New England Options for B Students

[JustAMomOf4]

St Anselm's may be a great match. How about Merrimack?
In PA - look at DeSales, LaSalle (bad part of philly- IMO), Temple
In MD - Mt Saint Mary's they get kids from NE -
Also - Ursinus and Arcadia in PA.

If you are looking at Merit scholarships - many Catholic U's have nice ones. You have to look

[concerned123]

Other schools I had questions on:

Worcester Polytech, UCONN, or Northeastern - someone said Northeastern might be a reach - what does Northeastern look for?

How is Suffolk?

[northeastmom]

Suffolk is a good choice, but they don't have a lot of housing according to what I know, and housing in Boston can be pricey.

I was the one who mentioned that NEU could be a reach. I am not sure as to what they look for. You might look at their website and see what they value in an applicant. I would read their current mission statement and strategic plan, because that will tell you more about what they might be looking for. My older son was a solid B student in high school with higher SAT scores, and excellent ECs. He was accepted with an 11k merit scholarship. Also, I would think that applying to certain schools within the U. are more difficult than others. I think that NEU is a reasonable reach school.

[Muffy333]

At the info session I went to at UConn, they said average SATs for accepted students are over 1150 - so your son would fit - and that they want OOS applicants (not sure if you're OOS). It has a lot of new buildings. I was impressed. I know a NY caucasian applicant who got in with 1150 SATs/B plus GPA/ no impressive ECs

[abuwalker]

Temple U in Philly.

[Chedva]

Suffolk's housing situation is getting much better; they've just finished a new dorm. And its location on Beacon Hill, across the street from the State House, the Boston Common and near the Public Garden, can't be beat.

[northeastmom]

chedva, good to know about Suffolk. Your son I think would be around the upper 25% at Suffolk as far as stats, but they only meet about 65% of financial need on average, and only a small % get merit aid. My source was USNews. I have relative who taught at Suffolk, and seems to be nice school from what I have heard.

About UConn., it is still difficult to get in from NJ. I read on the UConn board that it is more difficult when applying for certain majors (ie: a kid from NJ as business major).

[JustAMomOf4]

How about SNHU? This is an up and coming school from what I hear.

All the NE state schools can be difficult to gain entrance if you are OOS - i.e. if you are from Mass it is much harder to get into UNH than if you are from NH. Likewise with UConn, UVM and Maine.

Ahh I see someone else mentioned Temple. If your son wants a city and a business degree do not overlook Temple. This is a great school that has a great campus - the business school is terrific - there is a lot to offer. It is getting more difficult to gain admission though as it is becoming more and more popular. If he likes basketball then there is not much better than college basketball in Philadelphia - both men's and women's.

[jonri]

I am going to give you some advice I know you don't want to hear. Your son will have better options if you are willing to look at colleges in the South and Midwest. MUCH better options. I understand completely wanting to have him close to home, but for a New England kid, it's easier to get into a "tier 2" college in the Midwest than a "tier 3" in New England.

If you won't look further, I'd suggest looking at Manhattan College, a Catholic college which is actually located in the Riverdale section of the Bronx (a very safe neighborhood). That's probably a "reach" for him. Iona is another possibility. Both St. Joes--the one in Pennsylvania and the one in northern New England--I can't recall which state, senior moment! --are worth checking out.

BU has a special College of Liberal Studies. It's a 2 year program, but you get admitted as a regular 4 year student. You take your courses in this more structured program for the first 2 years, and then continue in one of the other colleges within BU (Boston U.) It's a bit easier to get into than the College of Arts and Sciences, and frankly I think for the less academically engaged student, a better experience. Again, it may be a bit of a reach.

I concur with the recommendations of Merrimack and St. Anselm's.

But again, look to the Midwest and South, and he'd have better options. Butler University in Indianapolis might be a good option. (Check out basketball!)

[wedgedrive]

Concerned 123, I am confused: are you thinking a LAC may not be what your son is looking for? "I don't see a liberal arts education as a possibility; my child is a boy and a very logical thinker." Do you think an engineering school might be a better bet? If so, what about WPI?

[northeastmom]

I agree with Jonri's suggestion. We have a younger son who is in 10th grade, and we will cast a wider net than our area.

I would think that Manhattan college is a match, but maybe I am wrong. I think that Iona has some housing issues, but just as Suffolk built a new dorm, things at Iona could have changed.

[concerned123]

I think he will end up in engineering of some kind - I was thinking WPI but not sure how hard it would be to get in.

[JustAMomOf4]

jonri - you do make some good points -
the schools in the south are also much cheaper than in the Northeast. I am not sure about easier to get into necessarily.

If you son would like a big state school then search the south. he may find OOS tuition cheaper than In-state in New England. And some scholarship dollars to boot.
University of South Carolina - esp if he gets his SAT's up to 1800. Also try Clemson (good in Engineering), and North Carolina State.

[marny1]

NC is pretty strict on limiting OOS students. I think they cap it at 16% (at least they used to). So you must apply early in the cycle if you are thinking of applying to NC public U's. This may apply to other states too, but I know it was a topic of conversation on these boards re:NC.

(ya hang around long enough, you can pass info on to the "next generation of cc'rs)

[thumper1]

Salve Regina in Newport RI.