wouldn't matter. But he does love to watch sports. So how do you find a school? He is in 9th grade.

 

Christine

[K-FL]

Try http://www.collegeboard.com and go to their college search section. There's a questionnaire that includes miles from home. Since you've got time, I'd start there & then work out.

[Susie-Knits]

Try www.collegeboard.com and go to their college search section. There's a questionnaire that includes miles from home. Since you've got time, I'd start there & then work out.

 

That is actually what I would suggest - you can search on miles from your zip or states, size of school, major, and many other criteria.

 

Cannot tell you how many times I have used it in the past year!

[Michelle in AL]

Well, one of my dd's loves the looks of Hendrix in Arkansas.

What about University of Dallas?

[creekland]

One of the best pieces of advice I can offer is to visit schools - even if they are close by and you have no interest in your youngun actually going there. This will help you/him better decide atmosphere and size.

 

I had figured quite a bit out via stats - only to have practically all schools I had found eliminated from our first choice list when my oldest (and middle) son told me they preferred SMALL (not large, like what I loved, not medium like I thought could be good, but small!). Then their preference was for 'away' from big cities...

 

Then couple their likes/dislikes with collegeboard to get some good prospects.

[choirfarm]

Wow, that college finder sight was so cool. My son stopped doing Geometry and we went through it. At first run our list of possible schools was: Abilene Christian, Dallas Baptist, Oral Roberts, Harding, Oklahoma City University, SMU, Baylor, LeTourneau, and Rice. I have to get back to teaching, but we'll start investigating those. He's been to Baylor several times already and is at LeTourneau a lot for homeschool stuff, concerts and summer academic camps. Next time we visit relatives in HOuston, we may go by Rice. Anyone have any feedback on these.

 

Christine

[Jane Elliot]

Letourneau might be good, but it is only 15 minutes away and I would rather him go away to school, I think.

 

:lol: Dh and I laughed out loud when I read this to him over the phone. Wanna trade??? You could live in northern Idaho. Our twins are on the road heading to LeTourneau with dh right now. It's been a downright painful week. :crying::crying: Our little people just don't understand. It seemed like a good idea when we were applying....it was their one and only choice....it is a good idea, right? Right???? Seriously I do know LeTourneau was the best choice for them. I am so happy for them, but my heart is ripping out. We're contemplating a move to Texas. I don't think I can do this goodbye thing 9 more times and we are not near any schools our dc would consider. I do understand not wanting to be breathing down their necks when they go to college, wanting a little bit of distance so they can gain independence, but I'd take 15 minutes over 33 hours any day. 20yo all-wise, all-knowing dd keeps telling me, "You can't follow your kids to college!" And, I keep telling her, "Wanna bet?"

Edited August 19, 2009 by Luann in ID

[Chris in VA]

My husband went to SMU for his doctorate, and we had a friend send her daughter there--she only lasted a year.

I know you don't think the social stuff matters, and most of what I have to say is about the social atmosphere, so get out that grain o' salt!:D

 

SMU is situated in one of the most expensive neighborhoods in Texas, if not the USA--based on cost of living in the area. In fact, Highland Park is where George and Laura live now! Millions and millions of dollars for the majority of the homes.

It carries over to the school--Libby, our friend's dd, said she honestly never knew how much it mattered to wear the right designer clothes and drive the right "designer" car! Sororities and Frats are huge there, and it's known as an upper-class drinking school by the people who go there.

 

As far as the education goes, I've heard there are certain majors that are rigorous, and certain majors that aren't. I think that's pretty true of just about anywhere. I've heard there are a high number of young women seeking an Mrs. degree--not sure if that is true or just a perception, as who really admits that?

 

It's not a particularly beautiful campus, but it is rather nice--stone buildings around a central green, for the main part, bound on the sides by busy suburban streets, with a downtown/medium-sized town feel.

 

Cost is high, I think there are better options, but scholarships (in grad school, anyway) are FABULOUS because of the rich alumni.

 

My 2 cents.

[choirfarm]

Grin.. Well, I'm thinking an easy drive away. Seriously, your twins are going to a great school. A lot of the families that are a part of our homeschool group are the children of professors at Letourneau. One of them even taught Physics last year to our group. It really is a good school. Who knows. Friends of ours here in town had a boy who was a National Merit Finalist and went there with a free ride. He is currently finishing dental school. Congrats and if you decide to move, let me know and I'll tell you where to live.;)

 

Christine

[choirfarm]

Yep, that is the feeling I have about it as well. I graduated from Lamar in ARlington. I already told my son that although it says it is a Methodist school, it isn't religious at all. Wouldn't be my top choice, but it is his decision. That said, I don't think it would fit him either. He was going to cross Rice off his list because he wasn't sure he could get in, but I told him not to let him have that be a factor. Most of these schools are pretty pricey, but college has been in the plan and we have been saving since he was a baby. We have things automatically deducted for all of our kids and they each have a nice nest egg. But I also think he will qualify for some academic scholarships, so that should help as well. He just isn't social at all and I'm worried about extra-curricular things to put on a transcript.

