Additional Suggestions for Kid who Liked UNC-Chapel Hill and CU Boulder?
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Anonymous
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I have a 16 y.o. Junior son and we have visited the following schools just to "get a feel" and here are his impressions:
(We're from Virginia; cost isn't a factor.) UNC-Chapel Hill- LOVED it. Good business programs. Engineering not so much. Beautiful campus, loved the amazing school spirit, kids look "normal" (his words), self-contained campus, not too urban but not in the middle of no where, decent dorms. Weather wasn't his favorite but not a deal breaker. University Colorado Boulder - LOVED it. Good business/engineering programs. Beautiful campus, mountains (avid skier), school spirit (esp. the buffalo), he likes the kids aren't too hippy, food looks great, dorms are great, sports stadium in campus center. He promises he won't smoke pot. University of Denver - feels too urban University of Michigan - feels too large, crowded, kids seem too rushed and stressed out for him. "It didn't seem like a friendly place." Northwestern University - too urban, kids seem too studious (lmao - I'm worried) University of Virginia - They don't get enough snow. Thomas Jefferson historic class buildings way too serious for him. Students seem uptight (his words). I loved this school btw William and Mary - Too small and stuffy for him. They don't get enough snow. Next few months we are visiting: University Wisconsin Madison, UMass Amherst, U of Vermont, JMU. Addtnl. Background info: He wants to major in business and/or engineering. Attends a competitive HS Current GPA 3.7 and should improve All honors/AP classes (incl AP Calc and AP physics 1,2), 4 years foreign language In HS 4 year pre-engineering program Took 1 "cold" practice ACT and got a 30 (he's now in an ACT prep class) 4 years of H.S. Sports, summer jobs, various clubs and school leadership roles Lots of volunteer hours, including Int'l trips Based on his college visit opinions (and love of Colorado, UNC-Chapel Hill), what other schools may have similar attributes and be a good fit? (DH and I are both from out of the country so we are not super familiar with all the colleges here!) |
Anonymous
| Chapel Hill and UC Boulder have practically no overlap in student applications, I'd guess. Those are very different schools. |
Anonymous
| What kind of school does he go to now? Large public? Small private? |
Anonymous
Huh. We actually found them to be pretty similar, or at least my son liked the same things about each of them. Interestingly enough Boulder was nothing like (thankfully) the hippy, pot-smoking Mecca I thought it would be (my son had even told me it wouldn't be like that). We were very impressed by the kids at the school - and we like to hang out and talk to the students at the college food courts, bars, parks, etc.. The student academics/ activities/internships (eg. NASA) were very impressive and there was a friendly, laid back yet professional vibe about the entire place. This was the exact same impression we got at UNC-Chapel Hill. |
Anonymous
Large public |
Anonymous
I should add it is at this large public school where he has totally thrived and really liked his time, so I think for those reasons he is more apt to look at large public colleges as well. |
Anonymous
How is his liver? Wisconsin ain't for amateurs. 
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Anonymous
| I would like to apologize for my previous comment. Wisconsin is probably a better school than Boulder but the skiing sucks. Tyrol Basin has like 300 feet of vertical drop. |
Anonymous
Might as well just stop looking. CU is a great school in an amazing location. I loved every minute at CU and would love to be back in Boulder. Of course, I'm from Colorado and miss it terribly. However, don't kid yourself on the pot thing. Of course he's gonna smoke weed at CU. |
Anonymous
Lots of snow. But does Chapel Hill get lots of snow? But in all, most of these schools are total reaches. Enjoy JMU or Colorado. |
Anonymous
| I, too, was seduced by Chapel Hill on first viewing, and then spent years wishing I had gone to Duke. UNC-CH is so very Southern and...provincial. It was like a foreign land from the DC area. |
Anonymous
| Okay, I’m prejudice. I graduated from CU and my time there was amazing. I have a close group from my time there and they are all doing amazing things. UNC, on the whole, has a more southern preppy vibe to it. #GoBuffs! |
Anonymous
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Clearly he wants beauty. There is a list of such schools.
I would do what you can to learn more about what makes the academic programs different. That actually matters. CU Boulder's engineering school is very hard to get into. My kid got merit aid at similar places and not let in there. Your list of schools suggests you don't yet know where he is likely to get in. He will love Madison. Everyone does. |
Anonymous
Yup. He'll smoke. Or eat, or do whatever people do now. Nt so easy to get in to Boulder Engineering anymore. My kid got into the A&S honors college, but not direct admit to engineering. |
Anonymous
| You should check out Virginia Tech, great in engineering, good in business. Campus is beautiful and most that go there love it. I was in the ski club when I was there (annual trips out west). UNC-CH is very mild in terms of temp. When they get weather, it's generally ice. My friends from Boulder tell me it's a great party school. |