<p>Thank you for the information so far!!! </p>
<p>You’ve given me schools I’d never considered!! Our state of residence is Texas, but she really doesn’t want to go instate–we’re truly from the West, and she’s never felt at home here. Besides, our in state tuition is so high, the out-of-state tuition in many places is comparable. If you ask her, she’s fond of mountains and/or oceans–and the West. </p>
<p>I didn’t realize all the research facilities at Boulder were so far away; I wonder if it would help her chances at research at all that she’s been volunteering/ interning at UT Southwestern Medical Center. I know at Utah they said they could get her in a lab freshman year with her background in genetic techniques. </p>
<p>As for other factors, I know my daughter, who has always gone to small, private/ charter prep schools, usually with a strong arts background, likes liberal arts schools. However, my husband is completely against the idea. He really believes she needs a large school with good research opportunities to excel and snag a good graduate position. He’s made me nervous to look at liberal arts schools–and I don’t have any true knowledge or facts to back up the idea that a liberal arts school would be okay. </p>
<p>She’s not into sports, but she is a ballet dancer and would like to dance in college, so a good dance program is a factor. </p>
<p>I was told not to be influenced by cost at this stage, so I’ll look at any kind of school! </p>
<p>Thank you for the reinforcement regarding a straight biology degree, warblersrule86. My husband and I have been telling her this, but as we are her parents, she doesn’t believe us!</p>
<p>We do have two zoos within an hour’s drive. I’ll see what I can find. Thanks for the heads up 
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<p>Any other ideas out there? :)</p>