<p>George Mason reminds me in some ways of Towson - a university that has historically been more of a commuter school that is now gaining more on-campus students and providing more in the way of campus life. A good friend’s daughter will be a freshman at George Mason this year. (Not Jewish). When I first heard that was where she was going - I was a little surprised - I guess I felt she could do better. But my friend has updated me on the progress made in recent years at George Mason and why the family feels it is a good fit for her. I will follow-up with how she likes it and post her feedback.</p>
<p>In 2010, 32 applied, 19 were accepted, 3 will attend.</p>
<p>All students with at least a 3.5 wgpa were accepted. Most between a 3.0 and 3.5 wgpa were accepted - particularly with an 1100 or better SAT. The rejections were primarily for students with below a 3.0 wgpa. There were students with a 3.5 wgpa and as low as an 18 ACT who were accepted - of course - could have some type of hook.</p>
<p>George Mason offers Early Action with an 11/1 deadline.</p>
<p>George Mason: the one student I know is transferring from there. He will go to Indiana University.
His dad told me that when he first arrived, he was placed in overflow housing with three other students. They all loved each other so much that they did not want to split up when other housing opened up. But, they had to move when this happened, which was partway through the first semester. This was rather disruptive. I don’t know the other reasons that this student is transferring, but he is looking forward to going to Indiana where several of his friends already go and two of his friends from Kent State and Ohio U, also B student schools with suitcase reputations, will also transfer there.
As a point of comparison, when my daughter was an RA at Penn State, there was overflow housing with four guys who loved each other so much that they didn’t want to split up, so the housing office people said that they could stay together if they wanted.
mdcissp, I think that you should make the reason for your housing request very clear and involve the Office of Disability.</p>
<p>Bryant: My son is interested, but no single rooms available for freshmen and it is a very expensive private school. Not sure why I should pay the extra $$$. My son would apply if I would pay the big bill.</p>
<p>George Mason: We met the Hillel director and thought he was very nice. They do not have a Hillel building. Did not want to show us housing which raised a red flag. Parking is too difficult. 800 accounting majors-thought there were too many in this program of interest and that it could be extremely competitive upon graduation. I also think they have a lot of required core courses (but you have to check on that).</p>
<p>Binghamton–almost set to go to apply, then got cold feet as I heard the Math classes are huge (like 450 in a large lecture) and many international instructors. Internationals with foreign accents may be hard to understand and generally speaking, have a different teaching style than used to in the U.S. We thought about this and decided since my son is interested in a Math related program, it would be better to be in a school with smaller classes.</p>
<p>U. of Delaware: Son now wants to go visit, but I’ll have to call first. On its web site, want high test scores and even if my son were accepted, think that maybe the Delaware kids are academically high, meaning my son might be in for lots of competition at this school.</p>
<p>Stevenson: Think we should go visit, but my son complains it is in Baltimore, and he does not like Baltimore. Says Towson is fine because it is in a suburb. </p>
<p>Son realizes that if he only ends up applying to 3 schools, and does not like the outcome, he is accepted to local com. college on early entrance, and always has a good safety there.</p>
<p>Many thanks for all the PMs and will try to respond quickly. I greatly appreciate everyone’s help.</p>
<p>MD- any accounting program is going to be competitive whether the college has 80 or 800 majors graduating that year. The big accounting firms aren’t going to Binghamton to get everyone they need for the offices that are hiring in that region-- they may recruit at 20 universities and will see thousands of seniors by the time the season is over. If your S is graduating from Towson in accounting he’s competing against kids from U Maryland and U VA and Penn State and Delaware as well-- for entry level positions in offices ranging from Richmond to Philadelphia. (or further north/south, depending on the firm and how broadly they define their regions.)</p>
<p>So being in a small school doesn’t mean he won’t face competition when he graduates- and frankly, trying to predict how he will do 4 years from now when he’s looking for a job is probably not a good way to choose a college. His major and interests are likely to change, the economy and demand for certain jobs is for sure going to change, and his desire to stay in the Maryland/DC area is likely to change as well. All it takes is one good friend from SF or Chicago to inspire a kid to spread his wings a little when he graduates.</p>
<p>So again- at the risk of repeating myself- don’t box him into a corner either professionally or by choosing a school based on very narrowly defined criteria. If Binghamton meets most of his criteria and is affordable then it’s worth exploring without immediately shutting it down because of some perceived problems with it vs. the other schools on his list.</p>
<p>and there are other business disciplines besides actuary and accounting-- perhaps one of them would be a better fit for your son, just based on the limited information you’ve posted. Market research, Supply Chain management, Labor Relations… lots of things to explore.</p>
