Colleges for the Jewish "B" student (Part 1)

Parents Forum
6841

<p>Socaldad:
I’m sorry that your daughter is stuggling with the SAT. It sounds like you are doing everything you can do help her. Did she have extended time? If not, you might want to consider applying for it. That might lessen the stress somewhat.</p>

<p>Here’s what I know about the schools you asked about:</p>

<p>South Carolina: Most of the kids from my area that attend are not Jewish. The mix of kids is different than Delware. Most of the kids from Maryland hang out with other “Northern” kids. The school has a very traditional Southern atmosphere. </p>

<p>George Mason: It’s known as a suitcase school. I don’t think it has the rah-rah atmosphere she’s looking for.</p>

<p>Towson: It is not overrun by Orthodox jews!! It feels a lot like Delaware, in terms of setting and mix of kids.</p>

6842

<p>@socaldad: I agree with your tutor that pushing a different test is not the solution. I have a child who went through a similar experience and found that spending months preparing for a different test, only to be let down again, was a waste of time and effort. We chose to look at schools that would work for her strengths.
We added some privates into the mix which are test-optional. I know that you would prefer to keep the costs down, but sometimes privates are not much different than OOS publics… Also, I can’t address what LD programs are better than others. How much support will she need? How much will she actually use it?
I think Kansas is a great option, sounds like a very good fit actually. I wouldn’t rule out Indiana either.
Schools like Towson and JMU have become more attractive to kids who are just a cut below UMDCP, so they are probably out of reach.
South Carolina and Alabama are great options too. What about Butler?
Please PM me if you’d like more ideas on privates.</p>

6843

<p>SocalDad – Another option to consider is the Univ. of Hartford which we visited for one of our kids. Very large Jewish population and ample kosher food if that is a concern. Plus they are fairly decent with money. A school that may be a good fit for your daughter.</p>

6844

<p>Socal, I am visiting South Carolina in two weeks and will report back. I am also visiting C of C. I think C of C is easier to get in than JMU and some of the others you have mentioned.</p>

<p>C of C , during the week of Passover, provides three meals a day. They get around 60 kids every Friday eve for shabbat services and dinner. AEPi is right across the street from Hillel, so the boys walk across the street to eat. I am told where there are frat boys, the Jewish girls follow!!</p>

<p>We are also visiting UNC Greensboro, just because we will be in the area and have an extra day. Some of the UNC schools may be a good option, but Greensboro and Charlotte are the only two with somewhat of a Jewish population. (not including Chapel Hill)</p>

6845

<p>socaldad: just to add my two cents based on DD and the colleges we visited.</p>

<p>– Definitely have her try the ACT. My DD’s superscored SAT was 1130. But on the ACT, she got a 26, which (from what I could tell from conversion charts) was equal to 1200 SAT. Just let her try it and see how it works out.</p>

<p>– Definitely consider Hartford. Really nice school. Greek Life. Sizeable Jewish community. Good FA (as previously indicated). I think they are school spirited about basketball (not football). Halfway between Boston and NYC. We actually called Hillel and had a couple of Hillel students give us a tour bc admissions was closed the day we were there. One of my work colleagues went there; she’s from CT but said that most people there are not from CT. DD ended up not applying bc we didn’t need another safety school, but it was the first college we saw that she liked. </p>

<p>– Definitely consider Towson too. I think your D would have an advantage being from CA. Also a really nice school; more and more kids from our area (LI) are going there. Nice town (and great mall). I spoke with Hillel before we went there but we didn’t get to stop by when we were there. She applied as a safety and got in (submitted in October, heard in January). She has a good friend there who likes it.</p>

<p>I will think about this and see what other recs I can come up with.</p>

6846

<p>Last time we loooked at Towson they had rolling admission too. One of my sons applied to Towson very early and he was accepted within about 10 days! I believe he heard from them at the end of the first week in October. Having one acceptance that early in the process is very nice. As far as cost, if the OOS tuition is okay with you then the school is a good option. We live OOS, but my son did not get a dime in merit money or FA grants, so that school was off the table when decision time came.</p>

6847

<p>socaldad- please rethink the ACT exam. My d also scored in the mid 400’s on the SAT. She also found the test was just causing her head to go on “overload” with her head feeling numb and tingly (or that is how she described it). She took the Kaplan course and she felt that way after every one of the practice exams given in class- so it was not caused by nerves on test day. She swore she would not take the SAT again- so we tried the ACT. She very willingly took the ACT 3 times and scored between 21 and 23. No complaints about head hurting. It was just a much better test format for her.</p>

<p>when my kid was going through this, I started gathering info on learning styles. I found out that there are 3 distinct styles-- visual–auditory and kinesthetic. My gut and some info I read led me to believe that some kids may perform better on a particular type of test due to their learning style.<br>
if memory serves me correct, those kids who are more active (participate in sports, performing arts and LD) might do better with the ACT exam.<br>
I know that was the case for my own kid. I know this is all anecdotal- but in reading these boards for years, there will be a % of kids where there is no difference in results between the 2 exams- but for alot of kids, there could be a big difference.
good luck!</p>

