Decisions: Please tell us where and why?

[Jenny in Florida]

Okay, I'm starting to see folks posting that their seniors have made decisions and are sending in deposits for fall. I would love to see that information collected in on thread. (Think of it like those lists high schools release each year about where their graduates are going.)

 

As much as the where, though, I'd also be interested to hear the why. And I suspect it might be helpful to those who will be in our place next year to hear what factors were decisive for our students.

 

I can't participate just yet, because my own graduate-to-be is waiting on two more pieces of information before he tells us where to send the check. However, I'd very much appreciate it if those whose students are on the other side of the fence would post a note telling us where their kids are enrolling and, briefly, why each chose that particular school.

 

Thanks!

[Pawz4me]

DS will be attending UNC Chapel Hill.

 

The reasons --

 

We're in state and the COA is very reasonable considering the quality/national ranking of the school.  I've posted before that it's difficult for an in state student to say no to Carolina, and DS certainly found that to be true.

 

He's planning on majoring in business, and their undergraduate business program is currently ranked as #7 by U.S. News and #10 by Bloomberg/Business Week.  Again, hard to beat that for the price of in state tuition.

 

He knows quite a few people already there who are thoroughly enjoying their experiences.  Because he has a fairly wide net of student contacts, he's also heard quite a lot first hand from business majors about all the opportunities available to them.  (And from a social standpoint, I have to admit that I think already knowing so many people on campus played a part in his decision.)

 

By choosing UNC, DH and I were able to tell him that we'll likely be able to help him out if he chooses to continue on with his education and get an MBA or go to law school.

[hsbeth]

I was thinking last week that it would be interesting to have a decisions thread! Great idea!

 

Our oldest decided on UA where she'll be studying engineering. There were many reasons. Financially it was a great option b/c of significant merit money. She LOVES the campus and it feels like a good social fit for her. I had some reservations about academic fit to be honest. But, dd has done lots of dual-enrollment at a public uni. already and seems to thrive by being at the top end of her classes academically. She will be part of the honors college at Alabama and that will have some neat opportunities and perks. I do wish it were slightly closer to home. It'll be about a 5.5 hour drive. She's already connected with some other students though and with her roommate. She's pretty good at making friends and settling in usually. She's not apprehensive about the distance.

 

 

[Blue Hen]

DS, my youngest, has decided to attend The Ohio State University.

 

The main criteria was to find a college with a Division 1 Rifle team. Oh my! That limited him to less than 2 dozen colleges in the country. Then last year, just as the military service academies were starting to recruit him he was diagnosed with a medical condition that eliminated them and the other military colleges.

 

He also decided that he wanted to have the possibility of his rifle team going to the NCAA rifle championship--and winning it. This further restricted his search to under 10 schools. I added Ohio State University to the list because it is my alma mater. DS wasn't interested in OSU, they had a new coach, and after all it was *mom's* school.  :lol:

 

We visited those few colleges last spring---was it really just a year ago because it feels like eons ago----with a rifle team and somewhere during our visits DS decided that he wanted to go to a big university where going to a college sporting event was *important*. He also added in that if he decided to switch his major, he could do so without switching schools.  During the visit to OSU DS visited with the Business department and was sold on their high academic standards, their contacts,......  It was rather funny because whenever I mentioned a different school DS would bring up OSU's academics. :laugh:

 

Over the summer at matches DS spoke to rifle shooters from the various colleges. It didn't help him narrow his search one bit but he liked what he heard from the OSU shooters about their new coach. He really liked the meeting he had with the OSU coach, at OSU, in May too.

 

In the fall he went on official visits to several schools and it was during these visits that he decided that the OSU team was a fit. He had 2 schools offer him full rides that he turned down (combination of merit and athletic scholarships) but he said that their academics just didn't compare to OSU.

 

Even though DS had decided upon OSU in November we really worried first about whether DS would get in, and next about whether he would receive a merit scholarship. He received 2 merit scholarships which, along with his athletic scholarship moved OSU from being the most expensive school on DS list to the least expensive school! What a win!!!

 

On April 16th DS will be signing his National Letter of Intent with OSU.  He will be at a campus 500 miles from home, at a school with +50,000 students, and with a life-threatening chronic disease but I am not too concerned. He'll have his teammates, his coach, and trainers looking out for him. My DH family lives in the area and he has a cousin that works at OSU.

 

Oh, and I WILL be going out to OSU for everyone of their home matches.

 

Carole

 

[Tokyomarie]

DS, my youngest, has decided to attend The Ohio State University.

 

 

GO BUCKS!

 

I am an OSU alum. None of my kids were ever interested in applying there. They all wanted schools that were smaller than the typical Big Ten size campus, though one did apply to MSU and was accepted. Two of my siblings are alumni and they each have one child there now. Last fall, I went to my first football game in the horseshoe since graduating oh, so many years ago. Despite the fact that I am not a huge sports fan, attending the game and being on campus was actually an emotional experience. 

[regentrude]

DD will be attending University of Chicago.

 

She selected the colleges to which she applied based on the academic quality of the physics department as the primary criterion (and eliminated some schools due to undesired location). Of the schools to which she got admitted, Cornell and U Chicago rank about the same in this respect. Her other options were also good, but not schools of the same caliber. Since she is a high performing, very ambitious and driven student, either Chicago or Cornell would have been a good fit.

She had visited U Chicago and really liked the academic focus and the vibe of the school, and she likes the city.