 

Christine

 

My husband went to SMU for his doctorate, and we had a friend send her daughter there--she only lasted a year.

I know you don't think the social stuff matters, and most of what I have to say is about the social atmosphere, so get out that grain o' salt!:D

 

SMU is situated in one of the most expensive neighborhoods in Texas, if not the USA--based on cost of living in the area. In fact, Highland Park is where George and Laura live now! Millions and millions of dollars for the majority of the homes.

It carries over to the school--Libby, our friend's dd, said she honestly never knew how much it mattered to wear the right designer clothes and drive the right "designer" car! Sororities and Frats are huge there, and it's known as an upper-class drinking school by the people who go there.

 

As far as the education goes, I've heard there are certain majors that are rigorous, and certain majors that aren't. I think that's pretty true of just about anywhere. I've heard there are a high number of young women seeking an Mrs. degree--not sure if that is true or just a perception, as who really admits that?

 

It's not a particularly beautiful campus, but it is rather nice--stone buildings around a central green, for the main part, bound on the sides by busy suburban streets, with a downtown/medium-sized town feel.

 

Cost is high, I think there are better options, but scholarships (in grad school, anyway) are FABULOUS because of the rich alumni.

 

My 2 cents.

Edited August 19, 2009 by choirfarm

[choirfarm]

I'm not sure why TCU got left off the list. It seems like it would meet the criteria.

[SonshineLearner]

I have a soft spot for Letourneau, my dad taught there when I was young. I'd love for my kids to be that close while in college:-)

Carrie...

[Orthodox6]

I grew up in Texas, and SMU always bore the "party school" label. I haven't checked the lists in years, but I think it remains one of the "somewhat competitive" (as in academically) "regional schools".

 

One of my sons hopes to gain sufficient financial aid, plus admittance to SMU nonetheless -- because they have the only decent university library in town ! (I don't know about UD -- its library may be commensurately small to "fit" the school size -- ? -- .)

 

There are some small schools worth considering in Texas: St. Edwards (Austin), Texas Lutheran (Seguin), University of St. Thomas (Houston), Rice University (Houston), and others.

[Becky in TX]

We took our oldest to ACU last week for his freshman year. So far our experience has been really positive. His professor/advisor and his daughter helped carry boxes up to his room and while we were unpacking, the president of the university and his wife stopped by! The Welcome Week activities really seem designed to help them connect quickly.

 

They have a strong Computer Science and Technology program and have been getting some great awards for innovation and technology. ACU is the first university in the world to incorporate Apples' iPhone or iTouch into the educational processes of the university. (You can find more details on this innovative program at ACU's website). Our son is into technology so this program was very interesting to him.

 

ACU's football team has been really strong (#2 in NCAA Div II last year), so it's really fun to go to the games. We went to their preview weekend last year which they hold during homecoming and got a great feel for the alumni loyalty and school spirit, in addition to the typical admissions programs.

 

I would think it's worth investigating more. DS was accepted at both Letourneau and Baylor, but ACU felt like the best fit.

 

Blessings,

Becky in TX

[choirfarm]

Thanks everyone for the insights. Becky, congrats to your son. I guess we will try to do more research and narrow them down a little this year. Then maybe we will visit some of them his 10th grade year??

 

Christine

[Sonshine]

I am familiar with some of the schools on your list and attended SMU years ago. There is a wide variation in several key factors between these schools.

I think you may want to narrow down what he needs in a school. Also, you might want to think about the likelihood of your son being admitted to grad school from one of these schools. A great resource is http://www.collegeconfidential.com.

 

Rice is very hard to get into if you are from Texas and not a minority, even for a National Merit Scholar. However, I would still apply - some do get admitted. Just be aware of the online homeschool part of the application for the principal/counsleor to fill in - and get help ahead of time to make it as impressive as possible. I did not even know about it until the last minute (failure on Rice's part) and did not do a good job on it.

[Jugglin'5]

Yep, that is the feeling I have about it as well. I graduated from Lamar in ARlington. I already told my son that although it says it is a Methodist school, it isn't religious at all. Wouldn't be my top choice, but it is his decision. That said, I don't think it would fit him either. He was going to cross Rice off his list because he wasn't sure he could get in, but I told him not to let him have that be a factor. Most of these schools are pretty pricey, but college has been in the plan and we have been saving since he was a baby. We have things automatically deducted for all of our kids and they each have a nice nest egg. But I also think he will qualify for some academic scholarships, so that should help as well. He just isn't social at all and I'm worried about extra-curricular things to put on a transcript.

 

Christine

 

Cost-wise, Rice is one of the best deals in the nation for a private school.

