Oh, good idea! Thanks!
Thanks for noting! He said he does not want to take APUSH because, and I quote, āUS history is boringā (which was a stake to my heart because thatās my field). He has really enjoyed his AP Gov class so far and thatās why we were thinking AP Comp Gov. Considering he does not have a fourth year of social studies currently scheduled, he could also do AP World History (I donāt want to force him to take APUSH if heās really not into it).
Noted! Thanks!
Are the AP gov and AP econ courses full year or semester courses at your sonās school?
FYI, it was UMN I was thinking of:
(Not sure if itās been mentioned but they do offer some OOS merit, $20k for high performers I think, so check NPC but can maybe get it to around $60k a year at current tuition. Could be a good target.)
Including one year each of U.S. history and geography (or a course that includes a geography component such as world history, western civilization, or global studies)
1 Like
Just seconding some suggestions.
For privates, RPI, WPI, and Case Western are great schools for these interests that might offer enough merit.
For publics, Minnesota is a great fit with better than usual merit for OOS applicants, and also admissions as to CS.
I think deciding anything is obviously premature, but it is fine to start exploring schools like this to get an understanding of possible paths.
4 Likes
He should definitely do a 4th year of science and if he is not interested in doing more than the minimum for graduation that might indicate that engineering is not something he should pursue as there will be a LOT of science for pretty much any engineering degree. He should also plan on that 3rd year of Spanish - some will overlook not having a 4th, but most do want to see 3. I think most will count econ as social sciences.
We had a slightly different take on early list building. It was honestly way more about narrowing down things they liked and didnāt like in a school and opening their eyes to there being more schools than the 10 they know now (which will inevitably the flagship and all the reaches). While itās true the change a lot in these years, starting for getting a feel for what they like we found to be helpful at this age.
Best of luck to you!
1 Like
One thing I remember reading from a poster on College Confidential when I was doing research into schools for my kids was this: āItās easier to make a big school feel small than a small school feel big.ā This turned out to be true for both of my kids, who attended large public universities: each of them found one or more groups of like-minded students, and hung out with them, thereby making a big school seem smaller.
1 Like
As @momofboiler1 suggested, do look at Purdue; here is a link to the Purdue Data Digest, https://www.purdue.edu/datadigest/, which may be helpful in estimating in how your child compares with recently admitted students; I found the links to āApplications, Admits, and Matriculationsā and āNew First-Time Beginner Profileā particularly helpful in this regard.
Also, for OOS students, Purdue still comes in at or under $50K; it is a great bargain!
3 Likes
Just checked and AP gov is a full year while the Econs are a semester each. Thanks for noting that.
Thanks for this recommendation. He was thinking of doing a dual enrollment class for computer science. Iāll mention taking 4 years of science, but he may opt for CS.
This is precisely why I want to start these considerations now. I donāt want to discourage the reaches but I do want him to know about other schools/options out there. Thank you!!
Oh this is great advice! And makes so much sense - thanks!!
CS isnāt needed to study CS. Science is needed to get into a top school. You donāt necessarily need four sciences - but for top schools, it could help.
1 Like
Having CS in high school can help the student determine interest (or lack thereof) in CS as a major. But it looks like the student already has some kind of AP CS in the schedule. The studentās schedule also has the three main sciences (biology, chemistry, and physics) with one at the AP level.
What DE CS course would it be? What other college course options are there?
Hard to know, too what will lie in store for a CS major down the roadā¦..
1 Like
Actually, as I mentioned on another thread, people who think they will know everyone at a small school are incorrect. If one is looking for close relationships with faculty and small classes, unless they are in an honors program at a big school, the benefits/opportunities of a small school offer this from the get go
2 Likes
Flagships come in different sizes. Here are some examples of smaller flagships with excellent reputations in bigger towns or cities (undergraduate enrollment in parentheses):
SUNY Binghamton (14,700)
University of Delaware (19,300)
University of Pittsburgh (20,400)
University of North Carolina (21,100)
University of Vermont (12,300)
University of Virginia (17,900)
Bonus Pick: Miami University (Ohio) [16,800] - not a flagship, but just as good
3 Likes
Make sure he knows what colleges recommend. For example, you mentioned Penn, which says:
we encourage you to consistently take classes in core academic areasāEnglish, social studies, math, science, and foreign languageāthroughout your four years of high school
1 Like
S23 picked a very large OOS university that housed a very niche research center that aligned with his research goals. Itās a center he would not have found in a small LAC, and by the end of freshman year, he had prime research opportunities and very close relationships with faculty. He was invited to present at conferences, earned a URE, and is now considered a valuable member of this research team. I think itās a myth that close professorial relationships are guaranteed at smaller schools and hard to come by at larger ones.
4 Likes