<p>Blossom: Son has Asperger’s so need for smaller classes is real and important. We need to have some basic things that must be there–includes not huge classes, accounting and actuary science as possibilities. Thank you for pointing out there are other good Business areas to explore. I have suggested different areas of study and my son does not want these other areas. The Asperger’s piece is a big part and why this search is so difficult. He is very intellectual, very smart, but is like a walking encyclopedia of facts. He needs an area of study with limited socializing. Son can change his major, no problem, just wants to be sure that the school at least offers majors of interest to him. It is very kind of you to write and I greatly appreciate your support and help.</p>
<p>this seems to be a misunderstanding from info i sent in a pm. the math classes are NOT that huge – the ones math majors would take are relatively small (25-40 for the most part). there are huge 450 person classes in some intro level courses – but that is not what you will find in the math courses a major would take.</p>
<p>“He is very intellectual, very smart, but is like a walking encyclopedia of facts. He needs an area of study with limited socializing.” Yep, that’s my sister, who is now 52 years old.</p>
<p>md – I know this sounds like a weird career choice for someone with Asperger’s but has your son looked into Library Science? My sister, who has bounced around universities for years trying to become an “academic” and has many of the same qualities and challenges as your son (but a different “diagnosis”), settled in a graduate program in Library Science about 10 years ago and she finally found her “place.” </p>
<p>She has focused on the computer side of library work in a university setting but loves advising and working with students. It fulfills that “college professor” side of her without the interpersonal requirments of trying to climb the academic ladder. </p>
<p>Librarians, as a group, seem very quirky and non-judgmental. She is “different” but so are many of them. Any librarians out there, I am saying this with love and respect: I have never met such unusual, accepting, smart and diverse people within any other profession.</p>
<p>mdcissp, I commend you for sharing, a while back, the fact that your son has Aspergers. I think that it is challenging for parents of typically developing adolescents to launch them, but Aspergers brings a whole other dimension into the picture. Many parents in your situation would have heightened concern about how this young person can become self sufficient in the future. I would imagine that your concerns about being in a location with jobs available stem from the idea that perhaps your son could get an internship during college that would lead to a job, which would give him an advantage. And, depending on how Asperger’s manifests itself, some parents might worry that the interpersonal issues that the young person faces might have an impact on his ability to find and hold a job. I think that these are very legitimate concerns that parents have and you are smart to be thinking everything through so carefully.
That being said, we can’t even imagine the jobs that will be in demand in the future! Our young people need to prepare for many job changes in their futures, and they need to develop the ability to be flexible and to adapt to a changing world. For some people with Aspergers, flexibility and adaptability are greater challenges.
I would imagine that perhaps a career focusing on regulatory aspects might suit someone with Aspergers, and I can see how those jobs may exist in abundance in D.C… If your son is a “walking encyclopedia” of facts, he might do quite nicely in a position where he would have to know, say, FCC, FAA, IRS, SEC, EPA, OSHA, HHS, etc. etc. etc. regulations and work on compliance or enforcement, for example.
Also, I think that some of the social aspects can actually be learned, or at least “faked”, to the point where the person can become much more functional socially. It seems like a “coaching model” might be effective here. For example, if a person cannot read cues about whether the other person in a conversation is truly interested in his “encyclopedia of facts”, he could learn to just say one fact, and then ask the other person a question, and then follow up with a question, etc.
Strength to you as you proceed with this challenging process!</p>
<p>Many thanks to all for your wonderful support and thoughtful, caring ideas. I really appreciate it. Library Science is an excellent match, mentioned it to my son, and he wasn’t interested. I think he just wants to pursue accounting or actuary science. This is his choice, not mine.</p>
<p>We are going to tour Stevenson.</p>
<p>As an older parent, I am very concerned that my son be self-supporting when he graduates. Also, I notice one after another story of real people who are having difficulty finding jobs. It is a very tough economy.</p>
<p>I’m glad you decided to tour Stevenson - it really sounds like it has come a long ways in the past few years and has impressive plans for future growth. My only concern would be that Stevenson, like Salisbury, has no Hillel and does not appear to offer much in the way of Jewish life.</p>
<p>Please post your impressions when you return from your visit and let us know your likes and dislikes re Stevenson.</p>
<p>Noticed that the next date for open house at Stevenson is Sept. 7. I called the school and found out that open house is delayed due to new students coming to campus now. I am still open to Stevenson, but wonder why they don’t schedule tours during this time of year in August when high school kids are still on vacation. Older son toured USC when school started and he was highly impressed with the impressive welcome parties on campus while going on the campus tour. </p>
<p>I happen to feel this is the best time of year to tour these campuses so that you can see what the welcome atmosphere is like, what the new activities are like, and what kinds of kids are starting school so that you can kind of visualize if you think there is a social fit.
