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Searching for Colleges

ScarletKnight41 Jun 17 2006 11:51 PM

The SATs are in, and we're starting to search for colleges for Impulse2. For those of you who have been in this position in recent years, what search tools did you find to be the most helpful? collegeboard.com is somewhat helpful, but I'd like to see whether other search engines have different search criteria.

Nymr83 Jun 18 2006 12:07 AM

Scarlet- check out the SUNY schools impulse2- this font is probably too small for the old folks to read, go to a SUNY school and spend four years drinking and smoking

ScarletKnight41 Jun 18 2006 07:40 AM

Nah - Impulse2 has some very specific curriculum needs, and SUNY doesn't meet them.

SteveJRogers Jun 18 2006 09:41 AM

Can't go wrong with Fairfield University in beautifull Fairfield, CT [url]http://www.fairfield.edu[/url] Minutes away from a great beach, you can get some ocean front property Junior and Senior years. Quiet, relaxed suburban town, not a small town mind you, just like any North East corridor suburb.

ScarletKnight41 Jun 18 2006 10:36 AM

OK - before y'all just throw out schools, here are the criteria - The school needs to have a Musical Theater major, with musical theater courses open to non-theater majors. It needs to have a women's fencing team, or at least intramural fencing. She would like for it to also have archery and/or a marching band, but those are flexible criteria. If you know of a school that has all of these things, PLMK. Thanks.

Nymr83 Jun 18 2006 10:51 AM

]It needs to have a women's fencing team, or at least intramural fencing. She would like for it to also have archery and/or a marching band, but those are flexible criteria i do not support women using swords or bows, it can be very dangerous to us asshole guys. despite being a recent graduate, i have nothing constructive to add to this thread, i'll go back to mocking soccer now...

sharpie Jun 18 2006 11:02 AM

We've been doing this for a while. Drive around. Look at places so she has a feel for what she likes. The Princeton Review 357 Best Colleges book has been invaluable for us.

ScarletKnight41 Jun 18 2006 11:06 AM

Thanks sharpie - I'll check that out.

ScarletKnight41 Jun 18 2006 11:06 AM

]impulse2- this font is probably too small for the old folks to read, go to a SUNY school and spend four years drinking and smoking Who's an old folk?

Nymr83 Jun 18 2006 11:56 AM

don't going blowing it up for everyone to see damnit! :)

seawolf17 Jun 18 2006 12:54 PM

It is almost impossible not to find a SUNY campus that meets your criteria. Musical Theater (BA): [url=http://www.geneseo.edu/academic_depts/index.php?pg=Sota&content=programss.php]Geneseo[/url], Cortland Musical Theater (BFA): Buffalo State, Fredonia Fencing: [url=http://www.geneseo.edu/~fencing/]Geneseo[/url], Fredonia, Cortland You're not going to find marching bands at most of the liberal arts colleges, because there's not much of a call for marching bands at schools without football teams. All the university centers (Stony Brook, Binghamton, Buffalo, Albany) have them, I believe. Archery is hard to find; it's available as a PE course most places, but not much more than that. There's a reason SUNY's on the cover of this week's Chronicle of Higher Education. It's because we kick ass.

Edgy DC Jun 18 2006 01:14 PM

]Can't go wrong with Fairfield University. She can be president of the Jewish Student Association by sophomore year!

SteveJRogers Jun 18 2006 01:23 PM

]OK - before y'all just throw out schools, here are the criteria - The school needs to have a Musical Theater major, with musical theater courses open to non-theater majors. There is drama stuff at Fairfield, not sure off hand what they offer in terms of majors within the Liberal Arts majors. Great facilities for theatre, both drama and musicals ] It needs to have a women's fencing team, or at least intramural fencing. Not much of a clue about that, could research for ya. ]She would like for it to also have archery and/or a marching band, but those are flexible criteria. Marching band yes (sadly no football) archery, not sure...

SteveJRogers Jun 18 2006 01:26 PM

Edgy DC wrote: ]Can't go wrong with Fairfield University. She can be president of the Jewish Student Association by sophomore year! Hey now, don't let the Jesuit thing scare you. Yes there is a chapel on campus, yes ministers do teach courses, but its not an indoctrination school by any means. No other forms of outwards Catholicism really exist other than the ones I mentioned (well not counting all the various chartitable activities that Campus Ministry and non Ministry groups do) Great theology department though that explores the whole gamut of organized religions. You get a Jesuit education, but you won't be converted into a Jesuit

Edgy DC Jun 18 2006 02:07 PM

No doubt. I imagine their share of Jewish students are comparable to the population at large. Perhaps greater if you count the grad school.

