Meeting with College Professors

[mom in virginia]

Mathmom--what did you all think, comparing the 3, and where did yours decide to go?

[MotherOfTwo]

Harvey Mudd is not liberal arts-ish. It is an small undegrad science and engineering school.

[CountingDown]

Mudd has a significant humanities component, but rest assured, it's heavy-duty on the engineering! Mudd is an UG-only school, though there are some courses available through the Claremont Graduate School. If you're at Caltech, Mudd is about 30 minutes away. The atmosphere is totally different.

UVA is a terrific school -- it sets a pretty high standard to hold other schools against.

[mom in virginia]

Yes, UVA's great, plus it's on the east coast which is a plus as far as his Dad and I are concerned. Plus the cost difference--please! Unfortunately, I think kids here take the VA schools for granted. Anyway, he's an independent sort, so we're trying to stay opened minded and check out the west coast schools since they appeal to him. Hopefully he'll realize what a huge trip it is and that'll factor in. Let's see.

[dntw8up]

I guess I'll be the lone dissenter and say that I would ask my son if he'd prefer I be there with him or if he'd rather be on his own. I don't think it matters either way; this is not a college interview but an information gathering session. If my teenage kid thought he'd be more comfortable speaking to a professor with a parent in tow, that would be fine with me. The college search/application/decision can be a family affair if you and your son want it to be. Not every kid is equally independent at a given age. If your son would like you be with him when he speaks with professors, it does not mean he will be living at home when he's 30!

[RacinReaver]

However, as this is not an interview, I don't think he should see the professor alone, especially since we'd be right there, but I don't want to inhibit the conversation either.

My dad sat in with me during an interview I had at RIT and it was pretty miserable. I felt embarrassed and it was a lot more awkward for all of us. When we went to CMU I talked to everyone on my own, and it was a lot more comfortable and I felt I got a lot more out of my visits.

[midwesterner]

Definitely stop by Harvey Mudd, since it's a competely unique school, and is less than 45 minutes from Caltech. My trick for planning these tours is to do the less-interesting school first; otherwise, my sons were doing too much comparing.

Also, your son is much more likely to get an acceptance at Mudd than at the other three, although you probably should not tell him this. It could be a west coast consolation prize if he is rejected at the schools with bigger names.

[CountingDown]

Mudd is definitely trying to branch out geographically, but if you look at their accepted stats, they are pretty darned impressive. There were a couple folks last year on CC whose kids turned down MIT for Mudd.

[WesDad]

Not for your trip out west, but back on the East Coast here's an offbeat suggestion: Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering

The place is only six years old and is tiny: about 300 students in the entire school.

But it is serious: 10.5% admit rate; mid-50% SATs of 2150-2310 (Class of 2011), which compares pretty well with Caltech: 17%; 2190-2320.

For the right kind of kid, it could be great (my D has a friend -- a Presidential Scholar -- who is currently a sophomore there and is head over heels about it).

Oh yeah, one other thing: Every student gets full tuition for four years.

[mom in virginia]

Thanks for the other views.

Mudd does sound very impressive. However, DS is not interested, so I'm inclined to pass on spending the time and energy on something he's ruled out, for whatever relatively arbitrary reason--especially since I'd rather he was out here! Also since we know a student at CalTech who we'll see and will have a visit with a professor, I think that'll fill up our day.

On another note, I'm assuming given a choice between talking to someone and taking an official tour, we talk and skip the tour, right? Of course, if we can do it all we will, but I mean if the professor or the student's time is limited. I'm thinking that we can always just walk around on our own if we miss the tour.

[SlitheyTove]

By the way, one excellent question for your son to ask is...where to go to lunch or dinner! Especially for CalTech and Berkeley, there is lots of great eating in the immediate area.

[mom in virginia]

Thanks WesDad, never heard of Franklin W. Olin-- very intriguing!

[CountingDown]

mom in va,
We parents usually took the tour and DS went off to explore on his own/chat with folks. He found the tours all alike and not useful for his purposes.

[mom in virginia]

Ah very good idea, CountingDown.

[Singersmom07]

I second dntw8up. Each child of mine was different. Ask him what he would prefer. S1 and S3 were very independent and managed on their own. We found it changed along the way as confidence grew with our more shy ones. Sometimes when I was waiting, the professor would go ahead and invite me in too. I had the understanding ahead of time with DD if this was Ok.

After my fist one, I did not do the tours unless it did not make sense logistically. I was not the one living in the dorm and taking the classes in the rooms. I found a nice place to sit and read and get a drink.