Parents of the HS Class of 2017 - 3.0 to 3.4 GPA

Parents Forum
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Quick update here since most of my D’s acceptances so far would all be good for this group.: She has 3 acceptances so far (all rolling).

Truman State with $4K merit on an already low $17K in-state cost,

Westminster College (MO) with $21K grant/merit aid on a $36K total cost, and

Pittsburg State KS (no aid package yet but this one is really low cost to begin with + she will likely qualify for honors/scholarship $ but that app isn’t due until mid Jan. I am making her visit this one next week to decide if she wants to follow through with the additional apps/essays. This is definitely the least “prestigious” of all the schools she is applying to but I have heard good things about it and it will likely be dirt cheap for her to attend…so she’s not dropping it from the list till we visit. :slight_smile:

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^^OK, I’ll try to finish that thought…

…an extremely unique performance group of Duquesne students called the Tamburitzans (see them on YouTube) who are on (I think) full scholarship. Each member plays an instrument, sings or dances a dizzying array of authentic folk music of Eastern Europe. They spend each summer learning the program for the next year, and tour on weekends throughout the U.S. and sometimes abroad. (Lots of studying on the road, but what an experience of a lifetime!) I saw one of their performances live, and spoke to a dancer during intermission (audience mingles with the students.) She was trained as a ballet dancer, and said many were, while other students came from folk-dancing immigrant families. The music and dancing is quite elaborate…NOT the kind of folk dancing just anyone can do! It’s all very meticulously researched…dances from very specific regions of Greece, Romania, Poland, Ukraine, etc, with the corresponding heavily-embroidered costumes…and so many instruments I had never heard of before. Don’t know if trombone could be in that mix but perhaps a close cousin played on the village level somewhere…

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** Smoking ** Campus’s being no-smoking is getting very common. All the U.C.'s and I believe the Cal States are entirely no-smoking (even outside.) for EVERYONE. This is common for many campuses, certainly in the West & New England area. When I travel I notice that a lot fewer people smoke in CA than other parts of the US.

But the smokers do find a way to smoke. D12’s small LAC in MA was also an entirely non-smoking campus. But two of her freshman roommates did occasionally smoke, and they would just go outside and no one ever ‘caught’ them that my D new about. Although they did never smoke indoors. And because it was a non-smoking school, and not smoking was allowed anywhere, it wasn’t asked on the roommate match anymore. And those who were smoking pot, did still do it indoors even if it was included in the ban.

@stlarenas Congrats on the acceptances.

@LuckyCharms913 Congrats to you too & Welcome. Feel free to post more. It’s nice to see this board busier.

Not even sure if S17 will hear from any schools early now. I’m trying not to fret.

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Ok does anyone else get mildly creeped out by emails telling your child they noticed their app wasn’t in the (enter whatever deadline) submissions and they will extend it by a day? The school still is of mild interest as maybe a RD backup so don’t want to unsubscribe but the tone is like you let a parent or teacher down.

@LuckyCharms913 welcome and thanks for delurking! YAY I love it.

Congrats on the acceptances and the reward for obsessive portal checking. It is super frustrating when the right hand doesn’t talk to the left like that. That does seem cruel from Pitt. While unintentional and I can appreciate how hard it is to coordinate those logistics that would seem enough time for databases to be updated to be sure.

@inthegarden we are a big music family here. Both H and I in HS, a small bit for me through college and at work, oldest was a music technology business major and all the kids participated through most if not all of HS in some form.

Jazz is S17’s preferred genre for playing, but he does them all right now. Jazz is what he hopes to continue in college though. Unfortunately he has been super religious school averse, even the Jesuit schools which are very liberal although I personally don’t think would be an issue and frustrates me a bit. Given that he won’t consider the Jesuit ones, I know a true Catholic school is absolutely out of the question for him. The Tamburitzans sound amazing, I will check them out. S plays in a jazz-rock-fusion band that does some pretty cool things and it’s just so fun to see what people can do and create! S11 plays a lot of folk, or really indie folk alternative (in my mind) and you see some super creative things.

It’s an interesting situation. You want a college that has music, and enough of it, but is not such a strong program that your child can’t get a spot. 2 of his schools do offer scholarships to non music majors so he will try for those, one also offers a theater tech scholarship to non majors and he will apply for that as well. We believe he should have the opportunity to play at all but you never “really” know. At some it might be in an ensemble or big band, at others it might be a club (UVM) as the ensemble is reserved for majors. Trombone in general is in demand though, so that helps! His brother will not have quite the same ease of school interest, there are a LOT of trumpet players out there! However I am not sure right now that S19 wants to play in college. Too early to say.

His list is University of Vermont, Western Washington University, Ithaca, Ursinus, Goucher, Allegheny and University of Puget Sound. Planned major is Environmental Studies/Policy/Energy Science. Some of these check all the boxes better than others but it’s a decent mix.

@stlarenas congrats on the acceptances. So Truman would cost you TOTAL only 13K? and Westminster $11K? For everything??? You are my hero. I cannot even imagine those kinds of numbers. I would be shouting through the streets. Our best option is in state, zero merit and that’s going to run around 22K. Nothing else on his list even comes remotely close and all assume some kind of merit offer. Sigh

.