 

In the end, the decision between Chicago and Cornell was made based on finances. Cornell turned out to be significantly more expensive, plus the location would have required air travel, causing additional costs, whereas Chicago is within driving distance.

[Lori D.]

DS only applied to Grand Canyon University, and was accepted. But -- he put a lot of time and thought into the decision before even checking out GCU. Top reasons why GCU was his decision:

 

1. finances

Money is the main family deciding factor; need to go where all the CC credits will be accepted, so only needs 2 years to finish the BA to cut costs as much as possible. Also, GCU offered substantial merit aid, which makes going there any kind of possibility.

 

2. Christian LAC

DS's main desire, after 3 years of being at the secular CC. Also, he is a GREAT fit for a liberal arts college and degree program.

 

3. emphasis on fellowship & community-building / size

After the tour, DS was very ready to go, getting to hear about all of the Bible study groups, and multiple events a week to promote socializing, fellowship and community. He wants to make and build life-long friendships, have meaningful conversations in classrooms and with professors, and step out and meet like-minded people. Also, as an introvert, DS did NOT want to feel lost on a big campus.

 

4. not too far from home

DS wants to step out on his own -- but be close enough to come home a few weekends during the semester. :) He is our sweet home-body, and really does enjoy doing things with family. Knowing we're only a few hours' drive away makes this do-able -- even exciting! -- for him. 

[creekland]

My guy is definitely going to Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida.  It was the only place he applied after careful consideration of many schools, but he's more certain than ever that he made the correct decision after we just got back from their Accepted Students Days late last night.

 

His criteria?  He wanted a small school, on the water, with tropical marine bio options.  The "tropical" part limited our search to Florida, Hawaii, or Texas.  Florida schools were the only ones to make the visit cut.  Eckerd was the only one to top his list after visits.

 

The school is very literally at the top for undergrad tropical marine Bio and is very recognized as such in the field.  It makes it a competitive field there with students coming in with impressive high school backgrounds and ECs, but he thinks he can stay with them...

 

They are a very lab based school - very hands on - very "outside" thinking and right on the water (some dorm rooms for seniors are waterfront).  They are also a very globally minded school, very "green," and into sustainability.  With only 1800 students, it qualifies as small, so he'll enjoy the greater attention with profs.  Even should he be one who switches majors, it'll still be a good fit.

 

His only drawback is that it is also a big drinking and pot use school, but it's a live and let live atmosphere according to all students there.  Those who choose not to partake are not shunned or similar - all get along having a "to each their own" belief.  I'm confident he'll find his group for close peers just as my others have at their colleges.  He feels the same way and is in no way regretting his choice.  Instead, he wishes he could stay there working closely with a prof we met who is researching mangrove restoration... or one who is researching fish/sharks... but they insist he finish high school first.  :lol:

[Laura Corin]

Calvin ended up with five offers, all from good universities.  All are conditional on his achieving a certain amount of points in his final IB exams.  

 

Of the five: Oxford was the highest offer, Durham was only a little below, then the other three (Exeter, York, Warwick) clustered lower.  He has visited them all and had read all the prospectuses.

 

Oxford is his first choice.  He loves the one-on-one, intensive teaching and the weekly structure: short deadlines that you have to meet because you have to read your essay to your tutor.  The college within Oxford where he stayed during his interviews really impressed him as friendly, and he likes what he hears about the musical life of the place.  Oh, and it's pretty.

 

Durham was excluded just because the offer was too close to Oxford's so it didn't represent a good fall-back for him.

 

He dismissed Exeter because he just didn't get a good feel about the place, and a friend of a friend talked about its being a bit disorganised and impersonal.  It's also the furthest from home, although I don't know if that was a factor for him.  

 

York's course was English only (no Classics) and he didn't like that it was lots of project work/essay assessment - he likes exams.  He also thought that the long project deadlines would not give him the structure that he feels he needs.  The degree grades that come out of York are not so good, which might have an impact on getting in to do postgraduate work.

 

He liked Warwick when we were there, but I don't know if that's just because his cousin goes there and so it felt more home-like.  Warwick produces good degree grades.  It is also very well organised to help people decide on careers, get the experience they need, help them to choose postgraduate opportunities, etc.  Did I say that Calvin liked structure?  So that all sounded good to him.  The assessment is a mix of course work and exams, so that suits him more.  They also claim to have a fair bit of one-on-one time with supervisors, which he likes.  So Warwick is his fall-back

 

All the universities cost the same to him (£9,000 per year  for tuition; 3-year course) so that wasn't a determining factor. 

 

L

 

[Just Another Jen]

My son is going to NIU because he spoke to the head of media graphics at the Field Museum and she prefers graduates from there. He would love to end up at a museum. He also liked that its a little over an hour away from us so he can take the train on the weekends and still spend time with us and hang out in the city. It seems like there is a tight community of graduates in Chicago so I'm hoping that will translate into job contacts in a couple years. 

[Laura in CA]

My son has decided to attend UC Berkeley, and I blame TWTM/classical education! :D

 

He thought he wanted to go to a "tech school," and just focus on math and science classes; he applied to the UCs just to have some backups in-state. Then, during his faculty interview for a Regents' Scholarship at Berkeley -- which, to our surprise, turned out to be with a professor of classics -- he realized he really is passionate about the classics. They were chatting up a storm about what he's currently reading in his Classical Greek & Roman Lit class -- Suetonius -- and other works, and he was so excited to meet someone who shared his enthusiasm (and knew what the rather bizarre penalty for parricide was!).

