I know you aren’t looking for more reaches or a plane ride but…the photography/film part made me think of Northwestern!
What about Emerson college? Not sure what the sports scene is ther but it is in Boston where there are tons of sport. They have amazing arts based programs along with marketing and communication.
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He’s fine with a plane ride. His brother wants to be close to home.
I think NU could be fit, but it’s bigger and more suburban than he wants. I think one of the challenges for him is that the things he wants academically are more likely to be found at bigger schools. For example, I think Newhouse at Syracuse would be a perfect academic fit for him. But he wants a small school. I am wondering if maybe another year of maturity will change that.
I also don’t think he’ll have the stats for NU.
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Checking for clarity. IIRC! You noted a $35,000 budget hopeful for the other brother. Wondering if one of these is a typo.
Maybe still too big but how about Ithaca College? They have a photography concentration in their college of communication and Ithaca is super trans friendly and open. You’d have to see about the budget though although they give merit scholarships as well as need based aid.
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They have different budgets. His brother is very set on not having debt, and having money left for potential grad school. He is very flexible on environment and “fit” and happy to compromise to meet his financial goals.
This kid is really focused on finding an environment that fits and feels safe, and if that means there isn’t money left for grad school, and he takes out some federal loans, he’s OK with that. Also, I would stretch my contribution for him, because I’ve seen the difference that environment makes for him. His brother is like a cat, he’ll land on his feet.
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However, any sports that have anti-doping regulations (including, but not limited to, NCAA sports) could mean needing to get a medical exemption if any gender transition medication is being used, since such medication is often on anti-doping prohibited lists (e.g. testosterone).
College club sports usually do not have anti-doping enforcement, but sometimes they do, or it can become applicable if the club team is good enough to compete in national or international competitions.
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He visited Ithaca with his older sibling, although they chose a different school. I could see him there. Photography as “communication” is a better fit for him than photography as “art”, and it definitely has the outdoors things he wants.
He and his brother like the idea of staying close, and so Ithaca/Cornell combo has come up from that perspective too.
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I hope you at least visit some larger public schools in trans-friendly cities and states. These schools often have more transgender students, which can make it easier to find peers with shared experiences, and having a larger community can provide a more opportunities and access to supportive student organizations and resources.
The size of these schools can be off putting for some high schoolers, but sometimes just being on campus gives them a different perspective and they can start to imagine themselves there.
Yes. That is probably correct.
He has been on a ton of college campuses. He’s got an older sibling going this fall, and a twin looking at the same time, and he’s gone on a lot of their tours. Plus he likes to go to college games, and he’s done camps and other activities on college campuses.
I agree with him that a small school would be a good fit.
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Just to add to my post, directly quoted from ChatGPT, here is some of the support offered by one public university:
If you’re looking specifically at support for transgender and nonbinary students, University of Colorado Boulder offers a number of dedicated resources:
Community & Social Support
- Pride Office (Center for Cultural Connections & Community) – The main hub for LGBTQ+ students, offering one-on-one support, advocacy, social events, and help navigating campus resources.
- Bring Your Own Gender (BYOG) – A recurring social and support group specifically for transgender, nonbinary, gender-questioning, and gender-diverse students.
- Gender & Sexuality Alliance (GSA) – A student organization that welcomes LGBTQ+ students and allies with social events, education, and advocacy.
- Queer and Trans People of Color (QTPOC) – Community and support for LGBTQ+ students of color.
- Out in STEM (oSTEM) – Professional networking and community for LGBTQ+ students in STEM fields.
Gender-Affirming Health Care
- TransCare Team – Coordinates gender-affirming medical care, including hormone therapy, insurance navigation, referrals, and preventive healthcare.
- Medical Services – Inclusive healthcare providers experienced with transgender and nonbinary students.
Mental Health
- Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) offers:
- Gender-affirming counselors
- A Gender Creative Therapy Group
- Letters supporting hormone therapy or gender-affirming surgery when appropriate
- LGBTQ±affirming mental health services
Housing & Campus Life
- Spectrum Living Learning Community in Hallett Hall for LGBTQ+ students and allies.
- Inclusive housing options in Onizuka Hall.
- All-gender restrooms across campus.
- All-gender locker rooms and private changing facilities in the Recreation Center.
