Anonymous wrote:Look into housing at WPI. Last year sophomores were having trouble getting on-campus housing. The school is buying two hotels to convert them to dorms, but in the interim it is tight. Otherwise it is a great school.

Many kids choose to move off campus. Mine was on campus through junior year, but most friends chose to move off after first year. Off campus housing is close to campus, cheaper, and easy to get.

Anonymous wrote:Restricting your kid's college choice based on distance is a total helicopter parent move.

There are many good reasons to make this call, including the cost of travel and seeing a colleges stats on where the kids get jobs. Mine turned down a school out west after learning that 90% of students stay in that city for jobs.

Look into housing at WPI. Last year sophomores were having trouble getting on-campus housing. The school is buying two hotels to convert them to dorms, but in the interim it is tight. Otherwise it is a great school.

My WPI kid was like yours (not a 4.0 though); our DC's and similar friends' other Eastern options were Lehigh, W&M, RIT, RPI, VATech, Pitt, and Northeastern (some off of WL). I would not write off Case.

In the end, just encourage him to apply to some of the schools he's rejecting for various reasons now, knowing that revisiting later if admitted may change his mind.

Anonymous wrote:Look at Clarkson. It's prettier and friendlier than RPI.

He'd likely get a spot in the Honors Program, which would give him a scholarship and funding to do undergrad research. Students then leverage that experience to get excellent internships.

Anonymous wrote:Look at Clarkson. It's prettier and friendlier than RPI.

+1.

Anonymous wrote:Restricting your kid's college choice based on distance is a total helicopter parent move.

Why?

My dad went to Stevens! He was in a fraternity. He went back to visit the house over the years and he was horrified that the brothers kept their doors closed instead of socializing together.

Mines is a good option.

Purdue is good.

In CA, Santa Clara University has a respectable engineering program and there are internships all over.

Not sure if he is open to reconsidering a large state school but there are so many options. Engineering students tend to stick together. If you can get into an honors program that houses the honors students together, it won’t feel as big.

Look at Clarkson. It's prettier and friendlier than RPI.

Mine had basically the same stats, did very well at WPI--second choice was Mines (much more structured curriculum though). Also applied to Purdue (deferred), Michigan (deferred), Pitt (in but last choice), and CU Boulder (in for exploratory studies not CS). Did not like Northeastern/RPI (not interested in co-ops), Va Tech (too structured of a curriculum for CS within Eng Dept), VCU (too urban), Rose Hulman (too male dominated although Mines was edging towards this as well).

Restricting your kid's college choice based on distance is a total helicopter parent move.

Mines is great! And easy to get to from the Denver airport.

My sister went to WPI. She had a good experience there. I believe she also applied to RPI and RIT. She also applied to GMI, which is now called Kettering University.

He wants to study electrical engineering. He didn't like RIT because of the difficulty students report getting the required coops. He didn't like RPI because he thought the location was bleak. He didn't like Stevens because he knows someone who goes there who had difficulty making friends. He's on the fence about Rose Hulman due to the location (he liked the school itself ok).

He did like Colorado School of Mines, but we are concerned that it is far.

I am not sure where else to look. He has a 4.0 GPA and a 1480 SAT, does not want a big state school. He won't get into Case Western.

He needs some other options besides WPI, which I agree is a solid choice.