 

So ... on the campus tour the same day, our guide, a linguistics/German major, touted the fact that Cal offers 57 languages for study, including Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian, Old Church Slavic, Greek, Modern Greek, Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew, Modern Irish, Old & Middle Irish, Old Norse, Old English ... and of course Latin. My son got excited about not only double-majoring in math and computer science (unlike some of the private schools he applied to, Berkeley will take all his AP credits, CC, and CSU coursework, so a double major is completely doable), but also minoring in classics and perhaps also German (!). Plus, he is talking about taking Yiddish or Dutch for fun (these particular ones because they're in the German dept). Or maybe Armenian ...

 

This is in contrast to one of the tech schools that offered him a truckload of money, RPI, which a few years ago eliminated their entire foreign language department (dismayingly, the summer before a friend's son enrolled who had lived in Basel and wanted to take more German).

 

Yes, the intro class sizes at Cal are very large -- I want my son to sit in on another class before he tells his other college options 'no' -- so he's going tomorrow to visit some CS classes. (He and a friend visited a Roman history class last week and LOVED it. It had only about 100 students, though.) However, if anyone in my family can handle it, it's this son. Plus, he has placed out of many of the standard first-year classes -- he should be able to declare his math major and start taking upper-division math classes his first semester, and very soon with CS.

 

eta: the math dept has a class just for prep for the Putnam competition. My son will meet with an advisor in the next few days and see if he can enroll. He is so excited about finally being on a TEAM for these math competitions!!! It looks like Berkeley hasn't finished above 3rd place since winning in 1960 (!), but perhaps he can help change that hahaha. I don't know anything about the Putnam, but I hope I'll be finding out soon!

 

eta (again!): I just saw that last year's Berkeley Putnam team came in 6th overall, and had "more students place in the top 200 than any other public school in the United States or Canada." Gosh, I hope my son can make the team! Well, competition is always good -- he's so tired of CC/CSU classes in which he ends up tutoring other students, some twice his age ... :)

 

Another plus -- Berkeley is fairly close to home. He initially thought he wanted to go far away. But he's seen his older brother, attending college a 12-hour drive away, and his friends who are even farther away from home, become (to their surprise) very homesick; plus this son has a fabulous group of homeschooled friends, and if he attends UC Berkeley -- as opposed to a college in LA or farther afield -- his friends can visit him and he can come home occasionally for special events, such as the homeschool prom, birthday parties, etc. (I did extract a promise from my son that he would be sure to study hard and make friends on campus -- and I think he will.)

 

This is reassuring to me, as he's relatively young, and several college kids we know have had "crises" recently; how helpless the parents feel, being a continent away ... Even with my son who is a 12-hour drive away, visits take so much advance planning; it's hard on all of us. But I can literally walk from my front door to public transportation (bus/BART) and about an hour later get off a BLOCK from UC Berkeley, for less than $6. Amazing. So the reverse is also true; if my son needs anything, he just hops on BART and is home an hour later. I never expected this ... we thought the closest he'd be would be LA (5-6 hours away by car or bus or train). It's also a treat for his grandparents (who met at Cal in the 50s), who will be able to visit him easily (whereas they haven't yet been able to visit their other grandson, much as they'd like to).

 

eta: a note about $$$ ... all of my son's schools ended up being roughly the same out-of-pocket cost, plus or minus a few thousand, with the exception of UCLA, which is in-state, relatively cheap, and offered him a very large amount of money. My brother and sister-in-law live near UCLA, and my son adores them and their little kids, but UCLA is even bigger than Cal, and there's the hassle factor of being far away, and my son decided he didn't need to go far from home. (Many kids from the Bay Area go to college in LA, and vice versa, just for a change of scenery and to be a bit more independent.)

 

eta (again, and then I'd better stop lol): another "chance" discovery ... it was during my son's first-ever visit to Chicago in February for a scholarship weekend at Illinois Tech that he had a revelation -- he LOVES big cities. And, according to him (and who knows better than a 16yo boy), ONLY New York and Chicago are truly 'big cities.' However, although Berkeley isn't a big city, it has a fun, hip vibe and the dorms are located in the downtown, among a dizzying variety of restaurants and shops. On every visit to Berkeley, my son has prowled through the used-book stores, which are lacking in our backwater town. I just ate at a Persian restaurant in Berkeley, and am eager to try the Korean 'fusion' (Korean-Japanese-Mexican) place next door :). San Francisco is a 20-minute subway ride away. The flip side is crime -- my son's bike was recently stolen (at a suburban BART station) and seems to have turned up in -- where else? -- Berkeley. He'll go check it out tomorrow. Anyway, he'll have to learn to watch his wallet more closely than he does in our semi-rural backwater, where we can leave our doors unlocked ... But he is eager for a bit more excitement :)

 

 

So ... hooray for 'backup' schools / casting a wide net / serendipity / divine intervention :)

We're all very excited about Berkeley. Go Bears! :)

[8filltheheart]

- he realized he really is passionate about the classics. .....My son got excited about not only double-majoring in math and computer science (unlike some of the private schools he applied to, Berkeley will take all his AP credits, CC, and CSU coursework, so a double major is completely doable), but also minoring in classics and perhaps also German (!).

 

That sounds like another math-loving young person I know!! And hers is a great success story!   Can't but envy her job placement!! :)   Congrats!!  Glad he is excited about his decision.

 

Our ds decided on UA.   He is very happy with his decision.   He loves the CBHP opportunities.   When he met the dean of the physics dept, they immediately hit it off and the dean took the time to recognize his unique background and made great suggestions.   With all of the scholarship $$ from UA, ds's costs will be minimal (not much more than the equivalent of buying books.)  The dorms are amazing.  