Transition Support
The Pride Office helps students with:
- Preferred name and pronoun changes
- Gender marker updates
- Legal name change guidance
- Navigating university records and FERPA privacy
- Accessing gender-affirming care
- Insurance questions
Financial Support
- LGBTQ±focused scholarships through the Center for Cultural Connections & Community.
Overall Reputation
CU Boulder has been recognized by Campus Pride as a “Best of the Best” LGBTQ-friendly campus and has earned 5 out of 5 stars on the Campus Pride Index for LGBTQ-inclusive policies and practices.
Overall, CU Boulder is generally considered one of the stronger public universities in the Mountain West for transgender student support, with dedicated community groups, gender-affirming healthcare, inclusive housing, and administrative resources to help students transition and thrive on campus
Can we move on from the topic of NCAA issues? It’s not relevant here.
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i Am going to pm you
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It wouldn’t check all the boxes, but wheaton college (massachusetts) is a trans-friendly small school. May be worth a look. They are generous with merit.
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I’m going to mention a school that fits on many fronts: it’s small, near outdoors activities, and there’s a big focus on sports media. It’s in an okay (but not great) state for trans people (PA ), and I believe the school is welcoming (though that would need to be confirmed…perhaps @MaineLonghorn has more insight). The problem is that the area surrounding the town is probably not very welcoming. The school? Susquehanna.
The school has 4+ student-led sports productions per week. There are also three minor league teams in the area (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton) where your kid may be able to get some professional experience, too (Penguins (AHL team), Shock (National Premier Soccer League), and RailRiders (AAA baseball)). And Susquehanna is very generous with merit aid.
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Replying to myself because I thought I’d mention that I’d love suggestions for other combinations like Ithaca/Cornell where the two of them could stay close.
If you haven’t read my other post his brother’s priorities are engineering, and frugality. He likes urban environments, playing soccer, and staying close to family.
I know someone at a top LAC who is interested in a similar path. They are majoring in a relevant humanities discipline while contributing to the sports section of the school newspaper and making highlight reels, i.e. the same activities that your son currently does in high school. There’s not a ton of opportunities to expand beyond that at a LAC.
Curious why Susquehanna University is considered "conservative"? - #3 by MaineLonghorn is @MaineLonghorn 's comment about Susquehanna, although no mention specifically about trans-related issues.
Below are some possibilities that your family may want to check out, though the Ithaca/Cornell option is hard to beat.
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Drew (NJ): 38m drive to Rutgers – New Brunswick or 1h2m to Princeton or 1h3m to Cooper Union or 54m to Stevens Institute of Technology. About 1600 undergrads. Drew is in a suburban town town but it also has a large forest preserve which surrounds much of the campus which might make it work for your kid.
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Roanoke (VA): 31m drive to Virginia Tech. About 1800 undergrads.
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Moravian (PA ): 1.7 miles (9m drive) to Lehigh or 19m drive (13 miles) to Lafayette College. About 2k undergrads.
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Muhlenberg (PA ): 28m drive to Lafayette or 21m drive to Lehigh. About 1700 undergrads.
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Ursinus (PA ): 26m drive to Villanova. About 1500 undergrads. Ursinus College – Colleges That Change Lives
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Skidmore (NY): 39m drive to Union College or 35m to Rensselaer Polytechnic. About 2700 undergrads.
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Siena (NY): 13m drive (4.9 miles) to Rensselaer Polytechnic or 28m drive to Union. About 3500 undergrads.
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Canisius (NY): 5.5 miles from U. at Buffalo. About 1700 undergrads. Canisius is a Jesuit college, which often translates to a focus on social justice issues and an affirming attitude toward LGBTQ individuals. It’s a D1 school that offers a lot of sports opportunities (from sports journalism emphasis in the communications major to clubs and intramural sports, etc.)
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SUNY Cortland: A bit larger, with about 5900 undergrads, but this has the reputation of being the SUNY for sports lovers. It’s a 29m drive to Cornell, though your kid want an additional option besides Ithaca College.
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Clark (MA): 1.4 miles from Worcester Polytechnic. About 2300 undergrads. Clark University – Colleges That Change Lives
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Kalamazoo (MI): About 0.8 miles from Western Michigan. About 1200 undergrads. Kalamazoo College – Colleges That Change Lives
Will also page @fiftyfifty1 who may have suggestions about which Twin Cities schools might be for this son if the other brother is considering U. of Minnesota.
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