Elster88 Jun 18 2006 03:05 PM

Apply to as few as you can. If you can find one that she loves, go early decision. A huge plus.

ScarletKnight41 Jun 18 2006 08:34 PM

Wolf - that's a helpful list. Thanks. Are you sure that Cortland has fencing? collegeboard.com doesn't list that. Mole - is that where you teach?

ScarletKnight41 Jun 24 2006 03:41 PM

Does anyone know anything about Bard College? Mole - is that anywhere near where you are?

sharpie Jun 24 2006 04:07 PM

Of all the schools my daughter has looked at, it is so far her fave. Not sure how we could afford it, though.

ScarletKnight41 Jun 24 2006 04:10 PM

Thanks sharpie - that's good to hear.

seawolf17 Jun 24 2006 04:34 PM

="Elster88"]If you can find one that she loves, go early decision. A huge plus. Not necessarily; that's usually a big misconception. It doesn't always help your application to go ED or EA. Check with the school first.

Edgy DC Jun 25 2006 12:19 AM

I think Mole teaches New Paltz, which has historically had the reputation --- probably less than fairly --- of being the druggingest of the SUNYs.

Nymr83 Jun 25 2006 11:02 AM

nah, thats StOneonta. my school on the other hand was the #1 party school in the country!

Johnny Dickshot Jun 25 2006 11:23 AM

Prolly doesn't make sense for you Jerseyites to consider SUNY, but Fredonia has a well-regarded BFA/Theater/arts program. I'm in favor of sending kids to one of those schools that you only hear about in the college basketball agate. Austin Peay, Troy State, Drake, Winthrop, etc.

ScarletKnight41 Jun 25 2006 11:29 AM

Good to know about Fredonia. But you're right - if we're going the public route, The College of New Jersey is close, it has some good programs, and the in-state tuition is insanely low.

TheOldMole Jun 25 2006 11:32 AM

]I think Mole teaches New Paltz, which has historically had the reputation --- probably less than fairly --- of being the druggingest of the SUNYs. Fairly at one time, not really the case any more. Before that, I taught at Marist, which one year made Playboy's list of top party schools, and was known colloquially as "Mattress College."

ScarletKnight41 Jun 25 2006 11:40 AM

Okay.... (quietly crossing Marist off of the list). Seriously - she's not looking for a party school. A strong English department is important - she's leaning towards an English major at the moment.

Nymr83 Jun 25 2006 11:52 AM

count Albany out then, the "English department" is actually the feminazi department. you'd be better off as a communications major there lol. the SUNY schools are great but i'd really question going there if you have to pay out of state tuition which is MUCH higher without getting money from the school (or elsewhere)

TheOldMole Jun 25 2006 08:10 PM

Well, if she goes to New Paltz, there's a chance I may have a real job there. I'm one of three finalists.

ScarletKnight41 Jun 25 2006 09:50 PM

Good luck Mole!

Rockin' Doc Jun 27 2006 12:37 AM

It's tough for kids to know what they want to do with their lives at this age. My son is still wrestling with his options. He's leaning towards pursuing a career in engineering. He's currently attending a 6 day engineering camp on the campus of North Carolina State. He's trying to get a glimpse of what college life (dorm rooms, cafeteria food, etc.) is like, while getting a taste of what engineering is about. Hopefully, it will be a beneficial experience for him.

seawolf17 Jun 27 2006 06:59 AM

[url=http://www.stonybrook.edu/sb/claims/]Stony Brook University[/url]'s [url=http://www.stonybrook.edu/sb/departments/ceas.shtml]College of Engineering & Applied Sciences[/url] Hey, it's my job.

Johnny Dickshot Jun 27 2006 07:21 AM

Fine school for engineering:

Edgy DC Jun 27 2006 07:36 AM

Doc's kid is further along at 16 than I am at 39.

Rockin' Doc Jun 27 2006 10:31 AM

Well, the only money that "happens" to him is when he says, "Dad, I need some money for gas/food/golfing/the mall/etc.... At heart, he's a good kid, so I really can't complain. If we could only get him to get along with his sister we'd be set.