[MysteryJen]

Ds1 sent in his deposit to Hendrix College yesterday.  He loves the size and the general acceptance of quirky and unique interests.  The school met all his criteria for having interesting people (their Odyssey program encourages pursuit of individual interests), a pool, and drum kits available for students to play.

 

He likes the swim coach and plans to swim on the team next year. Dh and I are thrilled by that, as he was so good and just dropped swimming completely for two years. He is back practicing and hopefully his old form will come back.  He has put on 6 inches and about 30 lbs from the last time he competed, so it will be fun for us to see him swim again.  He was in the pool during that time with water polo, but grinding out yards....was not part of his fun.

 

Hendrix was great to work with and gave us a bit more on our appeal, bringing it in line with the other top contenders.  Happy days here!

[Terri NS]

DD has decided on Acadia University (NS Canada) she's been waffling about her choices for a while but I think she'll do well there. Small school, close to home : ) but great academics, ranked #2 for undergrad degrees in Canada. Added bonus is I have a business in that town so she can work week-ends for me.

Happy days but I'm sad to end my homeschool days although it's been pretty hands off the last 2 years.. Acceptance has been formalised and applications for residence made. I logged into the forum today to express my thanks to all as a group. My dog-eared copy of WTM will stay forever in my bookcase. Oh she is studying Sociology with a minor in French. Thanks to all for the help from K-8 board all the way to the high school and college boards and heartfelt thanks to SWB : )

[galtgrl]

DD18 will be going to Youngstown State's School of Music.  She had a great audition there & connected with the 2 main professors in her areas of interest (piano performance & composition).  It works for us financially too. :)

 

DD16 will be taking a gap year.  She just wants to write & work on her music, and she may apply to a few other schools this fall if she can better define what she wants.  She is also still on the WL @ Kenyon, although we don't expect her to be admitted from it.  Kenyon is the school she was most interested in, and she may reapply there.

[Sunshine State Sue]

Ds will be attending Colorado School of Mines.  He chose the school because it is a terrific academic and athletic fit.  A merit scholarship and partial athletic scholarship make it a financial fit as well  It's not the perfect geographical fit (2000 miles from home), but we could not find a better academic+athletic fit within driving distance.  And, we've always enjoyed CO when we have visited.

 

Ds in undecided about his major, but leans STEM. There is more about our high school athletic journey here.

 

Mostly, I think ds just felt good when we visited there.  Everybody at school and in town was friendly.  There was beautiful scenery.  His future teammates were welcoming.  He hit it off with the team and felt at home.

[mom2att]

My dd will be at the University of Florida in the fall.  Her choices were first narrowed down during the application process, since Linguistics is not a major offered everywhere.  She applied to Indiana (my alma mater and somewhere she has visited often), Georgia (loved it--first choice), Florida, and North Florida (did not have her major but is in our city--back up plan).

 

The reasons for going with Florida--finances, primarily.  Out of state tuition made Indiana and Georgia completely out of reach despite some merit aid.  Even in state tuition at GA would have cost more than what we will pay at UF.  Second, location.  UF is about 1.5 hours from our home.  Far enough away to not be considered a local, but close enough to make a short visit home easily. 

 

Though it wasn't her first choice, I think she will love it there.

[Brenda in MA]

My ds will be attending the University of Dallas -- a small, Catholic, liberal arts school in Texas (It's not a Texas state school). He was looking for a small liberal arts environment to study Physics, and we were also looking for schools with good merit aid. He applied to a mix of Catholic & secular schools, and in the past year, he has decided that his faith is very important to him, so that brought his two Catholic college choices to the top of the list.

 

Along the lines of what Laura in CA said, my ds has read a lot of classics along the way, and UD has a very strong, well-known Classical core curriculum that includes lots of the Great Books. He will also be able to continue his Latin studies if he wants to. So UD will allow him to continue with his love of all things classical as well as to study Physics, which he really loves as well. They also have a campus just outside of Rome and a well-established study abroad program, which he is really looking forward to.

 

It's far from home (unfortunately), but the fit seems just right, and it's affordable after the scholarship -- which we knew would not be the case with most any local choices.

 

Best wishes & congrats to all the teens & parents (aka guidance counselors, taxi drivers, curriculum specialists, travel agents, etc.)! I want to make a special thank you to so many of you who have been supportive of me and my sons on this hsing journey. I've been a member here for over 10 years, and the people here are just the BEST!

 

Brenda

[1bassoon]

My son is headed to Covenant College in the fall. His choice was either Covenant (small, Christian LAC) or Univ of AL at Birmingham (city campus, live at home, commute) It was a hard decision for him, but came down to a few factors:

 

1. Environment. He felt he'd be more successful at a smaller school. Plus, if we move from our current location (a real possibility), he didn't want to live on campus.

 

2. Smaller department. The computer science dept. is much smaller, and he liked the professors quite well. They have a concentration in cyber security, which intrigues hiim.

 

3. Christian worldview. This is important to him and to our family, so Covenant was the winner hands down.

 

And even though it's only 2 hours away, he felt that he needs to leave home and live away for a while, to get him out of his "comfort zone" as it were. I actually think dorm life - even at this relatively tame school - is going to be a challenge for him, and he's right. He needs to stretch himself a little.

 

We were more than pleased with the personal attention we received, and the interest they showed in our son, as well as the financial package he received.

