Best college for quirky kid who never got his Hogwarts Letter [NH resident, 3.8199 GPA, top 26% rank, 1280 SAT; prefer <$50k, can stretch to $80k; history, English, classics]

Chance Me / Match Me
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Demographics
US Citizen & NH Resident
Male
ADHD/Anxiety/Possible 2E (no IEP, 504 Plan only, and he only uses it for breaks, check-ins, or extended time on big projects)

Intended Major
History/English/Classics

STATS
3.8199 UW GPA
4.0699 W GPA [ formula is +1 for L5 (DE/H/AP); +0.5 for L4 (Advanced/accelerated College Prep)
Rank 67/259 (25.8%)
Will have State Scholar and STEAM designation on degree for advanced classes in science, math, and art well beyond what is required for graduation.
1280 SAT (630 Verbal/650 Math) - with minimal prep. Planning to retake after more prep. Goal is to break 1400.

Course Rigor
School is phasing out AP in favor of DE or Honors. Kid is gifted but anxious, so leery of taking on too much at once. He has generally taken 4 years of all core subjects, but reserves DE and Honors for high-interest classes or teachers he likes a lot.

Math (4 years, will have 6.5 credits)
Up to pre-calc, half of the classes were acccelerated. Next year will do DE personal finance (which also satisfies economics)

Science (4 years, will have 6.5 credits)
including Honors Chemistry, Advanced Chem & Honors Physics I

Social Studies (4 years will have 4 credits)
Up through DE Ancient Western Civ. (Modern not available)

English (4 years, will have 4 credits)
Highest level is DE Expository Writing or DE Intro to Literature. He is not taking either. :confused:

Foreign Language (4 years, will have 5 credits)
Through Italian V.

Fine Arts (4 credits)

Awards
None

Recommendations
Not ready yet. Likely from Italian, Western Civ, or Chemistry Teacher

ECs (average)
NHS
Regular Church Community Service
Martial arts - no advanced belt
D&D
P/T job

Essay
Working on it. Strong writer. I’m hoping he does not write about mental health. He may choose prompt #6 or #7 to have some flexibility to write about something he is really excited about.

Budget
We do not qualify for aid. Ideally we would prefer to be around 50K because for two years we will have another in college. We could do more, even 80k/yr, but not excited about it.

Colleges
Still working on a list. Kid gets anxious so we limit discussions. We are looking at east coast no further south than NC, and likey no further west than Ohio (with a couple exceptions). He would prefer a suburban/rural environment, but thinks he can do Boston. We are waiting to visit in the fall. He’s done a CTCL Fair and liked some of those schools; he’s also toured UNH.

Currently on our radar:

Rolling admission options - UMAINE (likely), UPITT (hard target?)

Other New England Flagships (UNH, UMASS, maybe UVM) - likelies.
Hampshire (not my fave, and they announced another budget cut) - likely
St. John’s Annapolis - likely (he’s intrigued by their unique program)
Ursinus - likely
Clark - match
Wheaton - match
Dickinson - match
Emerson - match?
Bard - match?
Sarah Lawrence - match?
St. Olaf’s - match? (too far?)

Macalester - (really on my list, not his) - reach (too far?)
Bates - reach
Hamilton - reach
Oberlin - reach?
Kenyon - reach?

He says he is pleased to have UNH as an option, I would really love for him to get into the Honors college, but not sure he will make it. He spent a lot of time with St. John’s Annapolis and Rhodes people at the CTCL fair and has mentioned Ursinus, Bard & St. Olaf’s. Rhodes is probably too far/urban, but it may go on list. Hampshire has the flexibility he wants but it is too unstructured and maybe too social-justice-warrior for this very liberal kid. I think Bates could be the best fit of the Maine LACs, fairly close to home, but a tough admit. Husband is a UNH Alum and thinks keeping him close is best.

Wondering if any of you are or have a kid like this and whether you think the places above would work or if another option is better.

Thanks!

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I know of a couple of similar kids doing well at Washington College in MD.

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Maine is a safety, not a likely. as is UNH - and maybe UVM.