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For musicians, dancers, singers:

Can you tell I love this group? OK, I’ll be quiet now :slight_smile:

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@eandesmom

Truman is $13 out of pocket
Westminister is $15 out of pocket

Plus she will have about $1500 in work study option and $5500 Fed Loans if we decide she needs more skin in the game.

Missouri instate options are really reasonable (Mizzou would likely be about $17K if she wanted to go there) and appears the Missouri privates compete with them for higher stat kids - we are still waiting to see what Drury offers but I assume it will be comparable to Westminster’s cost.

I guess that is why everyone stays in state and the GC have no idea how to deal with kids who want to apply to multiple OOS schools. (But remember the cost of living (and avg income) is likely much much lower than where you are)

D is ok with the options but is really intrigued by schools where most are the kids are OOS and from all over…there are really no schools in MO that aren’t less that 80% in state kids. So she has some reachy reach OOS schools on her list.

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@kt1969 She applied to Eckerd and Wofford. I think the original plan was to do a few more, but exams got in the way – they were the same week as application due dates. Otherwise we might be in the portal checking mode as well. :smiley:

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@london203 Cool. Both of those were on earlier versions of our list. Decided against the south, in the end. :slight_smile:

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@london203, can you tell me a bit about wofford?

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@“Queen’s Mom” Sure. We visited this summer and were impressed with it. It is a small, liberal arts school but has all the usual things as well (Greek life, football team etc). They have an interesting “winter term” thing (sorry I can’t remember the name) where the students take a single course for 2-3 weeks. Lots of kids take advantage of studying overseas as well. They said their Biology program is strong and they also have a good business program culminating in entrepreneurial projects (if desired). The senior housing (apartment complex) is fantastic and most students live on campus all 4 years so it’s a “full” campus. Is there anything in particular you want to know?

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@LuckyCharms913 … congrats on the Ohio acceptance. S17 just submitted his app to Ohio U-Athens … how long did it take to receive an acceptance? We’re OOS – are you IS or OOS?

Instruments … so many talented kids talked about on this forum. Hubby & I don’t play an instrument (or sing / act). S17 has played baritone in the symphonic & marching bands for the past 4 years, trombone in the symphonic & jazz bands for the past 2 years, and just joined indoor drumline (bass drum). I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, but he ONLY applied to colleges with a marching band (which made the search for “fit” even more difficult).

Portals … two notifications expected this month … starting to obsessively check portals, even though most of the colleges posted notification dates and/or said the notifications would be mailed.

Vacations … I’m so ready for this process to be over. We have’t been on vacation since our European vacation in the summer of 2015. MY much needed spring break and/or summer plans are on hold. If he doesn’t get into his 1st choice, that means re-visiting colleges during spring break (mid-April). I can’t plan a summer vacation (?cruise to Alaska?) because S17 is in school until mid-June, then his colleges either hold orientation in June or August. And, if he’s accepted into the college marching band, camps start late July/early August. Ugh!

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@MomStudent2017 he applied to Ohio U on 11/3 so less than a month to see the decision on the portal. We are OOS (PA) .

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Thank you, @london203. My child applied sight unseen because it looked good on paper and she wanted a warm weather option. She wants a decent writing program though and I’m not sure wofford really has that. Still waiting for an admission decision.

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@MomStudent2017 I hear you on vacations! My husband and I are actually planning a trip late next fall just the 2 of us. Both son’s will be in school for a few months by then and hopefully the speed bumps will have smoothed out.

I’m sure by then we’ll all need a vacation - or at least an umbrella drink!

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Yet another lurker coming out of the shadows to say hello. I too have been following this thread since it started (thanks @eandesmom) and have found it so helpful and, well, sane. My son, squarely in this demographic, submitted seven EA applications, so the next couple of weeks should be interesting. One acceptance so far, to Whittier College, which he’s visited and said he’d be comfortable attending. That takes some of the pressure off, for sure.

Excited to see so much good news in the last couple/few weeks…congrats to everyone and rooting for all of you.

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@“Queen’s Mom” I think Wofford is your basic all-around liberal arts school where it can be whatever you put into it. It does seem a close-knit place and they couldn’t have been nicer when we toured. Spartanburg itself is not the nicest place, but the campus itself is lovely. Good luck!

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I’m just joining this discussion. It’s an interesting thread. Can anyone share any thoughts on California schools that are a good fit for a B student with a decent ACT and solid ECs?

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@suburbancat, what are your financial constraints and what are the student’s academic interests?

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I’ll chime in on Ohio U as an alum from the stone ages. All OOS Alums receive in-state tuition for their children (current saving of around $9K i believe). Additionally they guarantee same full tuition and R&B for all 4 years so no per year increase of any kind. Of course my D has aversion to going to school where dad went so there’s that hurdle; however she is intrigued by the Honors Tutorial College, but admission is tough to say the least…

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Another acceptance for a student on this thread. Elon. fingers crossed for good news for all posters.