[dragon_horse_0002]

Ditto to Rice in Houston. It is one the best deals in the nation for a private school.

I heard good things from Trinity in San Antonio.

If you want to stay in Texas, go to engineering fields, and do not mind of public schools and crowded schools, UT Austin or A&M are good choices.

Cost-wise' date=' Rice is one of the best deals in the nation for a private school.[/quote']

[Orthodox6]

A couple of years ago, I read evaluations which cited UT-San Antonio as superior quality for engineering.

 

Another thing which I don't remember being discussed in this thread is the deregulation of public college/university tuition, which occurred a few years ago. I was astounded by how quickly the Texas schools leapt to spike their prices.

 

Ditto to Rice in Houston. It is one the best deals in the nation for a private school.

I heard good things from Trinity in San Antonio.

If you want to stay in Texas, go to engineering fields, and do not mind of public schools and crowded schools, UT Austin or A&M are good choices.

[dragon_horse_0002]

I am surprised to hear that. I know that kids that cannot get directly into UT Austin from HS, have to go to UT SA to get good GPA to transfer back UT Austin.

UT Austin and A&M used to be ranked top twenty in Engineering schools.

 

You are right about deregulation of public college/university tuition, which occurred a few years ago. Average expense (Texas residents) in Texas universities is 20K/year nowadays. For out-of-state, it must be higher.

 

 

A couple of years ago, I read evaluations which cited UT-San Antonio as superior quality for engineering.

 

Another thing which I don't remember being discussed in this thread is the deregulation of public college/university tuition, which occurred a few years ago. I was astounded by how quickly the Texas schools leapt to spike their prices.

[aggieamy]

I am surprised to hear that. I know that kids that cannot get directly into UT Austin from HS, have to go to UT SA to get good GPA to transfer back UT Austin.

UT Austin and A&M used to be ranked top twenty in Engineering schools.

 

You are right about deregulation of public college/university tuition, which occurred a few years ago. Average expense (Texas residents) in Texas universities is 20K/year nowadays. For out-of-state, it must be higher.

 

Since this conversation turned to engineering and Texas schools I feel I have to join in. :) I *ahem* got my civil engineering degree at Texas A&M. I chose it based on reputation and that has served me very well professionally. Even though I'm in Kansas and Missouri working now people still have a lot of respect for an engineering degree from A&M and UT. I know they're considered big schools but once you get into your degree program it won't feel nearly so big. And I had a great time without being a wild college kid. My sister went to UT and she loved her time there - she was a party kid in college though!

 

I wouldn't recommend UTSA for an engineering school. It doesn't have nearly the reputation that UT or A&M have.

 

Good luck!

[Orthodox6]

I think I expressed myself poorly. I do not mean that UT-SA's engineering program is necessarily superior to that of UT-Austin -- but that it ranks, on its own merits, very high.

 

Another thing to remember is that there are sub-disciplines among engineering. One school may excel in electrical engineering, but have a lesser calibre mechanical engineering program, for example.

 

When I was in graduate school at UT-Austin in the early 1980s, we all paid only $53 per credit hour, no matter what we were studying. I just now located a table (dated March 2009) of costs for Texas public colleges/universities, and was stunned to discover that now the costs per credit hour vary according to what one is studying. IS THIS REALLY TRUE ? ? (. . . and fasten your seatbelts before reading what those costs now are ! ! !) :confused:

 

I am surprised to hear that. I know that kids that cannot get directly into UT Austin from HS, have to go to UT SA to get good GPA to transfer back UT Austin.

UT Austin and A&M used to be ranked top twenty in Engineering schools.

 

You are right about deregulation of public college/university tuition, which occurred a few years ago. Average expense (Texas residents) in Texas universities is 20K/year nowadays. For out-of-state, it must be higher.

[choirfarm]

UT is just SO liberal along with all of Austin:). Plus, he's already told me he doesn't want to go to a school that large. I have an issue with aTm I guess because my sister went there and flunked out. She just got so lost and would have done better with more individual attention rather than getting lost in a class of 500. At Baylor, I never had a class with more than 30 in it! (Now granted I placed out of most of the basic classes like freshman English.)

 

Christine

[Orthodox6]

As it is the size of a town, UT-Austin becomes what one makes of it. My own personality and character are such, though, that so enormous a school would have overwhelmed me at age 18. When I arrived there for graduate school, though, it was a great "fit".

 

The city of Austin, too, was diverse enough to provide for my own "wants and needs" (and I am very conservative).

 

We all grow-and-change, nonetheless. Whereas I loved the out-of-state university which I attended for my undergraduate years, there is no way now that I ever could want any of my children to go there !

[Kendall]

John Brown University in Northwest arkansas, University of Tulsa private, strong engineering school, smallest NCAA school about 4000 students,

 

gives a full ride scholarship to 70 National Merit students each year. Not a Christian school.