gotcha -
There’s definitely - at the governmental level - a big difference from NC and Texas.
Even Virginia - where the governor was trying to go Texas - but didn’t do well at the state level.
I was trying to say - they’re not Texas…but they’re not Vermont 
Will try to edit it to be clearer.
Just trying to see where the OP’s line is…if that makes sense because an Emory, Vandy, or WUSTL would be great (all have merit) but wouldn’t be in the student’s wheelbase.
Thanks
In terms of political environment and customs / rules / laws resulting from it, there are multiple layers:
Someone concerned about the above may need to look at each layer if it is of concern regarding quality of life issues.
OP seems willing to go $20k over UT Cost, so that means we should identify schools where merit would get the cost down to $50k or so. At most of the private schools discussed, that won’t happen.
Then you have to add in your Wooster types…and in that range - Kalamazoo, other LACs maybe a cut below (and knowing they want airport access and suburbia). Or a U Denver type. I believe Rhodes has good merit.
Others “could” get there but wouldn’t assuredly do so, etc.
Union’s new science building is fantastic. This is an interior view:
@grad9397 was very clear…the weather in the south was a factor also. So regardless of how liberal a college might seem, I doubt any of us can change the hot climate in the south (and humid too depending on where you are).
My suggestions:
University of Rochester
Case Western Reserve University
Purdue (I know it’s a public but it is less costly than many)
Pitt (because it hits so many buttons for this student)
University of Delaware (I think merit aid would bring the cost down)
For more expensive.
Marquette
Brandeis
Vassar
Swarthmore
Syracuse
I think he would be competitive for merit scholarships at tOhio State University.
Congratulations on your son’s outstanding academic record!
Sounds like he is really into getting a PhD in bio followed by a research career including potentially a tenure-track position. This career path can be intellectually very satisfying. However, if he is aiming for a tenure-track position (as opposed to an industry job), its highly competitive nature could mean he will need multiple years of postdocs to beef up his publication/grant record before landing one. Indeed, according to NIH (Postdoctoral Researchers—Facts, Trends, and Gaps – NIH Extramural Nexus), the median age for securing the first tenure-track position in biomedical sciences is 38:
I’m not saying this to discourage your son — he absolutely should pursue what he loves doing most and with his achievement thus far, sky is the limit! I just hope he is aware — in case he isn’t already — that competition for academic positions in biology has been and will likely remain brutal in the foreseeable future.
He is a no-go on Emory and Vanderbilt. I used to live in Nashville so I have a soft spot for it but he isn’t thrilled with the overall politics of the state. He has a social justice bent and would like more diversity on campus. (I’m not sure it’s possible to be less diverse than here) Diversity in all things, not just race.
Austin is absolutely a very blue place in the middle of red but we are roasting down here. Well roasting then freezing. The huge swings in temp are terrible for the air here. And he has light asthma and allergies. (THE ALLERGIES)
I think UW looks like a great option. He’s not daunted by the long flight to anywhere we would be.
He is in APUSH right now going over early US settlements and is jazzed by the history of Boston. I can’t even wrap my head around how many options exist near there, should he decide he likes it.
Adding University of Denver and Harvey Mudd - but will need large merit.
Mines doesn’t have the type of bio program he’s looking for.
Pitt is on the list now
as is CWRU
and Wake Forest
Maybe VA Tech? It looks so pretty.
Everybody has given so many ideas, thank you!
You’ve already been given some good suggestions.
One option I’d consider is Hendrix (AR): I’m sure your son would get the flagship match (perhaps more), so that way your son would have a choice between UT – Austin and Hendrix, with Hendrix coming in at less (the room & board is less than UT’s, I believe). On the PhDs per capita for biology that @NiceUnparticularMan shared, Hendrix ranked as #33. There’s a lot of focus on independent study/research there, there’s no Greek life, and it could be nice to feel like there’s an affordable choice available that might have a better feel for him than UT.
These are some other schools that do well in terms of producing alums who go on to earn a PhD. Many of them have been already. Using this aggregator, I’ve grabbed the cost of attendance (which can vary school to school…some schools are more generous in giving allowances for books, transportation, etc), and added the percentage of students without need who received merit aid and what the average merit aid package for those students was. Additionally, I’ve added a column that subtracted the average merit award. So there’s no guarantee that your son would receive merit and what size, but it can help to show you which schools might be likeliest to meet your mental budget of what you’d be willing to pay beyond UT’s cost.
Also, I suspect that your son could be competitive for a number of big scholarships, like the Banneker Key at U. of Maryland, or one at Davidson or Wake Forest or similar. There is absolutely no guarantee that he’d get them, but it would be good to investigate what options might be possible.
