<p>PA is loaded with great schools at all levels of selectivity. Think Ursinus, Juniata, Muhlenberg. There are lots–check the Colleges That Change Lives list. Franklin and Marshall is probably more selective, but not too reachy. I think it might be good to help your D out with a few names so she can read the guide book entries and see if they sound interesting. It’s a lot for a kid to start from square one. Might she like Bryn Mawr? With the close connection with Haverford–students can even live on the other campus–it might feel a bit less “all-girlsy”–though there’s nothing wrong with being all-girlsy either!</p>
<p>nceph - thanks for the description of Davidson - that was very helpful. She liked a lot about William and Mary - the history of the school/buildings, the size of the student body, the appearance of the campus, and the surroundings. She also likes that there’s an Amtrak station near the campus to make traveling home fairly easy. Oh, and she really liked our tour guide, a guy who was majoring in theater/set design. One big problem with W&M is that it does not offer engineering. At the moment, that is her major of choice (subject to change though, as she’s only a soph).</p>
<p>bethievt - thanks for your suggestions. You’re right, PA is loaded with great schools. I wasn’t even thinking of the ones you mentioned (except for Franklin and Marshall)! I was thinking of Lafayette, Lehigh, Haverford, Swarthmore, Gettysburg and F&M. I’m just not sure about Gettysburg and Haverford as far as engineering goes. I’ll have to look into the other schools you mentioned, just to see if they offer engineering. Also, she may find some of the schools to be a little smaller than she wants. At the moment, she isn’t considering an all-girls school - she really likes to hang around with both boys and girls, and I think she wants a real co-ed experience. She is totally not interested in tech schools and seems to find the smaller universities appealing (2,000-10,000 students). She may want to visit UPenn as well - she is sort of being pushed into the ivy-frenzy by kids at school and even by teachers.</p>
<p>Rochester is a good choice. Trinity is small, but it is in Hartford and they do have engineering.</p>
<p>LAC’s with engineering: Bucknell, Lehigh, Lafayette, Swarthmore, Trinity and Smith. Smith would make a good safer school, even though it is a women’s college.</p>
<p>Union is also a school to look into.</p>
<p>:: passes out tissues ::</p>
<p>:: refreshes mint juleps ::</p>
<p>:: raises glass ::</p>
<p>We salute two great athletes, and mourn the loss of one of them.</p>
<p>To Big Brown! To Eight Belles, may she rest in peace!</p>
<p>Boo hoo!!! Waaaaaahhh!!! I am bawling!! That is sooo tragic! I just heard it on the news as I saw this post. I can’t imagine being there and watching them have to put her down on the track. How absolutely awful. Two broken ankles. So sad…</p>
<p>jym and owlice…sniff, thanks for the tissue. It is so sad! Reminds me of Ruffian. sigh</p>
<p>I was watching the Derby & was stunned when they said Eight Belles had broken her legs. So very sad. She was such a beautiful animal. It made me feel good to hear that her owner couldn’t talk about it … I’d like to think that he feels that way not because he lost an asset, but because he lost a special animal who was dear to him.</p>
<p>LIMOM-- You might also try Villanova. A friend’s daughter was accepted to both Lafayette and Villanova because of her engineering interest and chose Villanova and loves it.</p>
<p>Oh-- just read the posts with the sad news about Eight Belles. Tragic.</p>
<p>That is so sad about Eight Belles. I’m not especially interested in the Derby, but I feel terrible about the horse having to be put down. </p>
<p>mythmom - thanks for some more helpful suggestions. I was thinking that Bucknell might be a little too rural, but the other PA schools you suggested are definitely on our list of possibilities. I’m not familiar with Trinity, so I’ll have to look it up. I know people say Smith is really good for sciences - but again, I just can’t see D going to an all-girls school. Rochester and Union are also potential choices - but I think we’re leaving upstate NY for another time. We don’t have much time for visits, even over the summer. D got a job - a paying job - which is exciting for her. When the job ends, we have a week or so before she has to be back at school for team sports (they start practicing in August, before school starts). I guess visiting colleges will be our summer vacation this year and next…lol.</p>
<p>Oh, acme - thanks - I forgot all about Villanova! It’s definitely on the list. </p>
<p>I didn’t mean to hijack the vigil thread - sorry about that.</p>
<p>Here, let me share some of these delicious macaroons I bought in a cute little bakery in upstate NY yesterday. They are filled with marzipan and covered with coconut. Enjoy.</p>
<p>LIMOM-- one other thought if she is willing to go farther South (and you are willing to investigate): Vanderbilt. Good for engineering, nice size @ 6000.</p>
<p>Macaroons! Lovely.</p>
<p>Thanks acme - I have Vanderbilt on my mental list as a possiblity for her. At the moment, she is saying she doesn’t want to go further south than Virginia, and not off of the east coast - but she is only 15 - I’m thinking she may change her mind by the time she is ready to apply. Thanks for that suggestion.</p>
<p>I’m glad you liked the macaroons!</p>
<p>LIMOM, in PA, both Gettysburg and Dickinson have a 3-2 engineering program you might want to check out.</p>
<p>Thanks jude_36 - I appreciate the suggestions. I had Gettysburg on our list, but not Dickinson for some reason. I don’t know how D would feel about doing a 3-2 program, plus I don’t know about paying for the extra year of college - ouch! That’s part of our problem - a lot of schools she might be interested in offer engineering as part of a 3-2 program. It gives the benefit of a good, well-rounded liberal arts education plus engineering - and that’s what D would like, I think - I just don’t think she’ll be crazy about the extra year of school. I guess it can’t hurt to visit a few of them and see what they have to say.</p>
<p>Statistics show that few people actually do these programs. Most kids don’t want to leave their senior year. </p>
<p>Schools like Union, Trinity and Swarthmore offer engineering in a liberal arts setting and integrate liberal arts into the engineering curriculum.</p>
<p>I don’t mean to be discouraging; I’m just bringing up a data point I’ve gathered here on CC.</p>
<p>Anecdotally, my nephew is doing a 3-2 program as we speak. It sounds like it’s been great for him.</p>
<p>mythmom - I appreciate your pointing that out. I honestly don’t think D would want to leave her school before graduation (as long as she is happy there, of course - which I certainly hope she will be) as she gets very attached to people and places. We will probably concentrate on schools that offer engineering in a liberal arts setting as you suggested. Also, since she is still a soph, her interests may change. Thanks again for your help.</p>
<p>Back to the vigil…</p>
<p>I just put up the coffee and set up urns of hot water for tea. Everybody, help yourselves. Unfortunately, the only food I can offer up is cold cereal. Rice Krispies, anyone? I think S has boxes of Cocoa Puffs and Cap’n Crunch in the pantry if anyone is interested. Sorry, no chance to shop yesterday - I had a house full of 11 and 12 year old boys here from 11:30 AM until 11:00 last night - so we’re pretty much wiped out of everything good.</p>
<p>bethievt - that’s great. I’m happy to hear your nephew is enjoying his 3-2 program. Is he still at his first school, or has he made the switch yet? I’m just curious, because I can see how leaving a school you love at the end of junior year might be tough for some. Then, there is that pesky issue of paying for a 5th year of college - we hadn’t really planned for that possibility, and finances are an issue.</p>