Lundy Jun 27 2006 10:46 AM

Back when I was looking at colleges, the college fairs that were held at my high school were very helpful. And whatever colleges you narrow it down to, be sure to visit each campus. I had my heart set on going to Syracuse before I saw campuses. After visits, I knew Syracuse wasn't for me, and ended up going to Ohio.

Vic Sage Jun 27 2006 02:56 PM Edited 2 time(s), most recently on Jun 27 2006 03:33 PM

Thirty years ago, my parents were woefully negligent in the "college search" process, and i had absolutely no interest in the subject either. I prepared not at all for the SATs. I took it once, at the soonest possible date, got a mediocre 1150, and never thought about it again. It was made pretty clear to me that i was going to go to a SUNY school because we couldn't afford anything else, and significant scholarship money from anywhere seemed unlikely. I did no research, spoke to no counselors, read no books. My parents didn't either, and never asked me about it. They took me to visit no campuses. My older brothers had gone to Albany and Stony Brook, respectively, so I knew what those schools looked like, more or less. So, i applied to both, and to Binghamton, which was the best liberal arts university in the SUNY system at that time (probably still is). Cortland was my "safety school". I didn't get into Binghamton, but got in at the other 3. I ended up going to Stony Brook, because it was close enough to home (2 hours) that i could get home easily enough, when i wanted to, but far enough away that i didn't go home very often. Albany was just a bit too far, and was too cold. This story is absolutely appalling to the modern parent. In fact, I've seen some parents stare at me in horror when I've described my "college search" experience. That being said, my brothers and I all are sucessful professionals. Older brother Steve went on to get a masters in physics from Berkeley before going to NY Medical School. He is a well-regarded doctor and researcher in South Florida, (he teaches and runs an alzheimer clinic research center). Middle brother Herb became a filmmaker, and now has his own business, directing and editing shows for special markets. In recent years he did Julia Child's show, and now does "America's Test Kitchen" and "Daisy Cooks" for PBS. And I went on to law school and now am executive director of a venerable institution in the theater industry. My point? While i think my parents were grossly negligent in taking absolutely no interest in my college search (such as it was), ultimately, i think too much is made of it today. Like much else, we modern parents have overcomensated by putting ourselves in service to our kids' every whim. It starts with getting them into the "right" daycare and then pre-school programs. Then the "right" prep school, so the dear tot can get into a proper Ivy League school... then, of course, when the kid drops out, becoming a junkie working in the porn industry, the parents blame themselves because they didn't do enough. But they did alot, because they taught their child all the wrong lessons about what is important in this life and what is not. One of my nephews applied to 8 schools, from New England to the Southwest... everywhere EXCEPT for the SUNY schools that would have been more affordable, and some of which give perfectly decent educations to those interested in getting one. Instead, my brother then spent a fortune touring each of those campuses with his son. the boy ended up going to Arizona, because they had the best sports program. But he is not a particularly good athlete, and has no professional aspirations. He just wanted to go where they had good football, basketball and baseball teams for him to see. He chose his school based on a rooting interest! For that, my brother saved money for 15 years, re-financed his home, and co-signed student loans. I've heard similar tales from other relatives, friends and acquaintances, with parents sacrificing economic stability and endangering their ability to survive in retirement ... all so their kids can have the "very best". Punchline? My nephew dropped out of Arizona after 1 semester (homesick and roomate problems), and now attends a SUNY, which he hadn't originally applied to or toured, and is very happy. We overvalue brand names, both as a general matter, and especially in the area of education. By and large, you get the kind of education you're willing to work to get. And you can work, or jerk off, anywhere. The success of the Ivy League schools is based largely on brand names, not superiority of education. They are old, venerated institutions, and their alumni are a rich and successful bunch, coming as they most often did from rich and successful families in the first place. As the schools became more accessable to the middle classes over the years, it allowed the less advantaged Type A overachievers to rub elbows with their uppercrust classmates, giving them the network to succeed as "movers and shakers" later in life. Thus perpetuating the cycle of "successful people go there so people become successful who go there". And maybe if your plan is to become a captain of industry or political leader, the networking and brand name creditibility offered by an Ivy League education is still the way to go. But for the rest of us mortals who define "success" differently... who just want to be able to live comfortably, raise a family, and make a meaningful contribution to the world, while finding some modicum of happiness as a consequence thereof... then a brand name education is unneccessary. And unless your daughter is in line for a FENCING SCHOLARSHIP and/or plans for fencing to be an important part of her life after her college days, then the idea that you might have to pay $30K-$40K a year for a private or o-o-s school to get her a good fencing program, instead of paying $10K/yr for a state school without one, seems crazy to me. For a fraction of the money saved, she could take private fencing lessons for her entire college career.

