What is your favorite non-selective school and why?

Parents Forum
21

<p>SOU has a really good theater and art program, but also excellent business, nursing, education, environmental studies, and communications programs… and there are others.</p>

<p>WUE – people call it woo-eee – is Western Undergraduate Exchange. It allows out-of-state students to attend certain public colleges in other states in the western region with out-of-state tuition reduced to… I think it’s 1.5 x the in-state rate, but I’m not certain about the exact amount. It’s something that applies to certain public colleges in the state, but not all. For example, Oregon students can pay WUE rates for CalState Chico or Humboldt, but not for Berkeley. California students can pay WUE rates for SOU but not for Univ. of Oregon.</p>

22

<p>

</p>

<p>My absolute favorite in this category is DePaul University, which I would call a match for a good student and a safety for a stellar student (as long as he or she makes an effort to show some love). A fun school in a great neighborhood of Chicago. Many excellent academic departments. Under-appreciated. We visited not expecting a lot and were blown away; thought it was terrific. Those who we know who are there now or graduated from DePaul give it glowing references.</p>

<p>DePaul has some nice merit scholarships and community service scholarships, too.</p>

<p>(It is a Catholic school - the largest Catholic school in the U.S., I think - but FWIW, none of the kids we know who have gone there are Catholic, so I think it is not stressful to go there and be agnostic or Jewish or Protestant.)</p>

23

<p>bflogal: [WICHE</a> - Student Exchange Programs](<a href=“http://wue.wiche.edu/]WICHE”>http://wue.wiche.edu/)</p>

<p>Other schools your S may want to consider in OR and CA and AZ: All have an acceptance rate over 60% I think</p>

<p>Linfield College
Portland State
Oregon State and U of Oregon ( though they don’t have wue agreements w/ CA)
Cal Lutheran
Pacific U in Forest Grove
Loyola Marymount
Saint Mary’s College of CA
Northern Arizona University</p>

24

<p>MidwestMom, I’ve thought quite a bit about DePaul. But don’t business majors go to school downtown and isn’t that housing a cooperative with several schools?</p>

25

<p>Cinniesmom, thank you!!! Awesome recommendations. I’m going to start a spreadsheet right now!</p>

<p>BTW, does anyone know if St. Mary’s College of California is considered a commuter school?</p>

26

<p>Missy, Great recommend! I know someone on CC that might like this! Thanks!</p>

<p>Tuition is rather low for a private…about $22,000 per year (plus room, board, books, etc)</p>

<p>FRESHMEN SCHOLARSHIPS (are stackable, but can’t exceed cost of tuition) [Oklahoma</a> City University : Financial Aid](<a href=“http://www.okcu.edu/financialaid/ugradscholarships.asp#freshmen]Oklahoma”>http://www.okcu.edu/financialaid/ugradscholarships.asp#freshmen)</p>

<p>ACT or SAT with 3.0 GPA and above* Award Amount
(per year)</p>

<p>33-36/1460-1600 Renewable by maintaining a 3.0 Cum GPA Trustee Award $7,000</p>

<p>29-32/1280-1450 Renewable by maintaining a 3.0 Cum GPA Presidential Award $5,000</p>

<p>26-28/1170-1270 Renewable by maintaining a 3.0 GPA University Award $4,000</p>

<p>24-25/1090-1160 Renewable by maintaining a 3.0 GPA Achievement Award $3,000</p>

<p>NOTE: Test scores exclude writing portion. All awards are renewable up to 7 consecutive semesters with required minimum Cumulative GPA. </p>

<hr>

<p>PETREE COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES, MEINDERS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND KRAMER SCHOOL OF NURSING DEPARTMENTAL AWARDS (Freshmen Only) </p>

<p>In addition, students who are admitted to the Petree College of Arts and Science, Meinders School of Business or the Kramer School of Nursing will be awarded a departmental scholarship in conjunction with the academic merit scholarship. This award is based on a combination of the student ACT or SAT and High School GPA.</p>

<p>ACT or SAT with 3.0 GPA and above* Amount
(per year)
33-36/1460-1600 $15,000 </p>

<p>29-32/1280-1450 $10,000 </p>

<p>26-28/1170-1270 $7,000</p>

<p>24-25/1090-1160 $5,000</p>

<p>NOTE: Test scores exclude writing portion. Awards are renewable if students maintain the required minimum cumulative GPA.</p>

27

<p>Mount Allison. Beautiful college and town. Just 2000 students, great student-faculty ratio. Strong endowment. </p>

<p>Lots of opportunities for research, 70% grads go to professional or graduate school. More Rhodes Scholars (42), which is possibly the most at any north american schools. Wonderful warm culture, huge school spirit, and the highest student satisfaction ratings of any college in Canada (for the past 18 years!). </p>

