<p>I love the geographic diversity that we are getting these days - very interesting.</p>
<p>Socal - College of Charleston might be worth looking into - also Coastal Carolina. I’m not sure if they are rah-rah enough - but might be worth at least some Internet exploration. College of Charleston does not have a football team - but good in other sports - particularly basketball. Great Jewish population - about 10%. I would say it is a match for a “B” student from what I have seen - maybe a reach for a low “B” student. Probably an easier admit for a boy.</p>
<p>I agree with you on the cost issue to an extent - you basically feel that publics are less expensive than any privates your D could get accepted at. One exception I discovered was York College of PA. I assumed it was a public at first - but it is a private. COA is close to $23,000. Match for a “B” student. Safety for a stronger B+ student. Not a tremendous amount of Jewish life - but some - about 100 Jewish students out of 4600. I have not seen the campus but know some who have and were pleased with it. Good reputation for internships. Another one that might be worth a quick Internet look. This school was kind of unheard of in our area a few years ago and is now getting more buzz.</p>
<p>Austinmom, My apologies if I offended you or your Alma mater. Just sharing, and perhaps my views are over the top. I think Spectrum understands where I am coming from. I want all of our kids to be happy. My views do not reflect the views of the network…</p>
<p>RVM, I am aware of COC. Like what I see and Hear. It is just a big reach for my D. I wish it weren’t. I think we will take a shot, and see if the waters part for her. I will also research Coastal Carolina. I am skeptical about that one. I have become such an expert, that if I have not heard about it before, it takes some convincing. However, I remain open to all suggestions I get here, and will do the research. I am surprised to hear that york is so reasonable. Going online now to learn about it. Thanks</p>
<p>I think that York might be getting more buzz because of price and “bang for the buck” including a solid education. I think that was true of a school like Elon over 5 years ago, but then Elon became more competitive and its price tag grew too. Now Elon is a hot school, for the B+/A- student IMO, and its price tag is out of reach for many that were looking for a financial bargain along with a great education (it may still be less costly than many hot private schools in the NE).</p>
<p>socaldad - No offense taken at all! I totally get where you are coming from and understand your concerns. I live in Austin now so I have connections to both TAMU and UT. Both are GREAT schools but with very different feels to them. But I figure a school that can turn out me AND Lyle Lovett (we were there at the same time and I used to listen to him play for free at Mr. Gatti’s Pizza) can’t be all conservative ;)</p>
<p>My D is a freshman at Coastal Carolina. They have an amazing theatre department (she is a musical theatre major) otherwise there is no way I would have ever heard of the school either. It has some great things going for it. They have an excellent PGA golf management program, great marine sciences program, the Rolls Royce scholars program in the business school, etc. The school is in the Big South conference with a nationally ranked baseball team, plus football, basketball, soccer, tennis, etc. Very nice facilites and yes, 10 minutes from the beach. As my D would tell you, there are students who go there because “it’s by the beach and I can party.” But they are attracting more and more students who are there for their programs. My D is in the Honors program and that’s a real positive for her in terms of her gen ed classes. They do offer study abroad programs - which is of real interest to my D - and short-term Maymester classes and programs. Plus I found everyone from financial aid to dining services to admissions to be friendly and ready to help. I’m very pleased with her choice of CCU and am always happy to answer questions if anyone is intererested.</p>
<p>socal - I am chuckling about your line that if you have not heard of it - probably not worth looking into (I’m paraphrasing and I think your comment was tongue in cheek). That has been one of the biggest obstacles I have had to overcome in this process. A few years back - S1 applied to Elon as a safety school - we had barely heard of it - but enjoyed our visit. Based on that experience - and a few more visits and much research - Elon is now at the top of S2’s list. A few years back - I had not heard of College of Charleston or Susquehanna. So - it’s safe for me to say that the majority of the schools on S2’s list are ones I had never heard of just a few years ago! </p>
<p>I will also admit to being a bit of a snob. If you had told me a few years back that S2 would be applying to Towson - I would have laughed out loud. But that’s the challenge of a “B” student - if you don’t want large universities - you do have to dig deeper and consider schools that you have never heard of and schools that you previously looked down on. I consider my horizons to have been broadened.</p>
<p>May I ask what is the jewish experience at Coastal Carolina? Are there many? Do they have jewish sororities? If you know, please share. What part of Austin do you live in? My wife and I love your city. Think it is great. Uchi is the best sushi I have had anywhere. Also love Olivia’s. I could easily live there. Well maybe summer would be uncomfortable. MY D1 is staying there this summer. She is going to really learn about humidity.</p>
<p>RVM, thanks for getting my sense of humor. You are right about emerging schools. Also, I just looked at York. Shocking how they can provide an education at that price. What a deal. I noticed that they only have 100 kids of our persuasion. That is a bit of a concern.</p>
<p>socaldad - I wish I could be more help there but my D isn’t in a sorority and we aren’t Jewish so no first-hand knowledge of either sorority or Jewish life. I have found the staff at CCU to be very helpful with inquiries so I would suggest you contact those “in the know” at CCU if you decide it is worth pursuing. I will say that I think the school can be a really good option for students with interests in one the programs that is a CCU “specialty” such as the ones I mentioned above or for a true B student who wants a smaller campus (8,500 students almost all undergrads) with small classes, nice facilities, good weather and good school spirit.</p>