MFS62 Jun 27 2006 03:15 PM

Vic, beautifully said. It gets to the heart of why I spun off the thread asking the relationship of what everyone studied to what they're doing now. My oldest daughter wanted to be a Biology Major, and applied to and was accepted by eight schools, public and private. She decided to go to SUNY Binghamton because it was the only school at which she was assured that underclass students could participate in research. Between her Sophomore and Junior years, she decided to change her major to Psycho-Biology (A hot major at the time). When we asked why she would want to take all those Psych courses, she preplied "So I can understand you and mom better". She went on to her her BS degree with that dual major. Bottom line, she now is a sales manager in the record distribution industry. She'd probably tell you that the Psych courses help her in selling. But, who knew? And she's happy. Later

ScarletKnight41 Jun 27 2006 03:44 PM

Vic - I definitely realize that the properly motivated individual will do well anywhere. And we're not ruling out public schools - TCNY is on our list. I also don't think that this child will be going Ivy - she's not drawn to that, and we're not pushing her. That said, Ivy League schools do have their benefits. I know that the core curriculum at Columbia is excellent. Also, aside from politics and "movers and shakers", they are great for anyone interested in a career in academia. We aren't looking for status. We aren't looking for rooting interests. We're looking for a school where our daughter will be comfortable, happy and productive for four years. We're at the gathering information point, and don't anticipate visiting tons of far-flung schools just for the sake of it.

Vic Sage Jun 27 2006 04:16 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jun 27 2006 04:50 PM

ScarletKnight41 wrote: That said, Ivy League schools do have their benefits. I know that the core curriculum at Columbia is excellent. Also, aside from politics and "movers and shakers", they are great for anyone interested in a career in academia. . The core curriculum at a lot of schools that are alot cheaper than Columbia are excellent, too. And while Academia is brand conscious, too, its not to such an extent that its a career necessity. I used to live in a building next to Sarah Lawrence college, and many of the teachers lived there. We became friendly with a great number of them. Not one that i can recall was Ivy-league educated. And this is at Sarah Lawrence, one of the most prestigous (and most expensive!!) universities in the country. ScarletKnight41 wrote: We aren't looking for status. We aren't looking for rooting interests. We're looking for a school where our daughter will be comfortable, happy and productive for four years. We're at the gathering information point, and don't anticipate visiting tons of far-flung schools just for the sake of it. Sounds like a plan! Really, S, i wasn't suggesting that you or DD were status-seekers. you're both too grounded and clear-headed for that, and i apologize if it came across otherwise. I'm just talking in general terms about modern parental priorities when it comes to education. I used the "fencing" thing because it just struck me as an example of the kind of bizarre things kids might make a priority but parents don't necessarily need to, when deciding which school they're willing to pay for.

Nymr83 Jun 27 2006 04:21 PM

]Albany was just a bit too far, and was too cold. Albany weather rocks. I only wish i was there now rather than sweating my balls off in the city.

Willets Point Jun 27 2006 04:23 PM

Nymr83 wrote: ]Albany was just a bit too far, and was too cold. Albany weather rocks. I only wish i was there now rather than sweating my balls off in the city. There's an image I didn't want to have in my head.

ScarletKnight41 Jun 27 2006 05:12 PM

Vic Sage wrote: Really, S, i wasn't suggesting that you or DD were status-seekers. you're both too grounded and clear-headed for that, and i apologize if it came across otherwise. Understood, V.

Johnny Dickshot Jun 27 2006 06:05 PM

my story is the same as Vic's except for the part about eventually becoming a success.

sharpie Jun 27 2006 09:53 PM

I didn't know anybody back in my day who was sweating the stuff that people sweat these days. Maybe I was just hanging out with the wrong underachieving crowd, but things just were different. That said, we for the most part don't allow our daughter to look at schools we either couldn't possibly afford or that don't give good financial aid (that's where that book comes in especially handy).