For example, last year, we went to George Mason and I did not think the welcome activities were a fit for my son. To cite an example-advertising poker night on Friday night and not seeing any Shabbat dinner advertised was a turn off. At AU, saw the welcome bar-b-que being set up on campus by the friendly Hillel staff.</p>
<p>I am thinking of going up to tour Goucher. My son said he is not interested in Goucher and sees no point in going on the tour. Wish I could schedule Stevenson tour this Friday or early next week. </p>
<p>I hope people on this thread who are going on the campus tours this week and next week will pay close attention to the welcome parties/activities to see what they can predict college life will be like same time next year when applying, and speculating if they think there is a good fit.</p>
<p>I look forward to reading campus visits from anyone on this thread for the next few weeks.</p>
<p>Rockville Mom: I agree with you about concerns over lack of Jewish activities at Stevenson–not sure why when it is driving distance to the Orthodox community and kosher restaurants on Reiserstown Road in Baltimore. I hear there is a Jewish community in Owings Mill. This sharply contrasts with the area near Salisbury where you don’t see any signs of a Jewish community.</p>
<p>Mdcissp, I suggest that you not write off private schools on $ grounds, although I respect your concern. I was very pleasantly surprised to learn how much merit $ is out there for B students. A poster, northeastmom, is very knowledgeable about this. It may not work out at particular schools, but, with common apps and many free apps, you can try at a very low cost in $ and effort.</p>
<p>Nadine, although her son did not like the library science idea, I thought that was a great idea and encourage you to suggest on the separate CC thread for Aspberger kids.</p>
<p>Maybe the merit aid is for kids with stellar test scores. The only school I can think of mentioned in this thread where I think my son can get good merit aid is Stevenson. Also, when I looked at the list of colleges with Actuary programs, they are mostly private expensive schools.</p>
<p>One other point, although I admit that I might be reading too much into this: My son attends a well off public high school and noticed majority of kids attending in state public universities. I am speculating that most private schools did not offer significant merit aid. There is a change this year with the stock market decline, and parents worried about saving for retirement as well.</p>
<p>Mdcissp: The Owings Mills area has a lot of Jewish families. There is a large conservative synagouge a few minutes from the Stevenson OM campus, and a JCC nearby also. There are kosher-style delis in the area. It is about 15 minutes from the Orthodox Baltimore area.
I think that a decent number of Jewish students attend Stevenson. Most of them live close by and probably go home for the Jewish holidays.
I’ve noticed that many schools suspend tours for a week or two before classes start. I think it’s hard for them to find student tour guides. I know that it’s frustrating to have to pull your son out of school for a tour, but it is best to visit when classes are in session. You can check out college websites to see what kind of welcome activities they offer.</p>
<p>B and B+ kids, even without stellar scores, can get in, in varying amounts–and results may vary. I suspect northeastmom has posted on that thread and she did an extensive amount of research for such kids. I believe another poster, readytoroll, who started a general B student thread, did a lot of research on reasonably priced colleges. In our own experience, we found Susquehanna very generous.</p>
<p>Yo can also use the cc search engine, putting in something like “good merit aid”.</p>
<p>In you particular situation, I think your son can write a candid essay about himself which will make him stand out from the crowd. In general, students best merit aid chances are where their scores are in the top 25-50% of students or where they bring some sort of diversity–racial, geographic, etc to the school.</p>
<p>Of course, there is no certainty that a school will offer aid, or that such schools will meet your understandable, but pretty narrow ideal criteria of actuary/accounting; good nearby restaurants; single rooms available; sizable Jewish community; and reasonable transportation home.</p>
<p>I also encourage you to explore local scholarships–our local paper has dozens of reports of kids picking up $500-$10,000 awards by local organizations of all sorts, often by writing a compelling essay. Your guidance office should have a list, or there may be an internet forum for your community where you can post the question.</p>
<p>Best of luck to you and your son–you deserve it.</p>
<p>Has anyone looked into Washington and Lee? Two of our congregants have children there, they just built a beautiful multi-million $$ Hillel. I think they even serve Kosher. Another congregant is an allumni and very active. I don’t know if he majored in business but I do know he runs a very large and successful business.</p>
<p>I also don’t know much about the academics or whether it’s a fit for a B students but from the Jewish side, it may be worth a look.</p>
<p>Washington & Lee - this one is a bit puzzling. On one hand, I do see efforts being made to attract Jewish students, including the Hillel. W & L was an advertiser in the recent Reform Judaism Magazine college issue. But - it is very conservative/Republican/Greek. Over 80% of male students and over 70% of female students are involved in Greek life. As another example, if you like guns - like hunting - maybe you are an NRA member - you’d fit right in. If you are more a believer in gun control - you might find yourself in the minority here.</p>
<p>From their website:</p>
<p>Undergraduate Class of 2013:</p>
<pre><code>* Applications received: 6,222
Offers of admission: 1,181
Enrolled: 472
Male/Female: 234/238
Mid-50% range SAT scores
o Critical Reading: 660-740
o Math: 660-730
o Writing: 650-730
Mid-50% range ACT scores: 29-32
Percent in top 10% of high school class: 81%
</code></pre>