Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Finding a University in DC area

We are posting to the DC area from Australia in the next 12-24 months. DH is likely to move sooner as DD wants to finish school in Australia first which will occur in Nov/Dec 2016 and I will stay here with her until she does.

The University selection and admission process is very different in the US and I am seeking all or any advice on choosing and admitting to a Uni for DD, remembering she is an International applicant so slightly different again to domestic applicants.

Background: DD is turning 14 and in yr 11 this year. She is stronger in Maths, Chem and Physics but is taking Advanced English as well. She is not sure what she wants to do but a STEM orientation is possible. Forensic psychology and criminolgy also rate. Due to her age she will live at home. We will choose our rental home based on where DD can access Uni through public transport.

We can do both SAT and ACT in Australia if needed. American University is one option and they specifically do not want either for International applicants.

I am aware there is a long lead time to apply to Uni in the States so am starting the process now although DD will not have final info needed to apply until Dec 2016. This puts her in the Fall 2017 intake. That's fine as she will have a gap year to travel with us and become established.

All thoughts are welcome. I have been looking at the big and small Universities. Personal attention would suit DD better as she is quiet and introverted. It is not something she would get easily here at the big Universities. Thank you to those who started helping on the other thread.

Have you looked at College Confidential?

The Davidson Database includes many helpful articles, including College Thinkin' which includes a typical timeline.

Well another good web site to look at is US News & World Reports. http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges Just keep in mind that their "ratings" are only one such metric don't get too hung on up on their rating numbers. But their web-site has a lot of good information side by side.

I don't personally know too much about the universities in D.C. Will you be looking just outside in the beltway as well? The only D.C. schools I know students who attended are American University, and Georgetown.

As for U.S. private schools your daughter will want not only grades from her school & SAT or ACT's, but a list of extra-curriculars, a teacher recommendation, and she will need to write a personal essay. My experience is 'test optional' schools in the U.S. required a writing portfolio instead of the SAT's. So at least for my son the SAT's are preferable.

Is cost an issue? Will you be able to play for the cost of a private elite university?

Have you considered John Hopkins or other schools in Baltimore. I know it's not D.C. but it is within what some Americans would considering commuting distance. Depends on how big a deal it would be for your husband to commute, or where exactly you want to live. Or how far is comfortable for your daughter to commute. How old will she be in Fall 2017?

For what it's worth do know a young adult who went to American University for pre-med and really like it.

I am sorry I can't be of much help - I'm not an East Coast person I did jus want to throw one thing out there though, since Johns Hopkins was mentioned. I have a friend who's ds is a freshman at Johns Hopkins this year, and he's been really disappointed in his experience because of the *size* of the classes for freshmen. Most of his classes are huge - some are 200+ students. This freshman is also a kid who has an easy time meeting and making friends and he attended a family large high school... but he's still not enjoyed the size of the classes and feeling like he was just a dot in the crowd at Johns Hopkins. Please know I'm not knocking Johns Hopkins - it's a wonderful university, just wanted to point that out since the OP specifically stated her dd would possibly want to be in an environment with personal attention.

Best wishes for your move!

polarbear

I am not that surprised that is true of Johns Hopkins too bad the student didn't realized this when looking at schools. I was just throwing out the idea that the OP might a bit farther afield.

Universities are not alike and one should check for average class size when looking at a school not just the size of the school and amount you are paying. I have seen large state schools that are huge but have no classes larger than 40, and medium sized private schools where undergraduates attend large lectures particularly in the sciences. It really helps to visit a school but I doubt the OP is going to have much chance of that.

Thank you everyone.

We are compiling DDs school transcript etc and had email from AU with their requirements. They were pretty helpful actually and its relatively easy to find a place near that Uni. Georgetown appears harder to get to on public transport. Neither place is inexpensive but as an International student it's going to cost a lot wherever she goes. There is a small Uni in Virginia called Marymount which I know little about but looked at because it was small nd had a forensic psych course. It is within the zone where we can live.

Commuting isn't really an option. DH is restricted to where he has to live in terms of time/distance to work and DD will be 16 but isn't great with traveling alone especially in a foreign environment. Hopefully that will improve with experience but I am not counting on distance commutes being in her comfort zone.

I have been doing some research and the suggestions you have made Indigo and Bluemagic are most welcome. I have had a quick look.

Polarbear, when I was at Uni I had some lectures with 800+ people in the auditorium so 200 sounds cosy by comparison! DD is a different kettle of fish and smaller classes would be better at least for some of the time.

I would like to personally visit campuses with DD. It may be possible but not for some months, probably when DH moves over to the US.

I will schedule her SATs. This may be a dumb question but I am presuming Maths questions in the SAT uses imperial measures?

Criminal justice majors are grouped under "Security and Protective Services" (SPS) by the College Board https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/...nal-justice-corrections-criminal-justice . The SAT scores of SPS majors are abysmal according to the 2013 College-Bound Seniors Total Group Profile Report, with average SAT scores in the low to mid 400s in each of the three sections of the SAT. The average score for each section is about 500. I would be very reluctant to have a gifted student take college classes with low-SAT students.

SAT practice questions are found online at the college board website. These source documents can help answer your questions. The college board also offers a study guide book and an online course. Past year tests are also released for study purposes, are readily available, and are a widely used for test prep as the SAT is an achievement test.

Thanks Indigo. I will hunt down some past papers for DD so she knows what is coming.

Interesting perspective Bostonian. I am not sure what to think there. The admission scores to get into courses over here are often affected by course popularity even more than the intellectual demands of the course. Certainly demanding courses have high entry scores but they also tend to be the ones that are sought after eg law, medicine, engineering. Other courses can be highly popular and perhaps less intellectually demanding and still have high entry requirements because of limited places. There is often pressure on kids who get a high Uni entry score to "not waste it" and so they get pushed into med or law. I know students who wanted to do business or geology who ended up in med and hated it because that isn't what they wanted.

I suspect DD will do more than one degree in her life and she has the time to do that. Money may be another issue. She still isn't sure what she wants to do and has wide interests. I look on this an opportunity to experience life in another country and broaden her education. My key concerns will be happiness and safety if that makes sense. A good education is important of course but under the circumstances the other factors have an impact.