Where should my science oriented kid apply?

Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My kid starts its junior year and it seems time to start thinking about college. Maybe do some visit.
I come from Europe, so open to UK and European schools, but I know little about US schools.

A- minus kid taking advanced math, and physics and wants to study science.
Maybe biology, genetics or even engineering.
She is an avid reader, intense climber,...


Which schools should we consider for bio/genetic?





A- student in "advanced math" yet it sounds as though it is regular physics? Unless advanced math means Calculus in 11th or 12th grade and there are lots of IB or AP classes, the student seems a little above average at most high schools, not likely to be top 25% considering most publics set the average to around an A- , so VT is going to be mildly reachy and William and Mary and UVA will be out of reach. In virginia, a slightly above average student from a typical public high school should target JMU ,VCU, or GMU which are great for many subjects including science, but also good if the major changes. In state is the best bang for buck, no need to spend on OOS publics or on privates, it is a waste of money almost always. All three give an excellent education and can lead to great careers in science.


Nowadays advanced math means Linear algebra in 12-th, Advanced Calculus in 11-th. A- is below average in public schools, but a top student in private schools.
OP can apply many of the t20 schools.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:My kid starts its junior year and it seems time to start thinking about college. Maybe do some visit.
I come from Europe, so open to UK and European schools, but I know little about US schools.

A- minus kid taking advanced math, and physics and wants to study science.
Maybe biology, genetics or even engineering.
She is an avid reader, intense climber,...


Which schools should we consider for bio/genetic?





If you’re really managing the admissions process, she’s neurotypical, she studies at a decent school and she doesn’t have strong ideas about where to focus, focus on state schools, including regional schools and the flagship, in your home state, if she likes the idea of going to a big school in state.

Consider the University of Vermont or the University of Maine if she wants to go out of state.

If you’d have an easy time paying what college cost estimators say you should pay, and your daughter wants a smaller school, look at places like Hollins, Lewis & Clark, Willamette, Whitman, SUNY Geneseo or UNC Asheville.
Anonymous
For UK, Imperial is very good. Housing in London is an issue with Imperial or any other U of London college...

Recent thread in the Jobs forum suggests biomedical is a fine career, but also that a BS in Biomedical is not sufficient to work in the field. Might want to investigate the academic requirements for actual posted jobs in biomedical if objective is a career in that field.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My kid starts its junior year and it seems time to start thinking about college. Maybe do some visit.
I come from Europe, so open to UK and European schools, but I know little about US schools.

A- minus kid taking advanced math, and physics and wants to study science.
Maybe biology, genetics or even engineering.
She is an avid reader, intense climber,...


Which schools should we consider for bio/genetic?





A- student in "advanced math" yet it sounds as though it is regular physics? Unless advanced math means Calculus in 11th or 12th grade and there are lots of IB or AP classes, the student seems a little above average at most high schools, not likely to be top 25% considering most publics set the average to around an A- , so VT is going to be mildly reachy and William and Mary and UVA will be out of reach. In virginia, a slightly above average student from a typical public high school should target JMU ,VCU, or GMU which are great for many subjects including science, but also good if the major changes. In state is the best bang for buck, no need to spend on OOS publics or on privates, it is a waste of money almost always. All three give an excellent education and can lead to great careers in science.


OP here: thanks, their advanced math math class is Calculus in 11 grade, and they are taking upper level physics as well.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My kid starts its junior year and it seems time to start thinking about college. Maybe do some visit.
I come from Europe, so open to UK and European schools, but I know little about US schools.

A- minus kid taking advanced math, and physics and wants to study science.
Maybe biology, genetics or even engineering.
She is an avid reader, intense climber,...


Which schools should we consider for bio/genetic?




There's not really enough information here for anyone to offer helpful advice. There are more than 5000 colleges and universities in the US. Plus the Canadian universities. Try to offer some more specific info. Rock climbing girl who is possibly interested in biology, open to anywhere in the world, seeks suggestions - isn't much to work with.


Sorry about that... but kid is only a junior so we want to make a few visits and then learn more.
Once we go beyond the top ten schoolz that everyone obsess over, I was wondering which schools have the best biology - genetic programs in US to go and visit
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:For UK, Imperial is very good. Housing in London is an issue with Imperial or any other U of London college...

Recent thread in the Jobs forum suggests biomedical is a fine career, but also that a BS in Biomedical is not sufficient to work in the field. Might want to investigate the academic requirements for actual posted jobs in biomedical if objective is a career in that field.


Thanks
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My kid starts its junior year and it seems time to start thinking about college. Maybe do some visit.
I come from Europe, so open to UK and European schools, but I know little about US schools.

A- minus kid taking advanced math, and physics and wants to study science.
Maybe biology, genetics or even engineering.
She is an avid reader, intense climber,...


