Opinion on Boston or New England colleges for prospective student (Worcester: credit, home)

[NJSeaStar]

We're trying to help our daughter sort through college choices. She is particularly fond of the Cape Cod area but appreciates NH and ME as well. Her interest seems to be in teaching so we just wondered what some opinions are about good colleges in the above mentioned areas. She is in the top 1% of her high school class and scored above average on the practice PSAT, etc. She will take the PSAT next year. She attends a small high school (300 students) in NJ and probably will most likely want a college that is smaller. She has expressed an interest in study abroad as well. Any ideas for colleges that we might look into? Thanks much!

[holden125]

There are plenty of colleges of all sizes and shapes in the Boston area, and in New England at large. Though there aren't too many (any?) 4-year schools on Cape Cod, there are some in Maine and N.H.

Top-notch smaller schools in Maine include Bowdoin, Bates, and Colby. There's also the U. of Maine, and I'm sure there are others.

New Hampshire has Dartmouth, which is the smallest of the Ivies, and other private schools like St. Anselm's, Daniel Webster, Lebanon. Also UNH and other state schools.

I don't know about their education programs, but many teachers major in a subject they love and intend to teach, and then obtain a master's in teaching, which is increasingly required (as a practical matter and in some cases formally) for teaching jobs.

One thing to consider is that a place like Cape Cod or Maine is very different during the school year than in the summer. Maine's college towns, like Brunswick, have some activity because of the students, but it's very cold. Places like the lower Cape, out by Wellfleet and Provincetown, kind of shut down in the winter. Compared to most of NJ, even the larger towns in Maine are quiet and can be kind of isolating. Maine is also a pretty insular place, and it can be hard to crack social circles coming from "away."

There are also plenty of good smaller schools in Massachusetts, both in the greater Boston area and western and central Mass., and in Vermont (Middlebury, Bennington, etc.) and Connecticut (Wesleyan, Trinity, Quinnipiac). Mass. and Conn. are cold, but not as cold as the Maine coast, and closer to home.

Study abroad should be doable no matter where she goes. Many students study abroad with programs offered by universities other than the one they attend (my cousin is doing so now), and the credits are generally accepted by their home school. It would be a question to explore with the admissions people when the search is narrowed.

In Boston itself, I know Simmons College is a small school that is known for its teaching programs. Wheelock as well, I believe.

[lrfox]

The University of Maine at Farmington is an excellent teaching school. It's pretty small (2500 students) but its primary output is education majors and they have good job placement. The town is cute (walkable, town center with shops and restaurants) and it's active since it's a college town. It's not far from the Sunday River and Sugarloaf USA ski areas (where a lot of the students work) which is great if she likes th outdoors. It's about 1.5 hours to Portland so that may be an issue if she wants the coast. I made the mistake of transferring from Farmington (I wanted a larger school) to University of Southern Maine from Farmington. USM is popular (due to the affordability and proximity to the coast), but it's not a great school.

Bridgewater State is a nice college just south of Boston. It has a commuter rail stop on campus that can take your daughter right into downtown Boston when she wants and it's located only about 35-40 minutes by car to Cape Cod (more to the Outer Cape). It's also a reputed teaching college.

The private schools holden listed are excellent as well. Can't go wrong with any of them.

[capecodcathy]

Colby-Sawyer, U of Southern NH. Merrimack in northern MA, Westfield State closer to the NY border. Assumption in Worcester. Salve Regina in Newport, RI. Maybe Providence College.
Not sure what's going on at Bridgewater. Never heard anything bad, but they've had about 20 teaching and coaching jobs on monsterdotcom. Not sure if they're expanding or expecting a mass exodus. Newbury or Northeastern in Boston.
Stay away from UMass/Dartmouth and U/Mass Amherst. The reputation is "party central".
There are no 4 yr programs on Cape Cod, unfortunately.
Best of Luck!!!

[KathyMA]

Lesley University in Cambridge (not a small town but a great place for students) used to focus in teaching education. It's still pretty small, though it has grown its student population over the years.

[GypsySoul22]

Dartmouth pretty much dominates this area but I have to tell you that there is not a lot locally going on that doesn't focus on the college. Some may argue but I feel this area is rather limited. Boston is about 2-3 hours away by car. I am from suburban NY (Long Island) and Hanover is dull to me, though a lot of people think 'it's it.' (fine for them.)

I just feel that there are more interesting cities to do your four years of college in than Hanover, NH.

My 2 cents.

[western mass and love it]

westfield state is a good school(not anywhere near new york btw)but kind of off in it's own little area,in the berkshires there is simon rock and north adams state(or mas moca) what ever it is called now.also in western mass wew have western new england college,A.I.C.(american international college),springfield college,bay path college,elms college,MT holyoke,smith,hampshire college, Umass,Amherst college,all are wonderfull schools and all offer different settings.some are in urban areas and some in more of a rural setting.all are in western mass and are within a 2 and a half hours to 3 hours drive to northern jersey.

[masspro]

Keep University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in your option. It's only 30 minutes drive from the Cape. They have great faculty there.

[brightdoglover]

I assume cost is not an issue? The private schools cost a kazillion dollars compared to state, even out-of-state tuition.
I think Lesley College-now-university cranks out, for a high fee, a lot of therapy-type people- dance, art, movement. Arts administration. Very expensive degrees that, in my opinion, are often not job-likely and can't compete with bigger school names down the street and in the area. I don't think education is its main thing anymore.
Also, it's not very small and is butted up next to Harvard (literally) so is in quite the urban setting. A great setting, but very urban.

[professorsenator]

Originally Posted by NJSeaStar

We're trying to help our daughter sort through college choices. She is in the top 1% of her high school class and scored above average on the practice PSAT, etc. She will take the PSAT next year. She attends a small high school (300 students) in NJ and probably will most likely want a college that is smaller. She has expressed an interest in study abroad as well. Any ideas for colleges that we might look into? Thanks much!

High school rank is important, but SATs matter more (don't let the recent talk about moving away from SATs fool you...SATs are still the gold standard predictor of college success).

If she does well on the SATs and ranks highly as you say, I would encourage her to shop her numbers around to college (numbers being SAT and GPA/class rank) and see what kind of scholarship package she could finagle. Such a package should not be the ONLY factor, nor should it necssearily be the top factor. But I would deinfitely make it a major consideration.

That said, she needs to ask what kind of school she envisions: big and diverse with lots of opporunity? Or small, familiar, and personal? Does she want to be in a city, suburban area, or small college town? How important is degree cache to her? (i.e. does she want to H-bomb people or does such snob appeal not matter to her?). I think some discussion of TYPE of school would be good before you start thinking NAMES.