Rockin' Doc Jun 27 2006 11:24 PM

I think the entire process has changed from when many of us were growing up. We didn't put a great deal of thought into the process and information on schools was not as readily available as it is now. My 3 best friends and I all ended up attending in state schools, partly because they were close and easy to get information on. Today the kids are pushed by counsellors, teachers, and parents from an early age. They are pressured to be in the top echelon of the class academically, active in extra curricular activities, and told they must score well on the SAT's or they will never get into the "good" schools. As Vic pointed out earlier, it seems that the entire process has gotten out of hand. Too much pressure is being put on the kids. My son had a 4.00 his first two years of high school. This year he made a B in Spanish III and a C in English. As a result he was passed over for the National Honor Society and he actually had a counsellor, a pair of teachers, and several classmates advise him that he might as well kiss his chances of getting into the School of Engineering at NC State goodbye. It took nearly two weeks to drag the boy out of his depression. There is simply too much pressure being put on the kids.

silverdsl Jun 28 2006 09:30 AM

Hofstra University has an excellent English program and has theater classes that I believe are open to non-majors. The theater program is very well-regarded as well. As for the extra-curricular stuff - there are many clubs and organizations including a fencing club and there's also a marching band. Why yes, I do work for Hofstra, how'd you guess? When I went though the whole college-finding process 15 years ago or so, I agree that the pressure was less in some ways, but it was no less stressful for me because I probably visited 15 colleges with my parents and didn't feel comfortable at too many of them, even though they all had very good reputations academically. I didn't give Hofstra much thought but once we visited I discovered that it was the school for me (and I'm still here to this day). So things might change in surprising ways in terms of what colleges seem like the "right" ones as the process goes along.

TheOldMole Jun 28 2006 10:22 AM

My middle daughter went to Hofstra, and majored in English and theater.

ScarletKnight41 Jun 30 2006 07:01 PM

The search narrowed considerably yesterday. After touring NYU, my daughter is sold on the concept of studying in a city with a major theater presence. We're primarily looking at New York City and DC now. SUNY doesn't have any NYC campuses, does it?

Rockin' Doc Jun 30 2006 11:21 PM

This evening, RD Jr. came home from his week of engineering camp at NC State. They had to build an alternate fuel vehicle from a kit. Today they raced their car to see how well their designs did. Jr took first place in the solar powered division. His water driven fuel cell design didn't do as well. Lost a tire in the second heat and had to bow out of further competition.. He had quite an eye opening experience. He broke two toes playing "extreme hockey" in the gym one evening. He also found a young lady that he seems to be quite infatuated with. Since she gave him her e-mail address, cell phone and home phone numbers "before I got the courage to ask her", it appears the feeling may be mutual. His enthusiasm for engineering has, for now at least, been reinvigorated.

seawolf17 Jul 01 2006 03:11 PM

The only SUNY city campuses are FIT and Downstate Medical Center.

ScarletKnight41 Jul 01 2006 03:29 PM

My dad went to Downstate, long before it was a SUNY school. FIT is not anywhere near the radar.

A Boy Named Seo Jul 02 2006 03:27 PM

A guy I work with here in CA is finishing his BS in Math and Technology at SUNY-Empire State College this fall. He highly recommended it to me because I've been talking about finishing mine in the same field for years. He says they "really have it together for their online courses." I took their virtual tour and it sounds geared toward continuing ed for working professionals (me) and the tuition for their "Distance Learning" (me) is the same as their in-state rates, which is cool, though my work will be reimbursing me for all of it. I've got 4 days off a week, so it's really the best time for me to do this if I'm going to do it. I've ordered more info from the school, but was wondering if any of you know anything about this branch good or bad? Online is all the rage now, isn't it? The way to go? Seems way convenient.

ScarletKnight41 Jul 02 2006 07:00 PM

I'm getting my master's degree online. It's a lot of work - certainly as much as in face-to-face classes, if not more. But I value the ability to do my schoolwork when it fits into my schedule. If you're a disciplined, self-motivated student, then you're a good candidate for online studies.

TheOldMole Jul 06 2006 01:43 PM

Wish me luck. I'm on my way to interview 3 of 5 (all today) for the new Creative Writing position at New Paltz.

Edgy DC Jul 06 2006 02:09 PM

Buena suerte. Here's a help, answer like a creative writer. Give all answers in a language you made up.

TheOldMole Jul 06 2006 03:47 PM

Klaatu barada nicto.

Edgy DC Jul 06 2006 03:51 PM

See, now. I immediately want to hire you.

ScarletKnight41 Jul 06 2006 04:40 PM

Good luck Mole!

seawolf17 Jul 06 2006 04:53 PM

Worst case, you could always get a job at Old Paltz.