I second Bradley. She could also look at Knox. Springfield is way on the other side of Illinois from Indiana. She might want to look at schools to the west too.
I feel like a dofus! I just reread SLU and for some reason I read SLC (Salt Lake City). Oops! She is in a Catholic girls high school now and isn’t Catholic and I know for sure she doesn’t want that experience for college. Another hard no! I know I keep saying that, but there are a few things she can be stubborn on and no point trying to convince her otherwise when there are plenty of other options. She is a girl who knows what she doesn’t want, but in the exploration phase of what she does want.
I will definitely have a look at Bradley, it is on the smaller side but definitely not too small. What is Peoria like?
I’ll have a look on line at Miami. We didn’t even consider any Ohio at all initially.
Diversity is an interesting topic. Where we live is very diverse but not sure if that is a factor for her. I think when she visits we will see what she thinks.
You could look into Missouri State University in Springfield, MO. It’s right at your limit, about 5 hours from Springfield, IL. They post a lot on FB, IG, and Twitter. I like the social media presence, it makes you feel more connected to the University. Southeast Missouri State could be another option.
What about Truman State? It’s about 3 hours from Springfield Illinois. Excellent school that really flies under the radar screen.
For planning, you could do Purdue, Butler & IU in 2 days. Butler is in between them. Start at either IU or Purdue - tour in the AM & then head to Butler. Spend the night in Indy or at the other campus. All 3 are strong in health sciences, psychology, etc. Butler is small, less than 5,000 but slowly getting larger.
The Midwest (even as far north as Madison, WI) can be hot at the beginning and ends of school years- September and May. Also note the weather has been warming over the decades.
Large schools are big enough that even if many party there will be plenty who do not- a large minority of like minded students can be found. Do be aware that despite what your D states now, she could try out different lifestyles once away at college and be the type she wants to avoid now. Consider how she will fit in if not in the dominent social groups. If a smaller school is desired be sure the fit works. Greek life? Liberal/conservative- context of where you live may make you feel you are liberal/conservative when it is relative to the rest of the area.
Peoria does not have a good city reputation. Consider what students do on weekends- do they mainly go home or is there a vibrant campus area scene? Enjoy the process.
I still say…Truman State is worth checking out.
With regard to weather…it can be hot in Maine or Montana at the start and end of the academic year.
I think she needs a list with all of her criteria and might need to understand that all of them might not be met.
There are party students and those who don’t party at every single college (with some very few exceptions). She will find her tribe. I would agree that a teeny school might not give her as broad options as one that is mediums size…but that seems to be what she is looking for anyway.
I applaud your daughter’s willingness to get out of her comfort zone and to see “middle America”. It sounds like she is dedicated to improving her SAT score which, of course, will give her more options and more chances for merit aid.
She’ll most likely need to improve her score quite a bit to be competitive for admission at Purdue.
University of Kansas, Kansas State University, and University of Nebraska are colleges that have a variety of academic options, good school spirit, varying levels of merit aid, and decent proximity to airports. She should be competitive at all three.
Keep us informed on how it goes!!
Ohio happens to have a lot of great schools. Miami of Ohio is well regarded nationally, has a great social vibe but not known as a party school. Plenty of great small ones too, but it sounds like she’s not looking at mid to small sizes.
IU is beautiful and easy to like from the look of the campus. I believe IU also has a well known Psych grad program; not sure if that trickles down to undergrad or not.
It will be hot in August and possibly September for any of these places! But then cool/cold Oct-March!
Bradley students tend to stick around on the weekends. But there is a lot on campus to do and a strong (though not exclusive and not overwhelming) Greek presence.
I know quite a few kids at Miami and while lovely, I would say it certainly does have a party school reputation. There have been years it’s been near the top of the niche rankings of party schools. Of course, I strongly believe at all schools there is a mix of kids who party and who don’t regardless of the reputation.
Thank you all for your responses! We had a look at all the ones you all mentioned and there are too many to visit on this trip! We will plan on visiting 3 places, plus time with family and honestly just seeing that part of the country may help her figure out where she fits. I appreciate all your input and will likely ask a more more questions as it gets closer… We are mid April spring break.
She is definitely focused on SAT prep right now and taking it March 14th! Hope it goes well, she missed a full week of school plus her prep while she was down and out with the flu. I might sign her up for another SAT date just in case. Was hoping she would be done in March, one less thing to do!
States have different cultures that are reflected in their public U’s. Liberal/Conservative, Democratic county/Republican, Greek dominance are a few that come to mind. Time with family that probably can relate their home area to yours is useful.
DePauw University is a nice hidden gem. I have two non-party type serious students at DePauw. One plays fall sports and is very impressed with the athletic director. It is a small school with a big feel. Greek Life is big, but it isn’t everything on campus. New freshman dorm for the incoming fall of 2020 class. New president coming over from WashU starting July 1 that seems like she will fit in well and be a great asset to the school.
Weather is pretty nice all year round…not too cold and not a lot of snow. My kids haven’t needed snow boots or big heavy winter gear.
Sorry but I have to laugh and respond to the above about no snow boots needed. Years ago by now my son never used boots even in heavy snow for HS and college. College campuses tend to take care of their sidewalks as well. There has been a warming trend over the decades and winters typically are milder than years ago. People acclimate to their climate- why fall chill feels so much colder and spring slight warmups feel warmer as well. So the California kid bundles up when the locals do not. It is easier to study when the weather isn’t glorious as well.
I highly recommend a visit to Butler based on the way you describe your daughter and what she’s looking for at this point. Indianapolis is a great airport to fly into and campus is a short drive away.
I have a son there and can’t speak highly enough of his experience at the school. He’s coming from the opposite coast you are. He’s found he loves the mid-west, Indy in particular, and Butler most of all. Yes, it’s only about 5,000 undergrad but that allows for a full, focused campus experience and because it’s a Div I Big East school, the feeling of a much larger university can come through if that’s what you’re looking for.
Happy to answer any questions you have.
Has she considered Illinois State University in Bloomington, Illinois? If she gets her SAT up to 1200, she would qualify for in-state tuition (fixed for 4 years). Bloomington is only around an hour from Springfield, and it might be a fit.
I still say…she should look at Truman State. It’s not that far from Springfield Illinois…and is really a college that flies under the radar screen.
This is a good suggestion, but I would caution that at least it used to be what we called a “suitcase” school. Lots of kids going home on weekends. It may be different now. Also, the in-state tuition for Illinois publics is very high. I checked it a few years ago and was shocked.
One of our kids went to a small Catholic HS and ended up at University of Kentucky in Lexington.
We had never heard a thing about the school except for their reputation in men’s basketball.
As Chicago area people, we were used to U of Iowa, U of W-Madison, UIUC, IU and Michigan. Like, who goes to Kentucky?!
Our kid got a big merit scholarship to UK and although she would have preferred an elite private school, it has worked out for her.
She loves Lexington. She came home the summer after freshman year, and not since.
We can fly in and out of LEX from ORD. It’s also reachable by car, if a bit of a long drive (7-8 hours).
UK has poured $$$ into the school. Lexington is big enough to be more than just a college town. It’s just far enough south that the worst of winter skirts north.
Everyone we know who has visited has come away impressed. She has had four great years there and is off to grad school in June. We see more UK car stickers in the Chicago area now.
Hope that helps!