Bates you need to ED - but they don’t have merit aid - so now you’re way over your budgets ($80 and $50K) so not sure why you’d include.

Classics is the tough major to fit.

Since you looked at the Midwest, Depauw has classics and is aggressive financially.

Kalamazoo as well and Beloit - both these small LACs have good reputations. Allegheny has a minor. These are all aggressive too.

Pitt is a nice choice - but you said he doesn’t want urban (Rhodes) - so that would make it - not a nice choice. It’s more urban than Rhodes. If he gets up his SAT a bit, I think he’d get in (apply early). If he gets that SAT to 1350, Binghamton would be, in my opinion, a better choice (just based on the urban comment- it has Classics).

I think you have to be realistic to your budget - so looking at schools like Bates, Bard, and Hamilton make zero sense - since you say you won’t qualify for aid. They have no merit aid. Bard may have some - but says they don’t.

Good luck.

PS - don’t know your family situation - but when husband says this - “Husband is a UNH Alum and thinks keeping him close is best” - and that’s ok, your family knows best - but do you think he’s planning to stop his growth? Some kids grow best with a little distance where they are forced to be on their own. After all, if he’s going away to college - the distance shouldn’t matter - because you won’t be seeing him. But if you are always allowing him home, it could stunt his personal growth and that’s a lot what college is about Obviously it’s a family call - but just noting this as a question to consider.

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Thank you for the additional suggestions. Will check Washington college and the other schools @tsbna44 lists.

We have family in Pittsburgh, which is why PITT is still on list, agree re: urban.

Understood re: budget.

Re: husband, he also says kid will be permitted to go to whichever college he chooses, budget be damned. He just thinks UNH is a solid school that is quite affordable and should not be overlooked, just because it is close to home. Kid would live on campus but could retain current therapist for example, which also may be desirable.

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UNH is great - or perhaps some fringe Boston schools.

If Classics is a serious consideration, that’s your hiccup. I only presented schools with that major.

I think you are underestimating your student admission wise.

At the same time, I think if you have a budget, you stick to the budget. If you say, he can go where he wants budget be damned, then acknowledge you don’t have a budget. But if it’s going to cause you financial stress, keep your budget - because there’s no reason to have that stress, especially with these majors.

Brandeis might be a reasonable reach close by - and has merit.

Good luck.

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Happy UNH parent and Alum here. D21 applied as an option with a unique major and by the end of decisions the next Spring it was her top choice. Faculty and staff were welcoming and down to earth in our visit and that made a huge difference. The support and encouragement have been ongoing. They have provided amazing opportunities along the way.

The accommodations in all colleges look different than high school. UNH has been clear about the process and prompt in approving needed accommodations. Professors have been receptive when communication has been done proactively and have met accommodations appropriately and in understanding ways to make it work for all.

They have restructured the honors program in the past year and they are investing a lot into it. Make sure to take advantage of being close if they have honors college info sessions and if he is not initially accepted, reach out and express further interest.

Enjoy the search!

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This is what I was thinking also. I think that admissions at UVM is very likely. Affordability with a $50k/year budget would require a good merit scholarship, but I think that this is also likely. For us the NPC did predict merit aid when I ran it quite a few years ago, and it was spot on (actual merit aid was exactly equal to what the NPC predicted).

I noticed that you have a number of smaller schools on your list. The only other schools that I can personally think to suggest (other than what is already mentioned above) are a few small primarily undergraduate universities in Canada. Bishop’s University in Quebec would be the closest for you. Mount Allison in New Brunswick is very good, but would be a bit further from home. I have not recently checked their prices for international students, but I think that both would be well under US$50,000/year (note the exchange rate). We liked both when we visited them a few years ago.

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Other than the distance, Whitman would be a great fit. So would a lot of the other CTCL schools like Kalamazoo or Allegheny.

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Happy to hear this! I agree his grades are strong, but I think ECs are average. So many kids on these boards load up on
DE/AP courses with leadership positions and high SATs. The new DSAT is tough to crack!

