<p>While there is drinking on all campuses, I have to agree that when it takes over other activities and it’s hard to find other students who don’t drink it can be a bad fit for a kid who would prefer to do other things on the weekends. (My D is one of those kids). I do think that there are plenty of LACs out there where it’s perfectly normal to not drink – I wouldn’t rule them all out just because people say that all of them are the same – they aren’t. </p>
<p>I have friends with kids who transferred out of Tulane (2 years ago) and University of Denver (right now after 3 semesters) for the same reason. Some schools and kids are just not a good fit.</p>
<p>I didn’t read all of the postings (there are a lot) so I apologize if I am repeating someone. If your son is a NMS, have you looked at schools with guaranteed scholarships for NMS? You might want to look at OU, Alabama, and Kentucky. OU has a very generous NM scholarship package and will let kids stack scholarship money. I think Truman State University also has large guaranteed scholarships for academically talented kids - which your son certainly is. I don’t recall the details. </p>
<p>I understand that there is drinking on almost all campuses, including most of the religious schools. At a school with a generally good fit, a non-drinking student will find friends with mutual interests that are also not drinkers, even at the party schools. </p>
The student was NM Commended, not Semifinalist/Finalist, so not eligible for the NM scholarships.
My son is a Freshman at Vanderbilt University. He is attending on a NROTC scholarship. This is a full tuition scholarship and they are offered from the Army and Navy all over the country. They are offered at Public Universities as well as private schools. As a NROTC scholarship recipient he earns a stipend every semester. In addition, his textbooks are paid for as well as transportation costs to attend school. As a member of his unit he is expected to adhere to strict standard and abstain from alcohol and drugs. I just wanted to add all this to this thread as I think that these scholarships are so overlooked and can be an excellent way to get educated. My son will owe the Navy a five year commitment when he is finished college as an officer. This job commitment will include a full health and dental plan as well as a local housing allowance. Graduate schools and employers look highly on students that have spent time in the military.
Re. ROTC-Because my son has diabetes, he would not be eligible. He wishes he could do that. He’s always been fascinated with military tactics and weaponry.
So, after talking with my son, he said, “Mom, I told you not to rule any school out just because there’s a lot of drinking.” Ok, I thought you told me you wanted balance.
So, he went ahead and applied to Dartmouth. He does not want to do any more interviews if he can help it (I am strongly encouraging him to do 1-2 more) but their interview isn’t mandatory and they say it doesn’t affect admissions if you turn it down, so he probably won’t do it if offered.
Done.
OP- Yes, I understand your son has a specific medical condition. I just wanted to throw my post in there because no one else had mentioned ROTC/NROTC. I don’t think that he would need to interview. They have far too many applicants to be able to interview them all. It won’t hurt him at all. Best of luck.
Got it. Yes, we have a number of people in our church, actually, and I know a number of kids at MIT who are on ROTC scholarships, and it is an amazing deal! In fact, I actually know more young ladies than young men that have done the ROTC scholarship.
Oh, sorry I mean his Dartmouth AP. They won’t expect him to come to campus. You may want to check and see if there is an alumni interview available in your area this winter. These are usually low pressure. Again, best of luck. My other son will be a freshman at Lafayette College next year (Easton, Pa). We will be paying full fare for him (ouch!) That is another college known for terrific financial aid. They are well known for their engineering and stem majors as well as liberal arts. It is a pretty campus and is not a party school or heavy drinking atmosphere.
Wow, Lafayette looks like a great college! That did not come across my wire before, probably because it says it meets 99% of need instead of 100%, and I was using a search engine looking for schools that meet 100% of need.
One thing is for sure-there are a lot of really great schools out there. It’s been tiring but fun looking at so many schools.
It is a beautiful and really good school. Many students attend from California/West Coast. Also, it is a nurturing and middle of the road politically. Many students are quite conservative (including my son : ) You seem to have a great attention to detail. I’m certain that you will find a great fit for your son. Best of luck and let us know where the process leads you.
