<p>Thanks for the suggestions. I’ve added Oberlin, Carleton and Macalester to her list of places to check out. The winters would be harsh, but I think culturally and logistically the midwest would be easier than the east.</p>
<p>We’re aware that she’ll need grad school if she chooses to major in Chem. So yes, we’re looking for merit scholarships or whatever FA help we can get. </p>
<p>Momrath–I went to a presentation by an Admissions guy from a well-known Eastern college and the question of how much international experience helped came up. He claimed that his college saw tons of applicants from overseas so it really wasn’t a selling point. The speaker was responsible for applicants from several international schools and he said he was very familiar with the different high schools, their standards and course offerings, etc. If our kids are being vetted by admissions officers who are responsible for territories outside of the states, it is possible that the international angle is not going to be all that impressive. This guy seemed to think it was much more important to make sure your kid stood out from the other international school applicants. His answer surprised some of us, so I thought I’d share it.</p>
<p>About the Claremont colleges. Scripps, Pitzer and CMC share a science program at the Keck center. It’s billed as an accelerated, integrated science program which requires a lot of work in Bio, Chem and Physics in the first two years. Has anyone heard about this program? She’s not interested in Math and Engineering, so I don’t think she’d be comfortable at Harvey Mudd, even if she could get in.</p>