<p>Thanks for clarifying. Were you granted special permission to read this thread. Did RVM grandfather you in. Just kidding…Now I see how my A&M comments were truly offensive.</p>
<p>Suggestion. Fewer cosmos and exclusionary remarks and more figuring out either how to find schools that are a good match or how you can help the kids develop strong study habits to bump up the GPA.</p>
<p>I realize many here <em>love</em> this thread, but it has pushed this nice Jewish girl’s buttons more than once.</p>
<p>Deborah T - I happen to think this is one of the friendliest, most fun threads on CC. Certainly it is without the snarky, uber-competitive vibe that pervades many CC threads. We always emphasize that new posters are welcomed with open arms. Exclusionary? Really? We don’t have to be 100% serious either. There’s no reason we can’t share a few laughs along the way. Maybe you are just having a bad day.</p>
<p>socal - yes - the small % of Jewish students at York is unfortunate - but did you see the link about the large gift they just rcvd - hopefully that will spur some growth. I have the same issue with Salisbury - which would also be a nice in-state safety for my son - but no Hillel whatsoever. I am, however, keeping Susquehanna on the list. While it has a small Jewish population - they do have a Hillel, a dedicated Hillel house, various Jewish functions, a Jewish studies minor and I think as they seek to increase diversity - being Jewish is a plus in the admissions process. So - I tend to look not just at the absolute number of Jewish students on campus but also what else is offered to promote Jewish life and awareness.</p>
<p>I also should mention that there are at least a few non-Jewish readers/posters on this thread - who are certainly welcome. Just as Hillel events are open to all - so is this thread. While our focus is on schools that would fit Jewish “B” students - I’ll bet parents of “B” students in general can pick up a few suggestions here and they are more than welcome to do so.</p>
<p>That Hillel Facebook page seems to be from 2007–my friend wasn’t at CCU yet. On the other hand, although Hillel.org identifies her as being the Hillel advisor, I don’t see anything to that effect on any other materials I can locate. She teaches classical languages and religious studies, but nothing seems to identify her as the Hillel advisor currently. Furthermore, for what it’s worth–the local synagogue doesn’t seem to have a rabbi. It appears she conducted their high holiday services.</p>
<p>Anyhow…I did contact her to ask her more about Jewish life there and to invite her to come contribute to this thread herself if she’s interested.</p>
<p>Deborah T - I don’t really want to add fuel the fire but…</p>
<p>I am non-Jewish and check-in on this thread every so often because I find the posters kind and informative and the information helpful. I don’t have a “Jewish B student”, more of a “Non-Jewish A-ish student with B non-Jewish test grades” - how’s that?? </p>
<p>Kidding aside, I peruse this thread because I would like to see my S attend a school that includes ALL kinds of kids and by nature, an active Hillel tells me that that particular school won’t be too homogeneous. We live in an area where my kids have Jewish friends, neighbors and family members so this is important to us. Enough said.</p>
<p>About York - I know several kids who didn’t have the best experience there because it was fairly regional and everyone went home on weekends. That could be just a small sample but something to keep in mind and research.</p>
<p>I, for one, am very confused as to how anyone can find this thread exclusionary or snarky? I’m definitely missing something…or maybe I missed a post that could have been misconstrued as such…</p>
<p>anyway, we have repeatedly welcomed all here…and many have come back to join us…</p>
<p>socal: I, too, started this process after D1 started at a school everyone knows…, for D2, I had heard of very few of the schools discussed here on this thread…Elon had been mentioned to me by a guidance counselor at a school I worked out back in 2005; never thought about it again until I joined CC and started reading about others experiences with the school recently…</p>
<p>D2’s list had at least 5 schools on it that I had not even heard of in 2007…she will be attending Elon in the fall…</p>
<p>we were at a party last week when a particularly nosy neighbor (who we are not friendly with) asked me point blank, “how did you find out/know about the schools your daughter ended up loving? we only knew about the ones everyone has gone to here”…my response was: “I took the time to look outside the box”…</p>
<p>Personally, I enjoy the humor and the cosmos.</p>
<p>I agree with dwhite about York. A few kids in our area attend, but no one raves about it. York if a very unexciting small city, about a hour from Baltimore and 2 hours from Philly. I can’t see coming across the country to attend, Socaldad.</p>
<p>dwhite and momjr - good point about York. From where I am in MD - it is an attractive option to a budget conscious low B student. But I agree with you completely - not worth traveling across the country to attend! But I also wanted to use it to illustrate that there are some affordable private schools out there that are priced more like publics.</p>
<p>Nothing wrong with a good sense of humor to get you through life, especially if you are a b student.<br>
I am writing 100 times on the blackboard I will try not to veer off track.</p>
<p>To my new friends and supporters, thanks for having my back.</p>
<p>Desk Potato, I will look further into Coastal and Hillel. thanks for the heads up.</p>
<p>Dwhite, you are welcome in our hood anytime.</p>
<p>Rodney, thanks for your point of view. If you happen to give a very large donation in the coming months to Elon, perhaps you can mention my daughter. If not, she is a long shot to become a classmate of your daughter. BTW, Rodney what part of the country do you live in. Just wondering…</p>
<p>RVM and Mom jr. I think you are both correct. Too long to go just for York. If it had more of what we were looking for, perhaps. Too much missing to go cross country. But I do think it is an amazing deal. Sort of like the Filene’s Basement or Nordstrom Rack of LAC’s</p>