Cindy in C-ville Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 How do you go about this process? Our oldest is a junior this year - outdoorsy, leadership oriented, good but not stellar grades, finances are a definite issue, doesn't know what she wants to major in but would thrive in a service-oriented humanitarian leadership type of major, Christian school not a necessity, but would like a strong community of Christians on campus. We live in VA. Thoughts? TIA!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 Quick advice-- VA has a bunch of great public colleges. Tech is set in a rather rural area, very nature-y, beautiful campus, lots of choices, and has a strong Christian community (I think CCC is there, as well as AIA and other parachurch orgs). Radford is quite a bit smaller, pretty campus, easier to get in to, small classes--not sure of the C community. Christopher Newport is a good school--small, right next to the water, has some good programs. Hollins is pretty solid, and Bridgewater (10 mins from Tech) is neat. THey are private, but have good financial aid, from what I've heard. Bridgewater has a great equestrian business program, has chapel every Friday (or once a week, anyway) and is small and beautiful. JMU has a bunch of great programs, has one of the top 5 campus food services, and is located in a smallish town. These are all along a corridor that makes visiting very easy--we hit 3 schools in one day--if you planned a weekend, you could probably hit two each day. Good luck in your search! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 doesn't know what she wants to major in but would thrive in a service-oriented humanitarian leadership type of major, Christian school not a necessity, but would like a strong community of Christians on campus. Here's what my service oriented humanitarian leadership type son has chosen for next year (still pending finances, but...financial aid seems fairly good with this school). The college is Christian and is in Georgia but right outside of Chattanooga, TN, so right on the border. http://www.covenant.edu/academics/undergrad/comm_dev Otherwise, I, myself, went to VA Tech and loved it... but when I took my son there to consider majoring in business or economics he was disappointed that, to them, it was all about the money and not much (if at all) about helping others. Hubby and I kind of wanted him to go there (since his birth!)... but have since ceded to his desires for his life. At his first choice college the visit was all about helping others... his goal in life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigitte Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 One of my nieces is at Radford and loves it. She went to PVCC for 2 years and transferred. She was nervous about being away from home, but was very quickly assimilated at Radford. They have a strong Christian student organization and it is easy to find a non-partying crowd. The campus is small for a public university. Kelli got involved in student government right away, so leadership opportunities are available if she wants it. Down here we have two private colleges that seem to be very good - Virginia Intermont and King College. I believe that King has a reputation for very generous financial aid. I don't know about VI. VI has a nationally recognized equestrian program - lots of National Championships. Further south, Mars Hill and UNC - Asheville. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2abcd Posted November 29, 2009 Share Posted November 29, 2009 Ds was accepted at two $$$ pricey Christian colleges and with the various scholarships and grants, the cost for each was less than for that of a state school. So don't rule out private schools! I would spend the $40 (or whatever--often waived if you actually visit the college) application fee for a handful of top choices and see what comes in at the lowest price and best fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oak Knoll Mom Posted November 29, 2009 Share Posted November 29, 2009 How about Warren Wilson? It's a really neat school that focuses on "The Triad--Academics for the mind, work for the hands, and service for the heart." It's in Asheville, NC, so not a great distance from you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mims Posted November 29, 2009 Share Posted November 29, 2009 Would you consider one year out for a year like this? www.mwsb.org Some schools will transfer some of the credits and the cost is extremely reasonable. Lots of homescooled students attend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee in NC Posted November 29, 2009 Share Posted November 29, 2009 How about Warren Wilson? It's a really neat school that focuses on "The Triad--Academics for the mind, work for the hands, and service for the heart." It's in Asheville, NC, so not a great distance from you. :iagree: I love that they have a FARM that provides a big chunk of the school's food! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted November 29, 2009 Share Posted November 29, 2009 Our son went to JMU and had a very positive experience (graduated with a computer science degree). He said the food was awesome. And really, what more do you want in a college? :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonshine Posted November 29, 2009 Share Posted November 29, 2009 Our son recently graduated from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. We were pleased with the school and they have good scholarships - there is even a chart online that shows what scholarship he/she will get according to SAT scores and grades. If at all interested, pay attention to scholarship deadlines. They have some unusual scholarships that anyone can get but they have very early deadlines. For example my son got a scholarship just for giving them the name, address, and phone number of his youth pastor (with his permission). My son also looked at Bryan College in Dayton, Tennessee - a good school but the scholarships weren't as good. Mims - would you please tell me more about Montana Wilderness School of the