<p>There is nothing wrong with PSU. Has he said anything about a gap year?</p>
<p>greenbutton- I’m sure it will all work out in the end. Don’t get discouraged! I would really try to get to see some more schools, if it does nothing else that reconfirm that he likes Penn State best.</p>
<p>My younger D is also fairly uncommunicative. We went on a college trip earlier this year, I picked the schools since I had no input from her. At 2/3 of the schools, she said to me “why did you even think that I would ever like a school liked this?” LOL how can I know what she likes if she doesn’t tell me? She and I now can articulate what she doesn’t like, which really helped us to focus in on the schools that she would like. (One of those happens to be Penn State) So there is a way to turn negativity into a positive, in the end.</p>
<p>He definitely isn’t interested in a gap year. PSU is a fine school – I’m not a big fan, but he’s entitled to go there if he chooses — I just would prefer that he not go with the easy, obvious choice and make a considered choice, even if it is to confirm that he likes dear ol’ state best via visiting other places. Part of the value of college is going off and being independant, and that’s hard to do if your mom, dad, and brother are all on or next to campus!</p>
<p>greenbutton- as someone who is close to Penn State - I think you said someone in your family is on staff there- I would really like to hear what your take is on the pros and cons of Penn State. Especially the cons, because on the Penn State forum, everyone is pretty rah-rah, and negative comments tend to get shouted down. We all know that no school is perfect, nor is the right fit for every student, but the students, parents and alumni of Penn State seem to be fairly intolerant of criticism of the school over on that forum. Any critique of Penn State seems almost to be regarded like rooting for the Mets at a Phillies game. Perhaps we can discuss quietly over here on the parents forum. Or if you can PM me your thoughts, I’d really appreciate it.</p>
<p>pamom59, I sent you a PM!</p>
<p>We have known the rural-Pennsylvania parents of a couple of Temple film program students. Before their kids went there, the parents were all apprehensive about (a) Temple, (b) Temple’s neighborhood, (c) Philadelphia in general, and (d) film programs in general, no matter where located. As it turns out, in both cases the kids had 100% positive experiences, including that of employment in the film industry after graduation, and the parents are huuuuge fans of Temple and the program. (And they have learned, as everyone does, how to manage the neighborhood.) I believe, if you want to study actual filmmaking, Temple is in a much higher league than Penn State, Pitt, or Drexel. (That does not extend to "film studies’ – history, criticism, etc. – where I don’t have strong opinions.)</p>
<p>By the way, I don’t mean to belittle the parents’ pre-enrollment concerns at all. They were rational ones. My point is that Temple has a high-quality program in this area, and its more general negatives (mainly the neighborhood) are nowhere near as important as many think.</p>
<p>I have 2 sons (freshman and soph this coming year)and both had minimal interest in the college selection process. Their dad and I forged ahead and took them on many, many college tours. While they didn’t complain, neither of them ever left a campus tour shouting “THIS IS THE PLACE FOR ME!” Due to the highly competetive nature of some of the schools, my sons each applied to about 10 schools. Long story short,acceptances arrive and each of them had 6-8 schools to choose from. All of a sudden, they had an opinion! We took them to the Accepted Student Day of their top 2-3 choices and let them decide. Why the change of attitude? I think the decision finally became “real” to them,not to mention that it was April of their senior year. The ball was in their court. Even as a parent, the Accepted Student Day has a totally different vibe. I would always recommend participation in that event. Finally, don’t give up hope. They (boys) come around.</p>
<p>@ twocollegekids I completely agree about Temple. Absolutely. And yet, the son and (to a lesser extent) the husband will have to be dragged to visit. Even given that my inlaws live in suburban Philly so it’s an easy trip. I can’t MAKE him want to go there, and I don’t want to. (Okay, I do, a little, lol) He’s been in Philadelphia a gazillion times, and just “doesn’t like it”. He has family who are Temple grads. Classmates who are there. And I know that sometimes, if mom is too in love with a place, it only decreases the interest…</p>
<p>My H doesn’t “do” college visits 
so it’s was mother/son bonding time for #1 and #2. And yes, neither son picked “my favorite” for them so I’m keeping my mouth shut with #3.</p>
<p>Greenbutton,</p>
<p>Since you are getting a lot of advice about college selection, I’d like to offer a suggestion to listen to your instincts and those of your son and husband. If a school “feels” too urban to your son, then maybe at age 18, he’s not ready for it. There are hundreds of good schools out there. Even though Temple, for example, was suggested as a possibly good fit, it IS a very urban school in a not so great area with a LOT of commuter students. </p>
<p>I know that I have to listen to my son’s instincts about what he wants. There is a lot that he is clueless about, but some of his ideas make sense based on what he needs. For example, he is very interested in music, so a rural school with little access to concerts would be limiting for him. On the other hand, there are concerns as parents that we have to impose, such as financial limits, etc. </p>
<p>So listen to what you know best about your son and your family. Best of luck.</p>