Help with traveling (college visits) upstate NY

[creekland]

Ugh, I just did the NPC (first time) and they say we can pay $53,000?? I can barely scrape together tuition for our two dc at their high school, which is only about $19,000 after merit and financial aid. DD has taken and will continue to take rigorous classes (all honors and/or AP) has about a 3.8 GPA, varsity letters in 3 sports, volunteers extensively, does mock trial, and is a class representative. Best I could compare her to their merit examples, she will get $0 in merit aid. Is this how competitive it is out there? If so, any ideas on how she can beef up her credentials this year and next? That was a totally depressing exercise :(

 

I suspect a high ACT and/or SAT helps.  For us, our rural OOS zip code might have helped too, along with (possibly) homeschooling, and perhaps some cool service projects and/or volunteering.

 

But the priority might be the high ACT/SAT.  They mentioned at Convocation that X (number) of students had at least one perfect section of the SAT or ACT.  I think they like that number being as high as it can.  Then they went through some other "bragging" tidbits about the incoming class... Give them something to brag about and perhaps that is associated with (higher) aid.  I don't know for sure.  I'm just guessing.

 

When kids at school get good offers it almost always due to high scores, something "special" about them, and/or heading off to a school where they are somewhat unique geographically.  They don't need all three, but the more they have, the better offers they tend to get.  I often tell kids they can earn more with higher scores than they can from a part time job (if they ask how to get money for college).  This, of course, never means "don't" get a job, but it definitely means put some time into test prep.  Then they need to choose schools where scores matter (for aid).  Tippy, tippy top schools don't need that, but those looking to catch up to those schools sure seem to like it.

[whitestavern]

I suspect a high ACT and/or SAT helps.  For us, our rural OOS zip code might have helped too, along with (possibly) homeschooling, and perhaps some cool service projects and/or volunteering.

 

But the priority might be the high ACT/SAT.  They mentioned at Convocation that X (number) of students had at least one perfect section of the SAT or ACT.  I think they like that number being as high as it can.  Then they went through some other "bragging" tidbits about the incoming class... Give them something to brag about and perhaps that is associated with (higher) aid.  I don't know for sure.  I'm just guessing.

 

When kids at school get good offers it almost always due to high scores, something "special" about them, and/or heading off to a school where they are somewhat unique geographically.  They don't need all three, but the more they have, the better offers they tend to get.  I often tell kids they can earn more with higher scores than they can from a part time job (if they ask how to get money for college).  This, of course, never means "don't" get a job, but it definitely means put some time into test prep.  Then they need to choose schools where scores matter (for aid).  Tippy, tippy top schools don't need that, but those looking to catch up to those schools sure seem to like it.

 

She hasn't taken ACTs, SATs, or any AP tests yet; they are all coming in the spring. I guess she needs to hunker down and get some studying done for those. Chances are she will test very high for English, but I think she will need some good prep for math. I know this is getting off topic now, but any suggestions for best prep would be appreciated. I know Khan Academy has some, there are also loads of books, and there are classes, like Kaplan offers. Any idea which might be best?

 

[creekland]

She hasn't taken ACTs, SATs, or any AP tests yet; they are all coming in the spring. I guess she needs to hunker down and get some studying done for those. Chances are she will test very high for English, but I think she will need some good prep for math. I know this is getting off topic now, but any suggestions for best prep would be appreciated. I know Khan Academy has some, there are also loads of books, and there are classes, like Kaplan offers. Any idea which might be best?

 

 

For those looking for high scores, my middle son has always suggested Barrons.  They seem to emphasize the more difficult questions.  This makes their book daunting (and not good) to those looking for just basic test prep (Princeton Review was his choice for those - McGraw Hill for those needing to learn more), but the challenge is good for those looking for as close to top as they can get.  

 

Realize he went to college in 2012, so his thoughts could be outdated.  Lately he's been tutoring for the MCAT (since he scored high on that as well), not the ACT.  I don't think he's ever seen the new SAT.

 

For students looking to go high overall, I recommend trying both tests.  Often kids do better on one or the other.  Two of mine did better on the ACT.  One was equal between them.  No regrets having them all try both.

[gardenmom5]

I lived most of my life in NY. Broome County. Also known as upstate.

My sister lives in NY. North of Albany. Also known as upstate.

My brother went to school in NY. Buffalo. Also known as upstate.

Really, I know what I'm talking about when I say everything north of NYC is considered upstate.

 

Wikipedia even agrees :)

 

my girls went to school outside of syracuse.  it was referred to as "upstate".  (or sometimes central, but usually upstate.)

 

Thank you everyone. There's lots of good advice here; keep it coming, especially places to stay and other things to do to make it more "vacation-y" than just slogging from campus to campus. I know it's a lot, but I think the only places we'll really explore (ie officially tour) are Colgate and Hamilton (which look close to each other), RPI  (forgot to include that in the first post) and RIT and Univ of Rochester. The others we may just literally drive around the campus.If she ends up liking any of those we can always make a trip back to investigate further. We could also skip the Syracuse stop, but it looks to be on the way. Also, if we are "done" towards the end, we could skip Vassar. It's close enough to us that we could make it a day trip from home any time. So in thinking about it, there are really about 5 to visit in a bit over a week.

 

She really wants to see Clarkson, but that's so out of the way it will have to be another trip! Her cousin is there now so maybe I'll bus her up for an overnight at some point.

 

 

colgate (the township of hamilton) and hamilton college (township of clinton) are about 30 minutes apart if you take a more direct route.  I remember driving by hamilton college at least once - lots of trees.  we didn't drive around their campus.

and these are rural roads.  

and I-90 /new york through-way is a toll road and the exits/entrances are miles apart.

[creekland]

Syracuse has "Upstate Medical Center."

 

IME, everything above NYC is considered upstate.  I grew up along the St Lawrence River and while things are named "North Country," everyone I know tells others we're from "upstate NY - the "real" upstate, not Albany area."  

 

This is a discussion/argument that has gone on for at least 50 years.  How one defines upstate depends upon where one comes from IME.

[mschickie]

I thought it was part of the Finger Lakes region. People in Buffalo don't seem to think Rochester is part of WNY - all the WNY email lists etc exclude Rochester (for good reason - nobody wants to drive that far for a homeschool group or w/e).

 

For example, click on the regional map on this site:

 

http://www.dhses.ny.gov/OEM/about/index.cfm

 

Rochester is in Monroe county - Finger Lakes region.

  

Rochester is either lumped in with Finger Lakes or Western NY. I see it go both ways sometimes. I am part of a WNY FB group for homeschoolers that hs folks from Rochester on it.  Rochester has a very vibrant homeschool community too.  There are folks who do drive in from all over who are part of our local hs group.   I recently heard that our region was one of the largest if not the largest hs regions in the state. I Rochester is really not in the Finger Lakes either, kind of it's own thing. Although according to the Census Bureau it is part of WNY.