Bible? Would it benefit a mature (for his age) Christian young man before he goes to a state college? If he has already had a lot of Bible and Christian worldview through church and homeschooling, would he still learn a lot there? I am interested in having another son of mine attend there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean too Posted November 29, 2009 Share Posted November 29, 2009 Mars Hill in the NC mountains might be a good fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise in Florida Posted November 29, 2009 Share Posted November 29, 2009 My daughter is a freshman at college and loves her school, she says it was made for her. I hope she continues to enjoy it, but her needs and interests might change. It is not unusual for this generation of students to change schools multiple times. Last year we were applying to schools and 'stumbling around in the dark' :001_smile: I don't have any original advice but here is what helped me. Pick one or two must haves, for us it was size (she wanted a small school) and cost (college fund was all in stocks :eek:) Visit the campus, there are very different in person than in the brochure. If they offer it, let the child stay in the dorm overnight. If possible ask around your friends and family to see if they know anyone who went there. You will get to hear what really goes on. We didn't find the listing of offered majors very useful. One, just because it is listed doesn't mean it is a 'specialty' of the school. Two, lots of children change majors. Of course, if your child has a specific goal such as pre-vet, engineering or music you need to find a school that has a good reputation for those. FWIW, of the 5 or 6 children of friends who have gone on to college in the last few years, none are still at the same school they started with. (yes, that is an awkwardly worded sentence, not enough coffee yet to go back and fix :glare:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted November 29, 2009 Share Posted November 29, 2009 It's easy to assume the wrong things about what a Christian college should look like in terms of rules, social mores, assumptions about student behavior, etc. Some are very social justice-oriented. Some are very concerned about personal morality. Some are really secular universities with Christian names. Some are concerned with genuine faith building. They vary considerably, so you have to check them out thoroughly to see what you're getting. I think that some secular universities with good campus ministries are a more appropriate pick for Christians than some Christian universities. Also, I have heard that it's a bad idea to worry too much about costs. College costs as published on their websites are hardly ever what people actually end up paying. The best move is to apply for the colleges you like best, and maybe one or two backups, and then see, as the acceptances come in, what the true cost after financial aid and scholarships will be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted November 29, 2009 Share Posted November 29, 2009 I just want to comment on something you've said, Carol. My df went to Wheaton--she said there were two kinds of kids at Wheaton--those who wanted to go to a Christian school, and those whose parents wanted to "fix" them and therefore sent them to a Christian school, hoping something would "stick." That always rang true with me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in C-ville Posted November 29, 2009 Author Share Posted November 29, 2009 You all have such good input! With what you have said about cost, does that mean that you wouldn't rule out out-of-state schools? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted November 29, 2009 Share Posted November 29, 2009 You all have such good input! With what you have said about cost, does that mean that you wouldn't rule out out-of-state schools? From the info I have gleaned from Lee Binz (google her - she's a wonderful high school level mentor, has several e-books and DVDs, etc.) a student with good grades can get some decent scholarship money at private schools, much more than in-state public universities. What you want to do is pick a school where your student would be among the top students based on test scores - ACT or SAT. When you're dealing with private schools it does not matter whether you stay in state or not. Lee's sons got full scholarships from their small, private college after testing out of much of their first two years of college. If you really want to get the scoop from Lee, she's having a big sale on Dec. 3rd at 12 noon pacific time. The first 25 or so people who order the new transcript product she's got will receive a ton of freebies and some one-on-one consulting time with her. I probably won't do it because I've already bought just about everything she offers - but then again I may because her "telephone consult time" has been worth its weight in gold. I am very confident about choosing a college for my dd's (I've got just a little more time since my oldest dd is a freshman) -- there is really so much more that goes into it than I expected, both from a financial standpoint and a "good fit" angle. Good luck! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigitte Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 Cindy, Someone just posted on my local homeschool loop that Milligan College is recruiting home schooled kids. Here is a website with more info: http://www.milligan.edu/admission/homeschool.html Hope that helps some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy in TN Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 You all have such good input! With what you have said about cost, does that mean that you wouldn't rule out out-of-state schools? As far as private institutions, definitely look at all the options including out of state, because the tuition is the same whether you are in-state or out-of-state. Go to collegeboard.com and do a college search for private rural colleges. I am sure there are a ton of them.:D HTH- Mandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.