Which schools should we consider for bio/genetic?





A- student in "advanced math" yet it sounds as though it is regular physics? Unless advanced math means Calculus in 11th or 12th grade and there are lots of IB or AP classes, the student seems a little above average at most high schools, not likely to be top 25% considering most publics set the average to around an A- , so VT is going to be mildly reachy and William and Mary and UVA will be out of reach. In virginia, a slightly above average student from a typical public high school should target JMU ,VCU, or GMU which are great for many subjects including science, but also good if the major changes. In state is the best bang for buck, no need to spend on OOS publics or on privates, it is a waste of money almost always. All three give an excellent education and can lead to great careers in science.


Nowadays advanced math means Linear algebra in 12-th, Advanced Calculus in 11-th. A- is below average in public schools, but a top student in private schools.
OP can apply many of the t20 schools.


OP here; Yes kids is in a private school, doing Advanced Calculus in 11-th , upper level physics.
Challenging classes and doing fine, but not stellar
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My kid starts its junior year and it seems time to start thinking about college. Maybe do some visit.
I come from Europe, so open to UK and European schools, but I know little about US schools.

A- minus kid taking advanced math, and physics and wants to study science.
Maybe biology, genetics or even engineering.
She is an avid reader, intense climber,...


Which schools should we consider for bio/genetic?



A- student in "advanced math" yet it sounds as though it is regular physics? Unless advanced math means Calculus in 11th or 12th grade and there are lots of IB or AP classes, the student seems a little above average at most high schools, not likely to be top 25% considering most publics set the average to around an A- , so VT is going to be mildly reachy and William and Mary and UVA will be out of reach. In virginia, a slightly above average student from a typical public high school should target JMU ,VCU, or GMU which are great for many subjects including science, but also good if the major changes. In state is the best bang for buck, no need to spend on OOS publics or on privates, it is a waste of money almost always. All three give an excellent education and can lead to great careers in science.


OP here: thanks, their advanced math math class is Calculus in 11 grade, and they are taking upper level physics as well.


You haven’t given a lot of details. The fact that you seem to be picking her schools and that she might not have done much on her own is a sign that she’s not a great fit for the admissions rat race.

She might be a bright student who’d do fine at Harvard, but, if she hasn’t had a preliminary list of schools in mind since she was in middle school, she might not be resourceful enough or ambitious enough to have great odds of getting into places like Harvard or Oxford.

Or, maybe she’s just too mature to want obsess about college rankings. But, whether you’re the one pushing this forward because she’s overwhelmed or mature, that’s a sign that she doesn’t need the stress involved with applying to places like MIT. So, if you’re managing this process, ignore lists of “top” or “best” schools. Look for pleasant, well-funded schools in satisfactory locations that aren’t that hard to get into.

If your daughter can handle state schools, the options might include your state flagship, regional schools in your state, and equivalent state schools in states with nice mountains, like New York, Massachusetts, Vermont or New Hampshire.

If she prefers a smaller school, she should look for liberal arts schools neer those state schools.

If I’m misunderstanding your situation, your daughter is really handling this and you’re just cross checking:

- Make sure you and your daughter know what you can afford to pay, and provide enough financial information that your daughter can get realistic net price estimates from college price estimator tools.

- Commit to providing that money even if your child changes gender and your wife runs off with the gardener. It’s just so mean when kids get into places like Yale and the kids can’t afford to go simply because the parents are childish, not because of genuine financial problems.

- Make sure your daughter understands the concept of financial safeties. Putting your state flagship on the list is easy. The hard part is finding the well-funded, well-run public regional school that would be thrilled to have your daughter, would give her a good scholarship and would do its best to give her a flagship-level education.
Anonymous
Oberlin
Vassar
U Rochester
Wash U
Pitt
Indiana
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Oberlin
Vassar
U Rochester
Wash U
Pitt
Indiana



I was coming to suggest similar. Plus Case Western.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Look into Oxford and this program https://eit.org/ellisonscholars/

Ellison is not an ideal human but his money has its uses.


I don't think Oxford is taking A- kids.
Anonymous
Longwood
VMI
Elon
UMBC
Arizona
Denver
Anonymous
U. Toronto, U. Waterloo, McGill, and U.BC in Canada.

At least Imperial, UCL, Oxbridge, and St Andrews in the UK. Depending on intended degree, there are other UK options.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:U. Toronto, U. Waterloo, McGill, and U.BC in Canada.

At least Imperial, UCL, Oxbridge, and St Andrews in the UK. Depending on intended degree, there are other UK options.


Thanks
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Oberlin
Vassar
U Rochester
Wash U
Pitt
Indiana


Thanks
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