[GailV]

My daughter has decided to attend Univ. of Evansville.  She's been accepted in both Engineering and Tech Theater; the school is working with her to figure out a path to double degree in five years.

 

We like the location, the size, the individual attention.  It's about 3 hours away, which is far enough to be "away" but close enough for us to visit or vice versa. 

 

They offered a nice amount of merit aid, and their website clearly explained what was available for aid. 

 

She liked that the theater department does interviews, portfolio reviews, and auditions rather than accepting anyone who wants to enroll.  She was also impressed that they were one of the schools that helped start the Unified Theater Auditions.  

 

She also likes the expectation that most students will spend a semester at their campus in Great Britain.

 

The engineering department isn't as snazzy as some of the other places she looked, BUT the individual attention will serve her well.  She does not currently have a passion for engineering, but this is the sort of environment that could help her develop that.

 

Overall, they gave the impression that they really WANTED her there, and that she's important to them.

[Gwen in VA]

Dd just sent in the deposit to Furman U.

 

What she liked about it --

1) The music prof she will be studying with. He is just top-notch and wonderfully supportive.

2) The music opportunities she will have. She has already been promised two amazing highly desirable music positions, and she is only a rising freshman! She feels VERY wanted!

3) The entire music program. The music department is a hidden gem.

4) The location -- the weather in the mountains of SC should be nice!

5) The college -- known for being incredibly supportive and friendly. It also has a beautiful campus.

6) The merit aid -- a full-ride to the college you fell in love with when you first visited is hard to say no to!

 

The hard part of accepting it  is definitely saying no to Eastman. She has been juggling emails from music profs for the past year, and saying no to people you know personally and pretty well is always hard.

[Tokyomarie]

Now that my son has notified both of his potential schools, I can announce that he will be attending the college with the snowiest campus in the USA! He has decided to attend Michigan Tech.

 

We had a very good visit to Michigan Tech two weekends ago. I saw lots of smiles and nods as we went through a full day of tours and meetings with various departments. Ds seemed especially happy with what he heard regarding multiple possibilities for combining his interests in computer science and astrophysics.

 

FaithManor was right on with what she said about the university's efforts to support all students through the provision of learning centers in multiple subject areas as well as the career services office and career fairs for job and internship/co-op placement. Though ds went in to our meeting with disability services feeling disinclined to use accommodations of any kind, he may actually decide to talk about it further. Our meeting with the director was very positive and she was able to engage ds to a much greater degree on the topic than anyone has been in the past.

 

So, come fall, we will have a second generation Huskie!

[angela in ohio]

Dd decided today (nothing like waiting to the last minute!) to attend Olin College. She has been going back and forth between there and U of M. It is hard to give up what is familiar and close, but Olin is a much better opportunity.

[Jenny in Florida]

Although he hasn't made it official just yet -- we'll be sending the deposit on Monday when we get home from this weekend's dance convention -- my son has decided on the University of Tampa.

 

UTampa seems to have the best combination of everything that is important to him. It isn't as tiny as some of the other LACs he considered, but it's still relatively small. It has the set-off-from-the-world quality he wants but is actually right in Tampa. It's far enough away to require living on campus but close enough that he can come home whenever he wants, and we can easily scoot down there to see every one of his performances.

 

Part-way through the application process, he determined that he was really most interested in B.F.A. programs. Although UTampa's musical theatre program currently leads to a B.A., they are in the process of re-accrediting with the intention of transitioning to a B.F.A. And the program as it stands is already very performance focused. He's thrilled that the majority of his classes every semester will be dance, acting and music. He will be required to belong to a vocal ensemble every semester, and the theatre department does four full productions every year.

 

The school also has an applied dance program, designed for students who want to run companies or schools in the future, which dovetails nicely with my son's goals. So, in addition to the theatre performance major, he plans to do a minor in applied dance.

 

He'll also participate in the honors program, which should make the academic part more interesting for him.

 

They've offered him enough in merit aid and performance scholarships to make the cost of attendance almost affordable.

 

When we visited a couple of months ago, he even liked the cafeteria.

 

So, when he added it all up, the choice became very clear. He's very happy with his decision and is looking forward to getting started.

[Susan in TN]

Ds has decided to attend Middle Tennessee State University as a theory-composition major, and hopefully adding bass performance for a double major. We believe he has enough dual enrollment credits and advanced standing credits (from ACT test scores) to allow for the double major fairly painlessly.

 

His choice primarily came down to the two schools we could afford (without taking out $25K to $30K per year in loans). We are very impressed with their theory and composition faculty, and I think the school will offer a lot of good opportunities for ds through their music dept, honors college, and study abroad program. They also have a very active RUF (Reformed University Fellowship) group there and we have met the leading pastor. Ds has received about 3/4 tuition in TN state, merit, and dept. scholarships, along with a small scholarship from the national music business association (through dh's work).

[J-rap]

My daughter will be going to Hamline University in Minnesota. I encouraged her to apply at a Twin Cities college because given the difficulty of our family situation, I wanted her to have relatives nearby, and she has LOTS in that area, including a sister, many wonderful aunts and uncles, and grandparents.  She applied at five very similar small, liberal arts colleges in the area and this one was her first choice.  It has a fairly quiet, very solid academic reputation and it's in an old neighborhood that we like.  They are building up their music program and they offered her their top music scholarship as well as excellent merit aid.  Her tuition will be 70% covered.  She'll live on campus the first year, but has the option of moving in with relatives anytime  Also, it is just a mile away (a quick bus ride) from the church we always attend when we travel to the Twin Cities.  (We live about 3 hours away.)  We chose it NOT based on her major, because that is undecided.  But, based on everything else it seemed like the perfect fit.  We're all thrilled! 