<p>SAT not required I believe. And I think about 11k a year in tuition for American students to attend, and another 5k or so for room and board. But 65% of students get scholarships as well, started at a GPA of 80%, and the higher you are the more they give you. </p>

<p>Also you can be admitted after just finishing your junior year so its a nice early safety to have in one’s pocket.</p>

28

<p>Green Mountain College. Gorgeous pastoral Vermont location, with a stunning state park a five minutes’ drive away. Unique interdisciplinary core curriculum focusing on the environment. Very small, able to give students lots of personal attention. Farm on campus with work-study jobs on it available to students. High acceptance rate.
Note: I have a 2300+ SAT and am considering this school, because it’s so out-of-the-ordinary. It’s a love-it-or-hate-it kind of place, I think, and you’ll probably get an idea if it’s for you by reading this description.</p>

29

<p>S (2200+ SAT) really likes Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania. Very friendly faculty and staff, and they’ve invested a lot in their campus. I haven’t heard any negative comments about the school from students or parents. They also give a lot of merit aid.</p>

30

<p>We like Susquehanna quite a bit as well. Our neighbor has had three kids attend there - all different majors – and each has found a niche. Only neg. we’ve heard so far is that it truly is in the middle of nowhere (but we’re used to living 30 minutes from NYC)</p>

31

<p>I agree with cinniesmom’s list, esp. Linfield and NAU.</p>

<p>THere’s a poster on these boards named Opie’s son (not sure of the spelling) who is a recent and enthusiastic Linfield grad.
We know a couple of kids at NAU. Flagstaff is beautiful, they feel like they get a lot of attention from profs, and the one who is graduating in Dec has a job already!</p>

32

<p>Bflogal re SMC. It does attract a large number of students from the SF Bay Area and a lot go home on the weekends but it has a required freshman on-campus housing policy that started this year. My daughters are frosh there this year and have not found the fact that kids go home on the weekends a detraction. Helps them have down-time, homework time etc.</p>

<p>So no not a commuter school but many local kids do go home. However, there is a lot to do on weekends for those who stay. Examples of weekend activities so far include horseback riding, indoor rock climbing, movie night, dinners out, concerts and dances. Those are just the things my kids have participated in. There are tons of additional activities depending on the interests of the kids involved.</p>

<p>Tell you S that the boy/girl ratio is like the Beach Boys song “Surf City”…Two girls for every boy… that alone may encourage him apply ;)</p>

33

<p>Also some input on St. Marys. S will be applying there. He first visited in July for a soccer camp and then we went earlier this month to their preview day. The presentations were very well done, campus is absolutely beautiful, and fits S’s criteria for a smaller school and in NorCal. Now if he would just get going on the application! </p>

<p>He definitely likes the boy/girl ratio too!</p>

34

<br>

<br>

<p>Many kids sleep in on weekends, so even if others go home, the rest use the time to catch up on sleep or homework, or have fun with those who stay behind. </p>

<p>I don’t know how many local businesses are around St. Marys, but perhaps some kids also have part-time jobs on the weekend.</p>

35

<p>Re SMC, it’s essentially a stone’s throw from our house and would be easy for S to pop home for the weekend (not my idea of “going away to college”). He really needs to be away, to learn how to exist on his own without leaning on us for support (or for our washing machine). But I do like the idea of a small campus where the students really get to know their profs. Too bad it’s so close to home!</p>

36

<p>Re DePaul - It’s true that the business school is downtown, but many business students live in Lincoln Park and commute downtown on the el. (There are also dorms in the Loop for stuents that prefer to live there.) For the kid who wants an urban school it’s a great set-up. Great neighborhood, good school (especially business and music/theater), and good internships/alumni network.</p>

37

<p>We live about an hour south of Sonoma State University (part of the CSU system) and have gotten to know some of the faculty through friends of ours. I’ve been so impressed with the people I’ve met - top-notch intellectually, but drawn to teaching as opposed to research. The campus is very pleasant, and Sonoma County is gorgeous, with lots of outdoor opportunities. Really a LAC at public school prices. Caveat - I haven’t heard what effect the Calif. budget situation is having on class size and availability there.</p>

<p>A private CA college worth looking at is UOP (University of the Pacific) in Stockton. I know a B-B+ student who’s very happy there, and good merit aid is available for high achievers. Another kid I know is on full scholarship in the pre-dental program - assuming he keeps up his GPA he is guaranteed admission into their dental school.</p>

38

<p>I have also read some good things about Seton Hall and they have the program my D is looking for. I was disappointed to read, though, in one of the college books that it is very much a suitcase school and empty on the weekends. Has anyone else heard this?</p>

39

<p>Another vote here for DePaul. A recognized name, good size, and fantastic location(s). If I could return to college as an undergrad and go anywhere, I think DePaul would be it.</p>