Lafayette was 1st choice for one of my students. I don’t know the college myself, but he and his parents really praised it.
I should add he is from Florida, so the school attracts a diverse geographic crowd.
Have you checked into outside scholarships related to diabetes and/or visual impairment?
http://diabetesscholars.org/college-scholarship/
S is a freshman in ME at Lafayette and really enjoying his experiences there. He is a non- drinker by choice and is finding activities and peers with similar interests. Professors are very supportive. The school was quite generous with merit aid for him. One of his roommates was home schooled and has the same scholarship. We are also from the west coast and I think the school is interested in increasing geographic diversity. I am especially impressed with the career services office which starts meeting with students during their freshman year and with opportunities for engineering majors to study overseas for a semester. If you’re interested the application deadline is Jan 15. I know my son didn’t apply last year until after Jan 1 - he was a bit of a procrastinator! Good luck to your son. It sounds like he will have a lot of good opportunities available.
My college roomie has a D at Lafayette and loves it.
familyof3boys, my son will definitely be applying for the diabetes scholarships. Just been waiting for the app to open!
Lafayette seems really good, but I think my son is so done (overdone is probably more like it). He still has scholarship essays for WPI, UCCS, and possibly one more. And then the diabetes scholarship app(s). Probably won’t do Fullerton’s scholarship app since it’s for full tuition which we’ll already get because of the Cal Grant.
I think at this point, he is ready to think about other things. I will try not to stress when having to submit the FAFSA to all those schools-don’t want to worry about whether or not schools see how you list them. Bleh. Fingers in my ears, hands over eyes.
Regarding Dartmouth, alcohol, and fraternities…
Perhaps the OP should start a thread on the Dartmouth section asking for current Dartmouth students who do not drink alcohol to describe their social experiences there.
@saintfan, wow. I know DU has a bit of a reputation, but DS, who is a non-drinker, seems very happy there so far. I wonder if the choice of residence hall makes a difference? He says Halls is just “a crazy place,” while Towers (where he is staying) is more quiet and laid-back.
He did attend a Halloween party that he said was “no fun” because “no one wanted to have any interesting conversations or anything”. I just chalked that up to it being his first term, and still working on finding his place. I hope he doesn’t end up miserable, like your friend who transferred out. I guess we’ll see.
Wow, so many Lafayette leopards on this forum. Great to see! OP: I totally understand the application fatigue. Having two boys in a row was nerve racking. I tossed an turned so much over the last 18 months. I think it all comes out mostly right in the end. In addition, my boys were not always easygoing when it came to applications. So I understand if your son is putting his foot down. It’s so easy to get overloaded.
your son has really good stats. i have a slightly lower SAT score and GPA but a ton of AP’s and leadership and EC’s, etc. but i’ve been receiving some really good scholarships. how much does he care about prestige? because i’m in the same position as you guys, (above average but below superstar stats, low income) and i’ve been applying to a whole range of schools. some pretty good and well regarded schools like Northeastern offered a lot of merit scholarship (60K over 4 years), but as their cost of attendance is around 65k a year, the merit itself still doesn’t make it affordable. but at some smaller, ‘safety’ schools that are not highly regarded (around 50%) acceptance rate, i’ve received scholarships ranging over $100,000 over four years. with his stats he has similar options as mine, he might not be able to get into the amazing elite schools that offer 100% needs-meets financial such as the ivies, etc. but he could either receive decent scholarship at a good private school, or a very good scholarship at a not so great school. then it depends on your FA, certain things might qualify you guys for more $$, I.E. divorced? # of dependents? # of college students in household? etc. my aunt is an accountant so she’s been handling most of my FA stuff for me, but my mom is a small business owner so doesn’t make too much money, and i have no contact with my non custodial parent so i will probably receive more money due to that fact. it really differs in each case