 

ETA that I used "We" a lot but it really was my daughter who chose it.  :)

[CAMom]

I've actually been hesitant to give my dd's decision because I know that lots of people disapprove (not necessarily here but anywhere).

 

She's chosen Patrick Henry.

 

There are many reasons why:

 

1) She didn't get into an Ivy. Princeton was her dream that didn't come true. She did get into Boston University but there was virtually no financial aid offered and there's no way we could afford it without aid.

 

2) She is really excited about the Strategic Intelligence track of their government major. She dreams of working for the FBI and kids on that track can graduate with security clearance. 

 

3) She got really good financial aid-both academic aid and forensics aid. 

 

4) She has some really good friends already there and a couple of friends starting there in the fall. Since she will be all the way across the country, it will be nice to have people she knows. She will be rooming with a friend.

 

5) There are some really good internship opportunities.

 

6) It's outside of DC and being that close to the Capitol makes her really happy. :)

 

I was surprised when she decided to apply at PHC but I actually think it's a really good fit for her and I think she will be really happy there.

[FaithManor]

CaMOM, I don't think it matters much that some would not approve. The reality is that FIT is really important and when we find a good fit that is also affordable, then it's a win win. It's hard on students when they either have to settle for something that is a bad fit because it's the only affordable option, or go into tremendous debt and have to worry badly about how that is going to get paid off, so your daughter made the best decision that she could for her and that's A. OKAY!

 

Congrats...now comes the fun of getting ready to go! And hey, D.C. is a GREAT area to go to school in no matter what college you land it. It is just a very exciting place to be.

[creekland]

I'll admit I've never cared if anyone disapproved of any of my kids' college choices - where to apply (or not) or where to go (or not).  We choose what we feel is best for them (and us).

[Jenny in Florida]

 

I was surprised when she decided to apply at PHC but I actually think it's a really good fit for her and I think she will be really happy there.

 

If your daughter has found a school she loves, that will be a good fit for her academically and socially and that is affordable, that's a win in my book. Congratulations to her!

[dirty ethel rackham]

We finally have a decision.  Ds17 will be attending Lawrence University in Appleton WI.  He was down to the wire, but made up his mind after more visits to his top two schools in the last two weeks.  His reasons:

 

1. It is a small Liberal Arts college strong in the sciences.  He met them at a Colleges that Change Lives fair and really liked personal attention.  He is a very smart kid, very independent, but I wouldn't call him "driven."  He is not competitive and would not be elbowing his way to the front of the line.  He needs a school where he will get to know his professors. 
2. They are very strong in physics - a high number go on to get PhDs in physics. 
3. They have access to undergraduate research.
4. Due to his health issues, it is close enough for a quick visit and turn around in a day. 
5. The campus is a little more liberal than some of the other schools.  Not what I was looking for, but very important to him. 
6. He received their top merit scholarship and they offered a enough grant money to make it doable.  They offered another $4000 in grant money after his last visit 2 days ago (after we gave them our final tax information.) 
7. There is a metal music scene. 
8. The food is good :). 

[JennW in SoCal]

Lawrence was one of the schools my ds considered for the exact same reasons -- small LAC, good for the smart but non-competitive student and strong in the sciences.  I thought it was a beautiful campus -- the student center especially so!   It sounds perfect for your son's situation, Ellen.   Congratulations!  

[Running the race]

My son has not ended up where I would have thought, but we have a decision.

 

He has chosen to enroll at California State University Long Beach majoring in either Aeronautical or Mechanical Engineering.

 

Even though he was accepted at every place he applied to, financially only two were viable contenders in the end.

 

My son is highly intelligent, but he has severe food allergies, ADD, and learning disabilities. He decided that commuting from home would be the wisest choice for him this year. CSULB has a strong engineering program. He is looking forward to joining some engineering clubs, especially the rocketry club and MAKER club. He loves that they have a 3D printer. :)

 

We'll see how it all works out. CSULB is a huge campus. Hopefully, he will find his place there. He does know a couple of students there already.

 

 

[J-rap]

Given our proximity, we have several good friends whose children attend Lawrence.  They couldn't be happier!  It seems like a really terrific school and atmosphere.  I only hear great things about it.

 

 

We finally have a decision.  Ds17 will be attending Lawrence University in Appleton WI.  He was down to the wire, but made up his mind after more visits to his top two schools in the last two weeks.  His reasons:

 

1. It is a small Liberal Arts college strong in the sciences.  He met them at a Colleges that Change Lives fair and really liked personal attention.  He is a very smart kid, very independent, but I wouldn't call him "driven."  He is not competitive and would not be elbowing his way to the front of the line.  He needs a school where he will get to know his professors. 
2. They are very strong in physics - a high number go on to get PhDs in physics. 
3. They have access to undergraduate research.
4. Due to his health issues, it is close enough for a quick visit and turn around in a day. 
5. The campus is a little more liberal than some of the other schools.  Not what I was looking for, but very important to him. 
6. He received their top merit scholarship and they offered a enough grant money to make it doable.  They offered another $4000 in grant money after his last visit 2 days ago (after we gave them our final tax information.) 
7. There is a metal music scene. 
8. The food is good :). 

 

 

[CAMom]

I'll admit I've never cared if anyone disapproved of any of my kids' college choices - where to apply (or not) or where to go (or not).  We choose what we feel is best for them (and us).