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I know you said he is anxious and does not like to take on too much at once but sometimes it’s really that they don’t want to bog themselves down with taking on anything that doesnt challenge them- like busy work.
I am wondering if UChicago may be the school for him.

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You’re looking at schools that aren’t high level schools, some schools barely look at ECs, tons of kids embellish, and just make sure you show impact.

Now NHS is a waste - but if it’s NHS - they spent 40 hours last year cleaning a park - it means something.

So quantify where you can - like the church.

Martial Arts - it’s not about the belt - how much time is he spending
what has his tenure been.

The job is likely the best EC.

He’ll be fine.

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He likes their flyers LOL! And Swarthmore’s, which are super witty. But then he read that Swarthmore was quite intense. And that was the end of that! But yes, I agree. I think he is so done with busy work.

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I don’t think he can get into Chicago or Swat. His rank is not there.

Because he has such diverse interests, Kalamazoo May suit him in that they have an open curriculum.

But if he needs to be close to home - it won’t work.

Hobart might be another to look at.

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I also don’t think elite schools are possible with a second quartile rank, nor do academically intense schools like Chicago and Swat seem to fit a student with anxiety.

I would also counsel him to not write about mental health. At some schools, applicants that mention mental health are pulled out of the general pool and sent thru a different admissions read/process.

Regarding Oberlin, I would hesitate to send a non-athlete, non-lgbtq kid there
a visit is a must at a ‘fit’ school like this.

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I think you all need a sit-down on whether retaining the current therapist is a “nice advantage” or an important and critical part of your son’s support team.

We’re all going crazy suggesting great options
 but figuring out whether the in-person visits are essential for keeping him on track, or whether a new therapist in a new city (or virtual appointments) is going to be a strong substitute.

I know a lot of kids where the switch to online (during and now after covid) has been disruptive and unnerving. College has enough new stuff to deal with without throwing a new therapist into the mix (IMHO). If the relationship is strong, positive, and took a while to establish, I think your H might be on to something with the UNH suggestion!

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This - and my daughter needed help when first adjusting to college (boyfriend at a different school issues) and her college’s mental health services were soooooooooo backed up it took a few months to get in.

We got her a private person - but she ended up not liking it and talking to her at home person once or twice virtually
she’s been good since - but that initial time away can be tough
very disruptive and even crushing type tough dependent upon your student’s ability to adapt to change, handle pressure/stress


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Forgot to mention about the college mental health services being backed up and the time lag to get an appointment.

Some kids find dorm living exhilarating, the anxiety or whatever (not to diagnose over the internet) of sitting with strangers in the dining hall dissipates quickly when they realize that in a group setting, nobody is paying close attention. So the anonymity (when they want it) is very liberating. Others shut down. Too much noise. Too many unknown faces. Too many people striking up a conversation except then you never see them again. The therapist who knew the kid in HS can be a great tool to managing the first few months when everything is new and different and strange (even the stuff that is great- cool athletic center! Great places to walk ! Terrific brownies at lunch!).

But I think this is at the core of your search.

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I cannot wrap my head around this take. Sports at Oberlin are totally in the background unless you’re on a team. And 2900 students do not identify as lgbtq. This is a massive generalization. There are kids of every stripe there, just like at most other college campuses.

Oberlin’s reputation, well earned, is a school where everyone fits and can find their people. The main complaint anyone has is its rural setting, which would seem to match with the OP’s student based on not wanting a big city setting.

When the description is of a ‘quirky’ kid, Oberlin is often at the top of many lists.

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This is just not true IME, which spans knowing a couple of dozen Oberlin students. I get to have my opinion, and you, yours.

Clearly the parent FB page also supports Oblerin not being a fit for all students.

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Maybe it is because we are not that far away, but Oberlin in our circles almost has a sort of generic LAC type of reputation–a little academicky, a little artsy, a little progressive, but nothing extreme. So like “normal” college-bound kids in our circles look at Oberlin just because it is a good LAC.

Which is not in anyway to suggest it is a BAD college for quirky kids, and I think LACs as a rule are “fit colleges” where even superficially similar kids can strongly like/dislike different LACs. But no more so Oberlin than any other LAC, at least in our circles.

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