6848

<p>Hi Marny, nice to see that you still read this board!</p>

<p>FWIW, my younger son refused to take the SAT. He took the ACT and he got a very solid score on it. He just felt right away that the ACT would be a better test for him to focus on.</p>

6849

<p>Hi NEmom-
I guess old habits are hard to break. Where was this thread 5 years ago when I needed it ? Though, I guess my instincts were pretty good as d did apply to a number of schools that are listed now.</p>

<p>– and I will always try to push the ACT as an alternative. I just remember the sheer misery my kid went through with the SAT. I know her ACT prep. was much easier for her- she just familiarized herself with the Actual ACT test prep book- did some practice tests- and she was good to go. In comparison- the SAT made her feel ill.</p>

6850

<p>I vote for ACT, too, and also to give things a chance to jell a bit. I wish my kid could have been one-and-done, but she kept at testing into fall of senior year and finally brought her score up.</p>

<p>I thought I’d chime in for you folks with some acceptances, give you an idea of how my 3.6 UW/31 ACT kid did. Remember, she was looking for theatre programs, and she wasn’t particularly looking for Jewish life (but it was important that the school wasn’t devoid of it - she’s had enough of that at her HS).</p>

<p>Accepted: Bard, Goucher (merit), URI (merit), Montclair State (merit - academic acceptance, not theatre BFA), U of Minn-TC, SUNY New Paltz, Adelphi University (BFA, also honors college, with large merit/talent award)
Waitlist: Brandeis, Lawrence U
Rejected: Carnegie Mellon, BU (both BFAs - they do not separate academic/artistic admissions), Vassar, Northwestern</p>

<p>She’d love Brandeis and will stay on their waitlist. Otherwise she is choosing among Adelphi, Bard and UMinn.</p>

<p>Cute story from her choir trip last weekend: for once in her life, there’s another Jewish kid (a sophomore) at our HS. The choir sang at a church last Sunday, and he told her he followed her lead on what to do - basically neither one of them said anything during the congregation responses, but they did stand up and sit down with the group. I was chaperoning and told her I did the same. We all agreed this was respectful but not compromising our own beliefs. But she got a kick out of how relieved he was to have her for a guide!</p>

<p>Both of my girls have been in choir forever, and they love to sing. They don’t worry about the lyrics, and honestly they are glad our school district isn’t PC about sanitizing the material. Lots of the music has Christian themes - otherwise you’d have to cut out most of the songs ever written! - but the choir director is great about finding anything and everything for them to sing. Hebrew, Native American, you name it, they’ll try to do it.</p>

<p>Good luck to the next crew coming up, and I’ll stick around to let you know how things go for my D. We’re not out of the woods yet, but the trees are getting shorter.</p>

6851

<p>so glad to see marny and of course emmybet coming back to visit…</p>

<p>emmybet: i have been following your posts elsewhere and so happy for your family!!!</p>

<p>samtalya: “I am told where there are frat boys, the Jewish girls follow!!”…and that is why I am so excited about the AEpi outcome!!!..haha…</p>

<p>I am very, very interested to hear everyone’s take on USC…alot of Jewish girls around here visited this year and not one decided to apply; I didn’t want to pry (not that close to families involved)…</p>

<p>incidently, I had NO idea that Elon had any LD services at all…good to know…</p>

6852

<p>Socaldad - I would not worry yet.</p>

<p>Summer Study might be another great option for this coming summer to take SAT study. Away from distractions from home, experiencing life on a big rah rah campus. It might change perspective and give her some independence and growth to try the SAT again in the fall, and in January if need be. </p>

<p>and see if she really wants the big rah rah. </p>

<p>summerstudy dot com</p>

<p>ACT is a must as well.</p>

<p>Rah Rah schools I would investigate more - ASU, Kansas, Oregon, LSU, UCF</p>

6853

<p>Cute re: Aepi, Rodney! :)</p>

<p>Emmybet:</p>

<p>Mazel Tov to your D for several wonderful options for her to choose from! Yay! I’m sure she’ll make the right decision for her. Great news.</p>

<p>SoCaldad:</p>

<p>Your D is lucky to have such a devoted father looking out for her. You’ll both be fine.You’re investigating just the right fit for her and in the end, she will thrive.</p>

<p>Question to all of you:</p>

<p>My S1 did the SAT and ACT just once. He had an SAT prep ahead of time, so as a result his SAT test was a much higher score. What is the basic difference between the two and how are they scored? I hear so much about anwering the questions, guessing, leaving blank…which test does what? Thanks.</p>