 

 

Thanks for the support, everyone! :)

 

It's not that I care if anyone approves or disapproves. It's just that this is a really exciting time for her and it's hard to watch some people rain on her parade with negative comments. :o

 

Being able to stop in here and just get some support is really nice!

[creekland]

Thanks for the support, everyone! :)

 

It's not that I care if anyone approves or disapproves. It's just that this is a really exciting time for her and it's hard to watch some people rain on her parade with negative comments. :o

 

Being able to stop in here and just get some support is really nice!

 

I have limited info as I don't know many kids who have gone there, but the limited info I have has always been positive FWIW.  ;)

[In The Great White North]

 

 

 She is really excited about the Strategic Intelligence track of their government major. She dreams of working for the FBI and kids on that track can graduate with security clearance. 

 

How do they get a security clearance?

[Laura in CA]

We'll see how it all works out. CSULB is a huge campus. Hopefully, he will find his place there. He does know a couple of students there already.

 

Congrats to you and your son! Our student guide for the Berkeley campus tour said something I found helpful. Describing how he had found his "niche" in his department, the marching band, theatre, etc., he said, "You can make a large school a small school, but you can't make a small school a large school."

 

I am hopeful my son will find his niche at Berkeley, and curious to see where -- perhaps in the CS/math/classics departments, one of the many religious groups (pp. 5-6 on this brochure from last year), maybe the Christian frat??, the German Dept? (they have movies every 2 weeks, and both a Stammtisch and a Kaffeeklatsch every week), intramural sports?, tutoring?, a job? ... There's even a Mixed Students Union -- the website hasn't been updated for a while, but they were selling multi-layer brownies at Sproul Plaza last month and chatting with students. Anyway, he may find a "home" somewhere completely unexpected, but at least there is no lack of choices. And like your son, he knows a few students there already, and that always helps! Best wishes to your son! :)

[CAMom]

How do they get a security clearance?

 

 

Here's from the SI section of the website:

 

 

 

SIP students fulfill Patrick Henry College’s apprenticeship methodology through senior-year internships. While providing invaluable on-site training, SIP internships also help attain Secret and Top Secret security clearances, guaranteeing immediate transition into the Intelligence Community.

[Heather in VA]

Thanks for the support, everyone! :)

 

It's not that I care if anyone approves or disapproves. It's just that this is a really exciting time for her and it's hard to watch some people rain on her parade with negative comments. :o

 

Being able to stop in here and just get some support is really nice!

 

Why on earth would anyone rain on her parade? I'm not all that familiar with Patrick Henry even though I actually live here in Northern Virginia so maybe I'm missing something but she found a school she likes, can afford, has the academics and opportunities she's looking for so I don't understand how that could be bad at all. 

 

My only 'rain on her parade' is to warn her that while Purcellville looks close to DC, the traffic is hideous so it's a major hike. :-) 

 

Good luck to her and I hope she loves it

[Elisabet1]

How do they get a security clearance?

They can't. My husband had a security clearance and it is about a background check and FBI interviews, not about college classes. I didn't want to rain on anyone's parade, but a security clearance is not something someone takes classes for. A place of employment usually secures that. Places like Lockheed, Raytheon, TI, JPL, etc require them of certain employees. It would be pretty much exactly like a college saying because you can study abroad with them, it ensures they will have a passport when they graduate. Yes, they will, but not because the college did it.

[Heather in VA]

They can't. My husband had a security clearance and it is about a background check and FBI interviews, not about college classes. I didn't want to rain on anyone's parade, but a security clearance is not something someone takes classes for. A place of employment usually secures that. Places like Lockheed, Raytheon, TI, JPL, etc require them of certain employees. It would be pretty much exactly like a college saying because you can study abroad with them, it ensures they will have a passport when they graduate. Yes, they will, but not because the college did it.

 

I assumed that the college helps connect them with internships and jobs that require them to go through the security clearance process. In order to get a security clearance you first have to have a job that requires it. In DC having a security clearance is a huge deal since often employers would prefer to hire someone who already has one. It becomes like the 'can't get experience without a job but can't get a job without experience' thing. You 'can't get clearance without a job that requires it but can't get a job that requires it without clearance'.  I assumed from the excerpt posted that they help with that initial job/internship with employers or agencies willing to do the security clearance. 

[creekland]

This brings back memories.  I got my Top Secret security clearance when I was in college as my AF summer job at the Pentagon required it.

 

Of course now one can see what I was doing on some of the History Channel shows (SDI stuff).  What was Top Secret 25 years ago is public knowledge now.

 

But it's not unusual for college kids to get security clearances if their jobs require it.  No one is guaranteed clearance, of course.

[FaithManor]

This brings back memories.  I got my Top Secret security clearance when I was in college as my AF summer job at the Pentagon required it.

 

Of course now one can see what I was doing on some of the History Channel shows (SDI stuff).  What was Top Secret 25 years ago is public knowledge now.

 

But it's not unusual for college kids to get security clearances if their jobs require it.  No one is guaranteed clearance, of course.

Yup, and it's one of those talks you need to have with your adult kids too - how to stay squeaky clean.

 

My brother works on a DoD contract. Getting his clearance was not easy and since my dad was a former Air Force missile tech, men in black suits came to interview dad as part of the background check. (My dad had a role in the Bay of Pigs thing that I don't quite understand and probably never will since he's still not allowed to talk about it.) I had a phone interview with an officer and so did my brother's ex-wife. They even contacted the high school to see if they could get a look at our school records!