| School | COA | % w/no need receiving merit | Average Merit Award | COA minus avg. merit award |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUNY Geneseo | $38,086 | 7% | $2,202 | $35,884 |
| Lawrence (WI) | $69,849 | 34% | $31,925 | $37,924 |
| Ohio Wesleyan | $69,983 | 29% | $32,018 | $37,965 |
| Kalamazoo (MI) | $70,691 | 27% | $32,179 | $38,512 |
| Binghamton (NY) | $47,709 | 6% | $8,887 | $38,822 |
| Allegheny (PA ) | $72,528 | 28% | $33,086 | $39,442 |
| Miami U. (OH): | $58,252 | 49% | $17,782 | $40,470 |
| Gustavus Adolphus (MN) | $67,440 | 21% | $26,234 | $41,206 |
| College of Wooster (OH) | $76,050 | 34% | $34,133 | $41,917 |
| U. of Maryland - Baltimore County | $49,526 | 23% | $6,839 | $42,687 |
| Ursinus (PA ) | $77,562 | 26% | $33,720 | $43,842 |
| College of New Jersey | $51,620 | 10% | $5,854 | $45,766 |
| U. of Delaware | $57,358 | 28% | $9,624 | $47,734 |
| Marquette (WI) | $68,433 | 39% | $20,078 | $48,355 |
| St. Olaf (MN) | $72,470 | 24% | $24,037 | $48,433 |
| Davidson (NC) | $79,225 | 4% | $29,885 | $49,340 |
| Loyola Chicago | $71,276 | 35% | $20,524 | $50,752 |
| U. of Maryland - College Park | $59,687 | 15% | $7,214 | $52,473 |
| Case Western (OH) | $82,374 | 41% | $26,072 | $56,302 |
| William & Mary (VA) | $66,836 | 6% | $9,065 | $57,771 |
| Wake Forest (NC) | $90,148 | 30% | $32,196 | $57,952 |
| Washington U. | $88,488 | 2% | $29,416 | $59,072 |
| Macalester (MN) | $83,084 | 24% | $18,034 | $65,050 |
| Oberlin (OH) | $85,496 | 38% | $18,794 | $66,702 |
| Brandeis (MA) | $82,314 | 21% | $15,172 | $67,142 |
| U. of Rochester (NY) | $85,862 | 24% | $15,918 | $69,944 |
| Kenyon (OH) | $87,590 | 29% | $15,854 | $71,736 |
Does Mudd have a strong bio program? When I looked at the # of majors it was very low.
Mudd recently graduated seven first majors in biochemistry, seven in general biology and eight in computationally oriented biology.
https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=Harvey+Mudd&s=all&id=115409#programs
Lots of great options in all price ranges. So you and he will need to figure out your priorities-money, fit, opportunities, location. Try for some big scholarships, or decide to pay more, or go for a lower cost option. He already has a fantastic affordable safety in UT, so you can decide what if anything he likes better at what cost.
An early decision application would help with the reaches but commits you to full pay. Substantial scholarships are great but very competitive at more selective schools.
The heavy math and physical science core may deter biology majors, who (at other colleges) have lighter math and physics requirements.
Interesting. I was using the niche major information for a similar search (physics) and am wondering if it is less accurate.
Niche has no particular obligation to update its data regularly. For this and perhaps other reasons, the U.S. Department of Education site linked above is likely to provide more reliable information.
You mentioned Asthma and allergies. I looked at several lists. Most are similar.
Harrisburg is on. Dickinson isn’t far away. Has merit ( and and an airport)
Providence is on the list. Sure Brown is a reach and no merit. But how about Connecticut College. Less than an hour to the Providence Airport. And merit.
Minneapolis -UMN is fantastic annd might be less ‘lively than UT. and Macalester is an LAC with merit. I’ve not been to St Olaf mentioned b4 by others - perhaps not enough of a town. And not sure they have an appropriate major.
Rochester - already mentioned UR. Read a lot of great things about RIT too. So another to check out.
Boston - Brandeis, NU, BU…likely Brandeis best merit odds. WPI, Clark not far.
Seattle and Portland on there too - you mentioned UW. Someone mentioned Reed but no merit aid. Lewis & Clark ? It’s the kind of school that might dig deep or u of Puget Sound - ie where you stand out might work best related to aid.
A bit harder to get to but people on here rave - Whitman. Yes Walla Walla has flights …not cheap. Ok Seattle is on the list. Not sure if Walla Walla ok for asthma and allergies.
These are in ‘liberal’ states, suburban or urban (except maybe St Olaf) and within an hour of an airport. And on the link below.
Northfield is a nice college town and about 40 minutes from MSP/the Twin Cities generally. Up to the OP whether that is suitable but to me it feels a lot less isolated than many prominent SLAC locations.
St Olaf has what they call a Concentration in Biomolecular Science. Some details here:
https://catalog.stolaf.edu/academic-programs/biomolecular-science/
Don’t hold me to this, but I believe you would usually do a primary major in Biology or Chemistry combined with that Concentration.
Edit: I found this video helpful in understanding that Concentration in combination with the other materials above. Sounds really cool!
I would agree that Oxford biochemistry offers what this student is looking for - its a highly specialized course and the fourth year is research focused:
Cambridge is less ideal both in terms of admit likelihood and that the sciences courses (Natural Sciences) are less specialized.
This is the ideal recommendation for Oxford. Along with all 5s in APs and perfect SAT score, I think this student would have a much stronger than average chance of admission if the interview went well. And it would be a good fit on cost because it is meaningfully less expensive than full pay US privates.
This student has great stats and is very strong academically (congrats!) but keep in mind that those huge scholarships at schools such as Wake Forest are highly competitive and often take other things into consideration (I would still apply because you never know) and the full BK award at UMd is extremely difficult for OOS kids. He may get some merit at UMd, so I would definitely apply! I am a little surprised at the addition of Wake Forest, as the campus seems a little conservative to me compared to others.
Pitt is rolling and I believe he would get some merit. If he applies early he should hopefully have an acceptance before Thanksgiving.
The SUNYs will come in at the right price point and he could get merit. They are excellent schools…but he has to like them. SUNY Geneseo is in a very rural area so would not meet this student’s criteria. I would look at Binghamton and Buffalo. I think he will make honors.
In the likely event the student’s school counselor knows nothing about UK university admissions, this might be a good time to engage a private counselor- he will need to find a site for the October test, understand the difference in the type of essay expected, and be prepared to attend the interview in December. Easy flights at least.