6854

<p>Socaldad, I’m sorry to hear yesterday was so painful. Makes me want to smush a tomato on those standardized test scores. Grrrrr. I hope the sun is out today and you and D are feeling better, knowing you have many who care about and support you. I’d like to be able to offer up real help, but others here know far more, and you yourself already have a much better handle on what schools will be a good fit than I do. I did a little playing with a tool I’ve used a lot, the CB college match maker, and entered various criteria, including four year, social work, approximate SAT scores, frat/sorority, dance, and LD services and that turned up 244 schools. It would be even more if one entered a range of majors that lead toward social work. So, not much help, but I’ll put a link to the site anyway in case you want to mess with it. [College</a> MatchMaker - Type of School](<a href=“College Search - BigFuture | College Board”>College Search - BigFuture | College Board) And remember, it’s just a stupid test. Refuse to give it the power!</p>

<p>Best to you and your family.</p>

<p>P.S. My daughter loves to dance, too.</p>

6855

<p>wow, I sound like such a curmudgeon compared to everyone. I guess that in my experience, the ACT has not been a panacea for SAT struggles. There is much to commend the ACT, that’s for sure. Shorter, more subject based, more straightforward scoring. If it were my child (and, in fact, it was) I would try prepping for the ACT just to get a feel for the different format and the pace. You and she may be pleasantly surprised.
My concern is that continued prepping and testing may drag her down emotionally.
There really are plenty of OOS schools that will welcome geographic diversity.</p>

<p>@emmybet: I didn’t know that Goucher was on the table!! fabulous school and if I’m not mistaken, home to the happiest students in the country. Awesome!</p>

6856

<p>Continued thanks for the suggestions.</p>

<p>Deborah I will punch in stats to your site and see what comes up. Thanks.</p>

<p>I am calling her tutor today and revisiting his reasons for no ACT and share what I learned here.</p>

<p>We are moving on from yesterdays setback. We have some work to do…But as I have said here before… There is a school for every kid, and they will all be ok. I know this. Just a quick set back and now a little re-engineering.</p>

<p>To anyone visiting COC in the weeks ahead, let me know your thoughts and what you learn. I will share what I observe on our trip in two weeks. </p>

<p>RVM This thread is amazing. You should be proud of the vibe you created.</p>

6857

<p>Socaldad - Your D sounds like a remarkable young lady. 3 schools came to mind, Towson, University of Hartford and West Virginia U. I think that they have all been mentioned. I know of plenty of Jewish kids at Towson and not one is Orthodox.</p>

<p>Regarding the ACT, I would suggest you go to the ACT website and print off the practice test. Have her take just one section at home. Pick her strongest subject and just see how she does. That will give you a baseline to see if it’s worth giving the ACT a shot.</p>

6858

<p>Socal, check out U of Rhode Island, also. My cousin’s son didn’t have the greatest stats but was admitted and after he started classes the university felt he might have a learning disability, tested him and he did in fact have one. They worked very closely with him and he had a very successful college career. Made the Dean’s list numerous times, graduated on time and got a job in NYC. </p>

<p>Definitely have her take the ACT at least once. My son didn’t do great on the SAT his first time (not great on the PSAT, either.) I think he was just over 1000 between CR & M. We got him a private tutor just for English and he improved 200 pts. At the same time he took the ACT and scored a 28. He still wanted to do better - especially in math so we got him a private tutor for that for a few months last summer and he continued with the English tutor. Took both SAT & ACT in OCT. His SAT went up to 1290 (CR&M) but his ACT went up to a 32 (SAT 1410ish.)</p>

<p>Both tutors worked more with him on the strategy of taking the test then the actual material and with recognizing the different types of questions and what they were looking for as there are patterns of types of questions. For him it was well worth the expense of private tutors a couple of times a week. </p>

<p>This was the first thread I posted on - way back in October before DS’s final scores came out and he was solidly in the Jewish “B” student class. Even though his GPA was a bit higher I placed him in this category as he had no AP classes, was not in any advanced tracks and his class rank was 32 out of 66. </p>

<p>Like my big list buddy Emmybet did - here are my son’s final results. </p>

<p>Accepted:</p>

<p>Hartwick
Ithaca
Allegheny
Juniata
U of New Hampshire
Binghamton (SUNY)
Hobart and William Smith
St. Lawrence
Bates</p>

<p>He got scholarships ranging from $17K-$41K a year. To say we have been stunned is an understatement. </p>

<p>Good luck to all the 2012 on this thread. The next year will be a wild ride so hang onto your hats!</p>

6859

<p>emilybee: I need to find a tutor like that for DS. Sounds great.</p>

<p>socaldad: I second URI. My DD actually was offered $10K/yr merit aid from URI (also very quick acceptance - her first one - in December!). We never visited the school, but we know the area as my bro has a summer house there. Beautiful. If I remember correctly, they also had some interesting majors.</p>

6860

<p>socal - we will be at CofC in about 3 weeks - so we can compare notes! And you know I vote for trying the ACT at least once - my son did so much better on the ACT than his PSAT scores predicted he would do on the SAT. There is a Petersons College Book for students with LD or ADD that might be worth obtaining. Finally, I’m glad you like the thread. It is hard to believe we have been underway for almost a year - time well spent.</p>