 

So, remind them to keep their noses clean if they ever think they'll work somewhere that requires an invasive background check...and by that...I mean government or tech related work. The background check for teachers, day care workers, and medical personnel is not nearly as tough.

 

Dh's clearance at General Motors is high, and we were scoped quite thoroughly for that. They employ a number of college interns - often hiring them when they graduate - and the students have been surprised about how intense that process is.

[CAMom]

They can't. My husband had a security clearance and it is about a background check and FBI interviews, not about college classes. I didn't want to rain on anyone's parade, but a security clearance is not something someone takes classes for. A place of employment usually secures that. Places like Lockheed, Raytheon, TI, JPL, etc require them of certain employees. It would be pretty much exactly like a college saying because you can study abroad with them, it ensures they will have a passport when they graduate. Yes, they will, but not because the college did it.

 

 

I assumed that the college helps connect them with internships and jobs that require them to go through the security clearance process. In order to get a security clearance you first have to have a job that requires it. In DC having a security clearance is a huge deal since often employers would prefer to hire someone who already has one. It becomes like the 'can't get experience without a job but can't get a job without experience' thing. You 'can't get clearance without a job that requires it but can't get a job that requires it without clearance'.  I assumed from the excerpt posted that they help with that initial job/internship with employers or agencies willing to do the security clearance. 

 

It's as Heather stated. They obviously can't get any sort of security clearance from just taking classes. But, they do assist their students in getting internships and jobs that can result in such. That's what the small portion from their website states.

 

Do you know something about the school that is different? Are you saying that their statement is inaccurate? If so, how do you know? I'd love to be pointed in the right direction if they are being deceptive on their website.

[plansrme]

I am really enjoying and learning a lot from this thread. Thanks to the OP and to the contributors.

[Juliegmom]

My Dd will be attending Biola. Some of her reasons for choosing Biola are:

 

A real sense of belonging and a feeling that this was where she fit during her overnight campus tour

 

Smaller campus

 

Christian university

 

Strong teaching credential program that will allow her graduate with her credential in 4 1/2 years

 

We are overseas and Biola is close to family members

 

Nice merit scholarship and financial aid package - could be better, but made her dream reachable

 

She got accepted into Torrey Honors! .... The icing on the cake!

[Elisabet1]

It's as Heather stated. They obviously can't get any sort of security clearance from just taking classes. But, they do assist their students in getting internships and jobs that can result in such. That's what the small portion from their website states.

 

Do you know something about the school that is different? Are you saying that their statement is inaccurate? If so, how do you know? I'd love to be pointed in the right direction if they are being deceptive on their website.

The internship would have to be long term. There are a variety levels of clearances. The lowest level still costs to get, and takes months. It is a pretty extensive process. I asked my husband to explain it to me the other night. I had assumed the students would get internships and would get clearances through those jobs. But my husband said no company would really pay for someone who is there as short term as an intern is, to get a clearance. When my husband started his job where he needed a clearance, I had just found out I was pregnant, barely pregnant. When the FBI guy came out and interviewed us, our child had already been born. And his was not even a high level clearance. I cannot imagine the process is getting any faster. 

 

Regardless, I would not pick a college based on these claims. I am not trying to upset anyone. But fact is, if Lockheed or any other DoD related company, suddenly decides to hire interns, they are not going to pick from one college over another. 

 

However, I would find the college having an actual office and being aggressive in matching students up with internships to be valuable.

 

Oh, and clearances expire. Companies that do require them, which are rare, do not typically care if you already one, because they have to be renewed.

[creekland]

The internship would have to be long term. There are a variety levels of clearances.

 

Maybe this is the case now, but it certainly wasn't always that way considering I got a Top Secret clearance for an AF summer job at the pentagon back in my college days.  They still interviewed people from my life and youth.

 

I'm not sure about levels - just that my badge said Top Secret - and of course, one still only got into areas that pertained to the job (need to know deal). 

 

We worked in an area where we were told if we forgot our badge we'd best turn around and go get it as the security guards outside our doors (not the whole pentagon, but our doors) would not let anyone in without a badge - shooting if they had to (never had to, of course, but still).

 

And yes, my clearance has long since expired.  It's only Top Secret in my family now - and probably a lower level than my boys have here in the house to be honest.

 

[CAMom]

The internship would have to be long term. There are a variety levels of clearances. The lowest level still costs to get, and takes months. It is a pretty extensive process. I asked my husband to explain it to me the other night. I had assumed the students would get internships and would get clearances through those jobs. But my husband said no company would really pay for someone who is there as short term as an intern is, to get a clearance. When my husband started his job where he needed a clearance, I had just found out I was pregnant, barely pregnant. When the FBI guy came out and interviewed us, our child had already been born. And his was not even a high level clearance. I cannot imagine the process is getting any faster. 

 

Regardless, I would not pick a college based on these claims. I am not trying to upset anyone. But fact is, if Lockheed or any other DoD related company, suddenly decides to hire interns, they are not going to pick from one college over another. 

 

However, I would find the college having an actual office and being aggressive in matching students up with internships to be valuable.

 

Oh, and clearances expire. Companies that do require them, which are rare, do not typically care if you already one, because they have to be renewed.

 

OK. So she won't have the opportunity to get a security clearance of any kind. I'll try to dig deeper into what the basis is for that statement on their website.

 

At any rate, that's not why she chose the school. It appeared to be a bonus that apparently doesn't exist.